Andaman Sea Pilot - the definitive cruising guide for the Andaman Sea...and more

The definitive guide to 380 anchorages in more than one million square miles of ocean

VIETNAM

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VIETNAM

Click links below for Vietnam anchorages

Na Trang and Hon Tre
Vung Thuc Bay
Vung Fong Bay

Apart from the Hong Kong to Nha Trang Race and a few intrepid cruisers, there has been very little activity for private yachts in Vietnam until very recently.

Now the country has opened its waters up to cruising yachts and commercial charter activity culminating in 2006 with the establishment of a Sunsail Base in Nha Trang.

The province’s 60-mile coastline encompasses 70 islands. With constant 8-15 knot afternoon breezes, clear calm waters and friendly locals it has been a big hit with the yacht crews.

Nha Trang is Vietnam’s premier beach resort town and its location and geography gives clear skies and good weather between May and September.

The town has many hotels and restaurants ranging from the basic to luxurious and provisioning here is easy and within the cruising area are several resorts, while seafood can be bought or bartered for at one of the hundreds of fish farms.

The Islands south of Nha Trang offer dozens of protected anchorages in all seasons; the diving in Hon Mun marine park area is equal to the best in Asia.

North of Nha Trang is Vung Fong Bay, which is populated by many small islands and has a massive sand dune along its northern side.

Hidden away here is Whale Island, an eco-friendly resort that has done much to regrow coral destroyed by dynamite fishing. In the past, yachts have based themselves here for weeks to take advantage of the excellent nearby dive sites and perfect sailing conditions.

It is still early days for marine tourism in Vietnam and entry procedures can be time consuming if not overly expensive. The authorities do place restrictions on boat movements but are loosening up slowly. Local pilots are no longer required on foreign-flagged yachts full time.

Former Super-Yacht manager, Alan Goodman has moved here and is the best contact for any yacht wishing to cruise these waters.

He has been instrumental in encouraging a more open-minded approach towards visiting yachts by the Peoples Committee and local military officials. He can arrange all the necessary clearances, provide visas on arrival and more importantly fuel bunkering for foreign-flagged yachts. Email: gmi@pacific.net.sg

In general, the ‘Change and Renewal Principle’ (Doi Moi) has brought numerous changes in attitude and outlook. The overall willingness of the government and peoples to embrace new business opportunities bodes well for the future of the country.

A marina is being developed further north at Da Nang and with this there is an expectation that soon the 300-mile stretch of coastline between Nha Trang and Da Nang will be open to cruising.

While every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this book is accurate, the charts of anchorages are based on personal experience and satellite imagery and are intended as a guide only. They should not be used for navigation. Please refer to Official Hydrographic charts of the respective countries.

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