AFC#10 Skipper's Haven | african-fisherman

Somewhere in the pre-dusk night, the ocean crashed on a beach we could not see, though it was close as the spray carried to the lodge we were ushered into. A long night had come to an end, and we gratefully crashed till the mid-morning heat chased us from our bed. A mere hop-skip-and-jump from our front doors, a sparkling beach washed by azure waters welcomed us. A half kilometer away, bigger waves crashed to roll over a submerged reef, and in the distance the sail of a small dhow rocked violently on the deceivingly rough ocean. It was indeed like waking into a dream.

We had been invited to Skipper’s Haven early in 2014, but for various reasons had not made it. As 2014 drew to a close, a mail arrived inviting us over Christmas if we could make it. My interest piqued by an article we published earlier in the year by Marc Towers on the Dogtooth tuna to be found around Latham Island off the cost of Tanzania had me excited (SEE HERE).

Anchor 3

Skipper's Haven - Tanzania

By Ant Williams

I have always imagined East Africa as a lost part of the Dark Continent trapped in some bygone era. Great wildebeest migrations across vast open plains, safari tents dotted here and there, and the odd silhouetted leopard lounging in a tree, while Masai warriors look on. Fishing too... that which legends are made of... enormous tail-walking marlin, lit-up sailfish and tuna that can sink boats. It is true, that the eastern part of our continent has some of the richest diversity on earth, but I was not expecting the highly developed country which is Tanzania.

Landing in Dar es Salaam just after midnight on Boxing Day, we were whisked away on something of an adventure which revealed much of a country I admittedly knew little about. Just 40km from the city (GPS: lat. 06̊ 59' 80" S/long. 39̊ 32' 56" E) with the sea air thick like syrup, we pulled into the lodge to be met by the owner, Angus Black.

	The chalets - all with bathroom-en-suite, overlooking the ocean.	The chalets - all with bathroom-en-suite, overlooking the ocean.
The chalets - all with bathroom-en-suite, overlooking the ocean.

We visited the fish market - which was entertaining but not for the weak stomached, and toured a couple of shopping malls and flea markets, finally having lunch at the bay restaurant known as the Cape Town Fish Market. Vehicles are a hot and slow way to travel in Dar, but we hired little three-wheeler “Tuk-Tuk” motorbikes (taxis) to ferry us around. It is hair raising, but great fun. Certainly, if you have a day to spare, Dar es Salaam is worth the trip. Further afield, icons such as the Serengeti, Kilimanjaro, the Ngororo Crater and the Selous Game Reserve offer vibrant safari options and are well developed, while closer to Skipper’s, the famed island of Zanzibar can be enjoyed over a couple of day sojourn, by sea or a short flight. Sadly, we did not take advantage of all this, and plan a return trip to see some of the other sights. Angus and Karen can arrange such excursions for those not seriously fishing.

The most consistent comment I have seen about Skipper’s Haven, is that visitors truly feel like friends - I know we did. It sounds a bit cliche, but Karen and Angus are very hands-on, and their good old farming hospitality shines through. Oftentimes Karen was slaving over the stove, ensuring a never ending stream of home cooked, mouth watering meals, while Angus ensures an organised, tidy and well equipped boat for all excursions.

<<< Click on a cover to

view a previous article

>>> Click on a cover to

view the next article

After a day of settling in and a bit of exploring, the "sea gurus" judged sea and weather good for a trip to Latham some 43km away. Skippers is the closest lodge to Latham from the mainland (Latham is 70km from Dar) and while the sea was quite choppy, it only took us about an hour and a half to get there. I am not sure what I expected, but the small, low gravely island was not much to look at. However, it is the seabed topography of reefs, shelves, steep drop-offs and the giant fish attracted there, which makes Latham a hotspot. Between here and numerous other spots along the coast, Angus and Ewan have mapped and saved over 100 GPS way points, some which have produced world record fish, and we set about the job of trolling various baits. We caught fish... nothing big mind you, which I was grateful for. I had forgotten that sea fishing is not for sissies, and I was definitely feeling wimpish. Between the onset of sea sickness, the rough sea and fighting relatively small, but hellishly strong fish, I felt like I had been a couple of rounds with Mike Tyson! My arms ached, my back twinged and trying to keep balance in the giant swells did indeed nearly have me overboard. But I was ever amazed by the ocean, and the fact you just do not know what you might pull in... or how big it can get. We were even entertained by a pod of dolphins swimming beside the boat, and apparently whale sightings are not uncommon. We did catch some spectacular looking fish, even if not ginormous. We made another couple of sorties closer to the lodge after our Latham trip, and once were chased by rough seas. It was an enthralling experience, and what Skippers is all about.

