Port Elizabeth

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Revision as of 20:00, 15 June 2009

Port Elizabeth

A cruising guide for yachts sailing to Port Elizabeth.

GPS: 33°57.19′S, 25°38.62′E
Gallery: Panoramio

The port of Port Elizabeth is not to be confused with the Port of Coega (or spelled Ngqura in Xhosa, one of the 13 official languages of South Africa) which is located at 33°49'5.45"S and 25°41'36.34"E.

Each port has its own traffic separation zone with a Safe Channel marker which can be confusing to the first timer if the approach to Port Elizabeth is from the north east (approximately 060T).

Background

Port Elizabeth (Xhosa: Ibhayi; colloquial Afrikaans: 'Die Baai') or known as Madiba Bay is a city in South Africa, situated in the Eastern Cape Province at 33°57′29″S, 25°36′00″E, 770km east of Cape Town. The city, normally referred to as PE and nicknamed "The Friendly City" or "The Windy City", stretches for 16km along Algoa Bay, and is one of the major seaports in South Africa.

Port Elizabeth was founded as a town in 1820 to house British settlers as a way of strengthening the border region between the Cape Colony and the warlike Xhosa tribe.

Charts

• SAN 1024 - Approaches to Port Elizabeth
• SAN 1025 - Bird Island Passage
• SAN 125 - Cape St Francis to Bird Island

Radio Nets

Also see World Cruiser's Nets

Submit details of local radio Nets.

Climate and Weather

Port Elizabeth has a subtropical climate with light rain throughout the year. The area lies between the winter rainfall, Mediterranean climate zones of the Western Cape and the summer rainfall regions of eastern South Africa. Winters are cool but mild and summers are warm but considerably less humid and hot than more northerly parts of South Africa's east coast.

The normal winds are the eastern and south eastern winds that can start blowing from about 10h00 and normal the wind speed is 15-25 knots. The sea is very choppy when the eastern winds are blowing and even salty sailors then can get seasick quite easily. Eastern storm winds are fairly common in the months of December to February with speeds of 35-50 knots the norm.

Western and south western winds occur in the winter months as the low cells sweep past the area. Normal wind speed is 10-15 knots, but these winds can also achieve 35-50 knots within one hour and without warning. The sea is normally very flat and ideal for sailing when the western wind is blowing.

Routes to/from

• Passage - East London to Port Elizabeth
• Passage from Knysna and/or Port St. Francis to Port Elizabeth

Dangers

There are a number of underwater dangers that have sunk a large number of vessels during the past centuries.

Passage from Port St Francis or Knysna
These dangers are:

• Thunderbolt Reef (extremely dangerous especially during misty conditions) - 34°02.5'S; 25°41.7'E
• The Riy Bank - 34°00'S; 25°52'E
• Dispatch or Roman Rock (demarcated by an East Cardinal Marker a.k.a. The Bell Buoy) - 33°58.4'S; 25°41.8'E
• Shallow section off Shark Rock Pier (just south of good anchoring ground) - 33°58.4'S; 25°40.8'E
• Devils Reef or Rock (about 100m SSW from Shark Rock Pier)

Passage from East London
These dangers are:

• Bird Island (A group of three island with shallows) - Keep at least 3nm away and do not pass between the land and the islands as the swells over the shallows are severe when the northerly wind is blowing) - 33°50'27.79"S 26°17'13.43" (Lighthouse)
• An underwater pinnacle - This can cause unexpected swells as it is in the middle of nowhere - 33°50.6S; 25°48.9'E
• Jahleel Island - 33°48'18.58"S 25°42'15.86"E
• St Croix Island - 33°47'58.18"S 25°46'10.92"E
• Brenton Island - 33°49'3.89"S 25°45'53.17"E
• Swartkops River - This river can come down in flood and carry tree trunks and other debris quite far out to sea.

