We’re proud to announce that our newly rebuilt NSRI Station 21 in St Francis Bay is now officially open we held a blessing ceremony for two new state-of-the-art rescue vessels: the Spirit of St Francis III and the Spirit of ScottSam as well as the rescue base This upgraded station — along with its entirely re-engineered launch and recovery systems — marks a major step forward in supporting our rescue operations in one of the most dynamic and challenging stretches of South Africa’s coastline ensuring the safe storage of our rescue boats in this harbour has been challenging due to their direct exposure to the ocean,” says Graeme Harding our vessels are now elevated into a sealed boathouse fully shielded from the sea below — a first for this base.” our boats were stored in open cradles and exposed to the elements offering significantly improved protection and readiness The Spirit of St Francis IIIThis 10.6-metre Gemini Cabin-Class RIB is powered by twin 250-horsepower four-stroke Suzuki engines and can reach speeds of up to 36 knots it offers our crew critical protection from the elements during long and difficult rescues “The Spirit of St Francis III is exceptionally well-suited to our region,” says Station Commander Sara Jane Smith and cabin protection enable us to respond more swiftly and safely in tough sea conditions.” The Spirit of ScottSamOur second new vessel is a JetRIB — a rigid inflatable boat powered by a jet propulsion system rather than propellers where swimmers or casualties are often in the water nearby “The JetRIB has revolutionised inshore and surf rescue,” adds Smith “Its manoeuvrability and jet-drive design make it perfect for the unpredictable conditions we encounter here.” The rebuilt station also includes new crew facilities built into the boathouse itself — a long-awaited improvement “Although we still have the original crew room across the way we now have crew facilities within the boathouse building — and that’s a game changer,” says Smith It will make a significant difference when training Everything we’ve achieved here — from the rebuilt station to the two new rescue boats — has only been possible thanks to the support of generous donors and sponsors Thank you for helping us to continue serving South Africa’s coastline with courage 🖼️ See photos from the ceremony here:View the full photo gallery on Flickr » Gqeberha — The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) today officially celebrated the blessing of its latest state-of-the-art Offshore Rescue Craft (ORC) at a ceremony held at the PE Deep Sea Angling Club building rescued at Robberg Nature Reserve on Monday remains in a serious but stable condition in hospital Subscribe today for information about NSRI rescues South Africa (21 April 2025) – If you heard cheering over the canals of St Francis Bay this past weekend it wasn’t just the holidaymakers enjoying the last of the summer sun it was locals and visitors alike rallying behind hundreds of tiny rubber ducks racing their way to victory… all for a good cause And not just any ducky race… but possibly the most spirited one South Africa has seen yet Rubber duck races have been a quirky global tradition for years The concept is simple but delightfully fun: hundreds (sometimes thousands) of numbered rubber ducks are released into a body of water and the first one to cross the finish line wins a prize South Africa can proudly say we’ve got our own splash of this joy there’s a good chance other ducky races have been making waves across South Africa let us know so we can give it the spotlight it deserves Now back to the action in the Eastern Cape… with its postcard-perfect canals and tight-knit community has long been a favourite getaway for South Africans It’s the kind of place where neighbours still chat over fences dogs happily trot alongside kayaks and everyone pitches in when it matters The Lucky Ducky Race transformed the peaceful canals into a carnival of colour All in support of St Francis Animal Rescue paddlers guiding the flurry and swimmers diving in to catch the finishers “Corporate entries stole the show with dazzling designs and over-the-top outfits Sally from Veranda led the pack with a fabulously dressed duck that wowed the judges while Black Box’s super-sophisticated duck decided to take the day off entirely and Flavvi (featuring Yalu) for their fabulous entries too… the competition was fierce and full of feathers.” “From sponsors like Nexus and Schweppes to local heroes like Melina at Big Time Taverna and a boat named Marmite and Sarah Campbell who brought the energy as the ever-hyped MC.” Every rand raised is going straight to helping the animals of Sea Vista sterilisation and hope for the dogs and cats who need it most The St Francis Lucky Ducky Race wasn’t just a feel-good event… it made a real difference Brent Lindeque is the founder and editor in charge at Good Things Guy Recognised as one of the Mail and Guardian’s Top 200 Young South African’s as well as a Primedia LeadSA Hero Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id" "a81ec00ab7f70d3d273dc8e721d6b54b" );document.getElementById("d2d9e305b5").setAttribute( "id" and website in this browser for the next time I comment Would you like to receive truly phenomenal inspirational and good thing stories right to your inbox Then subscribe to our weekly GoodThingsGuy newsletter today I accept GTG’s Privacy Policy GoodThingsGuy is the home of everything good and those are the things that really matter We believe that there is good news all around us and over 1 million readers a month agree with us GoodThingsGuy was officially launched on the 1 August 2015 in order to only promote good news inspirational stories and promote only positive multi-platform media company that distills unique content across multiple media platforms We consider individual and corporate contributions through the website or mail us directly here. Be sure you have your GPS enabled and try again This article may contain graphic and/or adult content unsuitable for minors and sensitive readers A 36-year-old woman who was found dead in a house in Oyster Bay outside St Francis Bay on Sunday has been identified Police Spokesperson Captain Marius McCarthy says 36-year-old Vanessa van Rensburg was found dead on the floor of her boyfriend's