Sailing in Bahrain?

[sailorgirl]

Anyone out there who is or has sailed in or around Bahrain? What's it like?

We've recently arrived on the island and so far have managed an afternoon's hire of a Laser Stratos which was fun until the wind died. Would love to find someone we can crew for, cruising or racing.

 

[Captn D]

Most sailing is concentrated around two clubs. The Bahrain Yacht Club towards the south end of Sitrah and the Bahrain Sailing Club on the west coast south of Zallaq. Suggest you try and make contact at one or the other. BYC has racing most Friday mornings.

 

[mirror image]

Bahrain is it

Never mind Bahrain, grey clouds here but the sun is peeping through. Tempted to take a day off tomorrow and creep off to the boat. I could always curl up in the cabin with a Tristan Jones from the sailing club - left by a couple who have apparently fled the country. You may know them.

Have you thought of sand yachting?

 

[sailorgirl]

Thanks Captn D - we'll give BYC a go, possibly even tomorrow. We tried Bahrain Sailing Club but apart from dinghy hire they're into match racing with the next event in April.

 

[sailorgirl]

I could always curl up in the cabin with a Tristan Jones from the sailing club - left by a couple who have apparently fled the country. You may know them.

Te he - certainly do! How's the new boat?

Sand yachting - its definitely windy enough and there's a nice flat expanse of land beside the hospital as long as we avoid the fishing boats pulled up on it. Now all we need are some wheels....

 

[sailorgirl]

Most sailing is concentrated around two clubs. The Bahrain Yacht Club towards the south end of Sitrah and the Bahrain Sailing Club on the west coast south of Zallaq. Suggest you try and make contact at one or the other. BYC has racing most Friday mornings.

Thought I'd post an update - we've bought a boat, a 22 ft Galion and joined Bahrain YC (you have to be a member to keep your boat there). The coastal scenery is mostly industrial (oil refineries etc) or desert. The waters are shallow - more East coast than Solent - with lots of reefs. Alternate Friday's there is racing (two classes IRC & PY) and the rest of the time there's cruising, usually in company, to parts of the reef where crews can sit in the shallows and cool down or even BBQ.

The sailing fleet is mostly around 20 - 25 feet, shallow draught or lifting keel being a must. Ancillary services are patchy - no sail maker, limited chandlery (more aimed at the myriad of small fishing boats) but a willingness to help which is all you need. The YC is a RYA training centre with two instructors running a regular program of dinghy and other courses.

The dust - from the desert, land reclamation and quarrying actvities - means you have to wash the boat off before sailing and after. The weather is unpredictable, Saturday saw a sudden sand storm with winds of over 40 knots which caught many out whether on land or sea. But for all the short comings I am pleased to report a lively and growing sailing scene.

 

[sarabande]

sailed in the gulf for nearly 10 years. Great fun, but watch out for those variable winds.

Also, do everything you can to avoid abrading your skin with barnacles. The high bacterial burden inshore (despite the UV) means that any scratch can go really bad very quickly.

And loads of the fish have spines which are very very painful, and don't tread on rays.

And hammour roasted in silver foil over a beach BBQ, or poached in foil in red hot sand, is just out of this world.

And fresh dates

And...