29 June 2010
MUSCAT: A gloriously bright and beautiful afternoon saw Jewel of Muscat slip away from its berth at the Royal Selangor Yacht Club to the cheers of hundreds of well-wishers. Since the Yacht Club is situated approximately twenty miles up the Klang river, the crew were towed through a labyrinth of anchored tankers and massive container ships into open water.
The crew reported from the Jewel: "As we expected from recent weather reports, the winds are moderate, variable, and generally south-easterly. In other words they are blowing in the wrong direction. This situation has required that we do a great deal of tacking back and forth from east to west in order to make any headway. A late night squall and persistently strong currents have also influenced our progress. It is now nearly 6pm, and after nearly twelve hours of laborious sailing, we are only ten miles from the point at which we first hoisted our sails last evening. But we continue to harness what winds we can and hope that we'll soon enjoy more favourable weather."
On this final leg from Port Klang to Singapore, the crew were joined by new crew members: Zakariya Al Saadi serves as counsellor in the secretary general's office in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In this capacity, he has been involved in Jewel of Muscat project since its inception in 2006 and has worked closely with his Singaporean counterparts to make the project a reality.
The Omani Ministry of Foreign Affairs generously funded the entire construction phase of the Jewel of Muscat and Zakariya Al Saadi, Sayyid Badr, the ministry's secretary general and ambassador Lyutha Al Mughairy have all been instrumental in bringing the project to life.
Their tireless support and encouragement have been vital to the success of the voyage thus far and it is encouraging that Zakariya is now also bringing his expertise on board and joining the crew for this last leg.
"It is a great honour to join the crew for this last leg and to be part of this historic voyage," said Zakariya on departure. "Having been involved in this project right from the start of construction, I have watched planks of wood been sewn together and metamorphosing into this majestic ship. To have this opportunity to see how our forefathers actually sailed, will be an incredible experience."
'Abu Saffina'
Dr Tom Vosmer is an archaeologist, maritime historian and renowned boat/ship builder. He has been involved in numerous archaeological surveys, excavations, and maritime projects in Oman since 1979. In 1980 he helped build the sewn-plank ship Sohar, then served on its crew during its successful voyage from Oman to China.
Dr Vosmer is also the construction director for Jewel of Muscat and is fondly referred to as 'Abu Saffina (Father of the Ship)' by the ship's crew. Asked to comment on his joining the crew for this final leg to Singapore, he stated, "It is exciting to be on board and to feel the movement of the sea beneath my feet again. It seems like yesterday that we first laid the keel for the Jewel of Muscat, and now she has crossed the Indian Ocean and is on the way to Singapore -- fabulous.
"Seeing this crew working so well together, and knowing what trials and hardships they have faced since leaving Muscat, I am filled with a deep respect for them. I also feel a profound sense of satisfaction that the efforts of so many people will soon be fulfilled when we enter the harbour in Singapore. I and everyone involved in this unique and special project will remember it always."
Ananda Kumar hails from Malaysia and has had a deep love of the sea since childhood. He earned his Master's degree in nautical studies in 1982 via a special programme sponsored by Neptune Orient Lines (NOL) in Singapore. After receiving his degree, he worked at NOL in Singapore for 17 years before joining Sea Consortium -- also in Singapore. In 2000, he finally returned to Malaysia to direct the Malaysian branch of Sea Consortium.
The company's primary activity is 'feedering' moving bulk cargo and containers from the smaller ports of Malaysia to those ports large enough to accommodate massive cargo ships capable of carrying 6,000 or more containers.
Kumar has been intimately involved in the logistics surrounding Jewel of Muscat's stay in Malaysia and, as an avid sailor with valuable experience in the Straits of Malacca, his knowledge will be particularly valuable during our voyage to Singapore.
The last few days of the journey can also be followed via the project's website www.jewelofmuscat.tv .
MUSCAT: A gloriously bright and beautiful afternoon saw Jewel of Muscat slip away from its berth at the Royal Selangor Yacht Club to the cheers of hundreds of well-wishers. Since the Yacht Club is situated approximately twenty miles up the Klang river, the crew were towed through a labyrinth of anchored tankers and massive container ships into open water.
The crew reported from the Jewel: "As we expected from recent weather reports, the winds are moderate, variable, and generally south-easterly. In other words they are blowing in the wrong direction. This situation has required that we do a great deal of tacking back and forth from east to west in order to make any headway. A late night squall and persistently strong currents have also influenced our progress. It is now nearly 6pm, and after nearly twelve hours of laborious sailing, we are only ten miles from the point at which we first hoisted our sails last evening. But we continue to harness what winds we can and hope that we'll soon enjoy more favourable weather."
On this final leg from Port Klang to Singapore, the crew were joined by new crew members: Zakariya Al Saadi serves as counsellor in the secretary general's office in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In this capacity, he has been involved in Jewel of Muscat project since its inception in 2006 and has worked closely with his Singaporean counterparts to make the project a reality.
The Omani Ministry of Foreign Affairs generously funded the entire construction phase of the Jewel of Muscat and Zakariya Al Saadi, Sayyid Badr, the ministry's secretary general and ambassador Lyutha Al Mughairy have all been instrumental in bringing the project to life.
Their tireless support and encouragement have been vital to the success of the voyage thus far and it is encouraging that Zakariya is now also bringing his expertise on board and joining the crew for this last leg.
"It is a great honour to join the crew for this last leg and to be part of this historic voyage," said Zakariya on departure. "Having been involved in this project right from the start of construction, I have watched planks of wood been sewn together and metamorphosing into this majestic ship. To have this opportunity to see how our forefathers actually sailed, will be an incredible experience."
'Abu Saffina'
Dr Tom Vosmer is an archaeologist, maritime historian and renowned boat/ship builder. He has been involved in numerous archaeological surveys, excavations, and maritime projects in Oman since 1979. In 1980 he helped build the sewn-plank ship Sohar, then served on its crew during its successful voyage from Oman to China.
Dr Vosmer is also the construction director for Jewel of Muscat and is fondly referred to as 'Abu Saffina (Father of the Ship)' by the ship's crew. Asked to comment on his joining the crew for this final leg to Singapore, he stated, "It is exciting to be on board and to feel the movement of the sea beneath my feet again. It seems like yesterday that we first laid the keel for the Jewel of Muscat, and now she has crossed the Indian Ocean and is on the way to Singapore -- fabulous.
"Seeing this crew working so well together, and knowing what trials and hardships they have faced since leaving Muscat, I am filled with a deep respect for them. I also feel a profound sense of satisfaction that the efforts of so many people will soon be fulfilled when we enter the harbour in Singapore. I and everyone involved in this unique and special project will remember it always."
Ananda Kumar hails from Malaysia and has had a deep love of the sea since childhood. He earned his Master's degree in nautical studies in 1982 via a special programme sponsored by Neptune Orient Lines (NOL) in Singapore. After receiving his degree, he worked at NOL in Singapore for 17 years before joining Sea Consortium -- also in Singapore. In 2000, he finally returned to Malaysia to direct the Malaysian branch of Sea Consortium.
The company's primary activity is 'feedering' moving bulk cargo and containers from the smaller ports of Malaysia to those ports large enough to accommodate massive cargo ships capable of carrying 6,000 or more containers.
Kumar has been intimately involved in the logistics surrounding Jewel of Muscat's stay in Malaysia and, as an avid sailor with valuable experience in the Straits of Malacca, his knowledge will be particularly valuable during our voyage to Singapore.
The last few days of the journey can also be followed via the project's website www.jewelofmuscat.tv .
© Times of Oman 2010
