Intel from Vince Nel – OSASA director [https://www.osasa.org.za/].
Note to all cruisers and sailors transiting down the South African east coast.
There has been reports that East London Yacht Club has closed down. This is correct.
Please note that this does NOT AFFECT your berth at the marina. The marina is at Buffalo River Yacht Club further up the river.
Rest assured tha you can still go to East London for a stop.

Regular Noonsite contributors Brent Crack and Mary Bevan sent the following as they sailed towards Cape Town leaving False Bay. “Last night was one of those epic nights that only come along ever so rarely. We departed Gordon’s Bay Yacht Club and were immediately into brilliant blue bioluminescence. The water churning along the hulls lit up the surrounding area like a spotlight was on us. About ten miles from the Cape we were joined by a large pod of dolphins, streaming through the phosphorescence as they swam and jumped. They left trails in the glow as they went and were visible a long distance from the boat, 500 meters or more, just by the glow as they swam. And then we went through many huge schools of small fish. The whole sea was glowing, and the dolphins were hunting. The fish were jumping all around us, boiling as they were being chased and eaten. The smell of fish in the air was abundant, just from the shear numbers jumping at one time. Every now and again, larger fish would join the dolphins and dart past, completely visible in the bioluminescence. Words do not adequately describe it. Pictures would not capture it. Memories are all that exist Now we are stuck in drizzly foggy gloom as we slow motor our way up the coast towards Cape Town. Before coming to False Bay, we had never seen dolphins in the bioluminescence, and now we have seen it twice – once on approach to the bay and again on departure.”

Advice from OSASA for all yachts arriving in South Africa:

Pressure on available berths

With two large rallies coming in again this year, it is very important that cruisers have a Plan B in place. As with the 2023/2024 season, significant pressure on berth availability is expected. The demand is expected to be greatest in Cape Town, with several marinas and clubs already fully booked.

The 20+ strong fleet of the World ARC arrives in Richards Bay between the 14th and 20th of November, and will depart after a week for Cape Town. They will berth at the V&A Waterfront, and are only expected to leave around the first week of January.

The Oyster World Rally, also with over 20 yachts, will arrive in Durban from around 27 November. After a week, they will also head to Cape Town, and are expected to leave in the second week of January. These two rallies alone will flood Cape Town marinas with up to 50 guest vessels!

As alternatives, consider False Bay Yacht Club (Simon’s Town, already under significant booking pressure), Hout Bay Yacht Club (western shore of the Cape peninsula), and Gordon’s Bay (non-OSASA affiliated and tide-restricted) as alternatives. To check out, consider Saldanha Bay as a departure point, instead of the Port of Cape Town.

Please check out our ports webpage for more information – https://www.osasa.org.za/south-african-ports

A CMA CGM vessel, the 13,000 TEU CMA CGM Belem, lost up to 99 containers due to severe weather conditions while navigating near Richards Bay, South Africa, on Thursday, August 16. The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) has since issued a navigational safety alert to other vessels and asked the public to report any containers that may still be floating in the water.

South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs (DHA) announced, on 22 December 2023, that due to continued and significant backlogs in processing visa documents, several concessions have been made. Visa applicants across a number of categories, including visitor’s visas and visa extensions which are pending as at 30 November 2023, will be granted an extension to 30 June 2024. If you wish to abandon your application, you must leave the country via a designated port of entry by 30 June 2024 to avoid being categorised as undesirable. See the DHA Accouncement – http://www.dha.gov.za/images/PDFs/Concession_Document_2023.pdf

OSASA report on the approaching 2022/23 season: “It looks as if we will have a full season for 2022/3 – both the Oyster World Rally and the continuation of the World Arc are planning to make extensive stops in South Africa at the end of 2022, the Cape 2 Rio leaves again Jan 2023, and the Ocean Race arrives in Cape Town in Feb 2023. The Golden Globe does not call, but passes through a “media gate” off Cape Town, sometime in December.”

OSASA [www.osasa.org.za] report that the South African Affiliates Council has had its first planning meeting together with other interested parties, to look at the creation and use of a simplified uniform Port to Port Passage Plan, which will be used by all yacht clubs and marinas to advise both Ports and clubs/marinas of boats travelling along the coast. This will be free and online, sent to each departure and destination port, and hopefully be used by all. It is hope this will be finalised soon.

OSASA also want to remind all incoming yachts to South Africa that it is a LEGAL requirement for ALL yachts (even local ones) who are returning to the country to complete the online registration for Department of Transport, through the OSASA online portal http://www.osasa.org.za. Plus, remember to check your visa viability – not all countries will automatically receive a visa on entry and if you arrive without one (and need one) you will either have to fly back to your home country to get one, or stay on board at all times.

See Clearance for full details – https://www.noonsite.com/place/south-africa/formalities

Download OSASA’s great cheat sheet for a round-up of South Africa port information [https://www.dropbox.com/s/h9hqy0py038fw1n/South%20African%20Coast%20Cheat%20Sheet.pdf?dl=0].

A word of warning about entering South Africa. Please ensure you have registered on http://www.OSASA.org.za before leaving your last port of call- this is not a optional extra, it is a real necessity! See the Formalities page for all the correct information: https://www.noonsite.com/place/south-africa/formalities/