Cruise destination Africa - EU partnership, time for new cruise ideas in Afrika - A Suggestion

In the new EU Africa partnership, which is a new way of Development Aid, it is intended to, engaging civil society in Pan-African issues of civil rights, as  Democratic Governance, Human Rights, Free Press/Media, Peace and Security, Gender Equality and Women Empowerment and a change in economic policies. 
by Earl of Cruise 
The EU member states have been in most part colonial powers, which plundered the riches of the continent (United Kingdom, Belgium, France, Germany - till 1914/18, Spain, Portugal). And some countries still behave like colonial empires. And the old Development Aid which was given, was in some sort a new colonial power. And besides it was benefitting the African corrupt elites, for decades.
This turned into a number of problems and most, inner African wars, to piracy on several coasts and insecurity for investments, and the withdrawing of international investors. Most react quite arrogant when an African investment is proposed.
But some countries in Africa are willing to go another way - amoung are Ghana, Mozambique, Angola, Togo, Tanzania, Senegal, Cameroon, Rwanda and South Africa. Also despite its actual problems, Malawi. As well in the Arabian Africa especially Tunesia, where the Arabian Spring is still living.
We have to start looking on Africa as an equal partner!
Investments should no longer give the profits only to foreign investors and corrupt elites but to the people living there too. Otherwise there is no real development, and with that no security of investment. Poor and starving people tend to make revolutions, or go for robbing ... we should look into history a bit closer, the reason of revolutions is lying there.
It is time to rethink our position towards Africa!

Proposed Lake Njassa/Lake Malawi cruiser, 120m length, 34 cabins, for 68 passers in real 5star luxurious accomodation, hull and superstructure of KOCKUMS COMPSITE MATERIAL - own design, based on an OLIVER DESIGN for the river Duoro

The KOCKUMS naval ships for the Swedish Navy can be produced in one piece with a length of 120 m in total. The paddle wheels are real for propulsion and state of the art technology, the steering will be done by an Azipod which will give extra propulsion power. The machinery will be hybrid LNG powered, where potential gas turbines can be housed in the dummy funnels.

During my consultancies I was in contact with the Board of Tourism of Mozambique. I learned that the country still suffering from its civil war is rebuilding quick, regaining economic strength and wealth, because of being a democracy. And giving other countries of Africa consultancy in anti corruption and sustainable economics. I learned too that Mozambique and Angola are named the "Portugese" Africans ... Touristic investments are most in the southern coast region, by South African investors, as on the northern coast by Gulf States investors.

I got the offer developing a cruise concept for the Lake Niassa (Mozambique), or Lake Nyasa (Tanzania), also known as Lake Malawi. 

  

Lake Njassa/Lake Malawi seen from the orbit - Source: Wikipedia

The idea was creating a cruise venture on the Lake Niassa/Lake Malawi with a modern, state of the art, colonial styled vessel offering expedition cruises with shore excursions in Tansania, Mozambique and Malawi. Wild Life parks are in accessable distances, as the fauna in the lake is of interest too. Besides at some shores are sand beaches, which invite to swim in the Lake Niassa/Lake Malawi. Further historical sites are to be found, as Nkhotakota one of the oldest market places in sub-Saharan Africa. Unfortunately, its history is little explored.

Mwaya Beach, Malawi - Source: Wikipedia

The service crew should be of people of the Niassa, dressed in uniforms reflecting their native clothing. Employing the Niassa will make them part of the venture as well giving them shares from the revenue. Thus is making their engagement the more intensive and responsible, as they create a tribes income.

