Dar Es Salaam to Mafia Island

We arrive in the evening from Mesali island at Dar Es Salaam slipway, an anchorage at a former boat yard converted to a western style hotel with shopping mall and restaurants. It is a good place to introduce newcomers to Africa, the airport is only 20 minutes away, a big supermarket and a good medical facility is 2 minutes away and it is also convenient to do some work on your ship here as there are many hardware shops near Slipway. Harbour master Jason will help you with any question or problem you may have.

My sailfriend arrives in 2 days so there is time to do some work, first new batteries. Batteries where ordered from Sinetech Johannesburg, South Africa back in May/June and that company responded quickly: 8 batteries arrived in Dar Es Salaam airport in 3 days. But then there was a problem with clearance at customs. The requested money was payed but the batteries where never released! My compliments to the South African company Sinetech who gave me my money back as this was the transporter/importer fault. It did not take me long to find an alternative in Dar Es Salaam and in 3 hours they where on the boat and installed!

At Slipway is a Yamaha dealer but there is another shopping mall with a real chandlery….

To Dar Es Salaam airport, new crew arrived, safely on board, so good to have company! We leave the next day for Mafia Island, an upwind passage as we are still in South Monsoon. Not the fastest passage ever but all goes smooth.

                    Now see beautifull Africa: visit Mafia Island!

We want to buy fish! Women are the major buyers at this local fish market. Pitty they can only speak the local language. Finally we find a guy who speaks English. He bids for us at a tuna and wins…