Whales and Dolphins
The bay has become a favourite breeding ground of large numbers of whales during most months of the year. Especially during the months of October to February a keen watch should be kept for whales. The young bulls like to play and are quite active and surface where you least expect them to. Should you see whales blow, alter course and pass them as far as possible. Sleeping or sun basking wales are quite common and they normally look like a life raft from a distance.

Dolphins are present in large numbers and in the summer times they will come and welcome you, swimming alongside the boat.

Wales and dolphins are protected and you may not approach these mammals any closer than 300m (approx 6 cables).

Approach

Important factors to take into account:

• At night there are an extremely large number of lights from cars, hotels, shops, houses and other ships. This background clutter can be very confusing and great care must be taken to time and ONLY THEN identify any light.
• The harbour is a working harbour and clearance must be obtained from Port Control before entering or leaving the port.
• Large vessels entering and exiting the port do so at a minimum of 8 knots. These vessels look deceptively slow! Keep out of their way and out of the traffic separation zones. When you are approaching the harbour and notice a large vessel at anchor billowing smoke, it means she will be underway within 25 minutes. Surprisingly she will normally beat you to the entrance and you will be denied entrance and will have to heave to. Be extremely careful at night while awaiting clearance as the larger vessel's lights are very easily lost against the background clutter of lights. You will normally only notice her due to the disappearance of shore lights.
• Call Port Control on VHF Channel 12 and request permission to enter. You can initiate your call by calling "Port Control, Port Control, This is vessel Non-such, vessel Non-such etc". Be aware that the operator sometimes will take a while to reply and the English reply can sometimes be uncomprehensible. Continue monitoring on Channel 12 and Channel 16. Channel 11 is used for Pilot traffic and it is also good to monitor this channel if your radio can tri-monitor.
• Entry is also controlled by a bright rectangular (long side parallel to the sea) light on the sea side of the Port Control tower:
  • RED - FLASHING - When the red light is flashing the harbour entrance is CLOSED to shipping.
  • GREEN LIGHT - When the light is shining green a ship is entering the harbour. Stay out of the traffic zone and watch your stern.
  • RED LIGHT - When the light is shining red a ship is exiting the harbour and you need to stay clear of the traffic zone.
  • NO LIGHT - When no light is lit, you may call Port Control on Channel 12
• Very important - Fishing and trawling vessels are regarded as working vessels in the harbour and thus have right of way. A sailing vessel is under ALL circumstances the GIVE WAY vessel.

From East London or the East
Approach at night
Approach during the day

From Knysna and/or Port St Francis
Approach at night
Approach during the day
When the wind blowing 25 knots or more and is from the West, beware of gusts that will come racing down Happy Valley (33 58.65'S; 25 39.05'E bearing 227T) and can unexpectedly hit your boat on the port side.

Once entering the port, a sector transit light is dead ahead on a lattice tower. It will light white if you are on course. Too far to port (to the breakwater) it will shine red and too far to starboard (Port Control tower) it will shine green.

Check-in facilities

Mooring is at the Algoa Bay Yacht Club (ABYC) marina to the South West corner of the harbour, just North of the Oil Tanks and West North West of the Iron Ore Depot. Arrange with Port Control or with ABYC for a mooring allocation and custom clearance.

Yacht Clubs and Marinas

• Algoa Bay Yacht Club
  Office Telephone Number: +27 (0)41 585 4058
  Facsimile: +27 (0)41 586 0095
  E-mail: management[at]abyc.org.za
  URL: Algoa Bay Yacht Club
  Physical Adress:
  Dom Pedro Jetty
  Port Elizabeth Harbour
  Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
  GPS: 33°58'2.45"S 25°38'1.31"E
  Postal Adress:
  P.O. Box 1034
  Port Elizabeth, 6000, South Africa

Sea rescue and emergencies

The National Sea Rescue Institute is on standby 24/24 and can be contacted for emergencies or other information required, such as piloting a vessel into the harbour.

