The V&A Waterfront and Damen Shipyards Cape Town held a keel laying ceremony at the shipyard’s factory in the Port of Cape Town. Traditionally marking the start of construction in shipbuilding, the ceremony signalled the first structural steel welds for the Quay 7 Superyacht Marina’s floating pontoons.

Six Damen 3006 pontoons, each 30 metres long, are being built in three sections and will provide berthing for eight vessels of up to 90 metres. The process begins with steel plates being fabricated into structural sub-panels for the bottom, side shells, bulkheads and deck, before they are assembled into complete pontoon structures.

Each pontoon will be fitted with fire and lifesaving equipment, water and electrical services, bollards, fenders, bamboo decking and shear fenders, while 3D modelling, digital scanning and underwater survey systems are supporting construction.

Managing director Hermoine Manuel described the project as Damen Shipyards Cape Town’s “most technically advanced marina project” to date, saying the company had applied its experience in building patrol vessels, research and supply vessels, dredgers and tugs to the marina’s construction.

Manuel added: “This project is an example of international expertise combined with South African talent and local supplier capability, and it demonstrates that complex maritime infrastructure can be designed, procured, constructed and delivered to international standards right here in Cape Town.”

Andre Blaine, executive manager for the marine and industrial portfolio at the V&A Waterfront, Sefale Montsi, director of Damen Shipyards Cape Town, Graham Wood, CEO of the V&A Waterfront, and Hermoine Manuel, managing director of Damen Shipyards Cape Town.

Graham Wood, CEO of the V&A Waterfront, said: “The keel laying ceremony marks the moment where years of planning this strategic maritime infrastructure becomes a visible reality. Quay 7 will position the V&A Waterfront and Cape Town where they belong – on the global superyacht circuit – and create long-term economic opportunities for the marine services sector, local manufacturers and the broader ocean economy. Every weld brings that future closer.”

The 230 million ZAR ($13.7 million USD) project remains on track for completion on 31 October and is scheduled to open on 1 November. Around 120 people, including employees from nine local subcontractors, are working on site, while 76 percent of procurement spending has been directed to local suppliers.

Quay 7 is expected to support year-round operations, serving superyachts during the peak season and supporting commissioning and export staging for Cape Town-based catamaran manufacturers Robertson and Caine, Two Oceans Marine and Balance Catamarans during the off-season.

According to the V&A Waterfront, superyacht visits have increased since 2009, with 35 vessels recorded during the 2024/25 season. Those visits support businesses including fuel suppliers, provisioning companies, marine engineers, logistics providers, hospitality operators and marine contractors.

Andre Blaine, executive: marine and industrial property at the V&A Waterfront, said: “What makes our superyacht marina different is that every aspect of the marina has been designed around operational excellence and long-term economic impact. The engineering you can see is only part of the story. The anchoring systems, the submerged structures, the utility integration – this is infrastructure built to serve international maritime traffic for decades.”

Images courtesy of V&A Waterfront.