holiday home He says police were called out to the scene shortly before 2 am where van Rensburg was found with bruises on her body McCarthy could not confirm reports that van Rensburg's 58-year-old boyfriend had been arrested an exclusive podcast on the life of Vicki Terblanche Dive into the expansive world of motoring with Naresh Maharaj Join Mark Marshall as he shares his extraordinary encounters with everything from bees to reptiles i AVBOB celebrates a milestone by rewarding its members on a large scale JOHANNESBURG - Wits scientists have confirmed a car-sized meteorite crashed into the ocean off St Francis Bay on Sunday Video footage shows the object thundering across the sky and breaking up into several parts in a loud blast Fragments have been found as far as a-hundred kilometres away in Kirkwood in the Eastern Cape A team of scientists from Wits and Nelson Mandela Universities are now studying the fragments We find out more from Roger Gibson from Wits School of Geosciences A young man swept out to sea has been saved thanks to the quick thinking of an NSRI St Francis Bay coxswain and his 2 friends fishing nearby on their boat NSRI St Francis Bay duty crew were activated following reports of a drowning in progress at Cape St Francis had been swept out to sea while they were swimming together Morgan had been assisting his friend Yannis offshore beyond the breakers while they were caught in rip currents before Morgan made the difficult decision to retreat to the shoreline to go to seek help was just too tired in the water to risk following Morgan into the surf zone.Morgan reached the shoreline where he located friends of his parents and he used their phone to call NSRI to raise the alarm.At that stage Yannis was missing offshore.While our NSRI duty crew responded to our NSRI St Francis Bay station 21 rescue base to prepare to launch an NSRI rescue craft NSRI rescue swimmers responded directly to the scene.Priority Care ambulance were activated.NSRI St with his friends Barry Culligan and John Lagaay They were about 2 nautical miles from the scene when the emergency call came in.They responded on AVRIKITI and on reaching the area they located the local casualty Yannis in the water at the backline breakers.Reaching him they were able to rescue him onto their boat safely.He was found to be tired dehydrated and showing signs of non-fatal drowning symptoms.He had been in the water for about an hour and told the Good Samaritan rescuers that he had simply made all efforts to stay afloat while at the mercy of sea currents that were gradually sweeping him towards the shoreline He was unable to follow Morgan to the shore and he has praised his friend for going to get help.Medical treatment was commenced on AVRIKITI while they brought him to the NSRI St Francis Bay rescue base aboard their boat.At our rescue base the young man was medically assessed by paramedics before being discharged requiring no further assistance but with the advice to be on alert for further non-fatal drowning symptoms.The 2 friends were reunited.Later the 2 young men returned to the NSRI St Francis Bay rescue station where they thanked everyone involved for their contribution in saving the life of Yannis.NSRI commend Morgan for his efforts that played a crucial role in saving the life of his friend.NSRI commend skipper Barry Culligan and his crew for their efforts that contributed to saving the life of Yannis Two men assisted after their boat capsizes near Port Alfred we held a blessing ceremony for two new state-of-the-art rescue vessels: the Spirit of St Francis III .. Skip navigation and go to page content Meteorites are rare and hold deep scientific value as they give us a glimpse of the make-up and birth of our solar system The “space junk” that fell over the Eastern Cape on Sunday morning was a meteorite Scientists from Wits University and Nelson Mandela University have closely monitored the event including media and online reports of so-called “space debris” that entered the Earth’s atmosphere between 8:30 and 9 am on Sunday morning a streak of bright light in the sky over St Francis Bay What some speculated might be space junk from a satellite seems to have entered the atmosphere at a relatively low trajectory The captain of a whale-watching boat reported seeing objects splashing into the ocean off Cape St Francis says Professor Roger Gibson from the Wits School of Geosciences the incident is consistent with a rocky asteroid about the size of a car entering Earth’s atmosphere at very high speed Friction with the atmosphere created a spectacular fireball and caused it to break up in flight.” “We have reports that someone has found several fragments of a meteorite near Kirkwood in the Eastern Cape This may indicate an exceptional fall area.” Wits University is one of a few internationally-accredited repositories for meteorites in South Africa Gibson and his colleagues keep a close watch on meteorite finds and falls in the country The last meteor fall in South Africa occurred in Lichtenburg in 1973 “Meteorites are rare and hold deep scientific value as they give us a glimpse of the make-up and birth of our solar system so it is extremely important for us to track trace and find possible meteorites that may have fallen in our country,” says Gibson “The way they interact with Earth’s atmosphere is also important as they pose a potential threat.” Only 51 meteorites have been documented in South Africa and only 22 meteorite falls have been recorded meteorites are items of national heritage and the sale and trade of meteorites are regulated by law through the South African Heritage Resources Act Gibson and Wits colleagues Professor Lew Ashwal and Dr Leo Vonopartis together with Dr Carla Dodd from the Department of Geosciences at NMMU are extremely interested to learn more of Sunday’s meteorite fall heard or found anything that they may suspect of being related to the meteorite event to contact them “Some people heard its sonic boom as far away as Plettenberg bay – over 200 km from Gqberha; others felt ground tremors caused by the sonic boom We would be extremely interested to hear from any witnesses of this event,” says Gibson “This is a perfect opportunity for people to become involved in citizen science We want to know what people saw or