Editing Cape Town (section)

==== Sea ====
[[File:2011-02-06 14-34-03 South Africa - Foreshore.jpg|thumb|The [[Port of Cape Town]] is a major transport node in southern Africa. In addition to moving freight it also serves as a major repair site for ships and oil rigs.]]
Cape Town has a long tradition as a port city, and its role as a re-provisioning stop at the midpoint of the [[Cape Route]] gained it the nicknames "Tavern of the Seas" and "Tavern of the Indian Ocean".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ward |first=Kerry |title=Seascapes |date=31 December 2017 |publisher=University of Hawaii Press |isbn=978-0-8248-6424-8 |pages=137–152 |chapter=8. "Tavern of the Seas"? The Cape of Good Hope as an Oceanic Crossroads during the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries |doi=10.1515/9780824864248-011}}</ref> The [[Port of Cape Town]], the city's main port, is in Table Bay directly to the north of the CBD.

The port is a hub for ships in the southern Atlantic: it is located along one of the busiest shipping corridors in the world, and acts as a stopover point for goods en route to or from Latin America and Asia. It is also an entry point into the South African market.<ref name="EU Handbook 2020">{{Cite book |url=https://ec.europa.eu/chafea/agri/sites/default/files/south-africa-handbook-2020_en.pdf |title=The Food and Beverage Market Entry Handbook: South Africa |publisher=European Union |year=2020 |isbn=978-92-9478-535-0 |location=European Union |pages=178 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210808145237/https://ec.europa.eu/chafea/agri/sites/default/files/south-africa-handbook-2020_en.pdf |archive-date=8 August 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> It is the second-busiest container port in South Africa after [[Durban]]. In 2004, it handled 3,161 ships and 9.2{{spaces}}million tonnes of cargo.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Introducing SAPO |url=http://www.ports.co.za/port-operations.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110801011548/http://ports.co.za/port-operations.php |archive-date=1 August 2011 |publisher=South African Port Operations}}</ref>

[[Simon's Town]] Harbour on the False Bay coast of the Cape Peninsula is the main operational base of the [[South African Navy]].<!-- The SAN headquarters is in Pretoria, not Simon's Town. But Simon's Town is, as stated, a major operational base for the South African Navy -->

Until the 1970s the city was served by the [[Union Castle Line]] with service to the United Kingdom and St Helena.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The last boat to St Helena |url=https://www.theoldie.co.uk/article/the-last-boat-to-st-helena |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727071810/https://www.theoldie.co.uk/article/the-last-boat-to-st-helena |archive-date=27 July 2020 |access-date=6 January 2020 |website=The Oldie}}</ref> The [[RMS St Helena (1989)|RMS ''St Helena'']] provided passenger and cargo service between Cape Town and [[St Helena]] until the opening of [[St Helena Airport]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hollins, Jonathan |date=19 February 2018 |title=What it was like to sail aboard the RMS St Helena's final voyage |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/rms-st-helena-royal-mail-ship-final-journey-cape-town-a8217436.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210426204147/https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/rms-st-helena-royal-mail-ship-final-journey-cape-town-a8217436.html |archive-date=26 April 2021 |access-date=6 January 2020 |website=[[The Independent]]}}</ref>

The cargo vessel M/V ''Helena'', under AW Shipping Management, takes a limited number of passengers,<ref name="Cargoships">{{Cite web |last=Trend |first=Nick |title=10 fascinating voyages on cargo ships |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/lists/cabins-on-cargo-ships/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200114022803/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/lists/cabins-on-cargo-ships/ |archive-date=14 January 2020 |access-date=6 January 2020 |website=The Telegraph}}</ref> between Cape Town and St Helena and [[Ascension Island]] on its voyages.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Passengers |url=https://sthelenashipping.com/passengers/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191231144231/http://sthelenashipping.com/passengers/ |archive-date=31 December 2019 |access-date=6 January 2020 |website=St Helena Shipping |publisher=AW Shipping Management}} – see [http://www.sthelenashipping.com/passengers/routes-prices/ Routes and Prices] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191228173202/http://www.sthelenashipping.com/passengers/routes-prices/ |date=28 December 2019 }} which confirms its destinations</ref> Multiple vessels also take passengers to and from [[Tristan da Cunha]], inaccessible by aircraft, to and from Cape Town.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cape Town – Tristan da Cunha Shipping Schedule |url=https://www.tristandc.com/shipping.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200611235109/https://www.tristandc.com/shipping.php |archive-date=11 June 2020 |access-date=6 January 2020 |publisher=Tristan da Cunha Government & Tristan da Cunha Association}}</ref> In addition, NSB Niederelbe Schiffahrtsgesellschaft takes passengers on its cargo service to the [[Canary Islands]] and [[Hamburg]], [[Germany]].<ref name=Cargoships/>