A Heady mix of Excitement, Hope, Optimism and a Fair Sprinkling of Trepidation

When Mangata 5, Dazcat 1295 XL, was launched there was a heady mix of the usual huge excitement of a new boat threaded through with massive optimism, hope and no small sprinkling of trepidation. There were also the doubters. For Mangata 5 was launched to sail her family on new and potentially precarious routes…

When we met this family today’s news would be nearly impossible to imagine

When the family commissioned Mangata 5 their sailing experience was limited to a bit of dingy sailing and a couple of monohull-based flotilla holidays. Owners Ali and Tom knew they loved sailing but travelling with their three young children, each with special physical, medical and emotional needs had proved difficult and was getting to the point of being impossible. So they took a leap into the unknown and commissioned a customised Dazcat. When we first met this family, today’s news would have been nearly impossible to imagine but Ali and Tom believed so strongly in what was right for their family that we agreed to build them the boat they needed to keep them travelling their special ‘Mangata 5’ road.

In brief, their oldest son had his own health issues including a bone marrow transplant as a young child. Their charming daughter has a diagnosis of a neurodevelopmental disorder Rett Syndrome. This is a rare genetic disorder that affects brain development, generally affecting girls, resulting in severe mental and physical disability, also with a shortened life expectancy. And their youngest son was diagnosed at the age of two as poorly verbal autistic. This disorder causes significant communication and behavioural challenges. You can read more on the Mangata backstory here: https://www.multihullcentre.com/2019/05/20/accessible-family-dazcat-catamaran-from-commissioning-to-delivery/

Ali and Tom believed that being on the water would provide a new focus, away from their usual routine of juggling high powered jobs with their family’s additional needs. Through circumstance their world had become narrow and mostly full of stress and trauma. Combine their need for other things to focus on, their previously established enjoyment of sailing,  and the now recognised wider benefits of being on the water and Ali and Tom were determined that learning to sail together as a family would give each of them nourishment and new interests to follow. How right they were.

Keeping the Family Safe & Building Resilience

For Ali and Tom, their top priority is ensuring the safety of their family. That’s why they made the decision to choose a Dazcat, despite facing skepticism. Some may argue that learning to sail on a a sophisticated machine is risky, but Ali and Tom have solid reasons for disagreeing. They value safety, comfort, and our ability to customize to their needs.

Furthermore, they have taken on the additional challenge of learning to sail with children who have additional needs, believing it to be the best thing for their family. For them it was about everybody learning together and in their own way.

They have taken it steadily, approached everything with care and determination methodically building their confidence and skills step by step.

Despite encountering significant obstacles, they have overcome them and proved the doubters to be wrong. The family and their skills have grown stronger.

Earlier this season they embarked on their first flotilla sailing holiday in many years, marking a pivotal moment where their hope, hard work, and optimism paid off. This experience brings them closer to their ultimate dream of sailing off on the Mangata 5 and living their days in the sunshine.

Finding Direction: Gaining Skills, Confidence & Qualifications

Back in June we received the news that having completed the theory online over the winter, David their eldest had passed his Day Skipper course. This of course delighted us. David has paid a keen interest in both the sailing and maintenance since early on and he and Tom have been out together ‘short-handing’ Mangata 5 quite a bit, so this was an excellent development.

David & Tom putting Mangata 5 through her paces

David Takes His First Command

What came next was a total surprise and had me, Dazcat Media, smiling for hours, if not days – David had charted his own boat in Greece and with his grandparents as crew successfully skippered his own vessel throughout the two-week holiday.

 https://www.facebook.com/sailingholidays / https://www.sailingholidays.com/flotillas

From Strength to Strength

David, now in his late teens, has found his direction in life. This may well be in part thanks to his parents’ vision and determination. The experiences they’ve given him on board Mangata 5 have opened up a previously unknown world with new opportunities, but it’s David’s own focus and skills that have given him the drive and successes. Before the Day Skipper qualification he’d already achieved PADI Open Water Diver (Diveworld, Sheffield); RYA Powerboat Level 2 and PADI Dry Suit Certification. He is now applying for work experience in as many different marine settings as possible and has just completed a week’s work experience with Conwy Marina, where the D1295XL is berthed.

He will be coming to us at the Multihull Centre for a week in October. We’re so pleased that having done two days with us in 2021 when he was still very much looking for direction, not only has he chosen to come back but also that the boat we built has had such a positive impact on his young life.

A New Engineer for Mangata 5

Mangata 5 has also provided additional opportunities for father and son time that will benefit them both in multiple ways.

Earlier this month David and his dad completed the Marine Coastguard Agency Approved Engine Course 1 with South West Maritime Academy, near Bristol. Thomas wrote “We have been struggling over recent months to get a marine engineer to service our engines ‘snowed under’, so David said he would do the engine servicing (for a fee, of course). Great course, much more detailed than the one day RYA engine maintenance course. David in particular enjoyed the practical aspects /taking bits of diesel engines apart…” Both passed and Mangata 5 now has its own engineer.

In September David will start a Level 2 T Level in in engineering and is hoping to spend some time working subsequently with a flotilla charter group in Greece, to best position himself to apply for a marine engineering apprenticeship. He is heading off on an Ellen MacArthur trip out of Largs, Scotland this coming weekend.

I feel confident in predicting that this young man will become an asset to the marine industry whichever area he chooses.

Everyone Needs a Lift from Time to Time…

​(Greek hotel lift)

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