heard so that we can piece together the meteor’s trajectory and also if anyone thinks they have found any meteorite fragments We would like people to record their perceptions and contact us to tell their stories.” glassy black appearance – called the fusion crust – that is formed from the burning of the meteorite as it enters the atmosphere The inside of the meteorite will look like a normal rock people should be careful not to destroy or damage them photograph it on the ground and take several photographs of its environment wrap it into a piece of aluminium foil and place it securely in a zip-lock bag All of this provides vital scientific information,” says Vonopartis Eyewitnesses of the event are invited to contact roger.gibson@wits.ac.za and Leonidas.vonopartis@wits.ac.za General enquiries Admission enquiries Vacancies Term dates Tenders Wits Shop Give to Wits Copyright © 2020-2024 - University of the Witwatersrand Terms and Conditions of Use POPIA PAIA ISPA Browser Support St Francis Bay, South Africa (08 October 2024) – The past month has been a very busy and rewarding one at the St Francis Animal Rescue which has a dedicated team of animal heroes who have been working round the clock to care for the most vulnerable animals of the Sea Vista township in the Eastern Cape Animal welfare is a tiresome yet very rewarding calling the animal rescue managed to sterilise 12 dogs and two cats deworm 150 pups and provide essential care to countless others the rescue team also conducted outreach initiatives distributing pet food and blankets to community members and selling subsidised food through local spaza shops These efforts have made a significant difference in the lives of both animals and their owners in the Sea Vista community “Puppies in barrows, baskets and boxes to be vaccinated and dewormed. Sick and wounded dogs that need to be treated or ferried to the Humansdorp Vet Clinic. Dogs to be bathed and groomed, not all happy at the prospect.  The best thing to do is take a deep breath, set up your table and get on with helping to improve the lives of the dogs of Sea Vista,” the animal rescue said "a9eb8bf52a9976b8c572a48b651ac958" );document.getElementById("d2d9e305b5").setAttribute( "id" local fishermen Buchanan Breytenbach and Shorts Richardson heroically saved a man swept off the St Francis harbour wall by a massive wave the NSRI Francis Bay duty crew was activated following reports of a man in his 40s being washed off the harbour wall and into the port The escalating weather conditions and the Spring Tide had made the sea particularly treacherous who were preparing their Chokka fishing boat for the season immediately noticed the man's peril and sprang into action Breytenbach quickly abandoned his jersey and gum boots and leapt into the water Breytenbach swam towards the struggling man and managed to get his arm under the man's shoulder all the while shouting instructions that aided in the rescue Breytenbach grabbed the rope and instructed the man to hold on as Richardson pulled them towards their Chokka boat which had taken some damage from the heavy seas and storms was among the first responders on the scene "I work upstairs at the Port of St Francis where I found that they had safely got the man out of the water," she said The rescued man was treated for non-fatal drowning symptoms and hypothermia he declined transportation to the hospital "NSRI commends good samaritans Buchanan Breytenbach and Shorts Richardson for their actions that saved the man’s life The swift response of NSRI and Relay ambulance services is also commended," said NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon The NSRI urges everyone to keep safety in mind and be aware of the new moon’s Spring Tide phase which can lead to rough seas around the coastline contact the NSRI emergency operations centre immediately NSRI Station 44: St Helena Bay's newest lifeline Get the best South African technology news and analysis delivered to your e-mail inbox every morning A team of scientists and researchers from the Wits, Rhodes and Nelson Mandela Universities has confirmed that the bolide that fell into the Indian Ocean over St Francis Bay a few weeks ago is indeed a meteorite and not a satellite as initially suspected The bolide – a fireball streaking across the sky – has been given a preliminary classification as a rare type of meteorite called an achondrite based on fragments that were found in Kirkwood Only one in 10 of some 75 000 meteorites that have been discovered on Earth turn out to be achondrites The meteorite broke down when it hit the ground” said Deon van Niekerk of the electron microscopy unit at Rhodes University “If we compare images of these samples with other meteorites that have been found and classified we can make a preliminary conclusion that these are fragments of a howardite eucrite diogenite (HED) meteorite.” HED meteorites are a type of achondrite – as opposed to the more common chondrites – that scientist for a long time suspected originate from a 530km-wide asteroid named 4 Vesta a region densely populated by asteroids in the orbital region between Mars and Jupiter which reached Vesta in 2013 and confirmed long-held suspicions that HED meteorites originate from it According to Prof Roger Gibson of the School of Geosciences at Wits University teams from the three universities corroborated eyewitness (and “earwitness”) accounts with video footage and data from a National Council of Geosciences ground station to plot the meteorite’s path and identify where other fragments may have fallen entered Earth’s atmosphere around 8.50am SAST last Sunday morning over the coastline between Gqeberha and George Penetration into denser atmosphere caused friction with air molecules and so the object began to glow and melt The object was travelling at supersonic speeds but the sound could only be heard long after the object had hit the ground which caused the object to split apart and which was caught on video The team is still seeking permission from landowners over the space rock’s trajectory ground teams will investigate and try to find other fragments Now that the macroscopic observations have been done thin sections of the rocks must be taken and looked at under an optical microscope to identify their mineral composition