Andaman Islands - Docking

Port Blair:

Once clearance procedures are completed, yachts will be allowed to anchor off Haddo or to sail to another island with permission from the Port Control Tower if approved by the Harbour Master.

Ashore:

Fruit and vegetable markets are good, particularly in Port Blair, but the supermarkets have limited stock. There are strict daily limits on the amount of alcohol you may buy (for example 8 beers/person/day). Many of the restaurants do not serve alcohol. Laundromats are available but often take a few days to turnaround.

Other Islands:

• Havelock Island: Take your paperwork in with you the first time you visit as you may be asked for it and add it to a book at the main gate for the ferry terminal.
• Button Islands: Whilst you can anchor off any of the Buttons Islands you are not allowed to go ashore.
• Cinque Island: You can anchor but you are not allowed to go ashore.
• Maya Bandar:  This is the administrative center for the middle and northern islands. Report to the Harbourmaster on VHF channel 16 on approach and report to his office on arrival.
• North Sentinel: Off limits as an endangered Andaman tribe live on this island in isolation from the world. See this news report for more detail.

Andaman Islands Cruising Information: 

• Standard Operating Procedures for Yachts Visiting the Andaman & Nicobar Islands (October 2022)
• The best information on these islands can be found on www.southeastasiapilot.com
• Andaman Islands, India, Yacht Cruising Guide - Free online cruising guide (2016) by Paul Johnson, who wrote the Andaman section for the latest edition of the South East Asia Pilot.
• S/V Ocelot, who cruised here in 2011, also have a lot of very useful information on their blog, as do
• Colleen Wilson of S/V Mokisha visited in February 2014. See their Andaman Islands report.
• See Reports for more feedback from cruisers.

Last updated:  June 2023