What we have learnt about cruising the Maldives by yacht
Business trips can be different. Some take you to Bangkok, others to Hong Kong, but there are those taking you to… paradise! Our visit to the Maldives was unfortunately purely a work. But to come here even for exploring the local yacht market was truly enjoyable. Thank you, Princess Yachts South East Asia, for this unique opportunity!
The Maldives. An archipelago country located on 1,190 islands that are like pearls spread on the azure cover of the Indian Ocean. Only about one-third of these islands are inhabited, and the rest are the real oasis of untouched nature. Most of them do not exceed 200×200 metres in size. This can be compared to an area of a big supermarket. The islands are grouped into 26 atolls surrounded by live coral reefs. The reef acts as a barrier that protects the island from the storms and high waves of the Indian Ocean, thus creating a tranquil lagoon with clear blue water and abundant marine life. In the reefs, there are passages big enough even for large vessels. However, without the necessary knowledge and experience, the navigation among the reefs is almost impossible and very dangerous.
The main industry of the Maldives is tourism. More than 90% of government revenue comes from tourism taxes and import duties. The islands are visited by about 900,000 tourists per year. Today, there are around 105 hotels in the Maldives, with 90 of them located on their private islands. A typical tourist resort here consists of an exclusive hotel on its own island, with the population based on tourists and hotel staff, with no local residents or their houses.
Roads and, therefore, cars in the Maldives can be found only in the capital city of Male or near the airport. With the country’s territory made up of 99% water, the main means of transportation here are boats. Boat construction is in the list of the main local industries and is aimed mainly at the building of vessels for fishing and passenger transportation.
We were most curious about the market of luxury sports cruisers and motor yachts from 10 metres up. And it was interesting to learn that most of them are owned by hotels. The Maldives resorts of premium class, which are in the majority, prefer to have their own vessels for the entertainment of their own guests. Their collections boast yachts of different sizes: there are large and luxurious yachts like Princess 78 (24M), but the most popular are slightly smaller sports cruisers and motor yachts from 12 to 20 metres . The reason is simple – with so many lagoons and beaches, the slightly smaller boat gives better access to these areas, at the same time still giving the luxury requirement the resort guest expect.
Do you prefer cruising the Maldives sea waters by a yacht instead of a relaxing stay in a hotel? Great! The main advantage of such journey is, of course, independence. You can move from island to island with its crystal clear lagoons exploring secret dive sites and fishing spots. The Maldives waters are so clear, and the marine world is so diverse that to see colourful tropical fish, turtles and manta rays you’ll only need a mask and a snorkel.
To date, there is no full-service marina to provide facilities for yachts visiting the Maldives. Yachtsmen are only offered to stay at anchor in the local waters. However, the Maldives offers a huge number of interesting anchorages. They can be lagoons of the luxurious resorts, fishing harbours or waters of the local villages with their small eating places. Great news – the first 15 days of cruising the Maldives by your own yacht are free. But the islands are so beautiful that this short period is usually not enough. Fortunately, you can stay in this paradise on a yacht up to 6 months. But you have to be prepared for the possible hidden pitfalls of your journey.
The local government is definitely most interested in the tourists staying in the local hotels and paying for all the accompanying pleasures. The guests cruising the Maldives by their own yachts and also living on them do not bring substantial tourism income. For this reason, government fees for boaters travelling around the country are quite high.
The first 3 days you can do without the local agent, but later he is simply necessary. The agent will deal with all the legal procedures such as customs clearance, a cruising permit, sanitation certificate, port state permit and VAT / GST. The local authorities are known for their bureaucracy, so having an agent will be a real salvation of your time and nerves. And it is so important when on holiday! Therefore, we highly recommend you to contact several agents and choose the most suitable for your trip. The list of these companies in the Maldives is quite big, their staff speaking good English, and the services do not cost ridiculous money. Enjoy your trip!