Jewel of Muscat
Videos, photos and information on the reconstruction of a 9th-century Arab ship, and its historic voyage from Oman to Singapore.
The Voyage - 2nd Leg
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The Indian Tourism Minister wishes the crew well on the next leg. -
Oman's Ambassador to India, and Oman's Military Attache wish Capt Saleh well. -
The Jewel's crew before their departure for Sri Lanka -
Enthusiastic crew members raise the mainsail to begin the voyage to Sri Lanka. -
A tired crew at breakfast. -
Tuanie Ismail from Sri Lanka has joined the crew -
Tuanie Ismail , Ayaz Al Zadjali and Eric Staples restitch a sail. -
Tuanie Ismail at the helm. -
Adam Al Baluchi, Hussein Al Raisi, and Captain Saleh help prepare dinner. -
Into the dinner pot! -
Any shade is precious when off duty. -
Ayaz Al Zadjali and Yahya Al Faraji work on a block. -
Pushpadas Elamassery builds a container for the kitchen. -
Geoffrey Dobbs and Ahmed Al Balushi at work with the sails. -
Adam Al Balushi multi-tasks at the helm. -
Preparing for rain. -
Ayaz Al Zadjali and Sajid Valappil tighten mast lashings. -
Hussein Al Raisi attaches more baggywrinkle to the stays. -
Ale Ghidoni and Ahmed Al Balushi repairing corroded connections on the solar panels. -
New crew member Geoffrey Dobbs. -
Happy Birthday Eric! -
Stormy weather ahead. -
As the storm hits the mainsail is lowered. -
Ahmed Al Balushi ties a loose section of sail. -
With sails down, the crew waits out the storm. -
Breakfast can get away from you on a sloping deck! -
One of several exhausted terns that rested on the ship after the storm. -
The morning after the storm. -
Fahad Al Shaibi reconnects a line. -
Lifting the mast reinforcement beam. -
Fitting the reinforcement beam - a delicate task. -
Tuanie Ismail, Ayaz Al Zadjali, Sajid Valappil and Captain Saleh working on the mast. -
The repair complete, Jewel sails on towards Sri Lanka. -
First Mate Khamis Al Hamdani directs a man-overboard drill. -
A rainy night. -
Fridays offer time to relax and talk. -
Genuine 9th century spaghetti! -
Sajid Valappil and Ale Ghidoni enjoy a game of chess during their rest day. -
Ahmed Al Balushi at the helm. -
When it rains -- get out the shampoo! -
First Mate Khamis Al Hamdani expertly throws a line to the Sri Lankan sailors. -
One of two Sri Lankan naval boats delivering gifts to the Jewel -
Adam Al Balushi enjoys cold mango juice delivered by the Sri Lankan Navy -
Tropical sunset. -
Sunrise near Sri Lanka -
Geoffrey Dobbs receives a crew member’s certificate from Captain Saleh. -
Tidying up food stores before arriving in port. -
Heavy shipping traffic off the Sri Lankan coast. -
Jewel arrives at her berth in Galle. -
Local dancers welcome the ship. -
The Jewel’s crew join the dancing. -
Local school children wave Omani flags in welcome. -
The crew sit with Omani and Sri Lankan dignitaries at the official welcome ceremony. -
HE Humaid Ali Al-Maani, Ambassador to India and Sri Lanka interviewed by the BBC. -
Looking forward to a shower - the happy Jewel crew. -
The Jewel support team. -
Lighthouse at the entrance to Galle harbour. -
The crew prepares the Jewel of Muscat for arrival in Galle. -
A large crowd waits to greet the ship -
Sri Lankan and Omani dignitaries watch as Jewel pulls up to the pier -
Captain Saleh presents an engraved block to Lt. Amila Abeywickrama of the Sri Lankan Navy. -
The Jewel of Muscat by Lt. Abeywickrama. -
Captain Saleh greets some of the four thousand visitors to the Jewel in Galle. -
Information boards help visitors to the Jewel of Muscat. -
The new palm leaf matting sails arrive in 40-foot tubes. -
The lighthouse in Galle - featured in Lt. Abeywickrama's drawing. -
Finding teak trees tall enough for the masts has been difficult. -
But now with permission obtained cutting can begin. -
Slowly the tree begins to fall. -
Then the 18-metre tree is lowered by rope. -
The first tree is safely down -
A second tree is prepared for felling. -
The tall, straight tree is ideal for a new mast. -
Now both trees must be transported 250km to Galle. -
Said Al Tarshi and Ayaz Al Zadjali measure the new sails made from palm leaf matting. -
Reinforced edging on the palm leaf matting sails. -
Crew members carry the heavy matting sails to the Jewel of Muscat. -
The crew raises the matting mizzen sail for the first time. -
Babu Sankanran carves an inscription into the stern beam. -
Adam Al Balushi and Ahmed Al Adawi unload empty water cans. -
Sajid Valappil and Ayaz Al Zadjali bind bamboo poles to make a new lower yard. -
Fahad Al Shaibi and Pushpadas Krishnan use bamboo to make a new sweep oar. -
Ahmed Al Balushi repairs a broken water pump. -
 in their open-air classroom.thumbnail.JPG "Young students from The Galle International School.")
