Jewel of Muscat

Jewel of Muscat is now on show to the public in Singapore. Her new home, the Maritime Experiential Museum was formally opened today by distinguished representatives of Singapore and Oman.

Jewel of Muscat will go on show to the public on October 15th when the Maritime Experiential Museum & Aquarium opens at Resorts World Sentosa. Housed in an iconic hull shaped building, Jewel will be a key part of the exhibition exploring the Maritime Silk Route.

One year after her arrival in Singapore, Jewel of Muscat, a symbol of Oman’s proud maritime heritage, is preparing to hoist her sails again. The ship will go on show later this year at a new museum in Singapore. After her dramatic 5 month voyage to Singapore, Jewel of Muscat lives on in the hearts of all Omanis inspiring a new generation and helping to educate thousands about Oman’s great maritime traditions. The shipyard where Jewel, an accurate reconstruction of a 9th century Arab trading Dhow, was built is now busy building and restoring other traditional Omani ships.

Jewel of Muscat proved a big attraction at a National Geographic Exhibition in Muscat and Salalah. More than 72,000 people came to learn about Jewel in the show "From China to Arabia: Ancient Treasure Ships and the Great Oman Voyage." Discussions are underway to take the exhibition to new venues outside Oman and so spread the story of the Jewel and Oman's maritime heritage still wider.

The Jewel of Muscat features in a new National Geographic Exhibition which has opened at the Museum of the Land of Frankincense in Salalah, Oman. "From China to Arabia: Ancient Treasure Ships and the Great Oman Voyage" tells the story of the Jewel and of the ancient trade routes between the Arab world and the East.

A Gala dinner has been held to thank all those involved in the Jewel of Muscat project at the Diplomatic Club in Muscat.You can see photos of the event in the Final Leg gallery of the Photos section.

His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has awarded a Medal of Honour to Saleh Al Jabri, Captain of the Jewel of Muscat. The Medal comes in recognition of his leadership and achievement in sailing the hand sewn Omani ship from Muscat to Singapore.

Jewel of Muscat has been successfully lifted from the water in Singapore. A team from Bok Seng Logistics carried out the delicate lifting operation, raising Jewel into the air without the slightest creak, crack or evidence of distortion. She will now be cleaned and prepared for her installation in the Maritime Xperential Museum at Sentosa Resorts World.

Jewel of Muscat has berthed safely at her final destination - Keppel Bay Marina in the heart of Singapore. After a spectacular greeting including a salute from fireboats and dancing and singing by Omani and Singaporean groups the crew were welcomed by the President of Singapore H.E. S R Nathan and H.H. Sayyid Harib Bin Thuwainy Al-Said, representative of H.M. Sultan Qaboos Bin Said of the Sultanate of Oman. The highlight of the ceremony was the moment when Jewel was formally handed over to the people of Singapore as a gift from Oman. The celebrations are set to continue until late in the evening!

The crew of Jewel of Muscat have spent their last night on board. Early this afternoon Jewel will leave her anchorage in Singapore harbour to be towed into her final berth at the Marina at Keppel Bay. You can watch her spectacular arrival featuring fire boat salutes, dancing and singing from Labrador Park. At the Marina she will be met by the President of Singapore H.E. S R Nathan and H.H. Sayyid Harib Bin Thuwainy Al-Said, representative of H.M. Sultan Qaboos Bin Said of the Sultanate of Oman. At an official ceremony Capt Saleh Al Jabri will formally hand over Jewel to the people of Singapore as a gift from Oman.

Jewel of Muscat has entered Singapore waters. She is being towed to a safe anchorage in the harbour overnight before she enters the Marina at Keppel Bay tomorrow evening. She will be met by the President of Singapore H.E. S R Nathan and H.H. Sayyid Harib Bin Thuwainy Al-Said, representative of H.M. Sultan Qaboos Bin Said of the Sultanate of Oman

Jewel of Muscat is now on the last stretch into Singapore. To make sure unreliable winds and awkward currents do not delay her arrival she is being helped in with a tow. She will enter Singapore waters early tomorrow morning before berthing at the Marina at Keppel Bay on Saturday around 1700. You can watch her arrive to what promises to be a grand reception from Labrador Park.

