The Atlantic Experience

Recently we have been undertaking the True Atlantic Experience by going from Hout Bay to Oceana and vica versa. This route takes in all the great sites along the Atlantic seaboard: Table Bay, Clifton, Camps Bay, Sandy Bay, Maori Bay (named of the sunken ship in 1909), Seal Island and Hout Bay. Some pictures from our latest trips are posted!

VOLVO OCEAN RACE 2008/2009

We were lucky enough to work on the start of the second leg of the Volvo Ocean Race. In a strong South Easter many boats joined in to wish the brave sailors on their way. Its funny how the Volvo Circus captured many peoples hearts and it was evident in the support shown on the day of their departure.

Eight awesome machines arrived in Cape Town some three weeks after leaving the port of Alicante in Spain. After roughly two weeks at the V&A Waterfront and transforming the harbour area into a giant workshop as well a hive of product showcases (thanks to PUMA, VOLVO, ERICSSON), action and well positioned branding, the show was about to hit the road.

I’ll skip the history section about the event and cut straight to our adventure at sea. Joined by two crew and passengers from Cape Classic Charters we headed for the start line. I must stress that had i had eyes in the back of my head, it still would not have been enough to prepare me for maelstrom I had entered.

(Pic courtesy of Michael North)

Buzzing every which way the Volvo boats tacking for position, private yachts, boats jet skis and paddle boarders all made it there mission to be part of the action.

We followed Ericsson three for a bit then tagged the Puma boat and just before they left the Cape we said our goodbyes to the rest of the boats.

It was really a great experience and unlike last year we did not have to follow the boats miles off shore! A great day had by all!

Charters on the GO

Conquest Charters is gearing up for a bumper season should the wind and weather decide that Cape Town deserves Summer for all her hard work this year past.


But even though the 'good' weather has yet to come, it hasn't stopped the adventure seeking spirit in our clients from going to sea!





Our popular runs, a) Millers Point to Cape Point, b) Hout Bay, c) Atlantic seaboard (Table Bay - Clifton) always guarantees some action and amazing scenery. The sea life is great, Whales, Seals, Sun fish sea birds, penguins and more.



Posted are a few photos of some recent charter trips.

Red Bull Big Wave Competition

The Red Bull Big Wave Competition celebrated it tenth anniversary at Dungeons in Hout Bay South Africa. The waves were big, the sound of crashing waves thunderous but the skill of “special” kind of people out there (those doing the surfing) was amazing.

It was the first time being out there with the waves that big! Normally on our seal island runs you wouldn't think twice about the wave but that day! OMG! They were truly impressive. Even more so with so much action going on, in and under the waves.

We were tasked with pleasing some photographers, which allowed us to get up close and personal to the surfers and the waves. Also VIP access to the after party....Schweet. and did i mention there was loads of RedBull?..Nice.

Luckily a fellow skipper (Rod Smith..thanks for pics) managed to get some pics of us doing our thing and more. Enjoy some pictures and our feeble attempt to get some big wave air of our own.

Yip that is us in the far righ corner of the picture...oh what a drop!

Winter in the Cape

Well winter has set in to Cape Town and our main charter runs come to end. However if you are keen for diving, now is the best time to get out to False Bay and see some of the awesome wrecks and reefs that can be found along the coast.

As with most seasonal businesses this time spells the maintenance period that the vehicles so desperately crave. “Orlando” the mighty Landcruiser has been responsible for towing Conquest, and now Zangetsu, around the Cape Peninsula. Not fast and not the most luxurious but still reliable and enjoyable to ride. Some pictures include an unforgettable trip up the West Coast and an ill fated sampling trip (alone I might add).

Also featured is another tow vehicle that we hope will live up to the Landcruiser’s strength (feel free to comment on your vehicular affiliation).

(land rover pic coming soon...sorry)

Well guess I best get back to fixing the wear and tear that is becoming evident from a life close to the sea.

