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Southern Cross Boating and Adrenalin, East London - Cruising • Sailing • Adrenalin

Physical Address: 25 Pontoon Road Latimers Landing East London Harbour Postal Address: 25 Pontoon Road Latimers Landing East London Harbour Postal Code: 5201 Telephone: +27(0)73 257 2319 Mobile: +27(0)73 257 2319 Email: southerncrosscruises.el@gmail.com Directions: Exit the East London Airport left onto Settlers Way/R72. Continue on Settlers Way until you cross over the Buffalo Bridge. At 1st traffic light turn right. At T-Junction turn right. Take 1st Road Left and follow the road down to Latimers Landing. Latitude: -33.023297 Longitude: 27.895958

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Sailing the Coast of South Africa

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Last Updated on October 24, 2020 by Amy

We spent 70 days in South Africa, sailing the coast from Richards Bay to Cape Town.  

Table of Contents - Click to Jump

Strategy for Sailing Around South Africa

For many boats coming from the Indian Ocean, South Africa is a bit of a haven – protected from cyclones, favorable exchange rate, lots of services and luxuries available.  However, it is a really tough sailing ground.  

There’s an expression; “there are no old and bold sailors in South Africa”, which is kind of bullshit.  There’s NEVER a great window to go anywhere.  You have to take risks sailing around this coast.  I feel like we were in the middle of the pack as far as rick-taking sailors.  We didn’t take any huge risks, and many people took windows we thought looked too rough, but we also didn’t twiddle our thumbs, waiting for the perfect window.  

Small windows are riskier than bigger ones – a 20-hour window can rapidly disappear and deteriorate into dangerous conditions.  But sometimes, you just have to take what you can.

There were two strategies we saw sailor use: hop along the coast, taking advantage of small windows that come every few days, or hold out for the big one, and power through.  We took the former, while our friends on Slow Flight took the latter.  We made five stops along the coast, while Slow Flight sailed directly from Richards Bay to Cape Town.

We didn’t really do any touring in two of our stops.  Durban is great for a day or two, especially if you get out to dive Aliwal Shoal as I did.  But Richards Bay and Cape Town were definitely the two best stops – do not miss if you are sailing around the coast.

Now, so many people told us we HAD to stop in Knysna, and I would have loved to.  However, Knysna has a narrow entrance and you have to treat it much like the bar entrances of Australia: go in when the conditions are just right (2m swell or less and it’s best if you have a pilot help you).  And then there’s no guarantee that you’ll be able to get out anytime soon.

I regret not stopping in Knysna, but there’s nowhere else along the coast I was particularly interested in seeing.

There’s another factor to consider.  Waiting for small windows means you don’t know when you’ll be leaving any given port, and you have to get ready quickly when a window does open. It’s hard to get projects accomplished and tradesmen out to the boat when you have a loose schedule.  Exacerbating the issue, most shops and services close down for the two weeks around Christmas and New Year’s.  While we tried to get all the parts we needed for projects before the holidays, we ended up having snafus and having to wait until shops reopened again or tradesmen became available to make repairs.  This ended up delaying our departure from Cape Town by over two weeks trying to get projects finished.  Slow Flight did a lot of projects in Richards Bay while they waited for a big window to jump the coast.

We did have a schedule to stick to as David’s brother Thomas was flying into Cape Town on December 24 th and we had a slip reserved at the V&A Waterfront Marina.  While we could have had him fly down the coast to meet us, we really wanted to get to Cape Town before the holidays.

Weather Routing on the South African Coast

In a very simplified view, what happens is that a low sits in the Antarctic providing clockwise winds (blowing from west to east on the coast). Then a high-pressure system forms in the South Atlantic and rolls east, making the wind shift to blow from the east.

Ideally, the cruising boat will wait for the high-pressure system to roll in and take off, shooting west. Unfortunately, the big hang-up is that these systems can be unpredictable.

During the last half of our Indian Ocean crossing, we used a volunteer weather router, Des. Des lives in Durban and continued to route us along the coast. However, we went against his advice a lot, taking windows that we could. Fortunately for us, it always worked out.

The current is another big factor. There’s a huge current that runs down the east coast. We had a stronger boost than forecast; up to 5 knots with us. That current lightens once you turn to the west, but it’s still a slight push.

Richards Bay

Time: 9 Days

We arrived in Richards Bay on November 11th after 8 days in the Mozambique Channel sailing from Madagascar. Richards Bay is a small city with a big port. It’s quieter than Durban, 90 miles to the south, so many cruising boats come here to clear in to South Africa.

Entrance Formalities

We hailed Richards Bay Port Control before our arrival and were rather brusquely told to hail one mile from the breakwater. We did, and the radio operator asked where we came from, how many were on board, and where the boat was flagged.

It was overcast, rainy, and even chilly while we sailed into the entrance. We navigated to the “International Moorings”, which is the official name for the Richards Bay small boat basin. We tied up to the wall, snuggling up between monohulls stacked two deep. The concrete wharf was lined with sailboats, cruisers from all around the world who had made the trip across the Indian Ocean, just like we had.

The Port Police came directly to our boat, asked us a few questions and filled out a form.

Immigrations came to the port to clear all the boats in (there were about five of us who arrived that day). The officer took a table at one of the local restaurants, passed out forms, and stamp, stamp, stamp all done.

Our neighbors recommended Lionel (WA +27 64 651 1578) to help us with getting around town. Lionel is a taxi driver, but also just really knowledgable about the area and tries to help cruisers get whatever we need. Lionel drove us to Customs to finish our entrance formalities.

Everything was free, but also, everything was done by physical papers and ledgers. It’s not very tech-savvy here. Also, some of the officers weren’t very friendly, which we found to be the case all around the coast.

Yachty Services

There are a lot of services available in Richards Bay.  We were able to get our propane tanks filled (Lionel’s help) and sent off our laundry for very cheap (Andreas +27 83 463 3536).

We pickled our watermaker here in Richards Bay and didn’t recommission it until we left Cape Town. City water was readily available and tasted wonderful.

