Who we are
Once a simple Friday evening sundowner spot on the deck of yacht Absolutely!, Port Owen Yacht Club now has approximately 300 members and a well-maintained clubhouse complete with bar, big-screens, sound-system for live music, and serviced ablution facilities for visiting boats.
There is an active sailing programme, and powerboat users are also catered for. The club is popular as a host for sailing events including keelboat and dinghy races, as we have the advantage of offering both a safe bay and a wide slow river on which to sail.
There is also a vibrant social life. The club is open most days of the week and Saturdays from 15:00 when members are welcome to bring and braai.
Members can look forward to the following regular club activities
- Club Bingo every alternate Tuesday at 18:30
- Pub Grub on Wednesday evenings
- Friday evening meals have to be booked in advance and at 19:00 the Port Owen Estates Draw offers a lucky attendee a chance to take home a few bucks
- Saturday afternoon bring and braai and sport on the big screen
- The first Saturday of each month is monthly market for visitors from far and wide
- Sailors’ Scuttlebutt is held at 17:00 on the first Monday of each month, when members can look forward to stories and talks by fellow sailors and public figures on their adventures both locally and abroad
Reciprocity
POYC extends a hearty welcome to members of the following Yacht Clubs who share reciprocity with us:
- Saldanha Bay Yacht Club
- Algoa Bay Yacht Club
- East London Yacht Club
- Gordons Bay Yacht Club
- Lake Deneys Yacht Club
- Pennant Nine Yacht Club
- Point Yacht Club
- Zululand Yacht Club
- Seal Point Yacht Club
- Knysna Yacht Club
PORT OWEN
Nestled along the serene banks of the Berg River, Port Owen forms part of the vibrant village of Velddrif on the Cape West Coast, approximately 90 minutes from Cape Town. It contains a man-made marina with 3.5 km of waterways which were the result of over 15 years of dredging to remove roughly a million cubes of sand and rock.
Port Owen was the first deep-sea residential development in South Africa and named after H. Owen Wiggens Jnr, who was not only the mind behind the Florida-style residential marina, but also established the Port Owen Yacht Club. Born on the deck of Gideon Langart’s 36 foot yacht Absolutely! as a Friday evening sundowners get-together, Port Owen Yacht Club now boasts with roughly 300 members, a well-decorated clubhouse, stocked bar, full trophy box, big-screen televisions, sound-system for live performances, popular kitchen, and serviced ablutions for visitors.
Surrounded on three sides by the Berg River and its man-made canals, Port Owen offers a variety of housing including the secure and exclusive Admiral Island private estate, as well as a number of shops, restaurants, microbrewery and gin-distillery. It houses its own boatyard, slipway, and several public and private jetties. Mooring space around the spectacular palm-tree lined marina is managed and controlled by the Port Owen Marina Authority that also manages use of the slipway facilities located at the bustling Harbour Centre commercial development.
The sheltered canals provide great opportunities for superb kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding and offer boats access to both the ocean and the river. Rumoured to form part of the town with the lowest crime statistics in South Africa, living in Port Owen is carefree and many houses are unfenced, children play in the streets, and dog-owners stroll around the marina taking in the scenery and stopping for friendly chats along the way.
Located with direct access to the sheltered waters of the St Helena Bay, Port Owen offers some of the safest anchorage in the country and pristine bird-watching opportunities along the Great Berg River which is navigable for 56km for shallow-draft vessels. The Berg River Estuary, a crucial breeding ground for numerous fish and bird species, is recognised as one of the largest in South Africa and was declared a Ramsar protected site in 2022.
Port Owen and the surrounding Laaiplek and Velddif, are some of the best hidden gems along the West Coast! Our club Commodore, Bruce Quayle, has captured this breath-taking footage of the Port Owen Marina and surrounding wetland area where Flamingos, Herons, Spoonbills and many other species can often be seen foraging right outside our club doors!
Thank you Bruce!
Committee Members 2024 – 2025
| CLUB PRESIDENT: | Frank Stuyck |
| TRUSTEES: | Ian Mackintosh |
| CLUB COMMODORE: | Bruce Quayle |
| REAR COMMODORE (Finance): | John Loydell |
| REAR COMMODORE (House): | Arthur Oates |
| REAR COMMODORE (Social): | Marius Voster |
| EX OFFICIO: | John Nosworthy |
| GENERAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS: | Robbie Herreveld Kathy Hook Nicole Marchand |
| POMA DIRECTOR ON POYC COMMITTEE: | Jean Claude Latter |
| POMA ALTERNATE DIRECTOR ON POYC COMMITTEE: | Jeff Hampton |
| CLUB SECRETARY AND MANAGER: | Debbie Swann |
The Constitution
Download a copy of the POYC Constitution below.
REGULAR EVENTS
4×4 Club
Join the active 4×4 club to take part in fun weekends and overlanding trips, putting your offroading skills to the test!
With a few play venues close by, club members enjoy regular campling or glamping trips and days out in the bush or on the dunes.
Book Corner
Cleaning out and don’t know what to do with all those excess books taking up space? Why not donate them to the POYC book corner at the clubhouse?
For only R5 a book, payable at the honesty jar, club members can enjoy a variety of reading material available at the POYC book corner next to the braai exit at the bar end of the clubhouse.
Come browse through a selection of books or read a few pages whilst enjoying a cold refreshment from the bar.
Sailors’ Scuttlebutt
Join the club commodore on the first Monday of every month at 17:00 for an informal presentation of the latest adventures and escapades of fellow club members and special guests.
Our trusty barman will be in attendance to offer refreshments and snacks.
These are hightly entertaining and informative afternoons not to be missed!