South African Fishing Family Honors 4 Generations at Sea

For nearly a century, the Poggenpoel family has read the ocean like a book, pulling their livelihood from the waters of South Africa's False Bay.

Kobus Poggenpoel, 72, sits beside his boat Melissa Kelly in Kalk Bay harbor, a vessel his family has owned since 1978. His father and uncles started with nothing, working on other people's boats until they saved enough to buy their own.

The family's first boat, Tessabee, became Ana Amelia after they renamed her for Kobus's grandmother. That single vessel grew into a fleet of four boats, each one built by skilled craftsmen in Vredenberg and worked by Poggenpoel hands.

The boats came from Sagel builders, known throughout the region for quality work. Each vessel represented years of saving, fishing, and reinvesting in the family trade.

Kobus learned the sea from his father, who learned from his father before him. They passed down more than just boats. They shared knowledge about reading the water, understanding the weather, and respecting the rhythms of marine life.

Today, only two family boats remain. The harbor that once bustled with fishing crews and families now sits quieter, its working boats outnumbered by memories.

But the Melissa Kelly still floats in Kalk Bay, a testament to generations who built their lives on the water. The boat carries names like Mary, Dawn, and Ana Amelia in its lineage, each one part of a family story written in salt and perseverance.

The Bright Side

While fewer boats head out to sea these days, Kobus preserves something equally valuable: the living history of a fishing community. His stories keep alive the traditions, skills, and values that sustained families for generations.

The Poggenpoel family's journey from working other people's boats to owning their own fleet shows what determination and family unity can achieve. That legacy continues, even as the industry transforms.

The boats may rest more often now, but their stories still sail.