Fairer winds of 5 to 6 knots are helping Jewel make better progress. She is now halfway through her final leg with about 100 miles to go to Singapore where she is due to arrive on Saturday. At 0600 GMT on Wednesday Jewel was making 1.5 knots and her position was 2° 02’ N 102° 20’ E.

Latest reports from the Jewel of Muscat show she is making only around 1 knot in light winds and tricky currents, despite a squall with 30 knot winds. At 0200 GMT on Tuesday Jewel’s position was 2° 37’ N 101° 30’ E.

Light winds and winds in the wrong direction are forcing Jewel of Muscat to tack to make even a little progress. But spirits are high as the crew looks forward to the final leg of her historic voyage. At 0400 GMT on Monday Jewel’s position was 2° 43’ N 101° 22’ E.

Jewel of Muscat has set sail from Port Klang on the final leg of her voyage to Singapore. She is expected to arrive in Singapore on July 3rd. During her passage through the most crowded parts of the straits of Malacca she will be anchoring up at nights to reduce the risk of a collision.

Jewel of Muscat is ready for her final leg sailing from Port Klang in Malaysia to Singapore. She is due to arrive in Singapore on July 3rd where she will be formally handed over as a gift from Oman to the people of Singapore.

Jewel of Muscat has arrived safely in Klang, Malaysia to complete the fourth leg of her voyage. The crew will now rest up for a few days before setting sail around June 27th for the last leg of her voyage to Singapore where she is expected to arrive on July 3rd.

Latest reports from Jewel put her outside Klang Harbour waiting for a tow to bring her into her berth. Light but steady winds have helped her make good time on this short leg. She will rest up for a few days before heading into her final destination Singapore around June 27th.

Jewel continues to make good progress on her short fourth leg through the Straits of Malacca. She is now only 36 miles from Klang having covered 50 miles in the last 24 hours. Winds from the West North West of around 5 knots have been carrying her along at an average speed of 1.5 knots. At this rate she should reach Klang on Monday.

Despite light winds Jewel is making steady progress towards Klang. In the last 24 hours she covered 75 miles at an average speed of 2.5 knots and still has around 90 miles to go to port. At 0330 GMT on Sunday Jewel’s position was 3° 45’ N 100° 36’ E.

Jewel of Muscat has set sail from Georgetown, Penang to start the fourth leg of her voyage to Singapore. First report has her making 5 knots on a course of 216. She will be sailing along the coast of Malaysia and is due to reach Klang near Malacca in about a week.

The crew of the Jewel of Muscat wishes Captain Saleh Al Jabri a very happy birthday! The crew are in their final stages of preparation for tomorrow’s departure from the port of Penang. The crew is excited as they are sailing ever closer to their final destination of Singapore.

Capt Saleh Al Jabri and the crew and support team of the Jewel of Muscat wish to send their condolences and sympathies to all those affected by Cyclone Phet which has hit Oman. “Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone back home,” says Capt Saleh. “ We are reassured by the knowledge that the authorities are moving swiftly and effectively to tackle the situation,” he adds. The crew have been keeping in touch with their families and home villages to reassure them that their loved ones and friends are safe and well.

The crew of the Jewel of Muscat are now resting in Georgetown, Penang after completing the third leg of their voyage from Oman to Singapore. After a reception by a local dance troop the crew were formally welcomed by Omani and Malaysian dignitaries. After taking on fresh supplies and routine maintenance Jewel is scheduled to sail on towards her final destination of Singapore around June 16th.

