A Syrian craftsman turns a fishing boat into a new sailing ship in Arwad Island

The people of Arwad Island in Tartous province have excelled in industry of marine ships and wooden boats since ancient times, as they inherited that profession from their Phoenician ancestors and used different kinds of woods. 

With high technology and accuracy mixed with modernity and heritage, Khaled Mohammed Hammoud, from the people of Arwad Island in Tartous Governorate, managed to turn a fishing boat into a sailing ship with special specifications to face various weather conditions.

This ancient craft that the people of Arwad Island inherited from their fathers and grandfathers, starting with learning small steps and moving in succession to the manufacture of the largest ships. This has represented a distinguished and special identity of the residents of Arwad Island for thousands of years who worked to develop it remarkably to form their message and passport from Syria to all the world.

Hammoud explained to SANA correspondent that the 19-meter – long  ship with a width of about 6 meters, is made of  the eucalyptus tree wood and characterized by being supported by three layers of durable fiber that gives it additional strength and durability. 

The ship differs  from traditional ships and marine boats in terms of external shape, durability, and the ability to be stable in the sea without vibration.

Hammoud pointed out that the ship was initially equipped to work outside the territorial waters as a fishing boat, but it is suitable for various uses of ships, whether for fishing, for transporting passengers or for freight, in addition to the possibility of converting it into a tourist yacht, stressing that it is equipped for sailing and anchoring in various ports of the world.

It took seven months to build the ship, during which he updated these modifications to make the ship, which he named (Khalid 1), with a weight of 70 tons and its ability to transport a load ranging between 150 and 200 tons, which formed a qualitative leap in the ship and boat industry comparable to international ship industries, according to Hammoud.

A member of the Council of Craftsmen Union in TartousMunzer Ramadan said, “ the craftsman’s new ship is a wealth  that summarized a long history in this industry which exceeds 1500 years.”

He called for benefiting from the technical expertise that is unique to shipbuilders, especially with the reduction in the number of workers in this field , which does not exceed 13 craftsmen, by providing them with all the facilities and support to keep this craft present and pass it on from one generation to the next. 

It is noteworthy that in 2008 Hammoud and his brothers built a sailing ship (Phoenicia) with its real specifications and dimensions, which took about eight months to build and docked in about 20 ports during a 26-month journey that set off from Arwad Island in Tartous to 16 countries and addressed a message of peace and cultural communication among the peoples of the world.

Rawaa  Ghanam