Durban
From CruisersWiki
DURBAN
There are few places where you can get off your boat, walk across the road and be in the city. Add to this a clean harbour, mild climate, friendly people and moorings placed so that the city does not intrude. Little wonder that Durban has become a favourite stopover for yachts from all over the world.
Durban is spread around a broad lagoon that is well protected from the prevalent NE and SW winds that can blow with considerable force. The harbour, entered through a narrow channel (29º52'S, 31º03.5'E). (T Herrick)
Background
Durban has a long history dating back to 1497. It is the 9th largest harbour in the world with 15.5km of quays handling about 18 million tons of cargo and 3,000 ships annually. It is a major tourist city with hotels, restaurants and entertainment catering for every taste. It is a great place to relax, refit and provision. (T Herrick)
Climate & Weather information
Durban's climate is sub-tropical throughout the year with high humidity levels at certain times and you will find that most restaurants and hotels permit casual wear with the exception of those that are very up-market.
Charts
Submit the chart details that are required for safe navigation.
Radio Nets
- Note: There are 2 radio stations associated with Durban Harbour
- 1] Durban Radio - situated in Pinetown, 16 km inland and handles radiophone calls, puts out weather reports and will relay messages to Durban Port Control if necessary.
- 2] Durban Port Control - controls commercial and private vessel movements in and around Durban harbour.
Arrival
ARRIVING AT DURBAN PORT: During the day Durban is easily identified, but the coastal resorts north of Durban could raise expectations of an early landfall. Keep your eyes open for the Umhlanga Rocks lighthouse (GpFl(3)W 20 sec) and bear in mind that this is about 8M north-east of Durban. Be careful not to confuse this with the Cooper light (Fl W 10 sec), which is about 4M south-west of Durban. About 1.5M north of the harbour entrance is the Anchorage Beacon that is a narrow beam, Fixed White.
NOTE: the red lights on the Dish Aerials [Conspic.] above Umhlanga Rocks are usually visible long before the Umhlanga Rocks lighthouse comes into view.
The harbour entrance is marked with lights on the North Pier (Fl G 3 sec) and South Breakwater (GpFl (2)W 5 sec). On the top of the Bluff, on the south side of the channel is the Signal Tower, which controls shipping movements into and out of the harbour.
Contact the Signal Tower in advance by VHF radio and warn them of your arrival. Request permission to enter the port when approaching the entrance. The Signal Tower keeps listening watch on VHF 16/9 and SSB 2182 kHz. To establish radio contact with the Signal Tower call 'Durban Port Control'.
- Lights on top of the Signal Tower are used to warn approaching vessels of shipping movements through the entrance channel.
- NO LIGHT - Channel clear for use.
- RED LIGHT - Ship leaving harbour - KEEP CLEAR OF ENTRANCE.
- GREEN LIGHT - Ship entering harbour - KEEP CLEAR OF ENTRANCE.
- RED - FLASHING - Harbour entrance CLOSED to shipping.
These lights may be activated some time before the ship enters the channel. Please wait until the channel is clear and the light is out before proceeding. ALWAYS call 'Durban Port Control' on VHF 9 for final permission to proceed through the channel.
- Passage down the channel is marked by a pair of leading lights
- White (Occ 4 sec 44m 14M) over Red (ISO 2 sec 22m 12m). At night these lights can be difficult to identify due to the numerous other lights in the vicinity.
Foreign yachts may be met at the end of the channel by the South African Police Services Coast Patrol (usually very helpful), which will escort the yacht to a holding area. Alternatively, Durban Port Control may advise you to proceed to the International Jetty at Durban Marina.
Routes to/from
Popular routes, timing, etc.
Check-in facilities
Submit details about facilities for checking in.
Marinas
Submit Marina details and facilities.
Anchorages
List details of all safe anchorages in the area.
Haul-out
Facilities
Tourism & things to do ashore
During your stopover in Durban, visit a Game Reserve (Safari Park), for which South Africa is justifiably famous, or visit an authentic Zulu village or historic sites in the company of a tour guide. Cruisers can get information from Cruising Connections
Marine stores
For a FULL, current listing of businesses of interest to cruisers (and boaters in general), download the free PDF document of Welcome to Durban - a Sailor's Guide
- Cruising Connections - New & used charts, cruising guides, marine publications, flags, etc. 100 meters from the yacht mole.
References & Publications
- Welcome to Durban - A Sailor's Guide (free), by Tony Herrick
- Southern African Cruising Notes (covers Richards Bay to Cape Town), By Tony Herrick
Cruiser's Friends
- Contact details of "Cruiser's Friends" that can be contacted for local information or assistance.
- Cruising Connections Tony Herrick has assisted 1,000's of cruising yachtsmen passing through South Africa over the years - he is a "minefield" of local information. He is himself a circumnavigator.
Forum Discussions
List links to discussion threads on the Cruiser Log Forum
External Links
Links to relevant websites.