Boardwalk Inkwazi Shopping Centre

Next Lionel took us to the mall. What a culture shock after the Indian Ocean! We haven’t seen a mall quite like this since Phuket.

We got our SIM cards for our phones, did some clothes shopping (David lost a flip-flop in Mahujunga), and checked out the grocery stores. There’re two main ones, Food Lover’s Market and Pick & Pay. We shopped more at the Food Lover’s Market, as the produce and meats there are excellent.

Vodacom was the cheapest service provider, and we had great coverage everywhere along the coast for R700 for 20 GB ($2.33/GB).

Docking in Richards Bay

There are two marinas in Richards Bay: Tuzi Gazi and Zululand Yacht Club. We wanted to go to Zululand, but the World ARC was coming in and it was full. We looked at going to Tuzi Gazi, but the docks aren’t in great shape and we had a few storms roll through. When no one kicked us off the wall, we just stayed.

The great thing about the wall: it’s free to dock, free drinking water, and close to many restaurants. There is supposed to be a time limit, but we were there for nine nights and no one kicked us out.  Eventually, boats did have to move, but we were long gone by then.  There are a bunch of restaurants within walking distance, though most of of them weren’t particularly good.  The wharf is well-protected.  While we were there, a big storm rolled through and port officials came by passing out a paper notice with wind and rain warnings, urging us to secure our boats and be safe.

A great thing about Richards Bay in itself is the access to game parks. (More about that later).

Bad things about the wall: there are huge black rubber vertical fenders that leave giant black marks. The tide swing is so large, we worried over our fenders for a while and ended up having to buy a new round fender (so now we have two). When the tide was low, David had to “catch” me as I jumped onto our deck (I don’t know how many of the other cruisers got on and off their boats, as most have a significantly lower freeboard).

Monkeys were very persistent. They board the boats and steal whatever they can (usually food) and then show their disdain for you by relieving themselves on your boat. They also get into the trash, leaving a huge mess on the wharf.

There is a nightclub right next door too, which is very weird, as the port is far from town. But they party hard Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. When I woke up Saturday morning at 4:45 am they were still partying.

Dining at the Small Boat Harbor

The surrounding area has a shockingly high number of restaurants for such a quiet place. There’s only one neighborhood nearby, one hotel, and then the busy port. While the food was pretty cheap, most of it wasn’t that great.

We ate at Dros, a pub that serves lots of meat-and-potatoes style food. I was shocked when the wine I ordered, advertised at R150 ($10USD), was a whole bottle! I had the hamburger, David has the chicken burger (I think he liked his better than I liked mine).

Taking a risk, we ate at Mojito’s, a Mexican and Cuban joint. The cuban menu was pretty much a Cuban sandwich, but we ordered enchiladas and fajitas. It wasn’t what we would expect for Tex-Mex food (and it certainly wasn’t authentic Mexican) but it was pretty good.

Khrua Thai Food & Sushi was a bit of a disappointment. My Pad See Ewe was nothing like I would get in Thailand – or the US. The sushi looked good though.

I think our favorite (and many cruisers agreed) was KNK Curry. For less than $10 total, we had five mince samosas, David had Chicken Curry, and I had a traditional South African dish called Bunny Chow. Bunny Chow is a loaf of bread cut into halves or quarters with the inside carved out. The crust is filled with curry. It was delicious!

Another spot to try out (if you are into this kind of thing) is Bohemian Beach Bum’s. According to Wikipedia, marijuana is “legal for possession and cultivation but not for sale.”. I don’t know how this works, because Bohemian Beach Bum’s is a “coffee shop” where you can buy infused items like gummies, coffee, chocolates, etc.

What to Do in Richards Bay

Richards Bay is the best place we stopped at to explore game parks. Most of the game parks are smaller, so they can be done in a day self-driving.  Unless you’ll be flying to Kruger or Kgalagadi , go on safari here.

We hired a driver for a day, who took us to a hippo cruise in St Lucia and the iSimangaliso Wetland Park .

Other cruisers went to Hluhluwe (pronounced Shu-Shu-lay) or Thula Thula Private Game Reserve. Our friends on Slow Flight went to Hulhule and Drakensberg .  Months later, I was chatting with some French ex-pats living in South Africa who were going to all the national parks (what a great goal!).  They said Kruger was the best park for wildlife, but Drakensberg was the most beautiful landscape.

Departure Formalities

For clear out, we hired Lionel to drive us around and sort out our paperwork. South Africa is one of those countries where you must clear in and out at every port, even when traveling domestically.

We went to Zululand Yacht Club, Immigrations, Customs, Water Police, and then back to Zululand Yacht Club. It was A LOT of paperwork and took us about two hours. It would have been faster if we’d been given the correct forms to fill out ahead of time instead of sitting at ZYC filling out ten pages.

Sailing to Durban

Time: 14.9 Hours

Distance: 90 miles

Average Speed: 6 knots

Frankly, our sail to Durban was boring, though that’s a good thing. We departed Richards Bay around 1630 and headed out to sea. Our plan was to see how the morning forecast looked before deciding whether to stop in Durban or try to push through to East London. Several other boats left the same day as us, making the jump too.

We kept close to shore as it’s only 90 miles. First, we had to work our way through the anchorage of ships. While we got the mainsail up, there wasn’t a whole lot of wind. I motored most of my watch till 2 am.

David sailed most of his watch, and when I woke up in the morning the first thing I said was “Durban or East London?”. David replied with Durban. The weather forecast was predicting 10-15 knots of wind on the nose for 12 hours. Forecasts around here always seem to lowball, so we didn’t have an interest in beating hard for nearly 1/3 of the passage from Durban to East London.

Des agreed Durban was best. Some boats we know did decide to continue on.  

The skyline of Durban is pretty memorable, with the huge stadium and art deco buildings.