Jewel of Muscat has arrived safely in Georgetown, Penang at 4pm local time. Spirits are high and celebrations are continuing! The crew will now rest up up in Malaysia before heading south for the final two legs of the voyage to Singapore

The Jewel is scheduled to arrive in Penang to complete the third leg of her voyage early on Wednesday morning. At 2200 GMT on Tuesday June 1st her position was 5° 40’ N 100° 06’ E. Ongoing technical difficulties mean that the Route Map does not always display full data. Apologies.

Latest reports from Jewel indicate that amid wind and rain Jewel is in her final approach to Georgetown, Penang. At 1000 GMT on Tuesday June 1st her position was 5° 45’ N 99° 50’ E. Ongoing technical difficulties mean that the Route Map does not always display full data. Apologies.

Latest reports from Jewel show that she has less than 50 miles to go to reach Penang, having covered 57miles in the last 24 hours. At 1800 GMT on Monday May 31st she was making just under a knot on a course of 143. Her position was 6° 06’ N 99° 23’ E. Ongoing technical difficulties mean that the Route Map does not always display full data. Apologies.

Latest reports from Jewel say that she has come through two squalls safely. One with winds over 30 knots left a broken yardarm, but after repairs she was able to continue at a slow pace. Once the squalls had passed winds remained light. In the last 24 hours Jewel covered 42 miles and now has about 70 miles to go to Penang. At 1630 GMT on Sunday May 30th Jewel was making 0.4 knots on a course of 100. Her position was 6° 06’ N 99° 06’ E. Ongoing technical difficulties mean that the Route Map does not always display full data. Apologies.

Latest reports show that Jewel covered just 25 miles in the last 24 hours and still has around 100 miles to go to Penang. But at 1600 GMT on Saturday she was making 2.7 knots on a course of 110 raising hopes that the wind may be improving. Her position at that time was 6° 14’ N 98° 41’ E.

Light winds and strong, variable currents have slowed Jewel’s progress towards Penang to 1 to 2 knots. In the last 24 hours she covered just 36 miles and still has around 120 miles to go to port. At 0800 GMT on Friday Jewel’s position was 6° 04’ N 98° 08’ E.

Light winds and strong, variable currents have slowed Jewel’s progress towards Penang to 1 to 2 knots. In the last 24 hours she covered just 36 miles and still has around 120 miles to go to port. At 0800 GMT on Friday Jewel’s position was 6° 04’ N 98° 08’ E.

Jewel is making steady progress towards Penang – she covered 84 miles in the last 24 hours and has around 150 miles to go to. At 1600 GMT on Wednesday Jewel was making 1.4 knots on a course of 112. Her position was 6° 3’ N 97° 25’ E. Technical problems mean that the Route map does not always display a speed for Jewel. Apologies.

Westerly winds of around 20 knots are pushing Jewel onward towards Malaysia at a good pace. Jewel covered 110 miles in the last 24 hours and has about 250 miles to go to Georgetown, Penang. At 1230 GMT on Tuesday Jewel was making 3.9 knots on a course of 101. Her position was 6° 17’ N 96° 01’ E. Continuing technical difficulties mean the Route map does not always display a ship speed. Apologies.

Jewel sighted land the Great Nicobar Island at dawn on Monday. As she enters busy shipping lanes Jewel’s crew will be keeping careful watch from now on. At 1000 GMT on Monday Jewel was making 3.7 knots on a course of 060. Her position was 6° 34’ N 94° 08’ E. Continuing technical difficulties mean the Route map does not always display a ship speed. Apologies.

In quieter conditions Jewel is still making steady progress towards Malaysia and should reach the Southern Nicobar Islands sometime on Monday. At 0600 GMT on May 23rd she was making 4.5 knots on a course of 088 degrees. Her position was 6° 20’ N 92° 39’ E. Continuing technical difficulties mean the Route map does not always display a ship speed. Apologies.

With much lighter winds Jewel’s speed has dropped right back to around 2 knots. In the last 24 hours she covered just 57 miles putting her about 185 miles from the Southern Nicobar Islands. At 0800 GMT on May 22nd she was on a course of 069 degrees. Her position was 6° 22’ N 91° 27’ E. Continuing technical difficulties mean the Route map does not always display a ship speed. Apologies.

