July 6 -Jewel of Muscat, the replica of a 9th century merchant sailing vessel, also known as a dhow, moored at the Singapore port on Saturday, ending a journey that lasted almost five months.
The vessel set sail from Port Sultan Qaboos, Muscat, in February. “It is like a dream come true,” said Tom Vosmer, designer of the boat and Project Director while talking to reporters over the phone.
The American archaeologist was on board the Jewel of Muscat during its last leg from Malaysia to Singapore. “The crew went through different experiences, including an impending threat from a storm, but they did extremely well to sail Jewel of Muscat to Singapore,” he said.
Vosmer said the successful expedition had encouraged him to revive the Majan boat project. Majan, a replica of a vessel dating back to 2,500BC made of reeds and bitumen sails, was expected to make the journey from Sur, eastern Oman, to India’s western state of Gujarat but sank soon after setting sail.
“The success of Jewel of Muscat has in a way rekindled the hope for Majan but it is extremely difficult to get someone familiar with the boat-making skills of that era,” Vosmer said.
