More ports of entry, more convenience for cruisers, less congestion at Cape Town Port.
That’s the happy outcome of months of discussions between government officials and the Ocean Sailing Association of Southern Africa. First Mossel Bay and now Saldanha are officially ‘small craft’ Ports of Entry /Departure, representing a huge bonus for visiting cruisers who have more options and can adjust their itineraries accordingly.
Cape Town marinas and yacht clubs have been battling to deal with the influx of yachts which typically move east to west during the summer, creating a bottleneck of visitors at peak season. Demand has also skyrocketed in recent years due to the increased number of yachts rounding the Cape to avoid the security situation in the Red Sea.
“Our marinas and yacht clubs have not yet caught up with the increased demand, which of course is very seasonal (Sept-Jan really), and as a result our facilities generally are overcrowded during the rush periods,” comments OSASA’s Jenny Crickmore-Thompson. “It is not easy finding spare cash to increase or improve the existing facilities when 1) it is so seasonal 2) there are major problems with tenure and leases of the existing yacht clubs. This is still being addressed.
“Cape Town especially is a crunch point, as it has been the only port of departure for yachts wanting to get into the Atlantic, and everyone wants to be there for Christmas!
“So Saldahna Bay opening as a Port of Entry/Departure is a great relief: yachts can now make use of the “lesser” facilities offered by Gordon’s Bay, Simonstown and Hout Bay to berth and explore the Cape of Good Hope, then leave directly from there to sail to Saldahna for checking out instead of having to make the extra trip into an already crowded Port of Cape Town to effect Immigration and Customs clearances. Saldahna Bay also has excellent maintenance and repair facilities, always needed after major ocean passages,” Crickmore-Thompson says.
“Mossel Bay, while of importance, is of lesser concern, as not many yachts sail west to east, from the Cape back across the Indian Ocean, as this is not one of good prevailing winds at this time of the year. But it is an important extra Port of Entry for yachts coming from the Indian Ocean towards Cape Town, and we are very pleased to have them on board.”
“All in all, a great addition to the South African coastal cruising circuit, and we hope to see real economic benefits for both ports in the future.”