Authenticity, culture, these are the words that come to mind when thinking of Jacobsbaai. It was a passion for this that prompted the building of Jacobsbaai and which carried it through to being the West Coast success story.

History tells us that during the early 1800's, a company called “Stefan Bros” conducted trade along the West Coast and when a local farmer became indebted to them they took over his farm on a 99 year lease holding basis, as a way to pay off his debts.

There was also a more sinister reason for the company to take over farms along the coastline. In those days properties along the coastline had landing rights owned by the leaseholder and by controlling the landing rights, other merchants could be stopped from entering the area from the sea.

During the Second World War watch towers were build all along the coast to keep guard for possible invasion by German U-boats.

Jacobsbaai was originally founded as a small town on the farmland registered as, "109 Jacobsbaai". The name is said to have evolved from the Frenchman "Jacques Titius". He was a colonial trader on the West Coast. The street "Titius" in Jacobsbaai and Tietiesbaai is named after him . Another explanation for the name is that the English king entrusted the piece of land to a local know as "Jacob".

A company known as Kiron Holdings, owned by Deon Meyer and Shaun Keegan, acquired the seafront part of the farm Jacobsbaai with five bays starting with the legendary Jacobsbaai, Bamboesbaai, Smalbaai, Kwaaibaai and Moerie se baai, in the 80’s and kept it for later development.

When Nic and Marie Tredoux returned from the Transvaal to retire in their place of birth, they bought the rest of Jacobsbaai in a company know as "Forellendam".

The Tredoux's owned the land from around 1984 to 1998. It was their vision that lead to the town as it is today. Strict building and architectural guidelines were to protect and enforce the unique style.

Nic Tredoux was also a writer and poet of many poems and works of fiction. Before he retired Nic was one of the country's foremost advertising men and was well respected in the industry.

He went into partnership with Kiron Holdings and they then continued the development of Jacobsbaai. Together with Deon Meyer the dream of a West Coast Village was born.

A combined development between Kiron and Forrellendam kicked off in 1992 by servicing 75 stands on Kiron land and 140 stands on Forellendam land. Later small holdings where marketed under the name "Seebriespark". December 1993 Deon Meyer brought Dawid van Wyk to Jacobsbaai. Dawid believed in the West Coast Pioneer Village and immediately moved to Jacobsbaai with his wife, Marissa. They set up a show house in Mauritzbay.

At the end of 1994 the front section was virtually sold out. Correctly marketed, the style of architecture, together with the serenity of the West Coast, this turned into one of the greatest property successes of the West Coast.

In 1996 Dawid van Wyk bought the Forrellendam company together with Hennie Smit from the Tredoux family. In October 2003 Mauritzbay was launched. This bay was so popular that 22 front stands where sold in the first week.

In 2009 the old "erf 86" of 9ha was sub-divided into 51 stands. It is now known as the beautiful nature estate Tooth Rock.

Wreck of the barge Margaret

During the early morning hours of Wednesday 24 June 2009 a barge which was carrying fifteen barges on its decks got caught in a major storm off the coast of Jacobsbaai. A ship (the Salvilliant) was towing the barge when the tow rope broke. It ended up on the rocks about three hundred metres from "Hospitaalbaai".

The barge called Margaret had five levels and was on its way to Rotterdam Sliedrecht, from China.

About nine months later the upper decks of the wreck had been blasted clear, allowing some of the undamaged barges on its decks to be salvaged. The pieces of the wreck which could not be salvaged had been left to form a submerged artificial reef.

Today the wreck of the Margaret is one of the many attractions of Jacobsbaai.