A new yacht aimed at offering a ferry service to Robben Island for the well-heeled only has glided into service.
The rich will now be able to charter the 14.5m luxury motor yacht Inala Antares and be transported to the historic island without having to mix with hordes of tourists.
The Inala Antares was the brainchild of Thabane Zulu, the youngest person to have spent time as a political prisoner on Robben Island.
Zulu's partner is legendary yachtsman John Martin.
A similar service was offered by a smaller vessel, the Inala, but the Inala Antares is faster, larger and more luxurious. It is also safer, has improved sea-keeping qualities, offers six berths and allows for private charters of up to 12 people.
"We launched (the first) Inala last year to create a private, luxurious experience as the choices to Robben Island were limited to public ferries," Zulu said.
"The success (of the initial project), coupled with the number of enquiries for private tours to Robben Island for 2010 prompted us to launch Inala Antares," he said.
"Our aim is to plough back a portion of the revenue into the museum (to improve) efficiency and management."