Coastal Sailing, South Africa
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 over the Nov/Dec period, as the berths fill very quickly.
Emergencies: NSRI Call Centre: - 0870949774
Richards Bay: Port Control monitor channel 12
Before departing, complete a Passage plan in the office. ZYC will submit to the Port for Clearance. Once completed, you have 36 hours to leave the port, otherwise you will have to re-do the passage plan.
Durban: Monitor channel 9
Durban Marina office, Lee-Ann Manggoss admin@durbanmarina.co.za, +27 76 316 3347 for berthing. Complete a flight plan with the office before you leave Durban.
East London and Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth): Monitor channel 12.
Complete and submit the online form at www.sailingpe.co.za before leaving your last port. John Tudehope +27 82 854 3961 for Gqeberha, Peter Sahd +27 84 504 2589 for East London for berthing.
Knysna:
Knysna contact Mike Jacobs on 0825667851 for guidance through The Heads. Knysna Yacht Club +27 44 382 5724 secretary@knysnayachtclub.com for berthing.
Mossel Bay: Monitor channel 12
Allocation of berths by TNPA, +27 44 604 6271, Harbour Captain vania.cloete@transnet.net or shadrack.tshikalange@transnet.net
Simonstown/False Bay Marina: call SA Navy on channel 17 (call sign Bullnose) or False Bay Yacht Club on channel 71. Contact Kim Dunston +27 21 786 3853 for berthing.
Hout Bay Marina: monitor channel 16
Richard Chase +27 82 577 7735. Call ahead for berthing.
Cape Town: Port Control monitor Channel 14
Contact portctn@health.gov.za for a pratique at least 2 days before entry giving them your boat name, number aboard, last port and eta, and request a pratique. Essential that you have a berth in either Royal Cape Yacht Club or V&A before entering the Port of Cape Town. RCYC marina@rcyc.co.za; V&A jfisher@waterfront.co.za
Departure from South Africa:
If leaving from the Port of Cape Town, get a letter from the marina to state you have paid all dues, and take this to Immigration, with passports and all paperwork. Customs can be done online, or physically in the same office block as Immigration.
If berthed in either Simonstown or Hout Bay, get a letter from Royal Cape Yacht Club stating they are unable to fit you in (hence your berthing there), then the boat and all paperwork must go to Port of Cape Town Customs and Immigration to clear out of the country.
If you are leaving from Richards Bay, complete a Flight Plan from Zululand Yacht Club, then go to Customs and Immigration to clear out of the country.
Please note, once you have cleared out through Immigration, you have officially left South Africa, and have 24 hours in which to leave the marina berth. If you return, you have to go through the whole entry process again, including registering for PAN through OSASA, as you are now crossing the border and re-entering the country.
See www.osasa.org.za South African Ports for further information.