IT’S NOT just Afrikaaners who can make a plan – Durban’s yachting folk are equally adept, especially when it’s for a worthy cause.
The 450-berth Durban Marina, home to the Point Yacht Club and Royal Natal yacht club, has been in dire need of dredging to remove a build-up of silt that has accumulated over the years.
Funds were raised from a levy on mooring fees and eventually the first fruits of their labours, which began in 2014, were harvested this weekend when Gumba Phanisi was christened, to great fanfare, by Durban Port Captain Matlida Lekala before being launched.
Accomplished yachtsman, businessman and Durban Marina chairperson Nigel Milln said it was fitting that the port captain was a woman because marine vessels were traditionally christened by “the fairer sex”.
He said Gumba Phansi, which means Dig Down in Zulu, would be kept busy for a year once a hopper had been acquired to contain silt removed from the bottom. Held in place by four “legs” while operating at a depth of 3-3.5m, the 12m x 4m, the 30-ton dredger will keep the venue’s berths open and accessible.
Milln, who also manages to find time to chair the organising committee for the annual Vasco da Gama Race between Durban and East London, chairs the development organisation Sail Africa and takes part in organising Mauritius to Durban Ocean Race, said the hulls of the catamaran craft were built in Giba Gorge, by Calteag Industrial.
Trucked down to Durban, they were married with the rest of the components for the vessel, which measures 12x4m and weighs 30 tons, on the hardstanding at the marina.
In collaboration with the city, the hopper, which will be towed behind the shallow-bottomed Gumba Phansi, will disgorge dredged-up silt into a pit within the harbour. That will later be collected and dumped at sea.
Gumba Phansi, said Milln, was a valuable asset as it would help to ensure that Durban continued to be an attractive destination for local and international sailors and fishermen. The stop-over of Oyster World Rally participants later this year was one example, he said.
The 19-strong Oyster fleet is on a circumnavigation of the world. The marina will help the fleet’s crew to stock up on provisions and provide sight-seeing opportunities to game parks and other attractions.
The presence of international visitors will be a boost to the city’s economy and, more importantly, its global reputation as a yachting destination.
* The Oyster World Rally fleet will be moored at the Durban Marina from about November 24 to December 9.