“Our focus is really on the fishing.” Gus told me. True, the lodge is a great place to simply relax, but it is better described as a place for serious fishermen. They run a 19 ½ foot Tygercat powered by twin 85hp outboards which are relatively economical. The lodge provides packed breakfasts, lunches and drinks (alcohol extra) for an outing, and a half day will cost $450, while a full day out is $800. Because of the distance, a trip to Latham (full day) will cost $900 and the boat will cater for up to four anglers. While fishing is all year round, April/May is good for jigging and popping for GT’s, with focus on Marlin and other billfish in December through February. Tanzania has two rainy seasons; a short one in December/January, and the main one in March/April. Fishing is generally from October through to December, though the Kazkasi wind blows for about a month over Christmas. This is a north east monsoon and was constant and strong during our visit - refreshing in the heat of day, but sometimes churned the sea to a froth which even kept the dhows at bay.

If a non-fishing visitor, or taking a couple of days off from the sea, Skipper’s is a good place to relax. Although barren when they started building, Karen has planted over 150 trees, which complement the few massive baobabs which are on the property creating a truly tropical setting. It really is a little oasis on the Indian Ocean and we were treated to close-up sightings of Palm vultures as they cliff-soared past the lodge, and a very secretive and rare Green coucal... these just a couple of the 120 bird species found in the area. Skipper’s private beach is tucked into a little cove, where we swam daily and even snorkeled during low tide among the various tidal pools and mangroves. This was really fascinating. A little further out, and dotted all over the area, are various reefs one can explore if snorkeling and even scuba diving (if this takes your fancy). Karen is a qualified dive master (and boat skipper) and knows the area well. Aside from their private little beach, visitors can walk and explore up to 6km of beach from the lodge - or as Karen frequently does, take an early morning jog before the heat gets up.

We took a day and did the full-on tourist thing and visited the bustling city that is Dar es Salaam. Some six million people are crammed into this metropolis and it shows. Traffic is slow and bad, people swarm like ants, seemingly erratic but somehow organised, and the architecture speaks of an ancient history evident in the varied culture, while modern high-rise buildings and other infrastructure shows a new era.

I admittedly am a complete novice when it comes to deep sea fishing, and while I worried about petty things like sea sickness, being dragged over the side of the boat by a monster fish, or being eaten by sharks, the possibility of hooking into something beyond any freshwater fish I have ever caught, stirred my blood.

Skipper’s Haven was a dream of Angus and Karen Black - ex-Zimbabwean farmers of 25 years - when after a few years off the African continent it beckoned to them again. Settling in Tanzania they bought a three acre plot of what was basically barren land. The north facing point offered an ideal spot for a fishing lodge, and together with their son Ewan, they set about building in 2010, and were open for business in 2012. Six brick under reed-thatch chalets - three with king-size beds, and three with twin beds (extras can be added for children sharing) cater up to 12-15 guests. Each lodge has mosquito nets, a bathroom-en-suite with fresh borehole water feeding the entire lodge - great to get the salt off - and very drinkable too.

The harbour at low tide with the lodge on the hill in the background.

Positioned on high ground, the lodges all look out over the ocean, with our one being right on the beach... honeymoon suite, I believe someone. All are designed to take full advantage of the sea breeze with stunning views of both sunrise and sunset and the lodge enjoys 300m of private sea front and a private beach too.

During our visit, a wind turbine was being commissioned, which will see the lodge running off 220v inverters to provide power round the clock. This is backed up by a 12Kva generator. In addition, a separate campsite caters up to 4-5 tents with communal his and hers ablutions. All guests gather at the central bar/restaurant for meals, or just to lounge around.

Our trip into the city in Tuk-Tuks was great fun with much to see and do.

The natural protected harbor offers launching almost any time of day.

Skipper’s rates, for what they offer are very reasonable, and now with several airlines operating affordable, and regular schedules between RSA, Zim, Zambia and Dar, getting there is easy. For more information and bookings, visit their website at www.skippers-haven.com or mail them at info@skippers-haven.com and telephone (+255) 757 546 190.