a scanning electron microscope will be used to get the chemical composition of the minerals and generate a map of the object that will be used to help identity other samples in future Only then will the rock be named and classified appropriately The scientists have proposed naming it Nqweba – the new name for Kirkwood Gibson thanked South Africans who used social media to provide eyewitness accounts These  helped the team figure out the meteorite’s path and corroborate theories about the object He also warned of the danger these objects pose in general even though this particular meteorite was in the end benign “Thank goodness our atmosphere protected us We understand the threat that these meteors pose to us and we are nowhere near being able to detect these objects with any regularity The really big ones are capable of wiping out life on Earth,” said Gibson Suspected Eastern Cape meteorite has scientists enthralled South Africa (04 June 2024) — A local fisherman has been hailed a hero after he witnessed a man being swept off the St Francis harbour wall and into the port by a massive wave Buchanan Breytenbach lept overboard to get to the man as soon as possible The NSRI has commended the hero for his efforts in saving a life The incident took place at 13h28 on Monday The NSRI Francis Bay duty crew was activated following reports of a man washed off the harbour wall by waves at the Port of St Francis at the peak of high tide The waves were more aggressive than usual due to escalating weather and the New Moon Spring Tide The NSRI Francis Bay crew shared that the local man had been swept off the harbour wall into the harbour when local fishermen preparing their Chokka fishing boat for the Chokka season saw the man’s peril and they leapt into action Buchanan Breytenbach had initially gone to get a nearby life ring but he noticed that the man was slipping under water to grab the life ring while Buchanan abandoned his jersey and gum boots and leapt into the water He swam towards the man and pulled him up from underwater and then managed to prevent him from going underwater again Buchanan had told the NSRI that he was able to get his arm under the man’s shoulder preventing him from going underwater and then Shorts threw a rope towards them “All the time Shorts was shouting instructions to aid me in the rescue which helped” said Buchanan Buchanan grabbed the rope and instructed the man to hang on Skipper Shorts pulled them towards their Chokka Boat which had taken on some damage from the heavy seas and storms Shorts helped them onto the boat to safety “I work upstairs at the Port of St Francis where I found that they had safely got the man out of the water.” – Sara Smith The man was treated for non-fatal drowning symptoms and hypothermia and after being further checked by paramedics he declined to be transported to the hospital “NSRI commend Good Samaritan Buchanan Breytenbach for his actions that saved the man’s life We also commend Good Samaritan Shorts Richardson for his assistance that contributed to the man’s life being saved The swift response of NSRI and Relay ambulance services is commended.” The new moon’s Spring Tide phase is upon us Spring tide brings a higher-than-normal high tide and a lower-than-normal low tide Sea conditions around the coast are rough from the cold fronts and storms that have battered parts of the coastline The new moon Spring tide peaks on Thursday and the Spring tide – higher than normal high tide and lower than normal low tide – in these rough storm seas will cause this new moon Spring tide to contribute to potentially perilous sea conditions lasting from now until after the coming weekend and be aware of the new moon’s Spring tide phase which can contribute to rough seas around the coastline Tyler Leigh Vivier is a writer for Good Things Guy Her passion is to spread good news across South Africa with a big focus on environmental issues "a7cea156549d1b2b3a7cd4b0ae1f8787" );document.getElementById("d2d9e305b5").setAttribute( "id" Your GPS did not respond. Be sure you have your GPS enabled and try again. Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson has announced that 24 state-owned properties will be released He is inviting proposals from public and private entities to repurpose these buildings Department of Public Works invites proposals for 24 state-owned properties across SA 'We want to see SA turned into a construction site' - Public Works Minister The deadline for proposals is March 13, 2025. Properties in key cities such as Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, and smaller towns like St. Francis Bay are up for redevelopment. Macpherson feels this is an important step towards economic revitalisation. He says these 24 properties are the first step of this process, and they plan to move from municipality to municipality to release more. Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the interview. Sections JOHANNESBURG - It thundered across the Eastern Cape skies at over 72,000km/h before splitting into fragments with most falling into the ocean off St Francis Bay named after the town where a fragment was recovered Kariega resident Elize du Toit (9) picked up the 90-gram space rock Scientists say it's a rare achondritic rock from the Howardite-Eucrite-Diogenite They will now conduct further studies to determine its chemical makeup and origin We find out more from Roger Gibson from the Wits School of Geosciences Residents of St Francis Bay in the Eastern Cape woke up to a series of flashing blue lights as a falling meteorite arched its way across the sky on Sunday morning The flashes were accompanied by a series of loud bangs that could be heard as far as Plettenberg Bay and Knysna before the object crashed into the Indian Ocean sending out shockwaves that shook windows up and down the coastline Video footage of the falling meteorite showed the object breaking up into as many as six parts as it streaked across the sky Now a team of University of the Witwatersrand and Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) scientists are mobilising to identify the fallen object “It’s very preliminary,” said Prof Roger Gibson of the school of Geosciences at Wits University “What we have confirmed is we have a bolide – a very bright light moving across the