Richards Bay: Tuzi Gazi & Zululand Yacht Club

Created by sue. Last modified on 2009-01-22 19:17:40
Countries: South Africa

Cruisers,

Richards Bay has 2 places to moor your boat. Tuzi Gazi Marina and Zululand Yacht Club (ZLYC). You are allowed 30 days of free mooring tied up on the wall at Tuzi Gazi. No electricity and possible water access. At ZLYC you are allowed 2 weeks of free moorings tied up to their wall. They have electricity and water. If you choose the walls, other boats coming in are allowed to raft outside of you as long as there is no danger to the vessels. Be prepared to share. There is also an anchorage area right next to ZLYC where you can anchor for free.

ZULU LAND YACHT CLUB

We spent 2 months in the Zululand Yacht Club (ZLYC) and found it to be great!!! We tried to get a berth at the Tuzi Gazi marina because of the variety of GREAT RESTUARANTS but at the time nothing was available. You can tell we’ve been out at sea too long. ZLYC offered wireless internet which Tuzi Gazi did not and we needed that before we needed to gain weight so we moved to ZLYC to get a slip. We are so glad we did. The prices between the two are comparable but the benefits at ZLYC, for us, out weighed the great restaurants at Tuzi Gazi.

ZLYC is safe and secure for walking around anytime of the day or night. The marina grounds are fenced in behind a locked and guarded gate. It’s clean and tidy. They have several very friendly people there to assist you with all your needs. They have water and electricity at the docks. The shower facility for the ladies is very nice with 4 stalls and 2 bathtubs. Yes, 2 bathtubs!

The laundry facility is as good as I’ve ever seen. There is very hot water in the (2)washers and the(2) dryers that actually dry your clothes with one cycle. There are 3 deep washbasins to do hand items and they also have very hot water. There are clothesline in the laundry area for hanging clothes. Hanging clothes on your boat is discouraged. The cost of the machines are very reasonable.

If you have children, ZLYC is a must. They have a playground, trampoline, swimming pool, and lots of green grass to play and run around on. The older children can move about the grounds without a worry for their safety.

There is a very nice restaurant to order breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It’s very informal and one can sit upstairs (in air-conditioning) or downstairs (open air). Both floors have outdoor patios. The bar upstairs has a very nice atmosphere with a pool table and 2 large screen TVs.

For touring, there were some package tours available to the local game parks. If you need a car, ZLYC works with a car rental company that will drop off and pick up the vehicle for you.

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.

You can walk to the Tuzi Gazi Marina area from ZLYC in about 15 to 20 minutes. Walking during the day is safe. To get to the big mall that has just about everything is called the “Boardwalk”. All you need to do is call a taxi and the club can help you with that. It’s about a 15-minute ride.

TUZI GAZI

At Tuzi Gazi marina they do have a locked and guarded gate. There is a chandlery close by, other shops of interest like a travel agent, liquor store, small convenient store, and great restaurants!! For Laundry, drop your clothes off at the Chandlery to have them done or hand wash on your boat. There is electricity and good drinking water on the docks. There is NO long term anchoring available. This area also has a lot of character.

One word of caution: When the winds blow hard in Richards Bay, the coal dust flies!! Having a water hose available after a big blow sorts it all out.

Pam & James Squyres
SV Rainbow Chaser
Houston, TX USA
www.adventurebydefault.com