The Jewel of Muscat, a 60-feet long hand-built ship, recently set sail into the Oman Sea for her first sea-trials in preparation for her epic voyage from Muscat to Singapore. At the end of this month, the Jewel of Muscat will travel the ancient routes across the Indian Ocean just as the world-renowned Arab navigators of old did under wind power alone. A cultural joint initiative between Oman and Singapore, the Jewel of Muscat is a reconstruction of a 9th century sewn-plank ship made of handmade coconut fiber ropes and wood without a single nail, Katharine Birtwistle, Communications and Marketing Director, Oman Sail LLC, told this reporter.
The Jewel of Muscat will be given as a gift from the Government of Oman to the people of Singapore. Setting sail from Muscat, the Jewel of Muscat will follow old trading routes stopping in India, Sri Lanka and Malaysia before, dependent on the trade winds, arriving in Singapore approximately five months later. Singapore is one of Oman’s oldest trading partners and the Jewel of Muscat will be displayed in Singapore to heighten the awareness of the old trading routes between the two countries.
The Jewel of Muscat takes its blueprint from a 9th century wreck of a ship that was carrying more than 60,000 pieces of Chinese ceramics, silver and gold artifacts, spices and other commodities, now known as the Tang Treasure, that was discovered in 1998 in Indonesian waters. Displaying the characteristics of vessels built in the western Indian Ocean at that time, the Jewel of Muscat’s reconstruction represents a major feat of maritime engineering. Even today, the 1,200-year-old method of sewing the hull planks together with handmade coconut-fibre rope makes the vessel extremely resilient, and during the whole process from shaping the first planks to hoisting the palm-leaf sails that were woven in Qantab not one nail nor screw was used.
The first plank was laid on Qantab beach, near Muscat, in October 2008. Jewel of Muscat was launched in October 2009, a construction time that is testament to the skilled labour involved in constructing her and the support given by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Mohammed al Eisa, PR Manager, Oman Sail LLC. The purpose of the sea trial is to see how the Jewel of Muscat handles and make any modifications to her sails and rigging. The captain is Saleh al Jabri, a former instructor with Oman Sail and second in command of the training ship Shabab Oman. Al Jabri will begin by testing the two steering systems.
He will then hoist one of the sails to see how she handles under sail. If all goes well he will then hoist the second sail to see what speed she can make. He will also be testing how the square-rigged ship performs as it sails closer to the wind. This will show how well the ship can point — often a challenge for square-rigged ships. This inspiring project is a source of pride to the Sultanate and brings returns the maritime heritage of Oman into the modern day. It symbolises Oman’s authenticity and heritage and reflects the valuable balance between the past and the present. “All our efforts have paid off; the Jewel of Muscat is a magnificent initiative and an authentic symbol of Oman’s heritage.
She is now all set for her sea-trials and as her Captain I am really looking forward to steering her along the old trade routes from Muscat to Singapore via India and Malaysia, and conclude a successful and safe voyage to Singapore and hand her over as a gift from Oman,” said Saleh al Jabri. “The result of all our collective efforts is now evident, and we have a beautiful ship, a recreation from the 9th century and a unique vessel of which Oman can be proud.
Our entire international team of designers, naval architects, archaeologists and builders are elated to have come so far, and excited to see the ship sailing, “ said Tom Vosmer, Project Director, Jewel of Muscat Project. After Mohsin al Busaidi’s successful around the world non-stop sailing trip and the much-awaited Extreme 40’s race in February, Oman is highlighting the significance of sailing in the homeland of great sailors and navigators such as Ahmed bin Majid and Sindbad the sailor. It is a historic moment for the Sultanate to witness the Jewel’s first successful sea trial. The project website www.jewelofmuscat.tvoffers information on short videos, photos, a 3D model of the ship, a timeline and a unique education section.