sky That could be our own satellite junk or naturally occurring asteroid material What we seem to have confirmed is there are pieces of meteorite that were found inland and we are trying to track those down.” Reports of fragments being found in the Kirkwood area astronomy and geosciences departments of both Wits and the NMMU hope that they will get the opportunity to study and classify the fallen material between 10 and 50 meteorite crashes occur on a daily basis worldwide but most are never discovered because they are “lost” to the oceans Canvassing the entire area where fragments could have potentially fallen is not feasible and so Gibson and the team are relying on collecting more eyewitness accounts in an effort to determine the meteorite’s path through the atmosphere “The two points are 100km apart – this is exceptional meaning there is a lot of land in between where there is a lot of material you are looking for a needle in a haystack This is an amazing opportunity for citizen science what direction were you facing and at what angle did you observe from We have a set of preliminary hypotheses and we must fill in the gaps – the public will be very useful for that,” said Gibson He said that once the fragments are found, they will be taken to a repository such as a museum or university. Once there, they will be analysed in various ways, including using microbeam analysis to identify the chemicals in the rock. These findings are then sent to the International Meteoritical Society which confirms the correctness of the classification “They can be very fragile in Earth’s atmosphere because they come from space where there is no oxygen or water [to react with],” said Gibson He warned people in the areas surrounding the suspected meteorite’s path to beware of meteorite buyers who might contact them and convince them to go out and source fragments in promise of financial return meteorites are heritage resources just like fossils and they are illegal to sell – we need to protect this heritage.” if the fallen object turns out to be a meteorite it will be the 52nd to be discovered in South Africa Only 22 of the 51 meteorites recorded from South Africa are associated with falls that were observed and recorded; the rest are only finds The Eastern Cape is no stranger to debris of the extra-terrestrial kind The earliest recorded meteorite to fall in the province is named the Cape of Good Hope It fell to Earth in 1703 and weighed 136kg there have been nine other meteorite finds in the province ranging in weight and composition from a few grams to more than a ton The heaviest of these is named after the Kouga Mountains and weighs 107t The meteorite was not observed falling to Earth but was discovered in the Kouga Mountains in 1903 because only about 2% of all discovered meteorites are from observed falls and the last fall to land in South Africa was in Lichtenburg in 1953,” said Gibson This week’s Joburg earthquake ‘not unusual’ – expect more Eastern Cape residents are abuzz after reporting sightings of what they call a "METEORITE" crossing the skies earlier on Sunday Residents of several towns which include Gqeberha and as far as Sedgefield reported that the sighting was accompanied by bright lights and loud thundering noises which rattled the ground beneath their feet reports were received of a possible earthquake that woke residents in the middle of the night Garth Sampson – also known as Weather Guru - however confirmed that there are NO reports of earthquakes anywhere near the region the reported "earthquake" was more than likely the sighted meteorite Algoa FM's FB page was also buzzing with comments from residents across the region Is "NORTH" The Best Surf Photography Book Ever Made? From Tubes To Turns, Jai Glindeman's Surfing is a Treat to Behold Gerry Lopez Goes Deep With Justin Jay On The Plug Podcast NewsAll NewsEventsBig Wave NewsWorld Surf LeagueEnvironmentalIndustryWave PoolsPosts List ‘He Was Such a Legend’: A Decade After His Death, Shawn “Barney” Barron’s Spirit Shines in Colorful Air Show Hawaiian Big Wave Icon Clyde Aikau Passes Away at 75 FrancisThe fantasy trumped reality at Cape St LLC and respective content providers to this website may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website Francis sequence in Endless Summer is surf moviemaking's perfect sphere I knew this right down to my not-yet-descended testes when I watched Endless Summer in a Santa Monica movie theater in 1967 having run the footage through Final Cut Pro a hundred times to make the heretical clip you see above “It the most suitable for rendering the unity uniformity and righteousness of God,” 16th-century design savant Andrea Palladio said of the Cape St Perfection. The wave. The day. The surfers. The edit. The shivery little chamber orchestra melody as Bruce Brown and crew mule-train their way over the dunes dropping into midtempo soft rock gorgeousness as everybody cops their first look at the peeling Cape St One day I will watch that ride and there will be a halo floating above Mike Hynson's slicked back hair and on that day I will pour the whisky down the kitchen sink and devote whatever is left of my life to good works It shames me to think that 20 or so years ago I fussily pointed out that Brown played fast and loose with the Cape St Here's how I played it in History of Surfing: Endless Summer features real surfers traveling to real locations and it couldn't be described as anything but a documentary Except Bruce Brown didn't really care about documenting He didn't care about documenting the sport in general What he wanted to do—what he did flawlessly—was present the look and feel of surfing in its best moments The untruths were mostly small and thrown in for dramatic effect like the overstated 50-50 odds that a surfer on the wrong side of Durban's netted beaches would be killed by a shark Some of the inventions were longer and more elaborate Hynson and August cross miles of sun-blasted dunes to finally stand gaping tells us that they'd started the day not expecting to find any surf “We didn't even know if we'd find the water.” But here it was Francis surf was probably this good 300 days a year the group began their stay on the Cape by checking into a beachfront hostel Hynson noticed a likely-looking break a mile or