The Lake Niassa/Lake Malawi is the southmost lake within the Great Valley Rift/East African Rift (where the African tectonic plate is being split into two pieces), where Lake Victoria (Nam Lolwe/Nalubaale), Lake Magadi - a soda lake, the following Lake Elmenteita, Lake Baringo, Lake Bogoria and Lake Nakuru are are alcaline (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alkalinity), while Lake Naivasha needs permanent fresh-/sweetwater holding its diversity, Lake Tanganyika - with 1,470m one of the deepest lakes on earth, Lake Malawi (Lake Nyassa), Lake Turkana, Lake Albert, Lake Rukwa, Lake Mweru, Lake Kivu and Lake Edward (Rutanzige) are situated. The Lake Nyassa is located in the nothern territory of Mozambique and boarders at its nothern shore Tanzania, and in the east Malawi, the former British colony. Great African lakes in the Rift Valley - Source: Wikipedia In the Rift we find too the highest mountains of Africa, the Virunga-Volcanos, Mitumba-Mountains and Ruwenzori-Mountains. Further the Mount-Kenya, Kilimandscharo, Karisimbi, Nyiragongo, Mount Meru and Mount Elgon as well Ngorongoro in Tansania. The Ol Doinyo Lengai-volcano, which is still active and the only Karbonatit-volcano on earth. The Rift Valley is a region with one of the highest bio diversities on earth ... and the origin of mankind. You love it or not, we are all Africans. The Lake Niassa/Lake Malawi is the ninth largest lake in the world and the third largest and second deepest lake in Africa, between 560 kilometres (350 mi) and 580 kilometres (360 mi) long, and about 75 kilometres (47 mi) wide at its widest point (29,600 square kilometres [11,400 sq mi]). It is home to more species of fish than any other lake, including about 1,000 species of cichlids. The largest river flowing into Lake Niassa/Lake Malawi, is the Ruhuhu River, and there is an outlet at its southern end, the Shire River, a tributary that flows into the very large Zambezi River in Mozambique.  Various mbuna cichlids from Lake Malawi - Source: Wikipedia (original seize) The Mozambique portion of the lake,  where we find the tribe of the Niassa, was officially declared a reserve by the Government of Mozambique on June 10, 2011, while in Malawi a portion of the lake is included in Lake Malawi National Park. Lake Malawi is a meromictic lake, meaning that its water layers do not mix. The permanent stratification of Lake Malawi's water and the oxic-anoxic boundary (relating to oxygen in the water) are maintained by moderately small chemical and thermal gradients. The area were the tribe of the Niassa is living is planed to become a nature/ecological reserve. Both kinds of reserve are organized that way, that the tribes people will benefit economic from. In the colonial era a railway line from Mtwara on the Indian Ocean to Mbamba Bay on the Lake Malawi was planned, but the plan was not realized. Today, there are still plans to build the railway stretch, the so-called Mtwara Development Corridor, to open up coal occurance in the Mchuchuma-Katewake area and create an alternative sea link for Malawi. This railway line then could be used too for touristic trains. Shipping is already on the Lake Niassa/Lake Malawi situated: The mv CHAUNCY MAPLES began service on the lake in 1901 as the SS CHAUNCY MAPLES, a floating clinic and church for the Universities' Mission to Central Africa. She later served as a ferry and is currently being renovated into a mobile clinic at Monkey Bay. mv MPASA entered service in 1935. The ferry mv ILALA entered service in 1951. In recent years she has often been out of service, but when operational she runs between Monkey Bay at the southern end of the lake to Karonga on the northern end, and occasionally to the Iringa Region of Tanzania. The ferry mv MTENDERE entered service in 1980. By 1982 she was carrying 100,000 passengers each year. She normally serves the southern part of the lake but if Ilala is out of service she operates the route to Karonga. The Tanzanian ferry mv SONGEA was built in 1988. Her operator was the Tanzania Railway Corporation Marine Division until 1997, when it became the Marine Services Company Limited. Songea plies weekly between Liuli and Nkhata Bay via Itungi and Mbamba Bay.

The projected colonial style lake cruise vessel was/is intended to be built with KOKUMS COMPOSITE MATERIAL. Actually this Kockums material is not often used in civilian shipbuilding, but has SOLAS certification for civialian ship constructions. This material will ensure far lower maintenance neccessaties and will be much easier assembled in a region with no or very less supplying fascilities. Further, because of its low weight it can be transported much easier to the Lake Niassa/Lake Malawi than any other material to construct a vessel. As the KOCKUMS COMPOSITE can be produced with any colour you wish, coating will be no longer be neccessary, only cleaning. Even a low resitance surface on the underwater hull can be implemented in the KOCKUMS COMPOSITE MATERIAL.
While writing this article, I got the idea of a similar project idea for the artificial Lake Volta in Ghana. After building the damm and the power station, the the Volta river is blocked and created a lake which the biggest man made lake in the world. Even bigger than the Chinese Seven Gorges Lake on the Yangtse river.

