Port St Francis, South Africa - Dec 2008
We left East London on Boxing Day for Port Elizabeth or Port St Francis, possibly even Knysna lagoon, as there was a possible three day window. But we got towards Port St Francis and realised we might be too late for Knysna and a really big SW was due, so we contacted Port St Francis on the radio and asked for permission to enter. This is a small, private port used for fishing and local boats, which supposedly welcomes visitors.
In heaping seas followed by a strong ENE wind we approached a wall with no apparent entrance, which showed itself at the last minute. The entry involved turning left 90 degrees around a buoy and entering a narrow channel perhaps a boatlength wide and only 3m deep (we draw 2m), from strong surf heading straight for the wall. We are very glad our engine didn’t break down here as there would have been no way out. Following our successful entry we found a port in two parts, the fishing section crammed full of fishing boats with a tiny turning space in the middle, and a leisure craft section. We were surprised to be waved into the fishing section by the wall. But we didn’t make the arrival and the force 7 wind drove us against a fishing boat with minor damage. There was no way off until the wind changed so we tied there. And what a fuss the marina man put up! He threatened to tow us forcibly back to the wall (which would have broken our self-steering gear and more) and then threatened to have us towed out of the harbour! - although which boat would have volunteered to tow us out through a narrow channel into dangerous breaking waves we couldn’t imagine! His theory was that the docks were old and three fishing boats rafted was a maximum load for safety. He eventually stopped ranting and disappeared for the night.We later learned from other sources that the fishing boats weigh 75 tons each - we weigh 14 - and that they often raft 4 abreast in that spot. The reason the harbour was so full was that many fishing boat crews were on strike for a different pay structure.
So we stayed the night, and moved the boat to the wall the following day when the wind was changing to the SW, with the assistance of ropes and some extra people. That day was pleasant enough. But on the Monday we were woken early saying we had to move again as the fishing boats anchored out and hiding from the SW wind all wanted to come in and unload their catches and fuel up on our wall! We managed to delay until the harbourmaster arrived at 8:30, when he apologised for the actions of the man who had greeted us on our arrival, but basically said if we stayed we would be continually forced to move, which we can’t do in a tiny space in strong winds. The brief stay wasn’t cheap either. So in a SW gale we decided to leave to anchor in the bay, now sheltered from the swell. We made it out, again thanks to the engine, and anchored upwind of the fishing boats in up to 44 kts of wind. The chain was making some funny noises but all held; the following day the wind abated and we left for new and more pleasant pastures.