Walvis Bay - Docking

Antoinette, the Walvis Bay Yacht Club manager asks that anyone planning to visit Walvis Bay should email the Yacht Club before setting sail at: wbyc@iway.na

Anchoring and Mooring:

All boats will be at anchor at spaces allocated to visiting boats. The anchorage area is just past the southern end of the commercial harbor. Space is quite restricted due to dredging, although the holding is good.

There is also minimum three meters depth between Pelican Point and the Yacht Club, so it is not necessary to use the main shipping channel.  It is highly suggested NOT to enter the harbour area during the night, but to anchor inside Pelican Point until the morning.

Mornings tend to be calmer, with the wind picking up by the afternoon so visitors are advised to get a slip inside the jetty as strong afternoon winds can damage boats tied to the outside.  The afternoon winds can also create swell in the anchorage and harbor.

The Pelicans and Seals here are king!

Moorings:

There are limited swing moorings available.   Spaces are allocated on a first-come first serve basis as only the northern side is available.  Most mooring balls are privately owned.  The Yacht Club has a swing mooring available at a cost of NAD$150 per day.

The Marina sheltered mooring is available for visiting yachts at a cost of NAD$230 for a monohull and NAD$460 per day for a catamaran.  Potable water is available at a cost of 15cents per litre.  It is about a 10 - 20 minute walk from there to the yacht club.

Dinghy Docks:

The WBYC has a dock that can only be reached by dinghy. There is also a commercial tourist dock which can be used.

Ashore:

Almost everything is available for visiting yachts in Walvis Bay. Repairs are easy to do as there are good mechanics and machine shops with German quality.

It is a long walk to the town centre from the yacht club, however, the town is safe.

Security:

Walvis Bay is fairly safe on and off the water. While incidents of theft are few and far between, be vigilant as crimes are mostly crimes of opportunity. The Yacht Club advise not to leave valuables in the dinghy at the dinghy dock, as there is not 24 security to look after your assets.

Always be vigilant when using your credit card/pin number, as cloning does happen in Namibia.

See this report from cruisers who visited in December 2024.

From Sea Fog to Magical Desert Landscapes

Last updated:  January 2025