Jewel continues to make good progress through calmer seas with lighter winds of around 10 knots. At 0800 GMT on May 21st she was making 4.4 knots on a course of 069 degrees. Her position was 6° 12’ N 90° 27’ E. In the last 24 hour period Jewel covered 79 miles and is now about 200 miles from the southern Nicobar Islands.

Latest information from Jewel of Muscat shows her making 2.5 knots on a course of 079 degrees. Her position at 0800 GMT on May 20 was 5° 52’ N 89° 33’ E. Jewel reports that the strong winds of recent days winds have eased to 10 knots. In the last 24 hours Jewel covered 79 miles. Weather conditions sometimes prevent data coming back from the ship. This can make the Route Map malfunction. Apologies.

Latest information from Jewel of Muscat shows her making 5 knots on a course of 095 degrees. Her position at 0000 GMT on May 19 was 5° 49’ N 87° 25’ E. Jewel reports she has sailed through 4 rain squalls in the last 24 hours covering 151 nautical miles – a new record for the ship. The wind reached 42 knots and the ship’s maximum speed was 10 knots. Rough seas sometimes prevent data coming back from the ship. This can make the Route Map malfunction. Apologies.

Latest information from Jewel of Muscat shows her making 8 knots on a course of 052 degrees. Her position at 1430 GMT was 5° 44’ N 86° 125 E. Jewel reports she has sailed through 4 rain squalls in the last 24 hours covering 151 nautical miles – new record for the ship. The wind reached 42 knots and the ship’s maximum speed was 10 knots. Rough seas sometimes prevent data coming back from the ship. This can make the Route Map malfunction. Apologies.

Latest information from Jewel of Muscat shows her making 6.2 knots on a course of 093 degrees. Her position at 2100 GMT was 5° 41’ N 84° 39’ E. Jewel reports she has sailed through 5 rain squalls in the last 24 hours covering 129 nautical miles. The wind reached 42 knots and the ship’s maximum speed was 8.5 knots.

Latest information from the Jewel of Muscat shows Jewel making 4.9 knots on a course of 103 degrees. Her position at 0530 GMT on May 17th was 05°43'N 83°10'E. Rough seas interfering with data transmission mean the route map may not always be accurate.

Latest information from the Jewel of Muscat shows she is making 5 to 6 knots in South Westerly winds of 25 knots gusting to 30-35 knots. The ship reports many squalls, with heavy rain. One of the palm leaf matting sails has been damaged, but has been replaced with a canvas storm sail. Her position at 1300 GMT was 05°42'N 81°44'E.

Latest available information from Jewel of Muscat at 0030 GMT put her 20 miles off Dondra Head Lighthouse (The southern most point of Sri Lanka) on a bearing of 155 degrees. Her speed was reported as 4.5 knots and her course as 090 degrees out into the Bay of Bengal. Sea condition was reported as rough. The data feed from the ship is currently down so the route map is not working correctly. Apologies we are working to rectify this.

Jewel of Muscat set sail from Galle, Sri Lanka at 11.00 am local time today, to begin her voyage to George Town, Malaysia. The 19 crew were seen off by representatives of the Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Navy, together with the Navy band, and the Omani Ambassador (designate) to Sri Lanka amongst others. The voyage is expected to take around 3 weeks.

The new masts have now been fitted into the Jewel along with all the rigging. The ship is now ready to depart on Saturday May 15th but it is possible that the heavy rain currently falling in Sri Lanka might delay the departure.

After an intensive day's work the new masts are now ready to be fitted to the Jewel. All is in place for the two solid masts to be lowered into the ship on Thursday May 13th.

The new masts for the Jewel are now finished and ready to be installed in Jewel. The old masts have been removed and it is planned to install them on Wednesday May 12th. If all goes to plan, Jewel should be ready to leave on the next leg of her voyage at the weekend.

