South Africa · 11 January - 9 February 2027
South Africa - Wild Coast and Two Capes
30 days from Cape Town to Durban and back, including two capes and two Oceans
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Overview
South Africa’s coastline is one of the most spectacular and demanding places in the world to sail. Over 30 days and around 1,600 nautical miles, you’ll sail round the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Agulhas, the southern tip of Africa, then east along the Garden Route and up the remote Wild Coast to Durban, before riding the Agulhas Current home. It’s a voyage of contrasts: challenging passages, night watches and big Southern Ocean swells, in between 8 or more harbour towns, each with its own history and character. Explore Dias’s caravel in Mossel Bay, sail through the Knysna Heads and finish with a curry in Durban, with dolphins, seals and seabirds for company at sea. With a maximum of 3 guests, you’re never a passenger. You’ll help plan each passage, helm and learn to read one of the ocean’s most powerful currents. With at least 8 passages over 60nm, it’s ideal for building coastal miles as well as for anyone seeking a true sailing adventure. Join for the full expedition, or choose one leg: Cape Town to Durban, or Durban to Cape Town.
Highlights
Rounding the Great Capes
Sail past Cape Point and round the Cape of Good Hope, the legendary Cape of Storms, then on to Cape Agulhas, the southern tip of Africa where the Atlantic meets the Indian Ocean. It’s a milestone few sailors ever reach.
Sailing the wild coast
Some 250 miles of remote cliffs, river mouths and waterfalls tumbling straight into the sea, with barely a harbour in sight. This is the signature passage of the expedition, sailed through the night and remembered for a lifetime.
Beautiful stops
Between passages, explore a string of harbour towns along the coast. Visit the replica of Dias’s caravel in Mossel Bay, eat oysters in Knysna and finish with a fiery bunny chow in Durban.
Skippers
Marlon Jones
Marlon Jones brings over 20 years of sailing experience to Wavysail’s South African expeditions. A Cape Town-based Yachtmaster instructor for the past eight years and a SAMSA commercially endorsed skipper, Marlon knows this coastline intimately. He is renowned for his generous, patient approach to sharing knowledge on the water, and crew consistently note how much they learn simply by sailing alongside him. Having cut his teeth on ocean passages including Cape Town to Bahia and the St Helena Race, Marlon combines genuine offshore credentials with an exceptional gift for bringing crew into the experience.
Itinerary
Previous
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Cape Town
Days 1 to 3: Welcome to Cape Town
Join on Monday morning in Cape Town for safety briefings, introduction to the yacht and provisioning for the voyage ahead. Evenings are free to explore the V&A Waterfront, ride the cable car up Table Mountain or simply enjoy the city’s food.
Atlantic Ocean
Days 4 to 5: Round the Two Capes
Our first overnight passage takes us south past Cape Point, around the Cape of Good Hope and on to Cape Agulhas, the southern tip of Africa. Around 220 miles of open sea, night watches and the thrill of crossing from one ocean into another.
Mossel Bay
Days 6 to 8: Along the Garden Route
Step ashore in Mossel Bay, where Bartolomeu Dias landed in 1488, and visit the replica of his caravel. Weather permitting, we continue through the dramatic Knysna Heads into the lagoon for fresh oysters, forest walks and a peaceful night on the lagoon.
South Atlantic Ocean
Days 9 to 10: Gqeberha and Addo Elephants
Next stop is Gqeberha, formerly Port Elizabeth, on the sweeping shores of Algoa Bay. With a day in port, you could head inland to Addo Elephant National Park, home to more than 600 elephants, as well as buffalo, lions and rhino.
Days 11 to 14: Into the Wild Coast
From East London, home of the famous coelacanth, we set out on the signature passage of the expedition. Around 250 miles of remote cliffs, river mouths and waterfalls dropping straight into the sea, sailed through the night with barely a harbour in sight.
Days 15 to 16: Warm Waters of Durban (crew change)
Arrive in Durban for warm Indian Ocean water, the Golden Mile and the best curry in South Africa. Leg 1 guests disembark and Leg 2 guests join.
Days 17 to 28: Riding the Agulhas Current
The homeward voyage is faster and wilder. With one of the world’s most powerful currents behind us, we hop back down the coast via East London, Gqeberha and Mossel Bay, waiting in port for each weather window before the next big passage.
Days 29 to 30: Homecoming in Cape Town (finishes 9 February)
Rounding both capes once more brings us back beneath Table Mountain. Celebrate around 1,600 miles of South African coast with your crewmates, swap stories over a sundowner and step ashore having sailed one of the great coastal voyages.
What's Included
What's Included
Safety equipment including life-jackets.
All mooring and port entry fees for the boat.
Opportunity for 60NM passages
All food and drink consumed on board
What's Not Included
Transport to the boat
Insurance
Shore excursions
Gallery
You'll Be Staying Here
Joie De Vie
Joie De Vie is a 36ft Beneteau, built in France in 1984 and based in her home port of Cape Town. Beneteau’s yachts of this era have a well-earned reputation as strong, seaworthy cruising yachts, and Joie De Vie is commercially coded by SAMSA for coastal passages in South African waters. With just three guests and your skipper and first mate aboard, life at sea is close-knit and hands-on, and everyone plays a real part in sailing her
Below decks
Below decks, Joie De Vie is simple, snug and built for life at sea. The saloon is the heart of the boat, where the crew gathers for meals, briefings and sea stories. A practical galley keeps everyone well fed underway, and the chart table is where you’ll plan each passage with your skipper. Berths are cosy rather than spacious, so pack light, bring a soft bag rather than a suitcase, and expect a tight-knit crew.
FAQs
Do I need to be experienced in sailing?
We design the trips for a wide range of experience which means that even if you’ve not sailed, our experienced Skippers will ensure you have a fantastic time.
The longer legs will suit “mile builders” who already have some sailing qualifications, and we can spend time supporting you with everything from helming to sail trimming or passage planning as you wish!
Before you join, we’ll ask about your previous sailing experience and what you want to get out of the trip. That way, we’ll tailor the tour to your specific needs.
What equipment do I need?
We supply life-jackets and all safety equipment. You may bring your own foul weather gear, or we can loan you some if required. We send out a detailed kit list before the trip.
What's the cancellation policy?
The group size is kept very small on our trips which gives you a real 'masterclass' with our highly experienced Skippers. However, that means each place is valuable.
We ask for a deposit to secure your berth, with the balance due 10 weeks before departure.
If you cancel your place more than 10 weeks out, your deposit is fully refundable. If you cancel less than 10 weeks before departure, the full amount is payable, but we may be able to transfer you to another trip where space allows and will always try to be flexible. We also offer optional cancellation insurance at checkout, which can cover the cost of your trip in the event you need to cancel.
Full terms and conditions are available here : - Terms & Conditions
How does this trip differ from the St Helena trip?
Both are serious adventures, but they suit different sailors. St Helena is a true ocean crossing: around 4,500 miles of open South Atlantic, weeks out of sight of land and a remote island landfall.
The Coastal Explorer packs more variety into 30 days, with two great capes, the Wild Coast and a new port every few days.
Choose St Helena for blue-water miles. Choose Coastal Explorer for landfalls, coastal navigation and passage-making. Can’t decide? Do both.