Page 16 - Bulletin 1 1997

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Thirdly, associated with trawling came pressure to build a proper harbour at Kalk Bay. This,

too, created the spectre of competition from motorised craft which, it was thought, would
wipe out the smaller sailing craft. The fishing community were divided as to the benefits of

harbour establishment.

Fourthly, there was a lobby in the newly formed Kalk Bay Muizenberg Municipality, and

among the wealthier section of the community, who favoured the development of the area for

recreation and tourism and wanted the closure of the fishery entirely. They objected to the
smell of blubber-boiling, general fishy odours, and the unhealthy conditions associated with

discarded fish offal. These conditions attracted rats: ....” the beach swarmed with them. On a

moonlight night one could see them 'skipping about like lambs.” (Wynberg Times, 1901.) It
was feared that the rat-borne fleas would spread plague which, at the turn of the century, was

a real threat to public health. Instead this lobby favoured the development of the area for

recreation and tourism, and the construction of a harbour as a way of encouraging sport
fishing craft and yachts.

As a consequence of significant pressure, it seems from the trawling lobby, the Cape Colonial
Government charged its Public Works Department to investigate harbour possibilities. Its

resident engineer was W Westhofen and he submitted a first proposal based on limited data;

Mr C W Methven, a private engineer, was thereupon commissioned to make a survey of the
seabed and submit a plan. In 1902 a Select Committee was appointed to hear representations

and evaluate the proposals. It was chaired by W Runciman who was the local manager of a

Scottish steam trawler called Mary the activities of which had caused consternation in the
local community. Both engineers submitted larger variations of their first proposals and

ultimately, in 1903, both sets of proposals were sent to London for a recommendation.

However, the post-South African War Depression from 1904 onwards effectively killed the
chances of putting either of the schemes into effect.

By 1906 Kalk Bay with some 40 boats ranked third in importance in the Cape Colony after

Table and Algoa Bays in number of boats and size of fishery (Kirkaldy, 1988.) But something

had to be done to secure the boats. Eventually in 1905 the KB-MM and the Cape Government
Railways reached agreement to construct on a pound for pound basis a system of gantries

made from 64 lb rail-lines. The feet were cast in concrete blocks embedded in the sand and