The man at the helm of Maverick Yachts for almost two decades says he has built enough boats for one lifetime, and would ‘like to start retiring’. Few would deny that Rudi Pretorius has earned his break; the yard has built 43 boats, many of them Maverick’s two flagship models, the 400s and 440s, which earned several accolades across the years. The yard has been a stalwart member of the local sector, partly responsible for South Africa’s lofty position as the world’s top producer of luxury custom and semi-custom catamarans. But Pretorius now has other plans, of a more leisurely kind. “I launched my last boat in September, and in October it left. I’m not going to do any more boats,” he told SABBEX.
However the Maverick brand may still continue, with plans afoot to sell the moulds. “It’s not finalised yet,” Pretorius confirmed.
But while the Maverick boating journey may potentially be drawing to a close, the yard itself is already well advanced down a new road – the production of a new brand of overlander off-road campers. Pretorius says he has already sold 47 of his new product, which has benefited from the quality workmanship required to build luxury yachts.
The off-road campers began as a ‘sideline’ to keep the yard busy during Covid lockdown, but has since flourished. Pretorius, who enjoys holidaying in the bush, built a camper for himself, only to discover that others wanted them too. “People in the industry saw it and said I should take it to market.”
So he did.
But the decision to give up boatbuilding did not come easily: “It is an emotional decision. I started the business (Maverick Yachts) 18 years ago and it is my baby. I’ve built up so many relationships with the owners, and you find them all over the world now.”
SABBEX commends Pretorius for his major contribution to South African boatbuilding.