so to the south they all spent two or three hours marching up and down the dunes for the camera; Brown had determined overnight that he needed an ex post facto opening sequence to set up their wave score Francis surf being good 300 days a year—Brown pulled that out of thin air a few months later An interesting thing happened when Hynson finally came forth with the real Cape St if nowhere near as consistent as Brown claimed will unexpectedly find the perfect wave—even if it's just a fluke afternoon at their local shorebreak Brown arranged events to highlight a universally shared surfing dream The Endless Summer Mike Hynson Greatest Surf Film Ever Made HomeNews  St Francis Yacht Club: Excellence on San Francisco Bay Nestled on the edge of San Francisco Bay with sweeping views of the Golden Gate Bridge, the St. Francis Yacht Club (StFYC) stands as a beacon of American sailing excellence the club has cultivated a rich legacy of competitive spirit The club hosts 130 days of sailing competitions while also celebrating the cruising and racing accomplishments of its members StFYC’s commitment to sailing extends beyond competition as they are also dedicated to nurturing the next generation of sailors Through initiatives like the California Dreamin’ Series and comprehensive training programs the club provides invaluable opportunities for emerging talent The club’s vibrant community spirit is evident in its hosting of teams from across the nation and abroad fostering camaraderie and cultural exchange and community ensures its continued prominence in the sailing world StFYC reaffirms its status as a premier sailing venue by hosting three US Sailing National Championships and qualifying events for two of our National Championships showcasing its commitment to the sport’s growth and diversity Hear from our Regatta Chairs and read more information about the events below: U.S. WingFoil Championship   “It is always a magical moment for out of towners to race on the bay underneath the Golden Gate Bridge and just upwind of iconic Alcatraz for the first time the best part is connecting our community together and making new and lifelong friends along the way.”  U.S Match Racing Championship Qualifier  Chubb U.S. Youth Triple handed Championship and the local Area Qualifier for the Sears Cup   As US Sailing’s oldest national youth championship this event sees elite youth sailors race J/22s with four-person crews It’s a crucial step in the youth pipeline to keelboat excellence Teams qualify to compete at the National level through Area Qualifier regattas held earlier in the year StFYC will also be the host for their Area’s Qualifier for the Sears Cup U.S. Women’s Match Racing Championship   “Racing on SF Bay is somewhat unique due to the changing currents and consistently high winds We often say that this venue tests boat handling as well as match racing skills.” Stone looks forward to the competition highlighting the level of skill and technique shown by the sailors at this level of event He also shares his aspirations for the competitors’ experience: “Aside from competing for the title of U.S we hope competitors will come away with improved capabilities in close quarters racing that will carry them forward into both their fleet racing and match racing.”   As we close in on a fully subscribed USWMRC event, make sure to request an invitation and check out the current registration list and results later on here For more information on this year’s US Sailing National Championship and our beloved hosts, visit our Championships page here Website feedback? We want to hear from you! The Mays are perhaps unique in the NSRI family are volunteering at Station 21 (St Francis Bay) a willingness to learn and grow seem to run in this spirited family “The NSRI has been a big part of our lives,” says Anneke May Husband Marc was the first to join and received his 20-year Service Award in 2020 in 2021 he celebrates 21 years of volunteering at Station 21 Marc is a Class 3 coxswain and served as station commander for about three years community involvement and a passion for the sea” Currently he runs Station 21’s Junior Academy a programme initiated to inspire the children of his fellow crew members and others in the community to start learning the basics of volunteering as well as the other crew members to be as comfortable as possible in the water holding swimming practices over and above his other station duties Station commander Sara Smith has high praise for Marc’s leadership of the station during his tenure as Statcom “He ran a number of rescues during 2012 – one of our toughest years – when St Francis Bay experienced heavy flooding and massive fires,” she says “He is fiercely loyal to the station and very protective of its crew.” And “He’ll head off on open-ocean races at all hours and then finish on the podium in his class!” have supported Marc’s endeavors all the way she resigned from active duty to take care of her daughter But Anneke remained very much a part of the station as well as the rescue base in community church services and weekly prayers Of her decision to return to the station she loves so much as a trainee “Volunteering at Sea Rescue changes your life to a life of service,” she says Most of the other trainees are half her age admitting that FOMO played a little part is her decision Soon Daniel will also be a part of Sea Rescue’s Junior Academy Sara says it was with much excitement that they welcomed her back as a trainee crew member “and recently achieved top honours on an MEC Anneke brings a tenderness and love to the station that we all feel when she walks into the building.” Saskia May joined the station as trainee crew when she was 16 years old and is a fine example of how a young person can manage school socializing and other extramural activities Saskia is also a member of Woodridge Lifeguards and has competed in Eastern Cape Lifesaving Champs and SA champs each year at high school Saskia recalls watching her dad performing CPR on the beach when she was quite small Perhaps it was this lifesaving act that stuck with her but she says joining Sea Rescue was something she always wanted to do and proud to be learning from my dad and his friends,” she says Does volunteering with your family bring you closer so we all just fit