No more la-la land in Langebaan
Sleepovers on the Western Cape’s ‘Greek’ waters thing of past
A BAN on sailing sleepovers in one of South Africa’s most beautiful bays has provoked outrage and a threat of legal action.
National parks authority SANParks confirmed this week that from July private boats would not be allowed to overnight inside the West Coast National Park — in particular at Kraalbaai on the western shore of the Langebaan lagoon.
Kraalbaai, often compared to Greece because of its turquoise waters, has been a popular anchorage for many years as one of the few protected bays along the West Coast.
The move is designed to bolster the expansion of the park’s houseboat business in Kraalbaai, which was put out to tender last year. There are plans to increase the park’s two vessels to as many as seven.
Sailors are furious that a historic anchorage has been scrapped in favour of a single concessionaire. Sailing is already off-limits in large parts of the lagoon because of exclusion zones around a military base and aquaculture farms.
A SANParks memo sent to sailing clubs last month said: “As from 30 June 2017, overnight mooring for yachts, live-aboard vessels, etc, will no longer be permitted in the waters of West Coast National Park and in the Langebaan lagoon marine protected area. This includes Kraalbaai.
“This decision is in response to the recently awarded tender to operate a larger houseboat concession.”
West Coast National Park spokesman Pierre Nel said the successful bidder for the houseboat concession had been selected but not finally approved. However, the ban on other vessels was a commercial imperative. “Unfortunately this is the way commercialisation works — the yachties need to understand that.
“I understand their point of view, but if I was a commercial operator I would be concerned about 15 yachts arriving and dropping anchor while I am trying to run a business.”
Sailing stakeholders said the decision could have dire consequences for sailing schools in the lagoon.
“We are looking at getting attorneys involved,” said Allan Lawrence of False Bay Yacht Club.
“We see it as them getting the benefit at the expense of everybody else.”
Chris Roberts, owner of the Royal Yachting Association-accredited Ocean Sailing Academy, said sailors were getting squeezed out of the lagoon.
“The lagoon is being cut up so quickly there will be nothing left,” he said.
Banning overnight anchorage in Kraalbaai was a “very restrictive move” that would damage yachting in the Western Cape.
He also questioned the logic of allowing anchorage for one class of boat but not another.
“If it is going to be a marine protected area, then houseboats shouldn’t be there [either].”
The dispute is also being addressed by Marine Industry Association of South Africa CEO Vanessa Davidson, who said she had written to the park about its decision.
“I wonder who benefits from the larger tender that effectively excludes the general boating public,” she said.
“Promoting access to the water and to boating is an important part of supporting this sub-sector of the economy, and excluding one of the most beautiful anchorages in South Africa seems contrary to our efforts to grow boating and include more people in this amazing recreational opportunity.”
The lagoon is being cut up so quickly there will be nothing left