We arrived into Durban early in the morning. We cleared our entrance with Port Control first on the VHF before approaching Durban Marina. Their website says to anchor out first and then dinghy in to handle your formalities. However, there’s not a good anchorage in this very busy commercial port, so we weren’t sure what we were going to do.

As we approached the marina, a tender came out to meet us and told us just to take the t-head. Gratefully, we tied up and waited for the office to open.

The marina gave us our paperwork to fill out and explained how to do the clearance. The staff was very helpful, getting us checked in and sending us off to the right offices to check in with authorities (Thanks, Bronwyn!). We walked 15 minutes to the Customs And Excise building. Immigrations just verified that we had a visa. Customs had us fill out a little bit of paperwork. In 15 minutes we were out of the building and walking back home.

Durban Marina

Durban is not a very nice port. The water is very dirty with lots of floating trash in it. The marina itself is friendly and the docks are fine. We moved to the last slip on D dock for our stay. It is a LONG walk down the dock to the office.

Yacht Clubs

Visiting yachts get a free temporary membership to the Point Yacht Club. There are shower and restroom facilities, free wifi, plus Charlie’s Bar and the Anchorage Restaurant. We had a pretty good lunch at the restaurant.

Yachties also get free membership to the Royal Natal Yacht Club.

There was a very cheap laundromat across the main road from the marina.

What to do in Durban

Durban is not a very safe city, and we were warned left and right to be extra careful. Thankfully, there’s Uber in Durban, so it’s easy to get around at the touch of a button.

We spent an afternoon on the promenade, cycling the Golden Mile , which is actually longer than a mile. I also went with friends out to Aliwal Shoal for a dive with ragged-toothed sharks .

Trying to Leave Durban

We got a bit stuck in Durban for 10 days.  There was a window that some boats took about four days after we arrived, but Des didn’t like the window so we decided to listen to his advice and stay.  Hindsight being 20/20, it was a good window, and we would have made it to the next stop.  So we took the next one – against Des’ advice – to get out of Durban.  At this point, there were several boats that had left Richards Bay when we did who had already made it all the way to Cape Town, so we were going to try our luck.

Sailing to East London

Time: 31 Hours

Distance: 264 miles

Average Speed: 8.5 knots

We woke up at 0230, checked the weather, and untied the lines. The winds had died down to about five knots. Durban harbor was brightly lit and full of activity, even this early.

As soon as we were clear of traffic, I went back to bed. As soon as we passed the breakwater, we started to bash into the waves. David navigated us around the marker and once we made the turn it was a bit better and I was able to sleep.

When I woke up we were still motoring along. While the waves weren’t big, they were choppy, and we were headed straight into the wind. Thankfully, it was less than 10 knots of wind, but we had both engines running around 2200 RPMs to keep our speed up. We were going to be chased into East London by a strong low system, so we needed to move.

While David napped, we slipped into the current and picked up 3-5 knots of SOG! I turned one engine off, and we were zooming along.

After lunch, the wind had picked up and clocked around enough to get the sails out. We even got the screecher up! David was able to turn off the engines and we started sailing while I napped.

We put two reefs in the main overnight, and the wind continued to clock around. Around midnight I put us on wing-and-wing and the wind was pushing us directly into East London.

Early in the morning, David had dolphins join him on his watch!

When I woke up we were just a few hours from the entrance. At 1000 we picked up a trot mooring at the Buffalo River Yacht Club, safe and sound!

East London

Time: 66 Hours

Around 9:30 we were making our way up the Buffalo River in East London, and ready for a lesson on trot moorings!  The Buffalo River Yacht Club has trot moorings instead of swing moorings, which is actually rather genius.  

Trot moorings are a line of moorings anchored into the river bed.  Instead of tying up to one mooring and swinging with the wind and current, you tie up to two moorings; one on your bow and one on your stern.  This means no swinging back and forth, something that’s key for a river with strong currents in a place where heavy winds regularly roll in.  However, it is hard to get set up.  Thankfully, the yacht club sent out a tender to help us, and after tweaking our lines a bit, we were settled in just fine.

The yacht club is small and only open in the afternoons for a beer or braai (that would be a South African BBQ).  

We did have to dinghy across the river to check in with the officials.

We didn’t do anything in East London other than provision.  The BRYC is pretty removed from town, and I didn’t see anything in East London that I was super interested in doing.

Sailing East London to St. Francis Bay

Time: 28.1 Hours

Distance: 179 nautical miles

Average Speed: 6.4 knots

We departed East London at zero-dark-thirty after three nights in the river.  Our next stop was St Francis Bay, a place where not many cruisers boats call in.  

The winds were dead when we left, but the current was still pushing us along at three knots.  We had expected that we would be out of the current, but it was still working in our favor!

The waves were pretty big though; three meters with a 10-12 second period.  Throughout the day the winds increased, so first, we motor-sailed with just the genoa, and then in the evening, we were sailing with the genoa only, apparent wind speeds of up to 30 knots!

Around midnight the wind died again, and we motored towards St Francis.  We had actually gone too fast and had to kill time out in the harbor before the pilot came out to lead us in through the entrance.  It was a bit tricky because of its sharp, 90-degree turn into the basin.  But soon we were tied up at a proper dock.

St Francis Bay

Time: 45 Hours

The marina is very small, with no room for transients.  Thankfully, we know someone and were able to get a slip, but it was costly $100 a night!

The marina is in a residential area, with a few restaurants on the waterfront, and it’s a 5-10 minutes drive into the town itself.  Mostly the boats were fishing boats, but our reason for visiting was to pop in and visit one of the South African catamaran manufacturers – Balance Cats.  

Here is where we had to decide to call into Knysna or not.  As much as we wanted to go, we were concerned that if we called into Knysna it would be a while until we got the right conditions to leave again.  Also, we had a troubling leak at the waterline that we wanted to get fixed ASAP.  So we made the decision to take a big jump and gun for Cape Town.

St Francis Bay to Cape Town

Time: 55 Hours

Distance: 384 miles

Average Speed: 7 knots

The window wasn’t great to get to Cape Town, but we took it anyway.  We left first thing in the morning (after dawn though, sleep in!) on December 8 th .  

