Jewel Of Muscat and Muscat, The Wave (Photo by Mark Lloyd/Lloyd Images)
Following a ceremony today on Tuesday 16th February 2010, under the auspices of His Highness Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq Al Said advisor to His Majesty and in the presence of a number of dignitaries, Ambassadors, friends and families, Jewel of Muscat departed today from Port Sultan Qaboos on its historic Voyage to Singapore.
In an opening note HH Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq Al Said Advisor to HM History mentioned
that it is a historic moment as the Jewel of Muscat departs. He included that the crew
members carry great responsibility as they follow the footsteps of our ancestors and that
through collaborative team work and great focus and determination they will reach their
destination with the God Al might’s blessings.
Captain Saleh Al Jabri and his mainly Omani crew waved their farewell to well wishers and
immediately settled down to getting used to life on board the Jewel, an Omani ship inspired
by a 9th Century hand sewn sailing vessel, found carrying what has become known as the
Tang Treasure.
The Ship will left the Harbour to sail across the Oman Sea and the Arabian Sea, heading to
Cochin in India.
“Today is the day the crew and I have been looking forward to. It will be an emotional
farewell for all of us but we are all also very excited to start this journey. Seeing the people
today, including those at the Corniche, waving their farewell to us was very motivational as it
is their prayers that will be our greatest source of strength.”
- – Captain Said Al Jabri
“Saleh is a strong man, this is not his first time sailing, he has a lot of experience with the sea.
He has been the second in command when the ship Shabab Oman had sailed earlier, and I am
sure that with their focus and enthusiasm he and the crew will have a successful trip to
Singapore Inshala”
- Abdullah Al Jabri, Captin Saleh’s brother
Saleh will steer the ship along the ancient trading routes to her final destination in Singapore,
calling in at Cochin in India, Galle in Sri Lanka and Georgetown and Malacca in Malaysia on
the way. The voyage is expected to take five months, arriving in Singapore in July.
The departure ceremony for Jewel of Muscat included the traditions including local dances
and songs in which Omani ships used to depart centuries ago for long journeys in the past.
Families and friends gathered expressing their best wishes and emotional farewell. HH Saied
Shihab then wished Captin Saleh and the crew the best and then gave the Captin the Holy
Quran in part of the blessing for the voyage. The ceremony reminded those present of the
historical renown that Oman’s maritime heritage enjoys. The atmosphere was charged with
pride and emotion as the ship raises her sails on her epic journey in the wake of her ancestors.
Jewel Of Muscat (Photo by Lloyd Images)
The Sultanate of Oman, at the Eastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, is going through a renaissance of it’s maritime heritage. Taking it one step closer to their goal is the Jewel of Muscat project which is nearing completion. The importance of the relationship between modern Oman and its famed ancient seafaring traditions is of paramount importance as this oil rich Sultanate looks to diversifying it’s global perception as it becomes a modern country.
The Jewel of Muscat project is a joint initiative between Oman and Singapore involving the reconstruction of a 9th-century sewn-plank ship on the beach of Qantab village, just outside Muscat, Oman’s capital city. Once the 30-foot (18m) long hand-built hull is launched into the Gulf of Oman, she will set sail on an epic voyage that will finish in Singapore, one of Oman’s oldest trading p artners.
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 Zanzibar – not one nail nor screw was used.
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. Jewel of Muscat will set sail from Muscat in early 2010 and travel along the same trade routes across the Indian Ocean as those described by Arab geographers and navigators. She is expected to arrive in Singapore in July 201 0 after stopping in India, Sri Lanka and Malaysia. Once in Singapore she will be officially handed over as a gift from the Government of Oman to the Singapore Government and housed in a museum along with the treasure from the original wreck.
The project began in Oman in Mid-June 2008 with the development of a model and the search for materials used on the original wreck, which were identified through scientific analysis. For the planking, Afzelia Africana was sourced from Ghana, for the beams teak from Burma was found and poona and teak from India were used for the mast and spars. The first plank was laid on 21st October 2008 and almost exactly one year later the Jewel of Muscat will slip into the sea where she will be rigged in readiness for her pre-voyage sea trials.