in with each other and become a new family!” “and we’re very excited to watch her career develop.” Fourteen-year-old Daniel was the first recruit to the station’s Junior Academy a programme that has really become quite popular in St Francis Bay Daniel’s inspiration to join Sea Rescue came from Marc loves to help his team members and support anyone who looks like they may not be keeping up “I love the sea and enjoy lifesaving and anything to do with water There are 12 of us in the academy and I love jumping off the bridge in the port and learning helpful skills for the future,” he says Daniel is a keen swimmer and took part in his first Eastern Cape Lifesaving champs earlier this year something made easier with Sara Smith at the helm attention to detail and management of all the personalities and ages is amazing.” and the St Francis Bay crew many successful years ahead Meet the Shamleys from Station 21 (St Francis) Meet Cara and Jazmynn Eksteen from Station 5 (Durban) Meet the Van Stadens from Station 12 (Knysna) This female-led station has been an integral part of the community for 50 years Leafing through the St Francis Bay station records – including meticulous newspaper cuttings photographs of noteworthy events such as crew members’ weddings and extraordinary fundraising feats (from pancake sales to cycling to Mt Kilimanjaro) – two things become apparent: Station 21 has an incredibly rich history not only of saving lives and service to its community; it is also part of the fabric of St Francis Bay embedded in the soul of this sleepy seaside village Perhaps that’s because both Station 21 and St Francis Bay owe their existence to the same man: Leighton Hulett Leighton bought a piece of land in what was simply called ‘St Francis’ at the time which eventually became the village ‘St Francis Bay’ He was also responsible for establishing an NSRI base circa 1972 and took the helm as its station commander for four years the station celebrated 50 years of service “My favourite story about Leighton is that he used to have a Saturday movie night on the tennis court with an old projector which would often not work,” says Sara Jane Smith “Families used to take their picnic blankets and paint tins all of which funded the station’s first boat shed on the river.” Sara joined the NSRI with a friend in 2009 and had no sea rescue experience (although she had a background in motocross she was used to physical challenges and adrenaline) “It was the first time I’d ever been on a boat she has been in the role of Statcom for six years one of the NSRI’s female station commanders with the distinction of also having a female deputy: Yvette Maritz after moving to St Francis Bay from Gauteng following a tragic robbery that left her partner dead The sense of helplessness she felt spurred her to volunteer She shares one of her most memorable rescues: “In 2015 a chokka vessel capsized in a storm early one morning Having been in medic training the previous day I never imagined I would be using the techniques I had learnt to save someone’s life so soon I wasn’t on the boat that went out to rescue the survivors but I was able to treat one of them for hypothermia when he was brought back to shore we still didn’t know if there was anyone trapped under the hull A decision was taken to cut through the hull another crew member miraculously managed to swim out from beneath the hull The station’s 23 active crew train weekly every Monday after work and one Sunday morning a month The station also has a junior academy – a total of four different training teams: the Juniors there’s a lot of hustle and bustle in the lecture room,” says Sara often taking responsibility for different training teams which could be anything from a four- to eight-hour session.” The St Francis Bay harbour serves as an important operations point for chokka and long-line fishing industries which means the Station 21 crew are often called on to facilitate medical evacuations one of the most dangerous types of rescue operations When asked about her station’s biggest successes The first that springs to mind was winning the Best RIB Station Award in 2017 I am also incredibly proud of our collaborations we set out to establish meaningful relationships and cross training with our neighbouring stations We also wanted to grow our female crew numbers with such a thriving bunch of juniors who are really invested We’re also in the process of upgrading our base building All these successes tell the story of our base and crew.” As with most people who dedicate their lives to service Sara feels she has received far more than she gives The absolute best feeling in the world is to watch someone succeed in their NSRI career and then take all they have learnt about giving The only way to do great work is to love what you do and NSRI people inspire me through their love and passion every day.” [Leighton Hulett information source: https://southafrica.co.za/hist...] We’re proud to announce that our newly rebuilt NSRI Station 21 in St Francis Bay is now officially open. To mark this milestone, we held a blessing ceremony for two new state-of-the-art rescue vessels: the Spirit of St Francis III ... Gqeberha — The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) today officially celebrated the blessing of its latest state-of-the-art Offshore Rescue Craft (ORC), Bay Guardian, at a ceremony held at the PE Deep Sea Angling Club building, adjacent to NSRI’s Gqeberha Sea ... Subscribe today for information about NSRI rescues, news and appeals This article may contain graphic and/or adult content unsuitable for minors and sensitive readers. The South African Maritime Safety Authority says work will begin to remove the stricken fishing vessel, Elke Me, from the rocks where it ran aground at St Francis Bay. SAMSA says salvors removed 24 700 litres of fuel from the vessel as well as other debris, including fishing nets, crates, and related equipment. The Authority says it has issued a wreck removal directive after appointing a contractor to remove the vessel. "In preparation for this, a Bathymetric Survey was completed this morning (TUES) to provide more information on the underwater terrain in the vicinity. "The Department of Transport and SAMSA will continue monitoring the operation, working in collaboration