Mayabandar Harbour Chart No. 4040 Mayabandar is the district headquarters of Middle Andaman Island and is administered by an assistant Commissioner residing there. There is a dispensary, a police wireless station and a helipad. There is weekly steamer service between Mayabandar, Rangat, Long Island and Port Blair in the S, and a biweekly ferry service to Port Cornwallis in the N. Principal export is timber. Mayabandar town is 1.5 km from the jetty. Total population of town is approx. 10,000. Languages used here are Hindi, Tamil and Bangla. Mayabandar is connected to Port Blair by road which is approximately at a distance of 240 km. Regular bus services on daily basis exists between the two towns. Concrete Jetty, 195m long, lies about ¾ cable SW of Takla Oyster Point. A least depth of 9m is reported along side the jetty. The minimum depth alongside the jetty is 8.5m. Facilities: Vessel can obtain a maximum of 10 tons of fresh water from PWD services at Mayabandar Port. One jetty crane with a capacity of 15 Tons and a mobile crane with capacity of 06 Tons are available on the Jetty. No fuelling facility is available here. Vessels Visiting the Port: MV Nicobar, the main land bound ship to Kolkata visits Mayabandar port once a month. Smaller passenger ferries from Port Blair visits the port twice a week. Pilotage and tugs facilities are not available at Mayabandar Port. Medical Facilities: There is a Government Hospital at a distance of 03 km from Mayabandar Jetty and is manned by two general duty medical practitioners, assisted by a few nurses and paramedical staff. The investigation facilities include a biochemical laboratory and a radiological unit with ultra sonogram facilities which are handled by technicians. Orchid Island (12°56'.4N, 92°54'.2E), 33m high, is covered with tree and jungle; except for a reef extending about 1 cable SE, the island is steep-to. A light Fl.G.5s is exhibited from a white square beacon. At an elevation of 27m on the SE slope of the island. Curlew Island (12°56'.1N, 92°53'.6E), 51m high to the tops of trees, is very steep on its N side, has several wooden huts on it and a red roofed bungalow on its NE side; these make the island easy to identify. A small reef, which dries 2.1m, lies about 2 cables E of the E extremity of the island. Egg Island (12°55'.9N, 92°53'.6E) ¼ miles S of Curlew Island, is 32m high and densely wooded. A light Fl.G.1s is exhibited from a white square beacon at position (12°55'.93N, 92°53'.56E). Dottrel Island lies about 3 cables SW of Egg Island. Swamp Island, lies W of Dottrel Island and is densely wooded. The E entrance of Austen Strait, which separates North Andaman Island from Middle Andaman Island lies between Swamp Island and Mayabandar. Bacon Bay, is entered between Brown Point (12°56'.8N, 92°54'.9E), and the coast 2 miles W; it is an excellent harbour sheltered from all winds with its E side clear of dangers outside about 2 cables offshore. A 9.1m patch lies about 3 cables NW of Orchid Island. Gurjon Island (12°54'.8 N, 92°54'.8E) lies 1 mile SE of Takla Oyster Point and is fringed by a reef. Gurjon Bay is entered between Gurjon Island and Aves Point (12°54'.65N, 92°55'.4E). Aves Island (12°55'.00N., 92°56'.00E.), 20m high and conspicuous, lies about 2 miles SW of Sound Island. A drying reef connects the island to Aves Point to the WSW. Takla Oyster Point (12°55'.60N., 92°53'.90E.), about 1.5 miles WNW of Aves Point, is the N end of a promontory which forms the E side of a shallow bay. The E entrance of Austin Strait lies at the head of this bay. A shoal, with a least depth of 3.2m, lies almost 0.5 mile E of Takla Oyster Point. Berkeley Island Group (12°56'N., 92°54'E.) consists of Orchid, Curlew, Egg and Dottrel Islands, which lie in the approach to Bacon Bay to the W and NW of Takla Oyster Point. All except Dottrel Island are identifiable from abeam of Square Rock. Several prominent trees, some wooden huts, together with a red-roofed bungalow on its NE side, makes Curlew Island identifiable. shoal, having a depth of 14.6m, lies almost 0.3 mile S of the S end of Orchid Island. A shoal, with depths of 6.1 to 19.5m, extends about 0.6 mile NW from the NW end of Orchid Island. shoal, having a depth of 2.7m lies 0.5miles NE of Tekla Oyster Point and Bn (5) on it. Anchorages: Anchorage may be obtained with Egg Island bearing 270° distance 14 cables in depth of about 29m or with this bearing 272° distance 5 cables in a depth of about 18m. Anchorage may also be obtained with SE of Egg Island at a distance of 7 cables in a depth of 11m. The recommended anchorage berth marked on chart 4008 by symbol in position 12°55'.87N, 92°55'.53E and 12°55'.87N, 92°55'.03E is suitable for anchorage with soft mud bottom. Vessels wishing to communicate with Mayabandar settlement may obtain good anchorage in a depth of about 18m, with Egg Island bearing 272° distance 5 cables, and the SE point of Orchid Island bearing 023°. There is also anchorage in depths of 27 to 29m, mud, with Egg Island bearing 311° distance 3 cables and the SE point of Orchid Island 038°. Good anchorage may be obtained near the head of Bacon Bay, in depths of 22 to 25m with Ray Hill bearing 095º about 4 cables from the E shore of the bay. Tidal Stream: Tidal streams in Stewart Sound set to N with the rising tide and S with the falling tide, attaining a rate at springs of 1½ knots in the narrow parts of the sound. To the S of Camp Bay, a small bight on the N side of the N entrance, about 1¾ miles NW of Oliver Island (13°00' N, 93°00'E), the N going stream has a rate of ¼ knot and S-going streams a rate of 2 knots. Close of Takla Oyster Point the Stream sets SW with the rising tide and NE with the falling tide. During the strength of the SW monsoon the former stream is very weak but the latter stream attains a rate of about 3 knots. Directions: Vessels approaching from N and entering by the S entrance should round Square Rock at a distance of about 6 cables and should then steer for Orchid Island on a bearing of 287°. If proceeding to the anchorage off Takla Oyster Point, vessels should steer for Egg Island when it bears 272°. Care must be taken to keep Egg Island bearing not more than 272º until well clear of 2.6m shoal about 5 cables E of Takla Oyster Point. If proceeding to the anchorage in Bacon bay, after rounding Square Rock as directed above, Orchid Island should be kept bearing 287° until the summit of Aves Island bears 133°, when it should be brought and kept astern on that bearing, which leads into Bacon bay, passing between Orchid Island and Brown Point and leaving the 13.4m patch in mid channel, about ½ cable to N. When the summit of Ray Hill bears 050° course may be shaped N for the anchorage at the head of the bay. Vessels from S should approach the S entrance keeping Ray Hill bearing 322° and slightly open SW of Jones Point until Orchid Island is seen about midway between Aves Island and Jones point and bearing about 287º. Supplies. Provisions are scares, and can only be obtained in small quantities; water is also scarce, except in the rainy season.