The National Sea Rescue Institute, Hout Bay, known as Station 8, lies in the southwestern corner of the African continent, on the doorstep of the southern Atlantic ocean, regarded by maritime men as one of the wildest coastlines in the world.

Station 8 coxswains meeting
The station was officially opened on February 17 1979, although the first operation took place on January 1. A small steel building in the harbour served as the base which had one open six-metre rescue craft with two outboards. There was a crew of 22 who elected Ken Brady as their first station commander.
Since its inception Station 8 has mounted 403 operations, saved 34 lives at sea and assisted 836 people in distress. The volunteer crew has towed in 139 craft and assisted 77 other craft at sea. Today the station is manned by 40 volunteer crewmen and women, headed by Station Commander Peter Adamo, on 24-hour standby for callouts to people in distress, either at sea or along the coastline.
Station 8 holds pride of place in Hout Bay Harbour and is housed in a modern, triple-storey structure with two state-of the-art rescue craft, a four-wheel-drive vehicle for monitoring rescue operations from the shore and a radio control room in contact with the station's rescue craft and vehicle, other emergency rescue services and Cape Town Port Control.
The range of rescue operations extends 40 nautical miles out to sea, from Hout Bay and Cape Point in the south, and northwards to Dassen Island.

For further Information you can contact the Station Commander Peter Adamo at petanth@new.co.za