Africa-Press – Cape verde. “Flor d’Oliveira”, measuring 21.37 meters, is considered the largest vessel built from scratch in Cape Verde, using national material and labour. The ship will serve the fishing community of São Pedro, São Vicente and was built by Paulo Delgado.
The ship “Flor d’Oliveira”, 21.37 meters long, 5.40 meters wide and 13.70 meters high, coated with fiber, was built in São Vicente to serve the fishing community of São Pedro.
For its construction, Paulo Delgado says that he had to travel to the island of Santiago, in search of raw materials, namely tree trunks that he needed to draw the profile of the vessel.
Worth it
However, he informed that this stage “was not easy”, but that the result of the final product “was worth it”, since, he maintained, “it had never been done like this in the country” and the ship was “a spectacle”. The maiden voyage took place on May 21.
Pedro Delgado, 55, manufactures dinghies and boats according to the projects that come to him, claiming to have the capacity to build vessels of up to 30 meters, with Cape Verde’s resources. A talent he says he inherited from his grandfather, who also dominated the area.
However, he points out that the lack of a specific area prepared for the construction of ships has been one of the biggest difficulties, but he recognizes that the country has the capacity to further develop this sector as it is equipped with engineers, builders and technicians.
“I am currently in Praia working on a boat in a forlorn and unsafe space, but I continue to believe and develop my work”, he explained to the Cape Verdean News Agency.
Investment in shipbuilding
This builder asks for more investment from the Government in shipbuilding, as well as training young people in the area, thus contributing to the development of the area, with the sea sector being one of the “most employing” sectors in the country.
“In Cape Verde, they know that our strengths are sea and agriculture, and they are not even investing in agriculture, but the sea sector is strong (…)”, he underlined.
Paulo Delgado also stressed that, at the moment, he works with a team consisting of three elements, because, he justified, the lack of financial resources implies the expansion of the team, and with a “larger” group it would be possible to respond to the demand that has been lots of.
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