Richards Bay : Profile

Location

Richards Bay is a large natural harbour on South Africa's eastern coast, about 90NM NE of Durban. Although is is a large commercial port, it is a pleasent port of call for yachts.

Position 28° 48' 17" S,32°3' 35" E.

Contact Richards Bay Port Authority on VHF channel 16 or 12 before entering the harbour entrance. You will be informed to either stand-off or enter. If arriving from a foreign port all yachts must first proceed to the Small Craft Harbour and await clearance at the Quarantine Jetty. Thereafter they may proceed to Tuzi Gazi Marina or Zululand Yacht Club.

The Port Authorities will have instructed Customs, Immigration and Health of your arrival and will come to your boat – do not leave your boat until all three have been. If there is a delay with them arriving, calling Port Authorities on the radio and informing them will help hurry the procedure.

Checking out is not as simple and you need a car or taxi to visit the various offices which are spread out. You obtain a running sheet from the Port Captain's office at the small craft harbour, then go to immigration and customs (in the industrial zone) downtown. With your paperwork completed, you return to Port Captain's office, fill in some more paperwork and they fix your "flight plan" to e.g. Durban Port Control. You have 36 hours to leave once you have checked out. If you do not check out in this time you have to revisit to check back in/check out.

Docking

The approach is easy at any time, and is dredged to 12 metres.

There is docking at Tuzi Gazi, Small Craft harbour and Zululand Yacht Club. However, in Tuzi Gazi during weekends music from the discos and restaurants is very noisy. Space can became very limited in the Autumn, when a great number of boats arrive, so it may pay to check in advance of arrival.

Small Craft Harbour
Next to the tug boats in the basin far inside the harbour. Visiting yachts are offered one month's free mooring on the wall. There is fresh water on the dock and boats share the power outlets available. There are showers and toilet facilities, though they are very poor. The laundry facilities are good. Fuel dock.

Tuzi Gazi marina
Newark Road, Tuzi Gazi Waterfront, Richards Bay, P.O.Box 10643, Meerensee
Tel:+27 (0)35 788 0300/0829 089513, Fax:+27 (0)35 788 0033
www.tuzigazi.net, info@tuzigazi.co.za
Tuzi Gazi marina, situated in the Small Craft Harbour, has excellent docking facilities, clean showers and fresh water on the dock. Security is also provided (locked and guarded gate) and the rates are modest. Other amenities include a bottle store, café, travel bureau & curio outlet, a chandler as well as phone and fax facilities. There are also carpenters and a stainless steel manufacturer.

Zululand Yacht Club
Commodore Close, P.O. Box 10387 , Meerensee
Tel:+27 35 788 0256, Fax:+27 35 788 0254
www.yachtclub.org.za, officezlyc@zwn.co.za
The club offers all facilities like hot showers, laundry, bar, restaurant and swimming pool. The first two weeks of staying are free of charge and thereafter temporary memberships must be taken out at a reasonable price. Although the premises are a bit off track, club members always try to assist visiting yachts by giving them lifts to shopping areas. The walk-on jetties and the wall where yachts larger than 50 feet are accommodated have electricity and water available. There is a well stocked chandlery. The boat yard has an interesting type of travel lift and long term hard stand storage. The jack stands are just logs but seem to work well The Club has 24 hour security and is considered safe. Every Monday evening there is a "bring and braai" (barbeque) and bar happy hours take place on Wednesday evenings.