The U-Turn

More pictures of our dhow , [YouTube version of Dutch TV broadcast � Our Dhow Sailing (scroll to 4:50)], other Lake Victoria dhows, other boats on Lake Victoria

Building of the dhow started in Mwanza, Tanzania, October 2004. It got launched February 5, 2006, and was sailed to Jinja, Uganda and finished there in the following months. It is basically of Mwanza (Lake Victoria, Tanzania) traditional make (other Mwanza dhows), but 18 m, some 30% larger than the largest ones you see. There is standing headroom under deck. Traditional dhows do not usually feature a deck, and lack stiffness, leading to a heavy repair, caulking, and painting schedule. Built under supervision of owner and resident Bert hamminga, apart from the deck a host of other non traditional stiffener constructions were added. The dhow can be operated by tree sailors, at least two of which should be experienced in dhow sailing and Victoria Lake conditions. It can host up to 14 people comfortably at long trips. We sailed all round the lake, a trip of 1325 km without any problems (see: The Big Round). As far as we know, this dhow is the only long range yacht on Lake Victoria.. The dhow is a pure sailing ship. It has no engine.

The U-Turn has now been reconstructed (the drawing table).

Cabin towards bow (contruction photo). 4 2-person mini huts

Lounge Cabin rearwards (towards steering deck). The dhow is for sale with sailing equipment, without other invertory

Photo: The steering deck roof serves as a support of the 25 m folmali (lateen gaff ^[more]). It supports 450 W solar panels that stay clear of the folmali by means of a thick Mvule hardwood edge on the roof, 30 cm high.

Operating
The dhow can be operated by three sailors, at least two experienced in dhow sailing and Victoria Lake conditions, and host up to 14 people comfortably at long trips. Satisfactory know-how (both operation and maintenance) of a dhow of this size is only on Tanzania coasts of the lake. ^{[more: About Lake Victoria, Operating a Dhow}]. Languages on the lake are: English and Kiswahili. 

Mooring:
Home mooring is Bunga, ^[map] 7 km from Kampala Centre, 1 hour from Entebbe International Airport. There is guarded parking, ^{[More about nature at dhow home mooring}]

Uganda Price level (end of 2010)
In euros big fish: � 2.25, kilo of meat � 1.80, � l beer � 0.70 (in bar � 0.75), restaurant, wine included: � 13/=, cheapest return tickets from Europe at the moment: � 500/=,

Swimming:

Owner Bert hamminga has been swimming in Lake Victoria for more than four years now during five times a day both from the dhow and from beaches and never contracted bilharzias. If you do, there is a simple medicine that with certainty kills 100% of the parasites. The pills (an amount per kilo of bodyweight) are quite easy and harmless and can be taken just for safety, every half year, in one portion.

More About Diseases
None of the many health dangers of the kind falsely reported on western media are threats to a careful visitor. The serious conditions local people acquire are just due to improper medical care. Your home doctors are likely to have incorrect information, in particular about about malaria when advising to use permanent malaria prophylactics. We do not do so. In the unlikely case you contract malaria we have the experience to diagnose it at a very early stage, and we have the drugs you need.

Dhow Technical Data