BOATER DETAILS FOR THE 6TH SEPTEMBER - OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE BOATING SEASON 2025

Make sure you have your COF and Skippers Licenses. If you need to get help to be compliant - more details will follow where you can easily do this before the 6th Sept.

Got a question? Get in touch!

info@vaalriverintervention.co.za

This year’s flotilla coincides with the Boks vs All Blacks rugby showdown (9am–11am) – setting the tone for a festive, proudly South African day of gees, green & gold, and river pride!

Expect a sea of flags and gees!

* Best-decorated boat celebrating being South African

* Best Springbok-themed boat

* Best music & gees vibe onboard

* Boat flying the most SA flags

* Best-themed riverfront property (“We are South Africans and Proudly So!”)

  • A bottle of bubbly to POP at exactly 3pm during the official river opening at Baddrift Bridge
  • SA flags and bunting galore – wave wildly and proudly! And vuvuzelas!
  • Inboard ski boats – remove your ballast, so as to minimise wake size at idling speed.
  • Valid COC (Certificate of Compliance) – use the winter break to ensure you’re fully boat-ready along with your skipper license/s.
  • No boats to pass the main large lead boats - smaller boats to follow large lead boats.
  • Fun Padkos (or should we say Rivierkos) – boerrie rolls, vetkoek, samosas, koeksisters, and of course, a cooler box!
  • Fully charged phone – let’s flood social media with happy, proudly South African Vaal river moments!
  • Mobile/hand held, two-way radios (if you have) – for info purposes only. Channel to be advised closer to the time.
  • Better coordination and less confusion at turn around point (was Millionaire’s Bend last year)
  • Strict no-wake speed with (non-negotiable) all boats to follow large lead boats, so this controls the speed and keep waters calm/not choppy.
  • Smaller boats not to overtake or cruise in front of large leader boats.
  • Make it a shorter flotilla. So meeting point of down and upriver boats - will be on the river at Vaal River Lodge (VRL) this year. Need a louder noise at the official opening of the boating summer season … need LOUDEST NOISE EVER needed at 3pm – expect hooters, sirens, and a BIG surprise sound to signal the official opening (think horns, flags waving, bubbly and cheers!)
  • MAIN FLOTILLA …FROM 2PM – 3PM. STARTING OPPOSITE VAAL RIVER LODGE AND TRAVEL TO BADDRIFT BRIDGE (STONEHAVEN).

    UP-RIVER BOATS

    1:pm Up-River Boats (Riviera, Riverside Beach Club) meet on river opposite Stonehaven

    1:pm Together cruise down to Vaal River Lodge (VRL) to get there by 1:45pm

    1:45pm Turnaround time for Up-River boats to slowly turn around and face direction of Baddrift Bridge: (15 mins allocated)

    2pm Depart towards Baddrift Bridge:

    DOWN-RIVER BOATS

    1:30pm Down-River Boats (Barrage, Loch, Luciana, Club Milos) meet up opposite Duck Point

    2:pm Down-River Boats (Barrage, Loch, Milos) meet up opposite VRL.

    2:02pm Down-River Boats - Join the rear of the Up-river flotilla - so all boats travel together slowly in one flotilla towards Baddrift Bridge.

    2:45pm  Timing for All:

    Full flotilla reaches Baddrift Bridge.

    At 3:00pm, the Official Opening Ceremony will be marked in front of the Baddrift Bridge by flag-waving, boat hooters, flares, big noise from speakers and unforgettable energy as we honour our open and fully navigable Vaal river, our community, and our country.

    This is more than an event – it’s a celebration of who we are as South Africans and our shared love for the Vaal River.

    Then … meander slowly back home or to a venue to enjoy the rest of the afternoon as only proud Vaal River South Africans can!

    RIVERFRONT and COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES:

    Use this opportunity to show off what your property is doing on 6 Sept.

    Email your event/activity promo to: info@vaalrivercommunity.co.za:

    It will be promoted on the Vaal River Community website and social media.

    The earlier the better!

    Fishing clubs, golf clubs, boating associations, residential estates – start spreading the word of what fun things you will be doing as a residential community or club on the day to be part of this annual event and lock the date into everyone’s calendars now.

    SAFETY & PHOTOS

    Water Wing & Water Emergency Services on their own boats and paramedics will be on board the leader boat/s.

    Pro photographer on-site – but don’t forget to snap and share your moments too, which might be the best and Instagram worthy!

    Let’s make this a legendary kick-off to the Vaal’s summer boating season – one that celebrates who we are, where we are, and what a joy it is to be South African on the Vaal River - which we can now navigate up and down freely!!