This long-awaited cruising guide from experienced South African sailor Tom Morgan, contains pilotage information for ports and fishing harbours along the coastline from Richards Bay, South Africa, to Walvis Bay, Namibia.  It also incorporates the author’s previously published South African Nautical Almanac.

Information covered includes formalities and entry procedures and all facilities listed include contact details.  Information on anchorages and coastal pilotage between the many havens listed will allow cruisers to plan their route along what can be a challenging coastline.  The text is supported by photographs, many of them are aerial and orientation drawings used ‘with permission’.

The photographs are from the author’s catalogue. Aerial photographs and orientation drawings should not be used as a substitute for charts, especially approaching small fishing harbours. There are several cautions regarding chartage along this coast that has not been fully surveyed for several years. Facilities included were available at the time of inspection – an example is the Mossel Bay Yacht Club. While the marina is functioning, cruisers may have to moor up alongside commercial craft.

The authors mention the possibility of nautical infrastructure not being maintained in some location and for this reason recommend monitoring NAVTEX and keeping up to date with ‘Notices to Mariners’. The book has continued to include all the features that fulfil the legal requirements for small craft, domestic and foreign, that sail around the South African coast. These include means to check your compass at sea, conversions to and from metric, permanent calculator almanac, and ‘distance off’ formula.

The Meteorology section includes advice on passage planning, as well synoptic charts showing summer and winter patterns. Information includes ‘single weather observation’ tactics as well as dealing with cyclones in the Indian Ocean. Weather forecast schedules on radio, through the Internet and via satellite are covered.

The book includes all the requirements for small vessels (under 100 feet) that sail around the South African coast. These include how to check a compass at sea, metric/imperial conversions, formulas for distance-off, etc. and a perpetual calculator almanac. There is also non-nautical information for the international cruiser because this would be many cruisers’ first experience of the country.

This volume is available on Amazon.

By Tom Morgan (Author) and Sue Morgan (Editor)

Published:  July 2024