Port Elizabeth - Clearance
See South Africa Formalities for full details on clearing into and out of South Africa. Remember, before setting sail for South Africa you must register with OSASA. Full details in Formalities.
General Clearance:
Call Port Control on VHF Channel 12 when you are within 1NM of the Port Entrance for permission to enter. You must have submitted your passage plan on the SailingPE website before setting sail to Port Elizabeth.
For assistance call John Tudehope on Tel: +27 82 854 3961, or email [email protected] (It helps if you can give as much advance notice of your arrival as possible).
Report to the Marina office during business hours (weekdays 08:30 to 16:00) to complete clearance procedures. John Tudehope will help with allocating a berth.
Domestic Clearance:
Once you have entered South Africa through an official Port of Entry, completed your clearing in procedure with Customs and Immigration, you do not need to complete health declarations for entry into any further port along the coast.
It is, however, important that you call ahead to Port Control in the next port, and also call the next marina or yacht club for berthing. This is especially valid during November and December as the berths fill very quickly during these months.
Outward clearance for cruising onwards from Port Elizabeth is simple and straightforward as these ports use an Electronic Passage Plan (EPP). The benefits are that there are no forms to fill out, no offices to visit, all is done from the comfort of your boat. It takes about 5 minutes to fill it out the first time and about 2 minutes the second/subsequent time, because it “remembers” you as you fill out the fields.
Electronic Passage Plan (EPP) – https://sailingpe.co.za/coastal-passage-plan/
Once submitted, the relevant Port Authorities and Marinas are notified and you will receive a copy of the Passage Plan to your email.
Last updated: November 2023
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Related to following destinations: Port Elizabeth, South Africa
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Van Kalosini2
We emailed John Tudehope on our way from La Reunion to Port Elisabeth. John responded immediately, followed us via AIS and gave us extra weather information and advice.
In PE he took our lines at mooring and took us to the officials for clearance. He advised and tracked us as we passed Cape Aguhlas in a small weather window and gave us plenty of tips on safe anchorages. Great guy with a real sailor’s heart.
Call Port Control on Channel 12 before entering. You must have submitted your passage plan on https://sailingpe.co.za before setting sail to P.E.
We stayed here in April 2023. The marina still operates and John helps with allocating a berth. We sought shelter from the westerlies. In those conditions, no coal dust reaches the marina, so our boat stayed clean. There is no water on the pontoons. There is electricity. The yacht club has closed and there are no facilities. The berth was ZAR 170 per night for our 47-foot yacht. In short: it’s a good spot to sit out a westerly!
After calling the Redhouse Yacht Club, I was provided information to contact the Commodore of the Yacht Club – John, 0828543961, who was extremely helpful. He provided the link to http://sailingpe.co.za which gives a map of the club. John and Tony even met us at the dock. The club is very friendly and has 2 restaurants. Walking to the beach is easy. Coal dust is a problem.
Translation of Simon G1 comment.
The Yacht Club is now closed. Access to the pontoons is via a card.
Beware that in east winds manganese dust will cause a heavy black coating.
Also, be aware when arriving that the cement pontoons have a steel frame just 20 to 30cm above the water.
Berthing cost for a sailboat of about 45 feet is 150 Rand/night (about 10 €).
Port Elizabeth is nothing special but Cape Recife and the Addo National Park Reserve are worth visiting.
Formalities:-
Immigration (Transnet National Ports Authority) is in the large red building in the northern part of the harbour area. No appointment is necessary. The entrance is via a small gate at the bottom of the stairs opposite the main entrance.
Customs office is on the lower floor of the large South African Pavillion. If requiring a VAT refund for boat parts, make an appointment with a Customs office who will confirm the purchases and stamp the bills.
Yacht club fermé, en refection pour une toute autre exploitation mais ponton fermé plus une autres porte d’acces avec badge.
Attention aux vents d’Est qui tapissent pont et voiles de poussiere de manganese, noircissant fortement .
Les pontons en ciments entourés d’armatures acier ne dépassent pas de plus de 20 a 30 cm de l’eau donc ATTENTION aux arrivés !
Pour un voilier de 45 pieds environ 150 Rand/ nuit ( environ 10 €)
Fenetres meteo pour aller à l’est tres courtes et compliquées en hiver …
La ville n’a rien de particulier, Cap recife et la reserve Addo NP sont des bonnes idées visite autour de P.E
formalitées de sortie-entrée :
Immigration -> Transnet National Ports Authority ,grand batiment rouge dans la zone nord du port (P O Box 162, Port Elizabeth, 6000) sans rendez vous, le guichet est accessible par l’exterieur a l’opposé de l’entrée principale en bas des escaliers.
Douane -> SARS 3 chapel street ( en bas de la donkin reserve- grand pavillion sud africain) TVA – VAT refund, aller voir le guichet tout au bout a droite, prise de rdv et un douanier viendras “attester” a bord les achats et tamponner les factures
NOTE: The Redhouse Yacht Club is not accessible to sailing yachts from the Ocean, other than small sailing craft. The mouth of the Swartkops River is notoriously dangerous and too shallow for medium to large yachts to negotiate