The winds were pretty high for most of the sail, and aft of us.  We switched back and forth between wing on wing and deep-reaching for a majority of the passage.  

Our first morning out, David got visited by dolphins again!  They seem to like to come out at sunrise.

Just after dinner on the 9 th,  we passed Cape Agulhas, leaving the Indian Ocean behind and entering the Atlantic! The official line is 20 degrees E.

The next morning when I came up, Starry Horizons was enveloped in a thick fog.  We passed an anchored ship off of Cape Town, coming as close as a three-quarters-of-a-mile, and couldn’t see a thing.  The thick fog prevented us from seeing the iconic Table Mountain too…until we rounded and approached the entrance mid-morning.  Finally, the sky cleared and we got to see the mountains rising behind Cape Town.

Our reservation was at the V&A Waterfront Marina, and we had to pass through two bridges to get in; a swing bridge and a bascule bridge.  The bridges open on the 15 and 45 on demand.  

Cape Town: V&A Waterfront

Time: 41 Days

We docked at the V&A Waterfront Marina, which is right in the heart of the V&A Waterfront District.  Let me get this out of the way: I love Cape Town, and a huge part of what I loved was being at the V&A Waterfront.  

Many cruisers I talked to chose not to go to V&A because of the price.  This, I did not understand.  Yes, perhaps other places are cheaper (like Hout Bay), but the V&A Waterfront Marina was cheaper than many marinas we’ve been to, the amenities were great, and the location was even better.

We were in the heart of one of the best districts in Cape Town.  I could get anything I wanted within walking distance.  The food was amazing – the V&A Food Market was less than a five-minute walk and we could eat dozens of cuisines for less than $10 a person.  The view was breathtaking, one that rivals being anchored off the Sydney Opera House or (I’d imagine) anchoring by the Statue of Liberty.  

All of this is to say that I think it was one of the best values for marinas we’ve ever stayed in.  We paid what averaged out to less than $40 a night.  The many hotels ringing the marina are priced well over $200 a night.  While the amenities weren’t as nice as One 15 Marina in Singapore (the best marina we’ve ever stayed in), we were paying nearly 1/3 of the price.  

In the marina, we had access to free wifi and the ablution block included laundry (which is good because sending it out in Cape Town was much more expensive than the rest of South Africa).   The neighboring apartment complex had a gym we could use for R250 each for a month.

We did a lot of fun things around Cape Town and used it as a base to jump off to Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park for a 3-night safari .

We were able to get a lot done in Cape Town: fill propane tanks, patch canvas, machine some metal parts, and a lot of shopping. Cape Town is huge, and has everything you need. Rental cars and Ubers are cheap.

Clearing out in Cape Town

With the help of Josh at V&A Waterfront Marina, we were able to do our whole clear out process without moving over to Royal Cape. Everything went smoothly – even though we didn’t clear in with Customs & Immigration when we arrived into Cape Town; they just did the paperwork altogether.

And just like that, we were off on a 12-day sail to Saint Helena!

East London Yacht Club

SITUATION (how to get there) ELYC has a prime location on the north pier of East London harbour. Access is via Orient Beach. Turn off Esplanade St into Lower Esplanade St towards the harbour Go past the container depot to the club.

CLASSES CATERED FOR Catamaran, dinghy, keelboat

ADDRESS East London Yacht Club PO Box 630 East London 5200 South Africa

CONTACT DETAILS EMail : [email protected] Club Website: www.elyc.co.za Facebook: East London Yacht Club, East London, South Africa

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The nation's only port on a river, East London stretches along the banks of the Buffalo and is revered for its unspoiled beaches. Although links to England are apparent, East London still bears a refreshing South African ambiance. The aquarium is phenomenal, as is the East London Museum, which displays the world's only dodo egg.

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Boat & Catamaran charter in East London - Yacht Rental

East london yacht rental.

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CEO of Yachting.Rent

Boat & Catamaran charter in East London

Bali 4.5 – 4 + 2 cab. – Adria Chicha – 2017

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• Local Expertise: Our extensive knowledge of East London’s waters allows us to guide you to the best spots and hidden gems.
• Flexible Options: Whether you’re planning a romantic getaway, a family vacation, or a corporate event, we offer flexible packages to cater to all needs.
• Sustainable Practices: We are committed to eco-friendly practices, striving to protect the beautiful environment that we operate within.

East London’s captivating scenery and dynamic maritime landscape offer endless opportunities for exploration and enjoyment. At Yachting.Rent, we invite you to set sail on a journey that transcends ordinary vacationing. Your dream sailing vacation in East London awaits you. Connect with us today, and let us steer you towards an adventure of a lifetime.

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Why is East London a good sailing destination?

East London, located on the southeast coast of South Africa, offers a rich, diverse, and captivating sailing destination. As a city that beautifully combines urban charm with natural splendor, it offers an array of attractions that sailors and explorers can enjoy.

One of the key highlights of East London as a sailing destination is its unique coastline. Teeming with long sandy beaches and lush vegetation, it provides a scenic route for sailors. Add to this the Buffalo River, South Africa’s only navigable river, and you have a setting that’s both picturesque and exciting to navigate.

Sailing in East London with Yachting.Rent gives you a front-row seat to the city’s rich marine life. The local waters are home to a diverse array of species, including dolphins, seals, and a wide variety of fish. Not to mention, the area’s beaches are a hub for the annual sardine run – a spectacle that’s a must-see for any nature enthusiast.

East London also stands out for its favorable weather conditions. It boasts a year-round mild climate, steady winds, and plentiful sunshine, creating the ideal conditions for sailing. Whether you’re a novice sailor or a seasoned pro, you’ll find the environment both welcoming and challenging.

Beyond its natural attributes, East London is a vibrant, cultural city with plenty to offer. It hosts numerous museums, galleries, and theaters, and a host of excellent restaurants serving a fusion of local and international cuisine. Thus, your sailing adventure can extend beyond the sea, immersing you in the local culture and history.

