The Landhoo Boat 3, which ran aground and sank four years ago while sailing to Noonu Atoll, has been repaired and is ready to sail once again.
The livelihood of boat Captain Ibrahim Saudh's family came to an abrupt stop after the boat sank. The family's main source of revenue was built upon the vessel for more than 13 years, with the family having no other choice but to start from scratch.
The vessel sank while transporting goods and had sustained damage beyond further use, with only a part of the hull being saved. Nevertheless, Saudh did not lose hope. He was determined to take his father's vessel out to sea no matter the sacrifice.
The work to rebuild the ship was no easy task. Saudh faced hard times after the incident, with him having to work at a resort for two years. He did this to secure the finances in rebuilding the vessel and to facilitate a path for a loan.
Even though the work began after he secured the loan, the family did not have the means to work while providing salaries to people. 75 percent of the boat was worked on by Saudh's father and an uncle from his father side.
As more funding was needed for the repair, he had no choice but to sell his MVR 900,000 speedboat for just MVR 200,000.
"The actual price of the boat is MVR 7.8 million. I took an MVR 2.6 million loan to rebuild it. However, when the repair work had finished, there was a total expenditure of MVR 4 million. As we were unable to pay our living expenses and the loan, an additional MVR 700,000 has been added on," said Saudh.
Due to the irreparable damage caused to the family, the last four years has seen all of the family expenses be covered by the salary from Saudh's mother. With the family's hard work, the work to rebuild the vessel has been completed within the last six months.
The Landhoo Boat's first voyage is set to begin tomorrow at 2:00pm. Saudh believes that this accomplishment is not just his. This is the result of the aid and cooperation from many people.
Saudh is thankful to his sister Aishath Shifa for her aid, who helped him during times of financial difficulty. He is also thankful to those who offered him financial assistance that he would pay back, along with everyone who encouraged him in various ways.
As the Landhoo Boat is to set sail, it is not just a brand new vessel. It is an example of unshakeable determination and unwavering hope without any space for sadness.