Young students from The Galle International School. -
A tropical downpour -
Ahmed Al Balushi inspects a moderately venomous green whip snake held by conservationist & guide, Mr. Vishan -
Khamis Al Hamdani, Ahmed Al Balushi, Captain Saleh Al Jabri, Yayha Al Faraji and Vishan pause in the rainforest. -
Carnivorous pitcher plant. -
The lotus is Sri Lanka's national flower. -
Not too close . . . the highly venomous common cobra is native to Sri Lanka -
Students and teachers from the Thomas Gall International School visit Jewel. -
View from the ramparts of the Galle Fort -
Galle citizen Mr. Upasena points to the place on Davata beach where he was swept away by the tsunami. -
Davata fishermen bring in their boat. -
The refurbished main street in Galle. -
The trees for the masts are moved from the forest to the main road. -
Loading the trees on the truck to go to the saw mill. -
Unloading the logs at the saw mill. -
Loading one tree onto the milling machine. -
Shaping one mast begins. -
The machine speeds up the work -
One mast begins to take shape. -
Pushpadas Elamassery enjoys a fresh coconut break. -
Hand shaping of the masts begins. -
Tuanie Ismail works on the main mast. -
Destination Galle - the masts are loaded up for transport south. -
It’s a long drive to Galle but soon the masts will be fitted -
A great day's work from the whole team. -
Loading fresh water into the hold of the Jewel of Muscat. -
A crane unloads the new masts at Jewel’s berth. -
Babu Shankaran and Tom Vosmer working on the new masts. -
Ahmed Al Adawy makes sure a drifting sailboat doesn't collide with the Jewel. -
Drenched by rain, crew members work to pull the drifting sailboat away. -
The Al Khairat Mosque in Galle. -
Captain Saleh Al Jabri presents copies of the Holy Koran to the muezzin of the Al Khairat Mosque. -
Captain Saleh, Said Al Tarshi, and Ahmed Al Balushi with Koranic school students. -
Removing the main mast. -
The old main mast is lowered to the quayside -
It takes a tall crane to lift a 17-metre mast. -
Removing the mizzen mast. -
The old mizzen mast on the quayside. -
Tuanie Ismail and Mylei remove wiring from the old mast. -
All the Jewel’s fresh water must be loaded in jerry cans. -
Every jerry can must be filled by hand. -
Retd Commander Devendra with Governor Southern Province Mrs. Kumari Balasooriya & Geoffrey Dobbs at a farewell party for Jewel a -
Commodore Perera with Retd Commander Devendra at a farewell party for Jewel at Sun House -
Cultural Show at a farewell party for Jewel at Sun House -
Navy Band at a farewell party for Jewel at Sun House -
Navy Band at a farewell party for Jewel at Sun House -
Fireworks at a farewell party for Jewel at Sun House -
A gift from Saleh to Governor Southern province Mrs. Kumari Balasooriya a farewell party for Jewel at Sun House -
Preparing the Jewel the day before sailing. -
Preparing the Jewel the day before sailing
 in their open-air classroom.preview.JPG "Young students from The Galle International School.")
