Flying Fish Articles

Visa requirements

It is essential to have a visa before visiting India. The process of obtaining one is said to be lengthy

Recommended cruising guides

Indian Ocean Cruising Guide, 2nd Edition by Rod Heikell, published by Imray Laurie, Norie and Wilson

Some of the ports of entry

Cochin, Mumbai, Chenni, Panjim (Goa)

Cochin – 09°59.00'N, 76°16.00'E
Mumbai, (Bombay) – 18°55.00'N, 72°50.00'E


Cochin
1) INFORMATION SUBMITTED BY Andy Copeland - Bagheera

2) DATE 1990

3) HARBOUR OR AREA COVERED Cochin, India. 9°59’N 76°16’ E

4) SUITABILITY AND ATTRACTION FOR YACHTS Excellent Harbour - sheltered easy entry and reasonably free of thieves etc. A safe place to leave your boat and explore inland - some wonderful game reserves to see.

5) MARINAS, BERTHING OR ANCHORAGE To complete formalities anchor off the Malabar Hotel. The Harbour Office is next door. Then proceed to safe anchorage off the Bolgatty Palace Hotel.

6) ENTRY PORTS Cochin, Goa & Bombay.

7) FORMAL REQUIREMENTS FOR YACHTS ENTERING/DEPARTING a) from/to same country Check in and out of each large port, but may cruise/anchor along coast without formalities if you avoid these ports after initial entry. b) from/to abroad Must check in at Port of entry c) visa requirements Yes, Port of Entry, but make inquiries before arriving.

8) LOCATION/EXISTENCE OF a) harbour master Next to Malabar Hotel b) customs/immigration Not known c) health authorities Not needed d) police Not needed

9) CONTROL OF FOREIGN YACHTS Length of stay without import duty not known

10) ATTITUDE OF OFFICIALS TO VISITING YACHTSMEN Very friendly - though Immigration officer tried to demand a bottle of scotch and kept me waiting when I refused.

11) REPAIR/HAULING FACILITIES No easy haul out, but most repairs possible.

12) SAILING DIRECTIONS OR CHARTS BA Chart 65 - Approach & Port of Cochin. Alan Lucas’ Red Sea and Indian Ocean Guide was found to be accurate for Cochin. Do not trust the chart for depths when proceeding to the Bolgatty anchorage. Follow one of the large ferries as the channel silts up continuously. (This book is still available (2009) from Amazon. A more recent Pilot is the Indian Ocean Cruising Guide by Rod Heikell, 2nd edition published 2007/8. Ed)

13) PORT RADIO SERVICES VHF Ch 16 - Good English

14) WEATHER FORECASTS Weatherfax from New Delhi and Diego Garcia. Local weather by request on VHF.

15) YACHT CLUB(S) No

16) OTHER FACILITIES - a) drinking water By jerrican at Bolgatty - was clean & potable b) fuel By jerrican or at fuel dock on south side of harbour entrance (Port Cochin) c) gas (propane)/gaz/ Not known d) chandlers Only fishing boat gear e) bank Yes, but the ‘black market’ gets you 20% better rate, no paperwork or interminable waits. You will be approached quite openly everywhere. f) shops/market Excellent g) restaurants/hotels Good, cheap. h) post office/telephones Unreliable, both phone and mail i) best mailing address Not known j) showers No k) laundry Yes, arrange through local boatman l) transport/air services) Buses, taxis & car hire with driver - cheap. Probably OK for crew change but paperwork might be formidable. m) hospital No knowledge n) anything else A local boatman can be hired very inexpensively to get water, fuel, beer and other heavy supplies, also to guard the boat if you want to leave it for few days - well worth it. .

17) FIRST HAND RECOMMENDATIONS OR WARNINGS If proceeding west or south from here - Maldives, Seychelles etc, then stock up well in Cochin at 10% of the prices you will find in the latter two places. Excellent potatoes, onion, squash which will keep of 2 months with care, also Long Life (UHT) milk, beer, cheeses & canned goods.

