Late one afternoon in mid-March, my friend Emily and I headed down to the V&A Waterfront for a Catamaran cruise around the harbour. The sun was shining, but there was a pleasant, gentle breeze coming in from the ocean. It was the perfect weather for sitting in the sun while taking in some fresh sea air!
We’d originally booked our cruise for that morning, but realised we needed a little more time. Wild Horizon Waterfront Adventures who run the cruises were very accommodating in changing the time of our cruise the day before, and when we arrived, we were politely shown to the ticket office where we presented our e-tickets in exchange for their own payment receipt.
We then chatted to the friendly employee as he tried to get more people on the boat for our trip. He managed one more couple, and a group of three people who were visiting from Johannesburg.
We were welcomed onto the 39ft Catamaran boat known as the Escape Cat, and informed we were able to sit wherever we wanted. The options were inside in the shade, sat around the bar or on the seats that surrounded the windows, or out on the trampoline-like netting on the front of the boat. Without hesitation we opted for right at the head of the boat (where all the best views are.)
We felt incredibly lucky that we were two of seven passengers on the cruise. The maximum capacity for the cruise is forty including crew, and if we’d been with forty others I think the experience may have been a little different. However, as it was, we quickly made friends with the group from Joburg and excitedly exchanged cameras with each other for some prime photo opportunities as the boat slowly pulled out from the harbour.
If you’ve never been to Cape Town before, let me take a second to describe the waterfront, with its many boats bobbing in the water, bustling restaurants, and colourful Dutch style architecture, all set to the backdrop of the breath-taking mountains that surround the mother city. The views were stunning as we pulled out of the harbour and you got to take in the area in its entirety, something you can’t do from any position other than the water (unless you fancy a helicopter ride, which fearing heights, I did not).
As we pulled out into the big wide ocean, the crew were quick to pump up the music and let us know that beers were available for purchase from the onboard bar. Thankfully, we had some cash and quickly made our selection. It was R40 per bottle which seemed a reasonable enough price to have a nice cold bottle in-hand while we sat chatting away, soaking in the sun and the view. We were even lucky enough to see a group of seals swimming playfully in the water in front of us, as well as on a boardwalk further along the harbour.
Later, we spotted a group of penguins floating in the water. The cruise isn’t sold as a wildlife one, and that is not its focus at all, but we were very excited to spot the charming water animals, nonetheless.
The upbeat dance beats the captain was playing from the inside sound system quickly set the atmosphere and within fifteen minutes we were up on the sides of the boat dancing away with our new friends. The crew didn’t hesitate in turning up the volume, and a quick glance back to the helm saw the captain himself was having the time of his life playing DJ, dancing with one hand on the wheel and one in the air. There was an energy on the boat that I’ll admit seems to follow Emily wherever she goes. So, I can’t guarantee you’ll have quite the same experience, but the crew seemed very receptive in tailoring the cruise to the passenger’s wants and needs. We also had time to sit on the deck and relax with our drinks before things got a little livelier.
In terms of the view, we were able to see Table Mountain in a way I’ve never experienced before. I really didn’t realise just how far that mountain range spread until I was out on the water. I have to say that one hour felt like the perfect amount of time on the water to see all we needed.
All in all we both had a very fun one hour trip that I’m very glad we were able to experience, and one I’d definitely be up for doing again in the future with even more friends!
