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Cape Doctor ® was founded back in 1998 by
Angus Welch (Goose). Angus came from a shop
fitting, interior decorator background, but
the call of the wind was too strong. He had
always tinkered around with sailboards and
repairs since the mid-1980’s. As South
Africa opened up and there was a demand for
good quality local boards the obvious was to
follow this line. Starting in a garage in
Fairbridge Road, Table View, we have now
progressed to a somewhat larger setup in a
factory in Killarney Gardens. Being a rider
owned company we have the unique opportunity
of riding and testing what we sell. |
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Apart from the Cape Doctor factory Angus and
Cindy opened a Cape Doctor retail outlet in
Table View in 2007 and apart from Cape
Doctor boards and apparel they also sell and
distribute Naish kites, boards and soft
tech. |
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The name Cape Doctor ® comes from the
nickname of the famous South Easter that
buffets Cape Town in the spring, summer and
autumn months. We are actively involved in a
wide variety of sports including kite
surfing, windsurfing and mountain biking. |
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The Cape Doctor – the wind |
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During spring and summer the Cape Peninsula
is exposed to the strong and sometimes gale
force wind, the South-Easter (otherwise
known as the "Cape Doctor" because it blows
away pollution and cleans the air) arises as
a spin-off from anticyclones deep in the
Southern ocean. It arrives at the peninsula
by way of False Bay, its velocity often
being given a boost by the "corner effect"
round Cape Hangklip. |
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One arm of the South-Easter sweeps around
the eastern flanks of Table Mountain, where
its moisture, picked up from the ocean and
the warm waters of False Bay, helps to keep
the vegetation green through the heat of
summer. It is also a vital factor in the
pollination of many plants, including the
Silver trees. The South-Easter continues on
around Devil's Peak, before descending on
the city. |
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There, it behaves somewhat in the manner of
a trapped tiger, careering around in the
bowl between mountain and sea. A couple of
days of this is enough to purge the city's
air - nowadays it is the smog instead of the
plague of old which is banished. The
South-Easter tends to overdo the cure,
outstaying its welcome (not however in the
opinion of windsurfers & kite surfers!). A
possible record was its performance in
November 1936, when it howled without a
break for 15 days, ravaging suburban gardens
and penning the staff in the upper cable
station for 5 days. |
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Environmental issues |
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Angus and Cindy are very actively involved
in environmental issues, especially during
2007 when Angus took on the Oil Giants –
Chevron and it cost them R110 million to
clean up their act, the biggest single
environmental investment in South Africa to
date! For many years Chevron ran a 5.5km
underground pipeline from their refinery
that channels their wastewater into the sea
in Table Bay, just 500m off the shoreline.
In 2001 Angus started complaining and he was
relentless. In a groundbreaking decision the
company decided to spend millions and
upgrade their wastewater treatment plant.
Construction began in 2006. They chose a
type of biological treatment known as a
moving bed bio reactor as a method of
treating the wastewater from the refinery by
using world class technology. This project
has since been completed and to date seems
to be working well. |
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I.r.o work done on the above project Angus
received an award of Civic Honours from the
City of Cape Town. |
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Angus and Cindy are also involved in the
Friends of Blaauwberg Conservation Area
(BCA), Angus is Vice-Chairman and also has
the portfolio of Recreation / Sports and
Cindy is the Secretary. The BCA, a unique
area of approximately 4 000ha comprising of
a mosaic of natural, cultural and historical
resources, is located 25 km north of the
centre of Cape Town. It contains three very
threatened lowland vegetation types and a
stretch of coastline and numerous
cultural/historical heritage sites. It is
within the growth corridor of the City and
is thus placed under extreme pressure from
the direct threats of urban development.
Friends of BCA is a voluntary group of
concerned citizens whose mission it is to
contribute to seeing that the BCA is
protected and utilized to the benefit of the
general public now and in the future. |
