I can say, without fear of contradiction, that the Beverly Yacht Club in Marion is sadly lacking in the Dhow fleet. But, hey, send me a few Tanzanian Shillings (TzS) and you can fill that glaring void.
Captain and first mate rigging the sail
A hand-made Dhow takes one big sucker mango tree to adze out. Add the outriggers, lanteen-rigged patchwork canvas sail with obligatory holes and frayed edges. Mango pole for a mast and diagonal pole along the luff; mango pole and paddles when one is “up the creek”; mango stick for a tiller (extras encouraged). Remember to take a few obliquely sliced plastic bottles for bailing (see, nothing that we don’t have) and add some ropes (“lines” are not the lingua Franca). Two act as stays, which are flipped off during jibes and the main sheet which is flipped about the mast and thrown back to the captain. No blocks, just one hole in the mast pole. Efficient!
Zanzibar pleasure craft
Oh, a new one is 1,000,000 TzS and takes a month to carve out. Like that throwaway TzS? OK: about $625, shipping not included. Otto and I went out for a great $20 voyage and pronounce the experience fabulous. One must understand that the two guys sailing talk incessantly like Tuck and Jones speaking Swahili. Love it.
Otto at the till of the dhow
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