Bruce Stirk

I started working with Boatshed in February 2021.

What did you do before working with Boatshed?
Ocean based sports have been a passion of mine from a very early age. This started out from the family rowing boat, through dingy & windsurfer racing and, in the process, earning my school colours for sailing. From there it was onto representing the South African Navy in the Hobie world championships.

Whilst studying to be an industrial engineer, slalom water skiing, barefoot water skiing and windsurfer big wave sailing took up a great deal of my time. Being barrelled on a windsurfer is certainly an experience that will live with me for years to come!

What attracted you to become part of the Boatshed team?
As can be construed from the above it was only a matter of time before taking the step across to brokering yachts and power vessels. I have owned my own brokerage for over a decade successfully selling South African pre-owned yachts.

South Africa produces several premium brands of Sailing Catamarans and leisure fishing vessels. With this in mind and the limited exposure these new vessels get in the Northern Hemisphere markets I was most enthusiastic when the Boatshed approached me to partner up by marketing these excellent vessels on their wonderful sales platform.

Are you a motorboater or a sailor?
Having moved down to Cape Town the allure of the incredible yellow fin & big eye tuna fishery drove me to purchasing a suitable power vessel for fishing 50nm off Cape Point. This exposure to the tempestuous water of the Cape of Storms certainly added a whole new skill set. This being keeping one’s vessel and one’s self in one piece! Exhilarating it certainly was.

With the onset of a young family a change was required so I purchased a coastal cruising catamaran and explored the South African coastal waters.

What is your most memorable boating experience?
Boating around Cape Town offers many truly memorable experiences! These fall poles apart in the, lets not do that again category all the way through to spectacular Cape peninsula cruising on a glorious summers day.