"On a whim," I decided to buy a boat. At 54, I sold my student-dig house in Observatory, Cape Town, and spontaneously bought a pirate ship off Gumtree. Could it have been a possible mid-life crisis purchase? Not sure? This boat caught my eye, and it was love at first sight.
I have no prior experience sailing or boating, apart from working as a seaman for the South African Navy, when I was conscripted into the National Military, at the age of 18.
Matthithyahu was constructed with local indigenous wood in a forest near Knysna. Living a sustainable lifestyle has always been of great interest to me and I follow these practices to the best of my ability. Having this boat was like having a tiny home on the water and an opportunity to travel around the world in a greener way.
Without first getting a Marine Survey done, I bought the Roberts Spray 45 Guff. Two years later, I pulled him from the water to inspect his Hull. He was in bad shape! The Hull was severely rusted and rotten. It seemed as if he could sink at any moment. As a result, Mattithyahu had now become a liability. Oh, dear!
When I finally conducted my first Marine Survey. It was estimated that the repairs would cost R250000. Since I didn't have such a large sum of money to invest, I was forced to find alternative ways to make him seaworthy. Considering the time and resources I had available, I relied on the Doubler method. It went downhill from there...
To find out what happens next. Watch the video on youtube below.
Cheers everyone!
Graham