Jewel of Muscat

the sewn boat for Singapore

Just before it launches I took a look at the Jewel of Muscat, the replica of a 9th Century West Indian Ocean (Arabian Sea) boat. This is being constructed in Muscat and will sail to Singapore where it will be the focus of a Museum about the Belitung, a wreck full of Chinese merchandise .

The boat is sewn, rather than nailed together, a technique used in Oman until the mid 20th c .

Jewel of Muscat
Jewel of Muscat

The Jewel uses extreme sewing – which in most boats I’ve seen was used for structurally critical parts of a boat. Probably for a long ocean voyage, between Oman and China, every part of the boat would be considered critical.

Oman

Author: Tony Walsh

Book author including the current Bradt guide to Oman