Two GRP Cornish Pilot Gigs will be used to train deserving South African maritime students from the Lawhill Maritime Centre in Simon’s Town, South Africa.
South Africa has one of the highest youth unemployment rates in the world, and the aim of the Lawhill programme – which has been in operation for more than 28 years – is to improve the employment prospects of youth by providing them with an industry-focused education, while they are still at school.
The vast majority of Lawhill students are drawn from underserved communities in South Africa – such as townships and rural areas – and complete their final three years of compulsory high schooling as boarders at the Centre.
Lawhill’s holistic maritime education programme includes the provision of three specialist maritime subjects and several maritime extra-mural activities such as sailing, swimming, rowing and small craft/rigid inflatable boat training.
A ‘’learn to row’’ programme was started 10 years ago as part of a youth development initiative facilitated by False Bay Yacht Club (FBYC) and the South African Maritime Training Academy (SAMTRA), both located within walking distance from the Lawhill Centre.
As the rowing programme grew, so did the need for more rowing boats. The two GRP gigs, which were built in the UK and which were used for Mission RASI in Singapore in 2014, were donated to the programme and arrived in Simon’s Town in November 2023.
The donation was made possible by a group of shipping business leaders and enthusiasts based in Singapore and South Africa and the gigs will be based locally at FBYC in Simon’s Town and rowed in the waters in and around Simon’s Town Harbour and False Bay.
The shipment of the boats was arranged by SAMTRA, and the SAMTRA Deck Officer of the Watch cadets will also use the boats from January to October 2024. Lawhill students have free access to the False Bay Yacht Club and the gigs.
The Lawhill/CCRC rowing program is a joint initiative between Lawhill, SAMTRA, FBYC, and volunteer coaches from the Cape Coastal Rowing Club (CCRC), including Tony and Hayla Westhead (ex Bristol and Weymouth Gig Rowers). It is based on a principle of shared resources (boats, berth space, coaching and maintenance capacity, etc.) and is a sustainable partnership that benefits all parties.
The gigs are currently being dry docked and refurbished, and will be officially launched and named in mid 2024. While the boats themselves are in good condition, the two sets of oars which were donated with the boats, are not and need to be replaced. The volunteers involved in the refurbishment project are hoping that the international gig rowing community might help them find replacement oars.
Please contact Pieter Coetzer, FBYC Gig Rowing Program Manager for more details via WhatsApp: +27 83 780 6704 or email: pcoetzer@samtra.co.za
Photo and content credit: Debbie Owen and Pieter Coetzer
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