Saleh Said Al Jabri, formerly second in command of Oman’s tall-ship, Shabab Oman, and currently an instructor with Oman Sail, has been selected as Captain of Jewel of Muscat for her voyage to Singapore. “This project is of utmost importance to Oman and bringing our maritime history to life. I am honoured to be selected as the Captain of Jewel of Muscat and nothing will make me prouder than steering her along the old trading routes from Muscat to Singapore via India and Malaysia, just as our forefathers did before us.” Saleh brings a wealth of experience to his position through his experience of sailing on many of the world’s oceans and overseeing large crews in a wide range of conditions.
The story of the ship’s construction and voyage will be captured in two exclusive one-hour documentaries to be shown in 164 countries on the National Geographic Channel from early next year. The project website www.jewelofmuscat.tv offers a wealth of information on the project including short videos, photos, a 3D model of the ship, a timeline and a unique education section. There is also an archive section documenting the skills and techniques of sewn ship construction.
Jewel of Muscat Captain (Photo by Lloyd Images)
About Saleh Al Jabri
Title: Captain, Jewel of Muscat
Age: 39
From: Haramel, Oman
Background: Married with three sons and one daughter. In the Royal Oman Navy.
Hobbies: I have always loved everything to do with the sea since I was a child including swimming, sailing and snorkelling. I used to often compete in swimming races at the Naval base, but have never (yet) managed to win! The water is so crystal clear in Oman with beautiful coral and turtles; it is always great fun to go out snorkeling. I also enjoy camping, especially in the East of Oman around Ras al Hadd with the turtles for 2-3 days at a time.
Impressions of Jewel of Muscat: The Jewel of Muscat is a fantastic and inspiring project. It brings together the maritime heritage of Oman into the modern day and shows the people of Oman how hard their forefathers worked to make Oman into the great country it is today. It was a hard way of life back then and we should be thankful for what we have today.
To be part of this project, which will be a gift from His Majesty to the people of Singapore, gives me great pride, not only to sail on it but also to be the Captain. The education aspect of this project is also of paramount importance. Schools, academies, universities and colleges can all come to understand the ancient building methods using no nails or screws. We will also be utilizing on celestial navigation, the stars, the moon and the horizon and no digital aids!
What do you hope to achieve with the Jewel of Muscat project?: I hope to earn the trust endowed to me by handling the Jewel of Muscat safely and protect this gift from His Majesty all the way to Singapore. The people of Oman have entrusted me in this undertaking for them and I hope to help retain some of the things that helped make Oman great.
I also hope the spirit will carry on after this project has berthed in Singapore and is on display there. This should be a part of the big picture of Oman’s renaissance and the catalyst to Omani’s building and racing dhows. I also hope that it will mean the beach of Qantab will see more Omani craftsmen in the future working on building and racing traditional ships.
What do you think will be the hardest part of the journey?: Being patient will be one of the hardest parts. The wind will also be one of the toughest things to predict but this is the same whether you are on a 105′ long racing trimaran like Oman Sail’s Arabian 100 or a 1,200-year-old design like the Jewel of Muscat! Communication will also be difficult with an international crew, many of whom do not know each other, but this will be overcome quickly.
What will you do when the Jewel of Muscat project is over?: I will enjoy spending some time with my family after being apart for so long- that is the first thing I will do! In the long term I will be visiting educational establishments and anywhere else where I can talk about the importance of the project and do what I can to make sure that young Omanis come out sailing and encourage them to do something for their country’s benefit.
Sailing experiences to date:
- Sailing instructor for almost 20 years on board Shabab Oman.
- Competed in the Dubai-Muscat race for 5 times and won some podium places
- Competed in the Hobie 16 races in Oman and Dubai
- A Yacht Master from UKSA
- Joined the Round the Island Race 2008
- Crew member in The Arabian Extreme 40 Challenge
- Took part in the Tall Ship Races when Shabab Oman won the Friendship Trophy in Europe, America, Australia and Asia.
Ambition: I almost got around the world on Shabab Oman, but never managed to get to South America – I would love to manage to do the whole thing! I would also like to teach Omani children about our maritime heritage in Oman. I would be really happy to open a sailing club and give others the opportunity that I have had.
