Mike Smith is a South African living in Australia and is building a wooden Suhali replica (the boat Robin Knox-Johnston sailed in the 1968 Golden Globe Race), in order to compete in the 2026 GGR. 

We talk about his sailing history, growing up and sailing on the coast of South Africa, his boat-building history, creating the CNC plan for the boat, building the boat, watertight crash boxes, the cost of building a boat compared to buying one, building the bulkheads, planking the hull, other details about building, making the lead-ballast keel, advice for boatbuilders, and at the end, we spend a few minutes pontificating life.

Photos of Mike's boat and his links are here

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