The weather reports showed that we were in for a strong Northerly. So we bring Navionics closer and start looking for a spot that will give us enough protection during this bout of serious weather. Saldanha Bay is the ideal spot as it offers us a windward shore, bringing us up close to land.
Looking at some of the town’s history I found out that Saldanha Bay was named after Antonio de Saldanha, captain of a vessel in Albuquerque’s fleet which visited South Africa in 1503. It is a natural harbour (A natural harbour is a landform where a section of water is protected and deep enough to allow anchorage) on the West Coast of South Africa.
This town was developed on the northern shore of the bay, it has incorporated five other towns to form the Saldanha Bay Local Municipality, located about 105 kilometres (65 mi) northwest of Cape Town. It faces southwest and is 11 km long and 12 km wide.
The population is estimated to be around 72,000. This bay’s location makes it a paradise for the watersport enthusiast and the local economy in this town is largely dependent on fishing, mussels, and the steel industry, including the harbour.
The Sishen-Saldanha railway line was built in the late 1960s running 861 kilometres between the two towns. Kathu Northern Cape and Saldanha Western Cape, bringing Saldanha harbour centre stage in an important part of the Sishen-Saldanha iron-ore project. The Port was constructed into a deep-water jetty to accommodate the largest dry cargo ships in the world. These ships are too large to transit the Suez Canal (Suezmax limits) or Panama Canal (Neopanamax limits), and so have to pass either the Cape Agulhas or Cape Horn to traverse between oceans. These carrier ships are needed to facilitate the export of iron ore from South Africa to the rest of the world.
With strong historic military links, Saldanha is also host to a Naval training base and the South African Military Academy. The SAS Saldanha Nature Reserve offers a display of wildflowers during late winter and spring while southern right whales also visit the waters in and around the nature reserve. The area has a Mediterranean climate, but the annual rainfall is quite low; it verges on the desert region of Namaqualand.
We arrived in the bay for the first time early in 2021. It was beautiful… We arrived on a morning when the light was at its best the water looked like oil. It was shining, smooth, and sleek. It was also the first time that I could look beneath the boat and see the life growing there. I was speechless it was amazing; I was so happy to have found this spot. We had been anchored all week close to Saldanha’s Port control and decided to take the dinghy and explore the area and get a safe spot to take AIH never expecting to be blessed so significantly.
Since then we spent many nights in Saldanha bay. I love this bay, if I had wanted to sail for the romantic notion of cocktails on the deck and long evening walks on the beach watching the sunsets, then Saldanha Bluewater bay in South Africa would be my choice by far… note to self, I have not yet travelled that far… It is the one spot I have been in that has the sound of waves breaking on the shore. You hear as the tides change from high to low and every now and then you have dolphins join you as you watch the sun setting over the horizon.
After more homemade meals of lentils and rice than I care to count, we were eager to try out some of the surrounding area’s takeaways. We needed to fill our jerry cans with diesel and petrol anyway so I thought this was two birds with one stone.. <grin>
What we found in the little town of Saldanha was a coffee shop called The Curry Den/Cherry On Top Restaurant… “oh what a find” as we walked up to the garage in Saldanha we were allured by the smell of Durban curry and the sweetness of Cadbury all rolled into one. It was a delight to the senses and following our noses we arrived at a little hole in the wall. A bakery selling the most beautiful cakes and other delicacies and then my favourite thing to eat in the world, curry. We were spoilt for choice, beef curry, chicken curry, and vegetable curry just to name a few and the prices were just fantastic. Andre and I could afford to get ourselves each our own plate and we were ecstatic. To get a plate of food never mind it being curry @ R70 a meal is truly a Godsend and one I was ready to enjoy.
As we waited for our food, I got a chance to speak to Rani the Owner/Manager of the establishment and I found out that she was windowed, a single mom running the business on her own. What truly inspired me was the heart she had for the homeless, the woman working the streets, and the people feeling abandoned. She opened her heart to them all.
Please guys if you are ever in the area have a bite to eat. Sit down have a chat, and meet her staff. They all have a story and are truly the people you want to support.
The Curry Den/Cherry on Top can be contacted at +27 (0)72 670 6195 they have a large selection of Curries, Bunny Chows, and Samosas (Chicken and Beef @ R5) there are also a large variety of beverages and in the bakery, you will find delicacies to tantalize your taste buds, from Carrot Cupcakes to caramel cakes and everything in between.
We will be travelling again soon. As soon we know our destination (or you have a suggestion), we will be giving you an update on where to next.
In the meantime, take your next trip guys and gals, please share your trips with us, the moments of joy, your inspirations what you loved, what you didn’t like, and why you would go again.
