Zanzibar Dhow | National Geographic

for centuries the winds of the Indian
Ocean have brought explorers and
merchants to the island of Zanzibar in
rough seas and monsoon weather one ship
has sustained trade and travel the Dow
at one hundred and fifty feet this is
the biggest Dow constructed on Zanzibar
for some time the Somali merchant who
commissioned it has waited four long
years to see it finished built without
plans or power tools even the wooden
hull is fastened together using the hard
air roots of mangrove trees instead of
nails but the final product is a sailing
ship tough enough to withstand the power
of the Indian Ocean and the force of
monsoon winds for as long as anyone can
remember
constant winds have buffeted the swahili
coast
the predictability of these wins made
international trade possible but it was
the ingenuity of the Dow’s design that
made it practical there are dozens of
different kinds of doubt from every
country bordering the Indian Ocean but
they all share one common teacher their
sail traditional European ships depended
on having the wind behind them but the
dowels adjustable sail could be turned
to catch the wind in any direction
Swahili sailors love the chance to
display their skills
now races are the perfect opportunity
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for the sailors of Zanzibar these
age-old ships continue to be at the
heart of a rich maritime tradition
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