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Royal Cape Yacht Club Facilities
Robben Island, Western Cape
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Click to view large map Coordinates: | Introduction Members of the Royal Cape Yacht Club (RCYC) had been able to moor in Murray’s Bay Harbour in the 1950's when Robben Island was under the control of the SA Navy. A very basic toilet and shower facility was apparently then available for the use of the RCYC in a small precinct located on the northwestern quadrant of the Harbour. In the late 1950's and early 1960's the RCYC had an annual "mystery weekend" where a number of their members would be invited to sail to the Island on a Saturday. They were treated to a big party in the John Craig Hall hosted by the Commanding Officer of the Navy garrison on the island. The RCYC visitors would stay overnight on board their boats and would return to the mainland sometime on Sunday. In the late 1980's an approach was made to the Prisons Service to permit members of the RCYC to visit the island on a formal basis. One of the RCYC's members - Frank Minute - was apparently most persuasive and 'never took no for an answer'. He and Ted Kuttel met with the senior Prison Service officials on the island. They were treated to a very good lunch in one of the Victorian houses and discussed the possibility of gaining access to the island and managed to obtain the necessary permission to upgrade the RCYC facility. Once an agreement had been reached, the Prison Service building team on Robben Island apparently built the facility on behalf of the RCYC. In order to visit the RCYC facility, the yacht's skipper had to submit copies of the ID's of his crew in order to apply for special security clearance and a permit from the Prisons Service. This process generally took about two weeks. On arrival at Robben Island, the yacht and crew would be met by a Prison official who ensured that the permit was in order and all the ID's were correct. The RCYC facility was walled off and visitors were issued strict instructions not to venture out of the RCYC area. The Prisons Service official monitored the visiting group for the entire day. A marina was apparently installed in the harbour in front of the building which could accommodate four yachts. RCYC members used the facility for a few years but the previous atmosphere was lost - the prison was all pervasive. Most of the RCYC members felt the same and the facility gradually fell into disuse. Architectural Description The building comprises a simple rectangular single storey structure in a dark iron-spot face brick with a heavy rectilinear moulded plaster parapet concealing a low sloping mono-pitch roof with Big Six profile asbestos cement roof sheeting. The building was symmetrically planned and provided Male and Female ablution and change-room facilities. A separate entrance was provided into each facility - on the north and south side of the building - each entrance defined with a small pergola with the entrance door protected by a screen wall. A set of overhead timber beams with fret-sawn ends defined the small scale extent of the pergola. Both Male and Female facilities contained a shower cubicle, a WC cubicle and two wash hand basins. Internally the walls were tiled with a rectangular white ceramic tile. The windows to the east facade comprised a set of six individual square windows each framed with a heavy square plastered surround. A commemorative stone in polished grey granite is mounted on the east facade facing the harbour. The following wording is engraved in uppercase letters:
An informal structure which presumably functioned as a storeroom is located to the south of the change-room building. A number of free standing brick built braai stands are constructed in close proximity to the change room. A vibracrete wall defined the western edge of the RCYC precinct and a notice in painted white upper-case letters on one of the concrete panels reads:
The specific significance of this 'instruction' has not been determined. The building is currently unused and dilapidated and is informally occupied by sea birds. Statement of Significance The building is an interesting 'layer' in the Murray's Bay Harbour precinct. The building marks the RCYC's presence on Robben Island during the operation of the Maximum Security Prison - and is a clear indication of the generally more relaxed approach to the security on the island subsequent to the relocation of Nelson Mandela (and other important political prisoners) to Pollsmoor Prison in 1982. References: Personal reminiscences by current members of the RCYC, namely Trevor Megaw, David Abromowitz, Ted Kuttel and David Hudson facilitated by Toni Mainprize, the General Manager. William Martinson, Osmond Lange Architects, December 2019. |