The new masts for the Jewel have now arrived in Galle. Work has begun on final shaping of the trees before they are fitted in around in a few days. Meanwhile the South West Monsoon has started to blow steadily which means Jewel will have fair winds when she sets sail for Malaysia around May 15th.

The first dates have been announced for the showing of the National Geographic documentary about the construction of the Jewel of Muscat. From May 23rd the film can be seen in the UK and Turkey with further showings in Germany in September and Africa and the Benelux countries in November. Full details will be posted on this website shortly.

After a long search crew members from the Jewel have found two huge trees to make new masts for the ship. The 18-metre trees have been felled north of Colombo and will be transported to Galle over the next few days.

Jewel of Muscat has arrived safely in Galle, Sri Lanka. She was towed in to her berth by the Sri Lankan Navy to receive a spectacular welcome from dignitaries with music and dancing. After nine days sailing through sometimes stormy weather the crew are tired, but all safe and well.

Very light winds have slowed Jewel’s progress, but she is expected to arrive in Galle with help from the Sri Lankan Navy early on Monday April 19th. Intermittent data from the ship unfortunately means that the route map is not always functioning correctly. Apologies – we are working to correct this. Latest available information on April 17 puts Jewel less than 60 miles West of Galle.

With favourable Westerly to South Westerly winds Jewel is making steady progress towards Sri Lanka . She is currently expected to arrive around April 19th, but much will depend on the winds and sea conditions.Intermittent data from the ship unfortunately mean that the route map is not always functioning correctly. At 1320 GMT on April 16 Jewel’s position was reported as Lat 5° 59.3049' Long 78° 17.2509'.

Jewel is sailing after repairs to her mast. She now has about 180 miles to go to Sri Lanka. At her current speed of 2 knots she’s expected to arrive on Monday 19th April – but everything depends on the wind. Intermittent data from the ship unfortunately mean that the route map is not always functioning correctly. Apologies – we are working to correct this. At 1320 GMT today Jewel’s position was reported as Lat 5° 59.3049' Long 78° 17.2509'

Jewel has come safely through a storm with fierce winds, but her masts came under heavy strain. In calm conditions and with sails down the crew are now checking both masts before proceeding further.

After a period of lighter winds and slower speeds Jewel was hit by a squall in the small hours when she touched 7.8 knots! Jewel is handling well with the mast repair showing no problems. She is now past the half way mark on her voyage to Sri Lanka. Apologies for the lack of information on the route map. We are having problems with an intermittent data feed from Jewel.

Good westerly winds are carrying Jewel towards Galle in Sri Lanka at good speeds of around 4 knots.

Steady winds from the North West are pushing Jewel along at 3 to 5 knots on her passage to Sri Lanka. She covered 86 miles in the last 24 period reported helping to keep morale high among a tired crew.

Jewel of Muscat is making excellent progress on her second leg to Sri Lanka with strong winds helping her make good speeds of up to 6 knots and more.

Jewel of Muscat has set sail for Sri Lanka on the second leg of her voyage to Singapore. She was towed out of Cochin in India around 12 noon local time.

Jewel of Muscat is preparing to leave Cochin for Galle in Sri Lanka. Once equipment and stores are on board she will set sail on Saturday April 10.

Jewel of Muscat has entered dry dock in Cochin for inspection and maintenance before she sets sail again for Sri Lanka around April 9th.

The Jewel of Muscat has arrived safely in Cochin. Escorted by ships from the Indian Navy and Coastguard she docked around 11am on Willingdon Island Quay. After an official greeting the crew danced for joy on the quayside.

Jewel of Muscat is ready to enter Cochin port. She will be arriving this morning around 10.00am. A spectacular water reception is planned before her crew step ashore for a well earned rest.

The winds have picked up but are now blowing in the wrong direction forcing Jewel down to a crawl as she approaches Cochin.

Jewel is creeping towards India in very light winds. She managed only 30 miles yesterday but the crew is in good spirits with Cochin now only 170 miles away.