Yachting.Rent invites you to experience all these and more in East London. With our range of high-quality yachts and commitment to exceptional service, we strive to make your sailing experience in East London truly unforgettable.

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What Choose

Sailing boat or Catamaran, what to sail in East London

When it comes to embarking on a sailing adventure in the beautiful coastal city of East London, choosing between a sailing boat and a catamaran can be a significant decision. Both options have their unique qualities, catering to different sailing styles and preferences. Here at Yachting.Rent, we offer both sailing boats and catamarans to provide the perfect sailing experience for your exploration of East London’s stunning waters. Below, we break down the key differences and advantages of each option to help you make the best choice for your sailing journey.

Sailing Boat: A Classic Experience

Sailing boats, with their single-hulled design and traditional sails, offer an authentic and intimate sailing experience. Perfect for those who seek the true essence of sailing, they provide:

Maneuverability: Sailing boats are known for their agility and responsiveness. They provide an exhilarating experience for those who enjoy taking the helm and feeling the direct connection with the wind and waves.

Romantic Ambiance: The elegant design and classic charm of a sailing boat create a romantic and timeless atmosphere. Ideal for couples or small groups seeking a close-knit experience.

Skill Development: For avid sailors or those eager to learn, sailing boats provide the opportunity to hone sailing skills, understand the wind, and master the art of navigation.

Accessibility: Typically more budget-friendly than catamarans, sailing boats offer a wide range of options for different price points.

Catamaran: Stability and Space

Catamarans, with their dual-hulled design, provide a stable and spacious sailing platform. They are the go-to choice for those looking for comfort and socialization:

Stability: Catamarans are renowned for their stability, making them a great option for those prone to seasickness or those new to sailing. The dual hulls minimize rocking and provide a smooth ride.

Ample Space: With large decks and communal areas, catamarans offer plenty of room for relaxation, sunbathing, and entertainment. Ideal for families or larger groups.

Panoramic Views: The broad design of catamarans often includes large windows and open spaces, offering breathtaking panoramic views of East London’s coastline.

Water Activities: The stability and space of catamarans allow for easy access to water sports and activities such as snorkeling, fishing, or diving.

Choosing What’s Right for You in East London

East London’s varied coastal landscapes, with its mix of secluded coves, lively beaches, and abundant marine life, can be explored and enjoyed in both sailing boats and catamarans.

• If you crave a hands-on, traditional sailing experience or seek a romantic escape, a sailing boat may be your choice.
• If comfort, stability, and socializing are your priorities, then a catamaran might be the perfect fit.

At Yachting.Rent, we provide a diverse fleet of both sailing boats and catamarans, all maintained to the highest standards. Our expert team is here to guide you through the options, understanding your needs and preferences, and tailoring the perfect sailing package for your adventure in East London.

Get in touch with us today, and let’s set sail on the voyage of your dreams, whether aboard a classic sailing boat or a luxurious catamaran, in the captivating waters of East London.

Find inspiration for your next holiday

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• East London Yacht Club, Eastern Cape, South Africa

South Africa

Eastern Cape

East London

Sailing / Yacht Club

East London Yacht Club

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The Club has full ablution facilities and water and diesel are also available. Please note that the wearing of wet clothes in the Clubhouse is not permitted. A slipway is available if a yacht needs to be taken out of the water. The closest shops, post office & banks are about 3km away.

043-722 2278

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East London (South Africa)

Cruise port schedule, live map, terminals, news.

Region Africa - Indian Ocean Islands

Local Time 2024-09-08 13:39

Port East London cruise ship schedule shows timetable calendars of all arrival and departure dates by month. The port's schedule lists all ships (in links) with cruises going to or leaving from East London, South Africa. To see the full itineraries (ports of call dates and arrival / departure times) and their lowest rates – just follow the corresponding ship-link.

East London is a port city on South Africa's southeastern coast (Indian Ocean), in the Eastern Cape province. The city is located between Buffalo River and Nahoon River, thus having country's only river port. City's population is around 270,000 (metro over 755,000).

East London is province's 2nd largest seaport and industrial centre - after Port Elizabeth . The dominant employer is motor industry. A Daimler plant (Mercedes-Benz corporation) is located next to the harbour and manufactures Mercedes-Benz and other vehicles. They are produced here for the local market, and also for export to Brazil and USA. Other major industries include textiles, clothing, food processing, pharmaceuticals. To encourage investment in the city, in 2004 was established East London Industrial Development Zone (duty-free zone managed by East London IDZ Ltd). The 15 km2 (6 ml2) sized ELIDZ is on West Bank, close to both the airport and the seaport.

Resorts in East London include Areena, Cintsa East, Cintsa West, Glen Eden, Gonubie, Queensbury Bay and Yellowsands. Most popular tourist attractions include Museum, Zoo, Inkwenkwezi and Mpongo (private game reserves), Yellow Sands Caravan Park (camping). East London Museum has the unique coelacanth - prehistoric fish thought to be extinct, but in 1938 discovered live at Chalumna Mouth. The city is well known as skydiving and surfing destination, and its beaches are among the best in South Africa. The unique double-decker Buffalo River Bridge was built in 1931. It carries Arkansas Highway 7 (north–south state highway running across Arkansas State). The historic bridge has center span 49 m (160 ft) and total length 114 m (375 ft).

Port East London

Like all seaports in South Africa, East London port is managed by TNPA (Transnet National Ports Authority). This is a government corporation and division of Transnet Ltd (1990-founded, state-owned company specializing in freight rail transport, port terminal and pipeline management, logistics and engeneering).

TNPA manages seven of South Africa's largest seaports - Richards Bay, Durban, East London, Port Elizabeth, Mossel Bay, Cape Town, Ngqura, Saldanha. TNPA is also landlord responsible for master planning, marketing and developments, port navigation, services and facilities control. Transnet Port Terminals (division) manages port's terminal operations and cargo handling.

