June 20, 2017
Ports of the World: Cape Town, South Africa
Located beneath the beautiful Table Mountain and founded on ship supply - no other substantial port can match Cape Town!
To leave the Atlantic and go into the Indian Ocean, you round the Cape of Good Hope only 50km from the port of Cape Town.
It is not a natural harbor, but is made up from breakwaters that create three main harbours in a bay protected naturally to the south. It is an interesting approach as you circle the harbours – going port into container ports, straight into oil, bulk, tanker and cruise ports, and starboard into fishing ports.
The port has come a long way since Jan van Riebeeck of the Dutch East India Company first constructed a jetty there in 1654. From here vessels bound for the East Indies were supplied with victuals.
Shipping losses after violent storms motivated the construction of breakwaters – construction of the Victoria and Alfred Basins began in 1860. By 1890 the breakwaters and piers had been extensively extended. In 1938-45 dredging took place to create the Ben Schoeman Dock for larger vessels, where the current container terminal lies.
As the green Ferryl drums have been delivered through ship supply since 1955, a port founded on ship supply is special to us!
40 years ago I stood alone at the Cape of Good Hope. Today you find it is a big tourist attraction. A lot has changed, but the Cape area remains a very special place.