• NSRI Port Elizabeth (Station 6)
  VHF: Channel 16
  Emergency Numbers:
  +27 (0)41 507 1911 (port control)
  +27 (0)82 911 (Vodacom Emergency Centre)
  +27 (0)82 990 5970
  Office Telephone Number: +27 (0)41 585 6011
  Statcom: Ian Gray
  URL: National Sea Rescue Institute and more info at About NSRI Port Elizabeth
  GPS: 33°58'2.83"S 25°38'2.29"E

Anchorages

The best place to anchor is opposite the Shark Rock pier, which is to the south west of the harbour and to the north west of the Eastern Cardinal marker known as The Bell Buoy. When anchoring here beware of the following:

• Devil's Reef or Rock which is just to the SSW of the pier and is not chartered on most charts. It has taken a number of keels off knowledgeable skipper's boats!
• The wind will normally turn North at about 02h00
• There are a number of areas that become very shallow during low tide.

When sailing in the bay to the north of the harbour be aware of the underwater farms with multiple submerged platforms and nets.

You can anchor in the area between the harbour quay and the farms, but the bottom has a lot of old engines, girders and other dumped scrap which can cause your anchor to become snagged.

Tourism & things to do ashore

List places of interest, tours, eateries, etc.

Marine stores

There are three main shops for marine parts and spares.

• Star Marine. This merchant caters mainly for sailing vessels and is about 5km from the marina.
  GPS: 33°58'54.84"S 25°35'32.66"E
  Physical Address: 14 7th Avenue, Walmer, Port Elizabeth
  Telephone: +27 (0)41 581-8290, Fax : +27 (0)41 581-8140. Email
• Commercial Marine. This merchant is with walking distance of the marina and carries a larger variety of stock.
  GPS: 33°57'57.30"S 25°37'48.70"E
  Physical Address: Dom Pedro Jetty, PE Harbour, Port Elizabeth
  Telephone: +27 (0)41) 5862624. Fax : +27 (0)41) 5862797
• Breakeven Supplies. This merchant is within walking distance of the marina. It caters more for the commercial fishing industry and also carries a large variety of stock at very good prices.
  GPS: 33°57'58.70"S 25°37'50.40"E
  Physical Address: Baakens St, Port Elizabth Harbour, Port Elizabeth, 6001
  Telephone: +27 (0)41 295-1676. Fax : N/A. Email
• National Ship Chandlers (Port Elizabeth). This merchant is a true chandlery and can get you anything ship or boat related and is about 3km from the marina.
  GPS: 33°57'11.22"S 25°36'34.07"E
  Physical Address: 9 Elizabeth Street, North End, Port Elizabeth
  Telephone: +27 (0)41 484 7633/4, Fax : +27 (0)41 041 484 7651, Emergency Cell: +27 (0)82 372 4233, Email, Telex: 243382 DEMAS SA, Tel Add: "NATSHIP"

Shopping Malls

There are two major shopping centres in Port Elizabeth. A number of malls in close proximity form these centres.

• Walmer Park Shopping Centre
  GPS: 33°58'48.53"S 25°33'30.89"E
• Greenacres Shopping Centre
  GPS: 33°56'58.91"S 25°34'42.09"E

Offshore Islands

• Jahleel Island - 33°48'18.58"S 25°42'15.86"E
• St Croix Island - 33°47'58.18"S 25°46'10.92"E
• Brenton Island - 33°49'3.89"S 25°45'53.17"E
• Bird Island (Lighthouse) - 33°50'27.79"S 26°17'13.43"

References & Publications

Publications, etc.

Cruiser's Friends

Contact details of "Cruiser's Friends" that can be contacted for local information or assistance.

• Herman J van der Merwe

Forum Discussions

List links to discussion threads on the Cruiser Log Forum

External Links

• Algoa Bay Yacht Club
• Weather SA - Port Elizabeth weather
• Port Elizabeth
• P.E. dot org
• I Love Port Elizabeth
• My Port Elizabeth
• Radio Algoa, a local commercial radio station
• Some of the best dive spots in the world
• Port Elizabeth Deep Sea Angling Club
• Ocean Divers International

Personal Notes

Personal experience?

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