CHART SAN 134, 133 or SAN 61 or BA 2088, 2089.

Ponta do Ouro is a small settlement in Mozambique close to the border with South Africa.

The coastline extends roughly SW for 131 miles to Richards Bay Harbour entrance.

The shoreline is mainly sandy with occasional rock outcrops and off-lying reefs. Beyond the beach the vegetation is lush and heavily wooded. Within the coastal range the country is low and flat with a number of lagoons and swamps of which Lake St. Lucia is the largest.

The Lebombo range of mountains, 40 miles inshore, starting near Cape St. Lucia and extending into Mozambique, may be seen on a clear day, as some peaks are over 700m high.

Coastal settlements are few, as the larger towns are further inshore.

The exception is St. Lucia close to the mouth of the estuary. The Agulhas Current (for this section) The continental shelf, as defined by the 200m contour, lies 3 miles or less offshore, except in the Kosi Bay area (5 miles) and the St. Lucia Estuary (6 miles).

The Agulhas Current is strongest next to the shelf edge, attaining rates of 3-4 knots or more during the Autumn. Somewhat less is usually experienced during the Summer. A northerly counter current is often experienced about one and a half miles offshore.

Dangers (for this section)
When sailing close to the northern section of the coast at night or in foul weather, care with depth soundings should be taken owing to the existance of 3 gullies in the seabed, which are within one and a half miles of the shore. In the vicinity of these, soundings of more than 200 meters will be obtained giving a false indication of distance offshore.

The positions of these are:
SW of Sodwana Point 27deg 29'S; 32deg 43'E
Off Mumba Hill 27deg 37'S; 32deg 40'E
Off Leven Point 27deg 55'S; 32deg 37'E

See list of additional dangers, lights, harbour photo, etc., for this section in the booklet
'Southern African Cruising Notes' by Tony Herrick http://www.cruiser.co.za/tony.asp