‘Ghosts of my history will follow me there,
Joan Baez; Winds of the Old Days 1975
And the winds of the old days will blow through my hair.’
Admiral Horatio Nelson remains one of the nautical world’s most notable individuals. Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronte – to give him his full name and title – was born on the 29th September 1758, and was a British Royal Navy officer. Regarded as one of the finest naval tacticians to ever command vessel or fleet, his untimely death during the victorious battle of Trafalgar cemented his reputation. In 2002 he was voted as among the 100 Greatest Britons of all time.
What, you may well ask, does this extremely short biography of an English admiral have to do with Waterfront Charters? As it turns out, a great deal. First though, a little more local history to set the scene. In 1654 – two years after setting foot in Cape Town – Jan van Riebeeck constructed a jetty on the foreshore to facilitate the loading and unloading of the small boats that transferred cargo from the vessels moored in Table Bay. This worked – sort of, given the winter storms – until 1858, when a serious northwest-wind-driven storm decimated the moored fleet in the bay. No less than 30 vessels were wrecked, and Lloyds of London, the long-suffering insurers of these stricken vessels declared: “No more cover for Table Bay bound vessels.” A harbour was needed. So on September 17th, 1860, Prince Alfred, the second son of reigning British monarch Queen Victoria, tipped the first load of stones into the Atlantic to begin work on the new harbour, the Alfred Basin.
With the 1880’s discovery of gold and diamonds in South Africa, the need for bigger, better harbour facilities was paramount, and so the Victoria Basin was added and the Victoria and Alfred harbour area was completed in 1920. Many of the buildings that were erected around the basins are still in place, and stand as testimony to the expertise of craftsmen of that era. We fast forward to 1984, over the time when the land between the city centre and the harbour was reclaimed, creating the vast new Duncan Dock, to when Cape Town’s council decided that the now outmoded (and superseded) V&A Waterfront harbour area could be repurposed as a tourist attraction. One of the stated objectives was ‘to offer tugboat rides’, and this objective segues neatly back to… Admiral Nelson.
Well, more prosaically, back to one of Nelson’s great-something grandchildren, the aptly named Nelson Girdlestone. A man with a passion for sailing the high seas (with some notable adventures), he and his equally sea wise wife Maureen saw an opening for something a little more special than the suggested tugboat rides. The V&A Waterfront construction started in 1988, growing exponentially, and Waterfront Charters was founded by Nelson in the early 1990’s. Harbour tours were an obvious start, and the repurposed sturdy fishing vessel Southern Cross started her long V&A adventure as a double-decked viewing platform. Sea Princess, a large, powered catamaran soon followed; with a capacity of up to 140 guests, this sleek vessel hosted parties, offered unparalleled sightseeing and doubled up as a ferry to Robben Island.
Iron-hulled Esperance was soon added to the fleet; a twin-masted schooner, she was unique among the vessels in the burgeoning V&A Waterfront, offering sailing in the bay exhilarating spray-in-the face experiences and superb views. (She now resides in Mossel Bay, continuing her legendary function.)
Waterfront Charters are now into their fourth decade at the V&A Waterfront. The V&A that spans 23 hectares and hosts over 24 million visitors a year, with over 23 000 people working and living within its neighbourhood. We have grown with this internationally famed tourist-attracting venue too; from those early days the Girdlestone family have retained ownership of their burgeoning cruise company. Nelson passed away, and his dedicated sons Craig and Charles – with Maureen still keeping an eye on things – have continued to build and shape the company and fleet.
And what a fleet! Southern Cross, as dependable as ever and recently refurbished, and Sea Princess are still thrilling guests. Add to Sea Princess our beautiful sailing catamaran Serenity One (40 guests), and our equally luxurious powered catamarans Enigma (forty guests) and Eclipse (50 guests), giving you have the perfect range of twin-hulled boats to choose from. To top off this group of attractive boats, our newly acquired superb monohulled powered yacht Luna (12 guests) is available for exclusive charters. All in all, our comprehensive range of modern, state of the art boats are absolutely ideal for scheduled cruises and private charters, and we work with guests to put together their ideal events with specialised add-on options.
It doesn’t end there: we are, and always have been, dedicated to the conservation and protection of our oceans and the incredible creatures that live in them. We have Adventure 3 – a rigid-hulled inflatable (or RIB), powered by two powerful outboards – to take you on a safari with a difference on the Atlantic. Keeping a respectful distance so as not to upset the balance of nature, you’ll get to see a selection of whales, dolphins, seals, penguins…and much more.
Waterfront Charters: a family-owned and managed business that has been part of the legend of the V&A Waterfront for over three decades. We are an integral part of the history, and will continue to offer our fascinating range of cruises and charter options for as long as the 24 million guests keep coming. Join us on a cruise to see what makes us so special!
