BACK INTO THE WATER

After loads of hard work Melody's plump hull was gleaming and she was ready to go back into the water. We gently lowered her down and our spirits where lifted when she gracefully entered the misty bay and kept afloat. We motored her across to the Saldanha Bay Yacht club where she would stay until we were able to bring her down to Cape Town and around to Gordon's Bay.

 

 

BOTTOM LIFT

The next step was to lift old Melodious out of the water and have her grid blasted and repainted. A gruelling task and living on the hard for two weeks was a blow to everyone's morale. The Yacht Port SA in Saldanha Bay, however, definitely made our stay far more bearable for which we are grateful. In between all the hard work there were plenty of memorable moments,  we managed to have a sunset sail on Mini Melody, our tender boat - Carla's first sailing experience! As well as celebrating the arrival of 2011, well at least we tried. All of us, but Chris and Wilhelm, fell asleep before mid night - a little embarrassing at our age but HAPPY NEW YEAR anyway! Unlike most of the world we woke up on the first day of the new year feeling fresh and ready to paint and when looking at what we had accomplished, it was definitely all worth it. 

THE BIG LIFT

SAND BLASTING

MINI MELODY AND A BRIEF NEW YEARS EVE

PAINT AT LAST



 

 

 

MELODIOUS DISCOVERY

Somehow our dream was beginning to fall into place. After losing Drifter, the first yacht we wanted to buy, we managed to find another old yacht within our budget in Port Owen. The four of us jumped in our car and drove up to the small West Coast town and discovered our Melody. Old and weary she still seemed to have a spark in her weathering paint job.

The boys managed to sail her down to Saldanha Bay at the beginning of December to have her examined by a hull specialist. She was approved and on the 20th of December, both Rufus's and Wilhelm's Birthdays,  she was registered to our names. The dream was a reality.

 


 

 

 


 

 

 

 

HOW IT BEGAN

This journey began with a simple question from Rufus: "If we could organize a yacht would you go sailing with us?". On a cold winters evening around a braai, as we celebrated Kate's Birthday, and after a few glasses of wine, we enthusiastically replied that we would. The dream was in motion.