Jewel is only 180 miles from Cochin and has turned East for the run into port. But weak winds blowing from very variable directions mean she is only progressing very slowly to her first port of call in India.

The strong winds have faded leaving Jewel edging towards Cochin much more slowly again. The forecast is for more variable winds.

The northerly winds are strengthening pushing Jewel ever closer to her first port of call in Cochin.

Jewel has now traveled more than 960 miles from Muscat and has around 500 to go. If the current winds hold up she could be in Cochin in a week’s time on Sunday March 14th.

The northerly winds are coming from the right direction, although they are not consistently strong, allowing the Jewel to make only 51 miles in the last 24 hours. She is expected in Cochin around March 12th, winds permitting.

The crew is feeling the heat as temperatures and humidity rise closer to the equator. The 620 miles left to Cochin could be made by the end of next week, but only if winds stay steady.

The Jewel is now about 150 miles from Indian territorial waters and making steady progress.

Steady winds (especially overnight) mean the Jewel is making good progress. In the last 24 hours she has covered 80 miles. At this rate Jewel could reach Cochin between March 10th and 12th, but it all depends on the winds.

More consistent winds are carrying the Jewel along well, helping her to cover good distances.

Steady northerly winds are carrying the Jewel along well. She has now covered more than 580 miles of the leg to Cochin with 820 miles to go.

Jewel has picked up a North Easterly breeze that is carrying it along nicely. The crew is relieved to be on the move again.

Stronger winds are helping the Jewel pick up speed, but the wind direction remains variable. An arrival date in India is still hard to predict.

Winds continue to be very light but they are now blowing from the right direction - North North East. Captain Saleh reports that crew morale is high.

Winds continue to be light and variable with the Jewel making about one third of wind-speed. Combined with the W to SW direction of the wind instead of the NE expected this makes for steady but slow progress.

The winds have eased off slightly, but the forecast is for stronger winds again today blowing from the West (267°). Jewel is now due East of Masirah having sailed about 500 miles from Muscat, about one third of her way to Cochin.

Recent data from the Jewel show that the winds have finally picked up to 15 knots and have turned to blow from West South West (240°). This is carrying the Jewel along at a good speed of 5 knots. For the very latest see Route section.

The sea is absolute glass today with barely a puff of breeze. Clouds are building up a bit in the SE though so crew hopeful that they can get moving by nightfall. The weather maps suggest favorable winds or 15-20 knots just east of Jewel’s current position.

Some rough swells today, but Jewel is heading east and the winds are improving with a shift from SSE to SSW expected shortly. The generator powering communications stopped working this morning, but after repairs it is functioning well again.

Jewel has been making good progress at nights, but during the day, poor winds or winds from the wrong direction have been slowing her. A four-hour watch system is in place and the crew is busy with drills and inspections. By day dolphins have been swimming alongside. By night the glowing sea and the brilliant stars are a spectacular sight.

After struggling with light winds yesterday Jewel made better headway overnight. The crew are in high spirits and settling in well. Even the ship’s goat is getting used to the rolling deck!

Jewel of Muscat has set sail on her epic 3,000 mile voyage to Singapore. She left Port Sultan Qaboos amid great celebrations and is now on the first stages of her journey to Cochin in India.

The Jewel of Muscat has now moved to Port Sultan Qaboos in Muscat ready for her departure on Tuesday at 12 noon. The Jewel is safely berthed for her last night in Oman before a spectacular send off tomorrow.

It’s now less than 24 hours until the Jewel of Muscat sets sail on her 3,000 mile voyage to Singapore at 12 noon on Tuesday. The crew spent Sunday with their families and will spend Monday on last minute preparations.

Jewel of Muscat is taking on stores at her berth. With only four days until she leaves on her voyage, last minute preparations are well advanced. Visitors are rushing to grab a last chance to look round her.

We started off under tow with a steering test – she responded well so we pushed on and hoisted the main sail.