The port has 12 commercial berths (6 on West Bank, 6 on East Bank), 1 shiprepair quay (length 110 m / 360 ft), 1 pilot jetty, 1 fishing jetty. Port's total quayside is 2410 m (7910 ft). Port's entrance has max depth max draft 12 m (39 ft) and min width 170 m (560 ft). The max draft at berths (quayside) is between 8,5-10,5 m. Passenger ships ( ferries and cruise liners) dock at whichever berth is currently available.

The port can handle ships with max LOA length 24 5m (804 ft). Port's anchorage area is located approx 1 mile east of the south breakwater. Pilotage is compulsory from approx 3 km northeast of the north breakwater. Tugboat assistance within the port is also compulsory. The port has 3 tugboats and 1 rescue craft . Marine services are available Monday to Friday (between 6 am - 10 pm).

The port has a dedicated grain terminal fitted with elevator and with storage (silo) capacity 76,000 tons - ranking it South Africa's largest. The modern tanker terminal serving oil tankers shipping unleaded petrol, auto diesel, kerosene (paraffin) and aviation fuel. Terminal's silo capacity is 7,6 million litres. The multi-purpose container terminal (on East Bank) handles container ships and has annual capacity 90,000 TEUs (containers). Port's drydock has capacity to handle vessels with max LOA length 200 m (656 ft) and max width 25 m (82 ft). Drydock's equipment includes 4 electric cranes plus 1 mobile crane.

The new car terminal (on West Bank) includes 4-storey parking which is connected via separate road to the adjacent Daimler factory. The new terminal has 2800 parking lots and annual capacity 50,000 cars. The facility is designed to allow future expansion (up to 8 storeys) with annual capacity 180,000 vehicles.

In 2017 were completed several infrastructure and equipment projects in East London Port, with total investment around ZAR 542 million (USD 40 million). The latest project was upgrade of the pile wharf (length 83 m / 270 ft) adjacent to Princess Elizabeth Dry Dock. The ZAR 108 million (USD 7,5 million) project was completed in October. The dock is used for both ship repairs and berthing of smaller ships,

Other completed in 2017 port development project was West Bank Foreshore protection (ZAR 176 million / USD 12 million). By this project was constructed a revetment to protect port’s infrastructure from erosion and wave actions. Also were upgraded tanker berth's fire protection system and port's security, port's rail network was replaced, Buffalo Bridge was refurbished.

Port's plans are to further enhance services and increase capacity by expanding the automotive facilities and upgrading maritime services. "Operation Phakisa" is a port development program (by country's government) to increase South Africa's marine shipping trade. By this program was refurbished the drydock (project cost ZAR 219 million / USD 15 million) and were also added new crane rails. Future projects include dredging (deepening and widening) of the entrance channel to improve manoeuvring and increase port's cargo capacity by allowing larger boxships (container carriers) .

(statistics 2015) Port East London handled 330 ships, with total GT tonnage 11,475890 million tons, total cargo 2,945922 million tons (including TEUs), total bulk cargo 1,054352 million tons, breakbulk cargo 996,614 tons, total TEUs 66,293 (894,956 tons).

The car terminal was inaugurated in September 2000. Bunkering (fuel oil and marine gas oil) is via pipelines at berths S and T (West Bank). Cruise ships usually dock on East Bank berths.

Port East London's cargo and cruise shipping operations are managed by TNPA (Transnet National Ports Authority). This is Africa's largest port authority company that manages 7 large seaports in South Africa - East London, Durban ,  Cape Town ,  Richards Bay , Mossel Bay ,   Port Elizabeth , and  Saldanha .

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Best Cruises for East London

East London , South Africa cruise port (RSA) welcomes more than seven thousand travelers every year. In particular, January is the month when the most ships come in. The harbor is reached by cruise lines like Silversea Cruises , Oceania Cruises and Crystal Cruises . A frequently visiting ship is the Silver Cloud , visiting East London more than ten times per year.

If your cruise is coming from Cape Town , South Africa , Port Elizabeth, Bequia, Grenadines , Maputo, Mozambique or Richards Bay, South Africa , East London is likely to be on your route.

Typical trips take ten or four days.

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• Yachting World
• Digital Edition

Sailing from South Africa to Europe: Chris Tibbs’ top tips for a smooth passage

• October 14, 2020

Over recent years an increasing number of yachts have made the passage directly from Cape Town to Europe without going via the Caribbean, writes meteorologist Chris Tibbs

Be prepared for a hard beat if heading direct from Cape Town to Europe. Photo: Kraken Yachts

There are a number of advantages to doing this, as well as saving around 3,000 miles of sailing, but the passage from the doldrums is predominantly upwind against the trade winds .

Some of the gain in distance will be lost in the extra miles sailed from being hard on the wind. However, this also needs to be offset against the fact that few passages sailing from the Caribbean to Europe are on a direct course as routeing takes us around the Azores High, with most boats stopping at the Azores.

Weather in the South Atlantic mirrors that in the North, with sub-tropical high pressure driving the trade winds of both hemispheres. On the pole side of the highs are disturbed westerlies, where depressions cross the Atlantic from west to east bringing fronts and stronger winds.

The ITCZ varies in size and can be anything from a few miles to 500 miles in width

Between the high pressure centres are the doldrums , which we usually refer to as the ITCZ (Inter Tropical Convergence Zone). This is the area where the south-easterly trade winds of the southern hemisphere meet the north-easterly trade winds of the northern hemisphere.

The ITCZ can also be described as the thermal equator of the world. It follows the sun to the north and south, depending on the season, but generally lagging behind it. Despite following the sun, the movement of the ITCZ is not as extreme over the sea as it is over the land, and generally stays north of the equator on the eastern side of the Atlantic.

The ITCZ is a product of converging trade winds, and where we get convergence we will also get rising air. Add the heat of the sun into the mix and we get a band of large cumulonimbus clouds producing the typical doldrums conditions of light winds and squalls.

