You need to find a Cape Town boat charter company

I think I can safely say that the Waterfront hosts the lion's share of the Cape Town boat charter companies.

From deep sea fishing trips to Clifton sunset cruises, you'll find a host of friendly Cape Town boat charter skippers along the edge of the Victoria Basin, all eager to welcome you aboard.

Cape Town also sees an increasing number of cruise ships docking outside the Table Bay Hotel as guests come ashore for a day or two. I am still exploring the best ways to cruise Cape Town from that point of view!

I've outlined the Cape Town boat charter excursion options here, so take a bit of time to decide in advance what might suit you best.

• A half-hour seal sightseeing trip round the Old Harbour is great value at R50 for half an hour of chugging about (half price for under 12's except at sunset). We've done it and it's highly recommended, especially for younger children.
• One hour harbour trips, taking in the international part of the docks are also a good family option.Around R100 per person, kids half price.
• A gentle hour and a half voyage under sail in Table Bay - Spirit of Victoria is a arresting sight in Table Bay. With her tan sails, she's a real old romantic charmer. Seeing her makes me feel I'm stepping back in time!
  Esperance is a more modern schooner, sleekly-white with sails to match.
Both yachts cost around R170 per person (half price for under 12's) for an hour's cruise.
• Sunset (or not!) cruising - cruise off to Clifton or Hout Bay to get a different perspective of the Cape Peninsula. Champagne and sunset cruises are part of the daily schedule. Expect to pay R80 for an hour's cruise (under 12's half price), but sunset and champagne cruises are more costly - up to R200 per adult for an hour and a half
• 3 hour Robben Island cruise (NOT stopping at the Island) R200 per person (half price for under 12's). If you want to visit Robben Island, click here.
• Is whale watching on your agenda? - a 3 - 4 hour whale watching expedition will cost around R400 per person (under 12's half price), but I'd say it's worth it! Land-based whale spotting is great but boats can be good for close-up spotting and photos. You can also whale watch from Simonstown boats.
• Looking for a bit more of an adrenaline rush? - then a 1 hour high speed inflatable "eco-adventure" boat ride may do it for you! I'm not convinced about the 'eco' part of high speed and it's quite pricey at R350 per person. Obviously not for the the very young, either!
• I'm not much of a deepsea fisherman myself, so alas can't advise you much there, but I am told half- or full-day fishing trips can be arranged.






You may find the following related pages helpful:
Simonstown
V & A Waterfront
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