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March 10, 2005
Old design, modern propulsion
Working dhows moored in the Dhow Harbour at Port Doha.
The basic design of the dhow is unchanged after possibly ten centuries; the propulsion definitely has changed. Sails have been replaced by big CAT or Cummins engines, and these handy craft, with their very shallow draft ply their trade in the Gulf in most weathers without problem. The dhows of Qatar are mostly used for fishing or passenger transfer, but in neighbouring Dubai, you can still see the big cargo carrying vessels that cross the Arabian Sea and trade to Africa, India, and Pakistan.
The Amir of Qatar is very keen to encourage the preservatiuon of his people's sea-going culture, and the dhows are very much part of that. The traditional material used in their construction is wood, but trees are scarce in this region, so many modern dhows are now built from fibreglass - but carefully detailed to look as if they are wooden.
The harbour is quite shallow and the water clean and clear. In some of my pictures it is possible to see just how shallow-drafted these craft are!
Posted by The Gray Monk at March 10, 2005 08:41 AM