Article continues below…

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In general, the ITCZ is narrower on the western side of the Atlantic and wider on the east with a fairly large triangle of more variable wind close to the African coast. This is why round the world racing yachts and record attempts, cross into the southern hemisphere close to Brazil, then get south of the high pressure before heading east.

It is also why there can be significant gains and losses coming back up the Atlantic after Cape Horn as racing yachts try to minimise the distance sailed while keeping in the strongest and most favourable wind – not an easy job.

Trade winds

The route from Cape Town to the Caribbean is relatively straightforward, although it is long. It usually sees trade winds all the way except for when passing through the ITCZ. This is best done near the north-east corner of Brazil where the light winds zone is generally quite narrow and the currents are also favourable making for fast passages.

With St Helena, Brazil and the islands of Fernando de Noronha on the way it is a pleasant passage and as the South Atlantic is hurricane free it makes an easy transition from the southern hemisphere summer to northern winter. This also ties in with most round the world cruises and rally schedules, as we need to be away from the Indian Ocean tropical cyclone season, which starts in November.

Together, this makes Cape Town a natural Christmas break point before continuing north. It also brings us to the Caribbean ready for a return to Europe before the hurricane season starts in June.

But not everyone can neatly fit into this timetable. Back in 2000-2001 the BT Global Challenge raced from Cape Town to La Rochelle, which was the first time I looked at this route in detail. Since then I have provided weather support for an increasing number of yachts on a direct passage to Europe – yachts built in South Africa to be sold in Europe, and owners that either don’t want to go to the Caribbean or whose schedule doesn’t fit in with this route.

Heading north from Cape Town is the same if heading direct to Europe or to the Caribbean as we are in the southerly or south-easterly trade winds driven by the St Helena High. These will generally hold (although they tend to back) all the way past St Helena to Ascension Island. The winds tend to be quite strong in the south but will ease further north, and can be very steady in speed and direction.

North of the Ascension Islands is the ITCZ; precisely where depends on the time of year but tends to be north of the equator. On the eastern side of the Atlantic this can be a wide band of variable wind sometimes from close to the equator to 10°N or even further north in mid-summer. Statistics show that close to the African coast the wind can come from any direction and there is likely to be some thunder.

As we move into the ITCZ it’s worth trying to set up for the north-easterly trade winds; the further east, generally the better the wind angle as you leave the ITCZ. However, this will be restricted by how comfortable you are in closing to the coast in this area. Personally I’d stay at least 200 miles offshore.

Once out of the ITCZ the approach to the Cape Verde Islands will be hard on the wind on starboard tack. A few port tacks may be necessary depending on wind angle and how hard you beat! The Cape Verde Islands are realistically the only place to refuel and provision. Then you are ready for the hardest part, heading into the trade wind belt.

Infra-red image of the ITCZ seen from space

The trades do vary and it may be worth waiting for them to ease, but if you delay for perfect conditions you’ll be waiting a long time. Although you could find lighter wind close to the African coast, from the Cape Verde Islands to Europe will entail a long starboard tack towards the Azores some 1,300 miles away.

I’ve had some yachts make for the Canary Islands, but this generally entails a lot of motor-sailing into the trades and Canaries current. I did see the track of one boat that beat to the Canaries; the tacking angle was not good and this was a boat that beat well, but with adverse current, big seas, and leeway it was disappointing progress.

So we’ll normally have to sail hard on starboard tack until into the Azores High, or into the westerly/south-westerly winds on the north of the High. We can usually turn east before the Azores if heading to the Mediterranean , however the Azores is a good place for a break and a bit of a recovery. From there, the rest of the passage will seem easy!

The Azores High will generally be a little further south in the northern hemisphere winter, so too will be the ITCZ. At the same time the north Atlantic storms and cold fronts will extend further south and will be more aggressive, which will displace the trades to the south. However, the Azores can see some very strong conditions before April, with a 6-8% chance of gales in March, dropping to 1-3% in May.

So when is the best time to go? My suggestion would be to aim to be in the Azores after the beginning of May and before the increasing chance of Cape Verde hurricanes in July.

The later you leave it the further north the ITCZ is expected to be, making getting to the Cape Verde Islands easier, but the trade winds north of the Cape Verde Islands tend to increase from about mid-June.

The direct route

• A shorter distance and faster passage
• Allows a wider departure time from Cape Town with the main risk of hurricanes reduced to a few months near the Cape Verde Islands
• Arrival in the northern hemisphere winter can be managed by staying south of the Azores

Disadvantages

• Hard on the wind from north of the ITCZ, to probably near the Azores
• Beating into the trade winds is never easy
• You will sail against the Canaries current in the north Atlantic
• A lot of motoring through a wide ITCZ

There is the alternative of passing west of the Cape Verde Islands, heading north-north-west towards the centre of the Azores High, but this will give a long passage without breaks and would require greater care for hurricane season.

The real question is how will your boat, and crew, take to a hard beat?

Cape Verde hurricanes

In the North Atlantic the hurricane season starts in June and lasts until November. On this route we are generally east of Atlantic storms but there is the possibility of Cape Verde hurricanes. These are hurricanes that develop close to the Cape Verde Islands or even between the Cape Verde Islands and Africa, before tracking west across the Atlantic.

They’re not very common and will generally be late in the season, however particular attention needs to be paid to the forecasts from June onwards as the possibility of Cape Verde hurricanes is one to be taken seriously. Typically Cape Verde hurricanes are most likely in August and September but there have been some in late July and October. North of the Cape Verdes hurricanes are not likely, unless you are a long way west.

First published in the October 2020 issue of Yachting World.

1999 St Francis 44'

Specifications

100 Gallons ( Liters)

St. Francis Marine

• Engine Make: Yanmar
• Engine Model: 3JH3CE
• Engine Type: Inboard
• Power HP: 40.00
• Hours: 1750.00
• Hours: 1550.00

Full Details

For more information about this yacht, please contact Michael Streng.

For more information about this yacht, please contact Michael Streng . We look forward to working with you!

