Seychelles

Introduction

From imposing boulders to secluded award winning beach spots where you will feel like you’re on a desert island, Indian Ocean’s dot on the World map, Seychelles, represents one of the very few luxurious, untouched frontiers for vessels wishing to cruise in tranquillity.

Seychelles are an archipelago comprising of 115 Granitic and Coralline islands dispersed over 1.3 million square kilometers of the Indian Ocean. The official languages are Seychellois Creole, English and French. There are 42 granite islands in the Seychelles archipelago, including Mahé, Praslin & La Digue. These islands form the heart of the Seychelles, and are also the only remote oceanic islands in the world that originated from a single continental mass, with no coral or volcanic influence.

Inner and Outer Islands

The Seychelles archipelago’s islands fall into six groups. The first is the ‘Inner Island’ group of the main islands of Mahé, Praslin, La Digue and the surrounding islands up to a distance of 100 km. 250 km south west of Mahé we have the “Outer Island” comprising of Amirantes group followed by the Southern Coral group, Alphonse group, Farquhar group and finally the Aldabra group, 1100 km from Mahé.

The islands of the Amirantes such as Desroches, d’Arros and Poivre, 250 km to the south west, offer exceptional sailing in virgin waters where only the privileged few have sailed. Further afield still, the Southern Coral, Alphonse, Farquhar and Aldabra Groups are where the abundant natural beauty of Virgin Islands still await the visit of adventurous seafarers. Not many local residents or tourist adventure seekers have the opportunity due to accessibility and remoteness to explore these Virgin
Islands so do make the most to take in its natural beauty.

General

Seychelles is located outside the cyclone belt with no risk of contracting malaria, yellow fever, cholera or other common tropical diseases and with a sublime tropical climate, it has the potential for a carefree, year-round cruising season. Straightforward Immigration (no visas required) and health regulations also make for an uncomplicated, hassle-free stay.

This exclusive destination has a great deal to offer. Enlightened conservation measures have ensured that almost half of the limited landmass has been set-aside as a “living natural history museum”, boasting some of the rarest species of flora and fauna on earth – a heaven for ornithologists and nature lovers. Seychelles is already home to two UNESCO World Heritage sites, the fabulous ‘Vallée de Mai’ on the island of Praslin and ‘Aldabra’, the largest raised coral atoll on earth. The islands also provide spectacular opportunities for safe swimming, snorkeling and diving in warm, crystal waters fringing beaches of powder-soft sand, framed by age-old granite boulders and lush palm forests.

Port Victoria and Eden Island Marina

Port Victoria has the capacity to accommodate all categories of vessels of up to 210 meters (LOA) with draft 11 meters and vessels of up to 300 meters (LOA) with draft 9.5 meters including: geared container vessels, cruise ships, military ships, research vessels, bulk carriers (fuel, cement), Roro (Roll on roll off), industrial fishing vessels (purse seiners, long- liners), submarines, yachts, super- yachts, mega- yachts and many others.

Berthing is available at Eden Island Marina once vessels have been cleared in and Yachts are granted a one month visiting permit from date of entry. Therefore, if you are to surpass one month stay then we would need to apply for temporary import permit before the one month visiting permit expires.

Climate & Winds

The Seychelles Islands enjoy a tropical climate, with air temperatures well above 20 ° C throughout the year, and water temperatures varying between 27 ° C and 30 ° C.

Between June and September, the south-east trade wind blows in this part of the Indian Ocean. The wind is mostly even, and provides a refreshing breeze on the beaches, disturbing the ocean surface too. Average wind speeds are 12-15 knots increasing to 20 to 25 knots during the peak of the season in July and August.

Between November and March the north-west trade wind blows weakly on the Seychelles islands. Between these two periods the Doldrums months, there are almost no wind, and the sea remains calm all the time. Thanks to their location, the Seychelles are never affected by bad storms. In fact, they generally only experience gentle breezes from such storms happening thousands of kilometers away. In general, north-westerly winds strengthen at daybreak with average wind speeds of between 10-12 knots.

Uniquely there is no really bad time to cruise in Seychelles, but the off-season from March to May, and from September to November is often appreciated as the islands are less crowded, deserted beaches and sailing becomes even more enjoyable. Everything depends on your interests: Botanic lovers will prefer to go to Seychelles in January or February, while dive enthusiasts will find their happiness with even more clear seabed and a particularly calm ocean between October and March.