We are a British couple, Pippa and Dee de Mengel, sailing on our Elizabethan 31, Sula of Llangwm.

Like many other cruisers, we were irritated by the fact that we could only clear out in Cape Town and only from the RCYC. However, there was no way around it, so we decided to book into the yacht club, initially for one week.

From the start, customer care was excellent. RCYC staff were helpful and many of the yacht club members were friendly and welcoming. The restaurant serves good food to suit all pockets and provides a relaxed ambience.

Yes, the RCYC is in an industrial area, but the surrounds of the club are kept very clean. The water occasionally has rubbish in it, but Durban is far worse!

It is a dreary walk into the city centre, and whilst heavy lorries do speed past, we kept perfectly safe on the numerous occasions that we attempted the walk. Taxis are available and usually come on time if ordered in advance.

We had a few ‘blips’:

– Our allotted berth was occupied when we first arrived and it was out of office hours. Members directed us to the fuel berth for the night and we were able to use all the facilities.

– It is advisable to phone the marina manager shortly before arriving. Emails do not always get answered.

– Check out the situation for paying. We were told well in advance that there would be no problem paying our bill by credit card. On the day, the machine wasn’t working and we had to go into town and withdraw money from an ATM. Rather inconvenient! The office was most apologetic, but what could they do?

Everyone’s experiences are different, but we firmly believe that ‘Attitude’ is all important. We felt that people at RCYC were keen to provide a good service for cruisers and responded to a positive and friendly attitude on our part.

Fellow cruisers who just came for one night in order to clear out also seemed happy with the service they received.

I hope this goes some way to balance last year’s adverse comments.

Pippa and Dee de Mengel

SY Sula of Llangwm

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