Michael Streng

9 Exotic Cruise Itineraries You Need to Know About

W ith so much of the earth’s surface covered in water, it’s no wonder cruising is a fast-growing segment for leisure travel. A significant share of the globe’s destinations are reachable by river or ocean-going ship, including destinations well outside the normal rounds for travelers. Cruisers who might have enjoyed their voyages to the Caribbean, European capitals, or Alaska are looking for new places to visit, and some of these exotic itineraries explore lesser-visited parts of popular cruise regions, or combine areas in new, exciting ways. 

We've curated a selection of noteworthy voyages for the diversity of regions they cover, up-and-coming ports, or good old-fashioned seclusion. If at least one of the ports causes a decently well-seasoned traveler to scratch their head and say, "Where's that?" it's not a stretch to call it "exotic." 

Abercrombie & Kent – 14 Night Zanzibar to Seychelles

Stretching from Tanzania on Africa's east coast to the Seychelles, far out into the Indian Ocean, this voyage covers a corner of the world quite distant for most North American travelers. A&K charts Ponant's luxury expedition ship Le Bougainville for the journey, offering balconies in each room and butler service in suites, the ship stops into both the Inner and Outer Seychelles, with a rich diversity of marine and bird life, including a stop at Aldabra Atoll, home to two-thirds of the world's giant tortoise population. 

Quasar Expeditions – Galápagos

The Galápagos are certainly secluded, and voyages there are all intimate, as local authorities limit the size of vessels that can operate cruises. But with only 16 guests onboard (and eight guests to each guide), Quasar's Grace Yacht is intimate to the max. The ship’s small size also means it can visit parts of the Galápagos inaccessible to larger ships, meaning the yacht’s guests really do get that exclusive experience—what’s more, the yacht’s name isn’t just happenstance, it’s so named because Princess Grace of Monaco spent her honeymoon onboard the yacht—a wedding present from Aristotle Onassis—in 1956. 

Sea Dream Yacht Club – Best of the Secluded Caribbean

Another gorgeous yacht journey is onboard Sea Dream Yacht Club’s Sea Dream I. Departing Barbados, she spends several days in the Grenadines in the Caribbean, slipping into intimate coves and other tranquil parts of Mayreau, Tobago Cays, and Bequia much too small for larger vessels. Then it’s on to the Guadeloupe—but not exactly Guadeloupe. The yacht is bound instead for the tiny Îles des Saintes of the coast, where the locals vacation and unwind, then it’s on to utterly French St. Barths for an overnight call for luxury shopping and chic cafés before winding through the U.S. and British Virgin Islands to Puerto Rico. 

Aranui – Austral Islands

French Polynesia’s Austral Islands lay to the south of Tahiti, and they’re some of the most isolated islands in the world. Each of these islands has something distinctive to offer, from the rare manu’ura lorikeet on Rimatara to the cannibal caves of Rurutu. Aranui V is an extraordinary “mullet ship”—cargo in front, cruise in the back—that makes two voyages to the Australs each year without cargo, giving travelers an extraordinary chance to visit these almost untouched Polynesian islands.

Princess Cruises – 21 Day Tropical Passage

Many of these ports may be familiar, but this itinerary is wildly exotic. The three-week journey from London (Southampton) to Galveston, Texas, onboard Regal Princess calls in Bilbao, Spain, noted for its Guggenheim Museum, and the autonomous Portuguese island of Madeira, where guests can sample some of the island's eponymous wine and ride down steep volcanic slopes in a wicker basket. In Galveston, stick around for a day or two to check out the distinctive glass pyramids of Moody Gardens or the recently renovated historic Grand Galvez Hotel.

Oceania Cruises – Palm & Pagodas

Not many travelers have been to Brunei or Puerto Princesa in The Philippines. Ditto Kaohsiung, Taiwan, where visitors can float down the Love River or enjoy plenty of art, both modern and historic. This 11-day sailing from Singapore to Hong Kong packs each of these lesser-visited ports into a voyage onboard Oceania's newly renovated Riviera. 

Regent Seven Seas Cruises – Flavors of Luxury

Sailing from Valletta, Malta, to Monte Carlo, Monaco, this voyage already hits lesser-called ports in the Mediterranean, but it’s two stops in France that really catch the eye. Sete is a Provençal port not typical for cruises but with plenty of incredible sights to see, from the walled city of Carcassone to a cruise on the 17 th century Canal du Midi, one of the earliest engineering feats of the early Industrial Revolution. The second is Sanary-sur-Mer, situated between Marseilles and Nice, giving access to both Provence with excursions to Marseille, Cassis, and Aix-en-Provence or the twinkling Cote d’Azur beach town of St. Tropez.

Viking – Iceland’s Majestic Landscapes

Iceland may not be exotic to many, but what about the small northern communities of Ísafjördur, Akureyri, and Seydisfjördur? How about the Faroe Islands? Viking calls at each of these ports en route from Reykjavík to Bergen, Norway. Bathe your way through Iceland in a series of geothermal baths or explore scores of waterfalls, canyons, or rugged fjords, before immersing in the distinct culture of the remote Faroe Islands, an autonomous part of the Kingdom of Denmark. Finish off with a journey through Norway’s fjords, before ending the journey in picturesque Bergen, once the capital of Norway.

H|X Hurtigruten Expeditions – Inside Passage, Bears, and Aleutian Islands

This isn't your typical Alaska cruise. Hurtigruten Expeditions calls at tiny, uninhabited St. Matthew Island to catch glimpses of seabirds like puffins or mammals like arctic foxes. Poke around the eery ghost town of Unga on the Alaska Peninsula, see brown bears in Katmai National Park, or see ancient petroglyphs on the beach near Wrangell, a city not on the regular Alaska cruise circuit. The voyage finally ends in Nome, a town spurred by a gold rush, after a visit to remote St. Paul in the Pribilof Island group, home to a designated Important Bird Area, and the largest community of Indigenous Unangan people in the US, although the prevalence of Russian surnames belies a not-too-distant colonial past.