OUR FREEDOM SWIM

The Cadiz Vista Nova Freedom Swim is an annual event whereby very enthusiastic people come together and swim from Robben Island to Bloubergstrand Big Bay. Robben Island, once home to a prison, is in close proximity to Cape Town (South Africa). There are numerous well documented accounts of prisoners and the history of Robben Island which I will not go into here. However, I reckon if Mr. Nelson Mandela had to attempt the swim South Africa might have had a very a different history. With a distance of 7.5km in water averaging 13C (55.4F) only the brave attempt the swim.


The morning of the 26th April was a frantic rush. The decision for the swim to take place was only made at 7am that very morning. The boat had to be launched and at the Island waiting for the swimmers to leave Murray Beach by10am. Not an easy task when over 100 boats are jostling for position on a tiny launch site. Having launched at roughly 935am a very bumpy but quick ride to the Island followed. Unfortunately the weather conditions were not ideal and a fairly large swell (for swimmers anyway) made it a difficult swim. Our swimmer Luke Whiteman coped well with conditions. Our role was to support him and guide him to Big Bay in one piece. A brief scare with a fin swimming towards us (turned out to be sunfish) was followed by a fairly large Cape Fur Seal feeding directly in his path. A swim time of roughly three hours saw Luke enter Big Bay amoung the top twenty five.



It was truly awe inspiring to see so many people take on the rough, cold water of the Atlantic Ocean to raise awareness and funds for Vista Nova School. Enjoy some of the photos of the swim.

It only just begun...

You've seen the work in progress...which was ZANGETSU in the making. Now I'm pleased to say that the newest member to the CONQUEST CHARTERS group is complete. After a frantic dash to get all the safety equipment and legalities sorted we headed off to SAMSA for ZANGETSU first of many safety surveys. Following a full safety inspection we were given out operating number of DTC 8135B, which we proudly had sign-written on pontoon to give ZANGETSU the business look.

The next day we rushed off to Hout Bay (not too far from Cape Town) for the first of many Adventure rides that day. Our target being a 30min round trip to Duiker Island (also known as Seal Island), Chapmans Peak which included a few minutes of speed and high speed turns just off the beach in Hout Bay.

I'm pleased to say it was AWESOME. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the trip. Having tested a range of different sea conditions that week, ZANGETSU is living up to its name of being able to slice through the waves like a hot knife through butter.

Enjoy some of the photos of the trip and a Cape Fur Seal cleaning up after a fishy meal.

You can expect the next update from the CADIZ VISTA NOVA ROBBEN ISLAND swim.

A Rainy Day in Cape Town

With a weather report indicating a maximum of 20 degrees with a 30% chance of rain one tends to look on the bright side and overlook that small chance of rain. Today in Hout Bay "Conquest" was one of five RIB's preparing to take tourists to Chapman Peak and Seal Island. Normally a beautiful run, but today the weather added to the adventure by providing a decent swell and some rain. Unfortunately the passengers got a bit wet but much fun was had by all. Since we took it "easy" the trip was gentle and even the slighlty faint hearted could relax and enjoy braving the seas of the Cape of Storms. Highlights included the dramatic mountainside views of Chapmans Peak, The Sentinal and Seal Island, home to numerous Cape Fur Seals.

Introducing ZANGETSU

Now with all the fun and games that goes with rides the big blue....there comes a time when you either need a new vessel or an upgrade. Enter ZANGETSU....

Now CONQUEST the lovely boat introduced earlier (see The Mean Machine above) will still be in service. As mentioned earlier we started in the film industry acting as the photographic vessel. CONQUEST the "work horse" has a unique hull design which increases stability while filming at sea. And it is to this that CONQUEST will go back to.

Her baby brother ZANGETSU will be mainly a tourist vessel designed to carry 14 people screaming people. Not yet complete and still needing to undergo sea trials I have put some pictures from the build till now. The next post will hopefully have the completed boat all to see.

For Now...

For now i'll be posting some pictures of previous trips! Bearing in mind we've been in action since 1999, there are few pics to put up. However these will be mostly to convey the feel of the Cape Town area and the potential fun to be had. I hope you enjoy these!

The next big planned event will be the Robben Island to Blaauberg Swim. A truelly amazing feat we will be taking part in! More on this to follow. But until then i'll be trying to catch a fish in this big big sea of ours.