Mumbai, (Bombay)

NAMASTE! my name is Gulshan Rai (66). I have had the honour of being the OCC Port Officer representative for Bombay, now Mumbai, for the past 30 years. I am former Joint Commissioner of Indian Customs, Commodore/President of the Royal Bombay Yacht Club, a circumnavigator in a 32ft British-built Vancouver class of sailing yacht and recipient of the Barton Cup.

Mumbai, located at Lat 18°55’N Long 072°50’E, is the biggest natural harbour in India. Yachting in India dates from the founding of the Bombay Yacht Club in 1846. In 1876, Queen Victoria bestowed the title Royal on the Club and, in 1896, the Admiralty conferred the Blue Ensign to the Royal Bombay Yacht Club (RBYC) with emblem of the Crown and Star of India.

The RBYC is located opposite the historic Gateway of India built to commemorate the landing in 1911 of the Emperor King George VI and Queen Mary. The RBYC (www.royalbombayyachtclub.com) with residential section, bar, restaurant, reception halls, gym, library, reading room and internet facilities extends honorary membership to all visiting yachtspersons during the stay of their yachts in Mumbai.

The Anchorage Mumbai does not have any marina. The anchorage, located west of the Gateway, in the lee of the land, is swell free and deep enough for all sizes of yachts. However, because of the heavy southwest Monsoon, the anchorage is closed to yachts from May to September, both months inclusive. The October-April sailing season is cool with steady northeast winds.

Arrival of visiting yachts In view of the recent (November 2008) terrorists’ attacks, the Port Trust authorities have tightened up the security, both for domestic yachts and those arriving from abroad. All Indian boats have to be registered with the Port Trust authorities and have a harbour craft licence. The authorities feel that any yacht entering without their knowledge poses a very serious security hazard. The Port Trust has made it mandatory that all visiting yachts with an intention to enter Mumbai are required to inform Police (immigration), Customs and Port authorities at least 72 hours before their arrival, giving details such as name of the yacht, flag, number of persons on board and their nationality. This they can do either through the RBYC, a registered agent at the port or their Consulate.

The yachts must invariably monitor VHF Channel 12 and, when in a position within 12 miles radius of Prongs Reef Lighthouse, contact the Mumbai Harbour Control and request permission to enter the harbour. Under no circumstances should the yacht attempt to enter the harbour without clearance from the Mumbai Harbour Control.

Support services: Mumbai is a teeming, bustling metropolis with a population of 15 million. It is very well connected by air to all countries, has many domestic airlines and its roads and rail track reaches every nook and corner of this vast country. Mumbai is a perfect gateway for visiting crews, because they can safely leave their boats in the snug anchorage and travel inland. The Customs allow a visiting yacht to be in India for six months; the stay of crews depends on the validity of their visas, which they must possess before their arrival.

There has been a massive growth in yachts and yachting in Mumbai in the new millennium. The reasons behind this boom are the economic surge, reduced import duties – from 200 per cent to merely 38 per cent ad valorem – liberal governmental policies and availability of the technical skill to operate the yachts. The India International Boat Shows at Cochin (Kochi) and Mumbai display luxury yachts, speed boats, services and a diverse range of products associated with boats and the boating industry. The growth in imported sailing yachts is negligible, because wealthy Indians normally use their motor yachts as a lifestyle sport.

Marine services: All kinds of services for visiting yachts, navigational instruments, charts are available. Spare parts can be imported duty free for visiting yachts. Haul out is not advisable.

Social activities: Mumbai is the art and culture capital of western India. From operas to English plays and the latest Hollywood movies are available within walking distance of the anchorage. The best of libraries, the Asiatic and the David Sassoon ones, the Prince of Wales museum, the churches of St Thomas and St John are near to the RBYC. Pubs, fine dinning places, cinemas, seafront promenades and the fishing village are close by. Taxis, trains and buses are available all the time. In fact the city never sleeps.

Contact Please contact me for help or advice.  +91 22-22151421 Fax +91 22-22150805 www.indiayachting.com.