Page 131 - Bulletin 8 2004

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THE LEISURE BOATS

Ken Evans

Introduction

Kalk Bay may be the fishing harbour with the most agreeable character of all the few small
harbours on the South African coast. This is not to say that it is the best of a bad lot - on the

contrary it is arguably the best of some very picturesque places indeed.

Sheltered water is scarce on our coast and, certainly as far as distribution is concerned, for

the most part is artificial rather than natural. The leisure boating community has always had
to compete for this water space with commercial interests - in this case the fishing industry

which, in the case of Kalk Bay, is more in the nature of a “cottage” industry, with all of the

classical hardship inherent in that concept.

Given the scarcity of natural harbours it follows that the development of artificial harbours
was forced by the exigencies of those who made their living from the sea. When they were

successful in these endeavours they were naturally resentful of others, amongst whom were
those who saw newly created scarce facilities as an opportunity to establish and expand

leisure boating activities.

In Kalk Bay, however, the first fears of the fisherfolk, particularly at the time breakwater

construction was mooted, seem not to have been pleasure boats, since leisure boating was
still in its infancy in this country, but rather the trawling activities which would be

facilitated by harbour improvements.