Proposed Lake Volta cruiser, 120m length, 34 cabins, for 68 passers in real 5star luxurious accomodation, hull and superstructure of KOCKUMS COMPSITE MATERIAL - own design, based on an OLIVER DESIGN for the river Duoro

Lake Volta is a large reservoir contained behind the Akosombo Dam. It is completely within the country of Ghana and has a surface area of 8,502 square kilometres (3,283 sq mi).

Ghana and the Lake Volta - Source: Wikipedia

Lake Volte lies along the Greenwhich meridian, and just six degrees of latitude north of the Equator. The lake´s northernmost point is close to the town of Yapei, and its southmost extreme is at the Akosombo Dam, 520 km (320 mi) downstream from Yapei. The Akosombo Dam holds back both the White Volta River and the Black Volta River, which formerly converged where the middle of the reservoir now lied, to form the single Volta River. The present Volta River flows from the outlets of the dam´s powerhouse and spillways to the Atlantic Ocean in southern Ghana.
The main islands within the lake are Dodi, Dwarf and Kporve. The Digya National Park lies on Part of the lake´s western shore.

Part of Lake Volta from the Saint Barbara Church - Source: Wikipedia

The lake is already attracting tourism, and tourist cruises visit the main islands within, Dodi, Dwarf, and Kporve.. but there is no cabin cruiser sailing on the lake. The Digya National Park lies on part of the lake's western shore. Tourist arrivals to Ghana include: South Americans, Asians, Europeans, and North Americans. The attractions and major tourist destinations of Ghana include a warm, tropical climate year-round; diverse wildlife; exotic waterfalls such as Kintampo Waterfalls and the largest waterfall in west Africa, Wli Waterfalls; Ghana's coastal palm-lined sandy beaches; caves; mountains, rivers; meteorite impact crater and reservoirs and lakes such as Lake Bosumtwi or Bosumtwi meteorite crater and the above described largest man-made lake in the world by surface area, Lake Volta; dozens of castles and forts; UNESCO World Heritage Sites; nature reserves and nationalparks. To enter Ghana, it is necessary to have a visa authorised by the Government of Ghana. Travelers must apply for this visa at a Ghanaian embassy; this process can take approximately two weeks. By law, visitors entering Ghana must be able to produce a yellow fever vaccination certificate.

Ghana has the best developed economy in Africa and is an average natural resource enriched country possessing industrial minerals, hydrocarbons and precious metals. (One of the reasons why UK invaded Asante, was its gold. But prior to that, UK was benefiting, as the Asante, and the other European nations from the slave trade in the Atlantic Triangle Trade.) 

On the banks of lower Volta River - Source: Wikipedia

It is an emerging designated digital economy with mixed economy hybridisation and an emerging market with 8.7% GDP growth in 2012. It has an economic plan target known as the "Ghana Vision 2020". This plan envisions Ghana as the first African country to become a developed country between 2020 and 2029 and a newly industrialised country between 2030 and 2039. This excludes fellow Group of 24 member and Sub-Saharan African country South Africa, which is a newly industrialised country. Ghana's economy also has ties to the Chinese yuan renminbi along with Ghana's vast gold reserves. In 2013, the Bank of Ghana began circulating the renminbi throughout Ghanaian state-owned banks and to the Ghana public as hard currency along with the national Ghana cedi for second national trade currency.

The only problem in Ghana for a cruise investment is, according to Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index of 2013, a rather corrupt country.

But non the less, it is worth looking into a 5star lake cruise project in Ghana. A state of the art cruise vessel in colonial style.

Why did I choose for Mozambique and Ghana, their named lakes can suit a vessel in colonial style - serving the preoccupations of tourists, seeking adventure, giving them a hint of the old colonial glamour, but on the other hand serving the local people while not only employing them, but to let them benefit from too. Involving the local people will ensure the security on the one hand and on the other increase the revenues as they work harder to get extra cash, on top of their regular wages. This sound communistic? No, it is simple capatalistic maths. Sharing is creating more revenue.

Ghana and Mozambique are in search for sustainable tourist investments, and those are only to be realized by high standard tourism, not low cost tourists.