Jewel of Muscat
Videos, photos and information on the reconstruction of a 9th-century Arab ship, and its historic voyage from Oman to Singapore.
Rope Experiments
The team carry out experiments on the rope to ensure that it will not rot away during the voyage.
They try different oils and solutions on the coir rope, leaving the rope samples submerged in sea water for 3 months. They then return to test the strength of the ropes to discover which solution will be best for stitching together the hull of the ship. Coir rope is a natural rope made from the fibre of coconut husks, and without treatment it is easily broken down by sea organisms. Initial results, however, seem to show that the ropes treated with oil are the weakest, suggesting that the oil actually attracts sea organisms to the rope.
4:05 mins
11th February 2008
View Materials Videos
Luca Belfioretti, Site Manager, goes to India on a search for the perfect tree for the ship's masts6.53
Tom Vosmer, Construction Director, travels to Ghana in search of trees for the ship's construction.05:21
Luca Belfioretti, Site Manager, explains what must be prepared before construction can begin.2:53
Tom Vosmer, Construction Director, explains what he hopes to glean from the process of this project.05:21
In 1998, a fisherman stumbled on a ship wreck containing what is now known as the Tang Treasures.04.58
An introduction to Qantab, where the ship is being built on one of its beaches.01:35
What makes the ship's construction unique is its lack of nails: the wood planks are, in fact, sewn together.2:16
The team carry out experiments on the rope to ensure that it will not rot away during the voyage.4:05
Before building the full-sized ship, a precise model is built to study its hydrodynamic behaviour.11:47