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The Andaman Sea
The Andaman Sea, in the northeastern
corner of the Indian Ocean, covers an area of almost 800,000 square
kilometres. It is separated from the Bay of Bengal in the west by
the Andaman and Nicobar islands which string north from the tip of
Sumatra, and bounded in the north by Burma, east by Thailand and Malaysia,
and in the south by Sumatra and the Strait of Malacca. It has an average
depth of 870 metres, and a maximum depth of 3,777 metres.
The sea contains thousands of islands, and countless
sheltered anchorages. Its fringing reefs and rich marine life provide
some of the best snorkelling and diving on Earth. It is outside the
tropical storm zones, safe for cruising year-round. Even during the
wet southwest monsoon, winds rarely exceed 30 knots.
When many people think of cruising in Southeast Asia,
they immediately think of piracy. Forget it. The rare cases of piracy
involve attacks on freighters. In the Andaman Sea, there has not been
a case of a yacht being attacked for many years. The Andaman, in fact,
is a safer place to cruise than the Caribbean; much safer when incidences
of petty crime are compared.
Phuket-Langkawi is the premier yachting destination
in Asia. The combination of genuinely friendly people, enchanting
cultures, robust marine service industries, relaxed attitudes and
stunningly beautiful cruising grounds make it an area hard to resist.
Many who sail into the Andaman Sea can't bring themselves to sail
away again.
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Yachting guide to Phuket, Langkawi & the
Andaman Sea
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