Checked, certified, and insured.
Every operator says they take safety seriously. Here is the paperwork instead: the certificate on each boat, what it allows, and the checks the crew run before you leave the mooring.
Every boat, certified.
Each vessel holds a current SAMSA Local General Safety Certificate under the Merchant Shipping Act. The certificate sets the operating envelope: how far offshore the boat may legally work, and whether it may run at night. These are the registration numbers and categories on file.
| Vessel | Registration | Category | Operating envelope | Night ops |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Capitan | DTC 14098 | B | Up to 40 nautical miles offshore | Yes |
| El Fresco | DTC 11569 | C | Up to 15 nautical miles offshore | Yes |
| El Grande | DTR 887 | B | Up to 40 nautical miles offshore | Yes |
| El Hombre | DTR 872 | B | Up to 40 nautical miles offshore | Yes |
| El Libre | DTC 16628 | D | Up to 5 nautical miles, daylight only | Daylight only |
| El Padre | DTC 15973 | B | Up to 40 nautical miles offshore | Yes |
| El Pescador | DTC 16359 | B | Up to 40 nautical miles offshore | Yes |
Night operations require an appropriately qualified skipper aboard. Certificates are renewed on survey; the current document for any boat is available on request.
— Before every departure —The checklist.
This is the check the skipper completes before the boat leaves the mooring. It is logged, not remembered.
- ✓Life jacket count matched against the number of people boarding
- ✓Fuel level checked and logged
- ✓First aid kit present and in date
- ✓Weather forecast reviewed and acknowledged by the skipper
- ✓Radio and phone tested before leaving the mooring
Who we are, formally
El Capitan Marine is the trading name of SmartCOG (Pty) Ltd. Justin Spreckley owns and runs it, and is the registered owner on the vessel certificates above.
The False Bay Yacht Club Charter Association
We are an officially recognised charter operator within the False Bay Yacht Club Fishing Charter Association. The association exists to set and enforce a standard for charter boats working out of Simon's Town: approved operators, approved skippers, and a shared set of operating procedures.
Approval is per operator and per skipper. Adding a skipper to our licence is a formal application, not an internal decision.
The skippers
Every skipper holds a commercial ticket, and the class of that ticket has to match the class of vessel they are running. A skipper qualified for one boat is not automatically qualified for another, and we do not move people across boats to fill a gap.
Skipper licences are tracked per person and checked against the vessel before a charter is assigned.
Insurance
The fleet is covered under a commercial marine charter policy through CMI Brokers. "Fully insured" is a phrase every charter website uses, so to be specific: this is charter-operation cover for commercial passenger-carrying, not a pleasure-craft policy stretched to cover paying guests.
Proof of cover is available on request, and corporate clients who need it for their own compliance file should just ask.
Indemnity
Every passenger signs an indemnity before boarding. We send the link about 48 hours ahead so it can be done on a phone before you travel, and there is a tablet at the dock for anyone who has not. A parent or legal guardian signs for anyone under 18.
The document is specific to the charter you booked: a deep-sea fishing waiver names different risks to a family day, and we would rather you read a relevant one than initial a generic form.
The boat does not depart until everyone aboard has signed.
Fishing permits
Recreational fishing permits are the angler's responsibility, and we check them before departure. Spear fishing additionally requires a dive licence and a recreational spear-fishing permit, and you must bring your own gun.
We hold our own commercial fishing permit for the operation itself. That does not cover you as an individual angler; you still need yours.
Conduct on board
The skipper has final authority on the boat. That covers the weather call, the route, and whether the charter continues.
On the cruising charters, alcohol is limited to three beers or ciders per person and no spirits. We can refuse boarding to anyone who arrives visibly intoxicated. This is not a hospitality preference. It is a small vessel, sometimes a long way offshore, with no means of putting someone ashore.
All crew operate under a written code of conduct covering safety, professional conduct, vessel care and incident reporting. Alcohol and drugs are prohibited for crew before and during any charter, without exception.
When something goes wrong
Any incident, injury or near miss is logged and reported the same day, and where it is reportable it goes to SAMSA on the official small-vessel incident form.
If we cancel a charter for a mechanical fault or anything else on our side, you get a full refund plus a 10% credit. Our problem should not be your cost.