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Wirt Għawdex

 

Project: Dgħajsa Tal-Latini


  • Dghajsa Tal-Latini in 2000, prior to restoration
  • Dghajsa Tal-Latini on location
    The Restoration works are being carried out on location at Mgarr Harbour
  • The Caruana Brothers working on the Dghajsa
  • Detail of the Dghajsa
  • Carrying out restoration work
    Wirt Ghawdex volunteers who spent hours and hours painting the dghajsa in the middle of the summer heat.
  • Detail of the Dghajsa
  • "The Gozo Boat" Booklet
    A booklet with colour pictures published in 2001. This book is a re-print of a complete Chapter appearing in “The Dghajsa and Other Traditional Maltese Boats”, written by Mr. Joseph Muscat and published in 1999 by Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti. Copies can be ordered by contacting the publications officer.
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The last surviving dgħajsa tal-latini was in reality just a hulk of a long abandoned lateen boat christened the Sacra Famiglia.  It was beached and pronounced unseaworthy in the 1970’s and stood blocking a slipway at Mgarr.  It was eventually bought by an entrepreneur who wanted to sell it to the Gozo Ministry.  Wirt Ghawdex intervened, stating that the boat, seen through a cultural perspective, was priceless.

Dghajsa Tal-LatiniThe Gozo Channel Co. showed a keen interest in the restoration of this last surviving example of our nautical heritage and is, in fact, the predecessor of the Gozo Channel Company itself.  Gozo Channel  purchased the boat and handed it over to Wirt Ghawdex and also offered a full sponsorship for the restoration works.

The boat was put back in the capable hands of the Caruana brothers, sons of the original builder.  They have done extensive restoration work over the past years and is now near completion.