with the Incident Management Structure (IMS)," said spokesperson, Tebogo Ramatjie. He noted that the IMS included the vessel's owners, insurers, municipal officials, the NSRI, salvors AMSOL, environmental management organisations, and other relevant parties. Fayo said the vessel had 24 crew on board when she ran aground 1 nautical mile from Port St Francis on Saturday. "All were brought to safety after they abandoned ship". Journey to Justice, an exclusive podcast on the life of Vicki Terblanche, a slain Gqeberha mother. Dive into the expansive world of motoring with Naresh Maharaj. The NSRI St Francis Bay rescue craft Rescue 21 was launched while NSRI rescue swimmers responded to the shoreline. The SA Police Services and Relay ambulance services were activated while additional emergency services were placed on alert. NSRI EOC, TNPA (Transnet National Ports Authority) Port of St Francis Port Control, Telkom Maritime Radio Services, Police Sea Borderline Control, NSRI St Francis Bay duty controllers and NSRI Gqeberha duty controllers, assisted MRCC in the coordination of a rescue operation. A number of local fishing vessels and local commercial boats responded to assist. Telkom Maritime Radio Services assisted with marine VHF radio communications. NSRI Jeffreys Bay and NSRI Oyster Bay prepared to launch rescue craft to prepare to launch to assist. The commercial Chokka fishing vessel Nomvula attempted to assist the casualty fishing vessel, that appeared to have drifted onto rocks at a low tide during fishing operations. Nomvula was not able to get close inshore to assist and she stood by off-shore together with additional local vessels that had heeded the request for an emergency assistance. The skipper of the casualty vessel ordered his crew to abandon ship after she appeared to drift hard onto rocks in the low tide. The crew abandoned their vessel into 2 life-rafts that were launched on the stern (seaside) of the casualty vessel. The skipper was the last off the casualty vessel. All 24 crew were secured into life-jackets. In calm seas the life-rafts cleared the rocks and drifted seawards. The commercial ski-boat MOI were able to recover 2 casualty crew from a life-raft. NSRI St Francis Bay's rescue craft Rescue 21 recovered the remaining 22 crew from life-rafts at sea. An initial medical evaluation at sea by an NSRI paramedic deemed no casualty crew to be seriously injured. All 24 casualty crew were accounted for, and they were brought to the NSRI St Francis Bay Rescue 21 rescue station, in the Port of St Francis, where they were further assessed by paramedics and all crew are not injured and safe. The fishing vessels that stood by at sea and who attempted to assist are commended. The skipper and crew of the commercial ski-boat MOI are commended for rescuing 2 casualty crew from a life-raft. NSRI St Francis Bay crew are commended for swiftly rescuing the remaining 22 crew safely at sea. The emergency services response was swift and is commended. The skipper and crew of the casualty fishing vessel are commended for safely evacuating their stricken vessel in an orderly and safe fashion. The 2 life-rafts, that were initially abandoned at sea, post the rescue, have been recovered by NSRI St Francis Bay. Maritime authorities are assessing any environmental outfall. The owners are appointing salvors to assist in the recovery of their casualty fishing vessel. All thoughts are with the owners and the crew of the casualty vessel in this difficult time. SAMSA (South African Maritime Safety Authority) are alerted to assist in the evaluation of the environmental impact in cooperation with Port authorities and environmental authorities and an investigation into the causes of the grounding will be initiated by SAMSA. We are appealing to public members not to approach the stricken vessel as it remains a danger particularly in the changing tides. While the vessel is aground on rocks, close inshore, that may change with the turning tides during Sunday. The rescue operation was successfully completed by 23h26 The body of a local man from St Francis Bay was found following an extensive search after his catamaran fishing craft was found washed onto the rocks at Shark Point on Tuesday morning. National Sea Rescue Institute spokesperson, Craig Lambinon, said their St Francis Bay duty crew was activated just before 8 am following a report of the catamaran being found on "the Western side of Shark Point Light." “The craft was identified as belonging to a local man who regularly fishes on his boat in the vicinity of Shark Point, and who had launched to go fishing in the early hours of the morning. It was immediately suspected that the fisherman may be missing,” he said. Lambinon said the rescue craft Spirit of St Francis II was launched while NSRI shore crew responded to the land side of Shark Point. He said the police dive unit, Eastern Cape Government Health EMS, Private Care ambulance services and drone operators of the NSRI Air Rescue Network also responded as did a number of local residents. Seven local fishing craft joined the search as well as a helicopter that was dispatched from Gqeberha, while NSRI Oyster Bay was placed on alert. “During an air, sea and shoreline search the man was located and recovered in the surf close to rocks near to Shark Point Light at 08h55. Sadly the man was declared deceased by paramedics,” Lambinon said Police have opened an Inquest docket and efforts will be made to recover the craft from the rocks. People reported hearing a loud explosion while some claimed the 'meteorite' gave off flashes of light Some are claiming to have picked up bits that landed nearby A meteor breaking and burning up in the atmosphere near St Francis Bay, Eastern Cape pic.twitter.com/08N67Nq5kQ NASA announced that five asteroids would pass close to Earth between 27 August and 1 September. All the asteroids were confirmed as not posing a threat and astronomers will study the near-earth objects. A local publication, St Francis Chronicle, said eyewitnesses in the Oyster Bay vicinity reported seeing a flash of blue light. According to the publication, a whaleboat crew member claimed the meteorite crashed into the sea approximately 200 metres from where the boat was. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page.