Simon’s Town - Facts

Where is Simon's Town?

The harbours of Simon's Town and Gordon's Bay are found within False Bay which is on the south side of South Africa's Cape Peninsula, 13 miles (21 km) southeast of Cape Town. The name False Bay name refers to the fact that early sailors confused the bay with Table Bay to the north.

Simon's Town

As a tourist destination, Simon's Town is second to none. The Boulder's Beach penguin colony is within walking distance of the marina and Cape Point and the Table Mountain National Park are well worth the visit. There is fantastic snorkeling and diving in the area and it is one of South Africa's premier saltwater kayaking and paddling destinations. The mountainous surroundings are stunning, and there is great marine biodiversity - the filming location for the Academy Award-winning documentary My Octopus Teacher is a stone's throw away from the marina.

Simon's Town was once used by the Dutch fleet to hide from the fierce westerlies, especially from March to October. When the steamships later on needed a shore base, the harbour was extended to cater for those needs.

Simon’s Town is the South African Naval Base and the yacht club/marina is known as the False Bay Yacht Club, but the FBYC is based in Simon’s Town harbour! The delightfully quaint town just behind the FBYC town is also called Simon’s Town with lots of coffee shops, restaurants and basic grocery shops etc. also a lovely park overlooking the harbour, with a statue of Just Nuisance, the dog who adopted the navy personnel during WWII and used to ride on the train into Cape Town and back several times a night to ensure the drunken sailors got home safely.

Simon's Town is a good alternative for those preferring to be away from busy Cape Town, and who don't mind traveling an hour by car to get to the main city. It also is a good option for haulout.

Gordon's Bay

Located on the eastern shore of False Bay, Gordon’s Bay is a holiday town with a long fishing and sailing heritage.  The old harbour is home to the Gordon's Bay Yacht Club which has a lively bar and restaurant and a reputation for very friendly locals.  There is a slip with a trolley cradle but availability is limited and fishing boats receive priority.

Gordon's Bay is a great base to explore South Africa's famous winelands.  Stellenbosch is about 30km inland and the culinary capital of Franschhoek is a further 30km drive.  The bay is also the start of one of the most stunning coastal routes in the world - Clarence Drive - which kicks off South Africa's Whale Route.  The Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve is a UNESCO World Heritage and home to the famous Crystal Pools.

Entrance Notes and Cautions:

False Bay is part of South African Naval waters and therefore requirements laid out by the SA Navy must be adhered to.

The False Bay Yacht Club/Marina, hiding behind substantial wave breakers on the north side of the Navy base, is not yet marked on all international charts, but the approach is easy and well lit.

Beware of “Roman Rocks”, about 1 mile NE of the main harbour. To remain clear of all obstacles vessels should approach the marina entrance via the following waypoints (provided by the management of FBYC):

1. 34° 11.08′ S and 18° 27.72′ E

2. 34° 10.84′ S and 18° 26.30′ E

3. 34° 11.2′ S and 18° 26.00′ E

Gordon's Bay Harbour

Entry is tide dependent due to silting, but there is a channel that can accommodate drafts up to 1.8m at almost every high tide (2.0m drafts at spring highs).  Contact the Gordons Bay Yacht Club for local knowledge.  Beware of extremely strong catabatic south easterly winds in summer.  However, if the weather is unsuitable, you can also head downwind to Simon's Town which is 22NM to the west.

Cruiser Highlights:

Post office, shops, hardware, LPG, medical facilities and all other services are found in the shopping street. There are a great number of restaurants for all tastes very near the town and the port is reasonably safe even after dark and there are many security guards on duty.

Most marine services can be found here, with many on-site at the marina, and those coming from Cape Town visit Simon's Town on request. There is a 25 ton travelift at the marina and the False Bay Yacht Club offers a warm welcome to visiting yachts.

The marina has pontoon and swing moorings in the harbour.

Position:

34° 11.28'S, 18° 25.93'E (marina)