Page 91 - KBHA BULLETIN 4

88

Origins

The boats drawn up on the beaches of Kalk Bay or Rogge Bay were all extraordinarily alike (Figs.

4.4 – 4.7.) Compared to a picture of today’s Kalk Bay fleet where each boat differs in length, beam,

power and colour scheme, the boats at the turn of the 20th century were almost identical. Why was
this? Was late 19th century, early 20th century society rigidly ordered both by statute and custom?

Did the fishermen of the day lack imagination? Were the boats owned by only a small group of

people? We know that none of this is true. Cape Town at the end of the 19th century was a rich mix
of people from all over the world, with different religions, languages and customs. It was a vibrant

society. It could not have been lack of imagination because innovation in many other spheres was

occurring. We also know that the boats were mostly owned by their skippers. So why were they
almost identical? Another question also needs answering. Why have none survived?

Possible answers may be found in another direction: the handling of cargo at the Cape in the 19th
century.

Beach boats as cargo carriers

In 1870, 7,000 tons of copper were sent from the Cape to the Swansea smelters. It was second only

to wool in economic importance. The copper was mined in the Namaqualand mines of O’kiep,
Concordia and others. It was sorted by hand and transported by wagon in 50kg bags to the ‘port’ of

Hondeklip Baai.

Here it was stacked on the beaches to await the arrival of schooners from Cape Town. From the

beach it was carried in boats to the schooner where with mechanical winches it was hauled on board

and placed in the hold for the trip to Cape Town.

Until the construction of the Alfred Basin and a short breakwater in 1869 cargoes arriving in Table
Bay had been unloaded into ‘beach boats’ and brought ashore at one or more of the small jetties that

ran out at the end of Bree Street (North Jetty) Adderley Street (Central Jetty), and near the Castle

(South Jetty.) The beach at the bottom of Bree Street was known in the 19th century as Black Beach
from the coal that was unloaded there, also brought from the ships by beach boat.

88