South Africa’s Department of Transport recently added Mossel Bay and Saldanha Bay as ports of entry/departure

South Africa’s ocean cruising community has welcomed the declaration of two new official ports of entry as a significant step towards decreasing marina congestion in Cape Town.

The Department of Transport recently added Mossel Bay and Saldanha Bay as ports of entry/departure, which allows cruising yachts more berthing options during clearance procedures. Previously all those heading east to west into the Atlantic would need to depart from Cape Town, where marinas are short of space, particularly at peak season.

Congestion has increased in recent months due to the ongoing security crisis in the Red Sea which has seen many vessels detouring around the Cape.

“Our marinas and yacht clubs have not yet caught up with the increased demand, which of course is very seasonal (Sept-Jan really), and as a result our facilities generally are overcrowded during the rush periods,” said Jenny Crickmore-Thompson from the Ocean Sailing Association of Southern Africa (OSASA). “It is not easy finding spare cash to increase or improve the existing facilities when 1) it is so seasonal 2) there are major problems with tenure and leases of the existing yacht clubs. This is still being addressed,” Crickmore-Thompson said in response to queries.

“Cape Town especially is a crunch point, as it has been the only port of departure for yachts wanting to get into the Atlantic, and everyone wants to be there for Christmas.”

The addition of Saldanha Bay in particular would help alleviate congestion in Cape Town as yachts could now make use of smaller marinas near the Port of Cape Town – namely Gordon’s Bay, Hout Bay, and Simon’s Town – before heading to Saldanha for checking out.

Saldanha Bay has its own maintenance and repair facilities, which means visitors no longer need to navigate Cape Town port congestion before departure.

“All in all, a great addition to the South African coastal cruising circuit, and we hope to see real economic benefits for both ports in the future,” Crickmore-Thompson said.

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