Dhow Design and Scratch Construction

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Dhow Design and Scratch Construction

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Viewing 19 posts - 1 through 19 (of 19 total)

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11 March 2009 at 01:26 #19268
Keith Richardson
Participant
@keithrichardson77867
Hello All!

I have researched, designed and am building a wooden dhow for sail, RC & electric motor about 1 metre long.

Would like to hear from anyone else who is working on a dhow project?

I felt like trying something ‘different’, and it sure is (for me!).

Cheers, Keith.
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11 March 2009 at 01:26 #3316
Keith Richardson
Participant
@keithrichardson77867
11 March 2009 at 06:26 #19269
David Meier
Participant
@davidmeier28154
Hi Keith. Would you post some progress pictures with a bit of commentary as you go along? I would be very interested, dhows fascinate me.

Cheers.

David.
11 March 2009 at 07:00 #19271
Paul T
Participant
@pault84577
Keith

What a great subject for a model, and a decent sized one aswell. Can’t wait to see photos of the build.

Paul
12 March 2009 at 18:36 #19324
Pierre
Participant
@pierre
Keith

I can only echo david and paul – great subject for a model. I’m always looking for something unusual and a dhow certainly qualifies! Have tentatively started researching outrigger canoes and proas. I’ve always been fascinated by the fact that when these tack. the stern becomes the bow!

Would love to see any pictures or photos of your build!

Pierre
13 March 2009 at 22:09 #19352
Dr John Booth
Participant
@drjohnbooth43899
Hello Keith

Will you be using Middle Eastern indigenous timbers to build your dhow?

John
14 March 2009 at 02:34 #19355
Keith Richardson
Participant
@keithrichardson77867
David, Paul, Pierre and John.

Thank you for your replies. I am collecting my thoughts to share, and will do so soonish.

The more I have researched dhows, the more unusual they are being revealed to be – such an incredible array of variations, yet with a suffciient number of commonalities to qualify for the ‘dhow title’.

Wood I will be using – balsa (ease of supply, and years of experience with this most variable timber – I am being quite selective), and pine (once again availability). Authenticity of design is less important in this one, largely because there are so many variations out there in the real dhow world.

I want this to be a working model, so it must be sufficiently strong and robust to accept bumps and knocks, and be adjustable as I experiment with rig and the trauma of going about – totally different to what I have experienced, but must be able to do it under RC.

The keels seem to be shallow (to do with where they were designed to operate) and hulls deeply and broadly rounded so with suitable ballast they should be stable (hopefully!)

Regards, Keith
14 March 2009 at 09:13 #19359
Pierre
Participant
@pierre
Hello Keith

I’ve just remembered I have an old plan from Model Maker Plans Service for a Barbary Pirate Xebec called Sea Hawk. It comes with an eight page booklet by the builder (R.J. Collins). Although he built it as a static model the booklet is full of useful info about colour schemes, rigging details etc. Although a xebec is not exactly a dhow there are many similarities – its a fast, armoured dhow basically.

If you like I could post you the plan if you supply me wwith your postal address. As I’ve had this plan since the seventies, I know I’m not going to use it, and it would be nice to think it went to a good home!

Cheers – Pierre
14 March 2009 at 09:39 #19361
Bob Abell 2
Participant
@bobabell2
I found this static model of a Dhow in a pottery shop in North Wales……never seen such a model before or since!

Bob
14 March 2009 at 10:04 #19362
Colin Bishop
Moderator
@colinbishop34627
With the combination of shallow draught and substantial sail area you will be relying on hull form for stability – and it may not be enough! It might be wise to at least make provision for an external false keel to be fitted when sailing.

Colin
16 March 2009 at 01:00 #19401
Keith Richardson
Participant
@keithrichardson77867
Thank you for your contributions Pierre, Bob & Colin.

Pierre – I have sent you a private message thank you.

Bob – what a lovely model. The sails appear to be lateen rather than settee which is interesting. Most of the settee sails I have discovered on dhows from India, Arabia and East Africa have a luff at the forward end, rather than the point of the triangle of the lateen style. One of the reasons for this seems to be ease of swapping the yard from port to starboard depending on the tack at the time. More on this later on in my blog.

Colin – what attachment method do you recommend for a false keel? Any suggestions would be most appreciated on this topic.

Keith
21 March 2009 at 16:03 #19592
neil hp
Participant
@neilhp
Item number: 200322636587

i’m not to well up on old sailing vessels, but is the varnished vessel within this sale on ebay an arab dhow.

‘scuse my ignorance if it’s not,

neil.
21 March 2009 at 23:29 #19605
Keith Richardson
Participant
@keithrichardson77867
Sorry Neil – I was not able to locate that ebay reference 200322636587.

Keith
23 March 2009 at 08:26 #19629
neil hp
Participant
@neilhp
I’Ve lost it now, too, Keith.

I think it must have been removed, for some reason. neil.
23 March 2009 at 09:30 #19634
Keith Richardson
Participant
@keithrichardson77867
I have started a Construction Blog for the Dhow as a new thread here if anyone is interested.

Keith
4 April 2009 at 09:17 #19925
David Meier
Participant
@davidmeier28154
Hi.

It is a bit late for this thread, but in case anyone is interested here is a link to a website of free plans with a plan of a Dhow. It is the fourth plan from the top called (Dhow de cabotaje del mar Rojo).

http://www.modelismonaval.com/servicios/descarga/descarga_planos.htm

You will have to use a Spanish translator like babelfish.yahoo.com/translate_txt to get any sense from the text.

Hope this is useful to someone.

Cheers.

David.

PS. I have just noticed that there is a plan of a Chinese Junk on the same site .It is the 2nd one from the top. There are some good sketches showing detail which would be very helpful in making an authentic model.

Edited By David Meier on 04/04/2009 09:33:26
6 April 2009 at 01:57 #19961
Keith Richardson
Participant
@keithrichardson77867
Thank you David – never too late when one is working in such a sparcely researched area!

What a great website – especially if you are Spanish speaking, I guess, but being able to translate with babelfish should help.

I appreciate your thoughtfulness in putting the link here.

Regards, Keith
6 April 2009 at 08:09 #19963
Bob Abell 2
Participant
@bobabell2
Keith

It`s about time we had a work in progress picture?

Bob
6 April 2009 at 23:34 #19977
Keith Richardson
Participant
@keithrichardson77867
You’re right, Bob!

However, any time I have free (apart from grandchildren duties) at the moment is spent on RC research and control decisions I am making. Soon, though….
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