Dhow Design and Scratch Construction

[Keith RichardsonParticipant @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.

[Keith RichardsonParticipant @keithrichardson77867]

[David MeierParticipant @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.

[Paul TParticipant @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

[PierreParticipant @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

[Dr John BoothParticipant @drjohnbooth43899]

Hello Keith

 

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

 

John

[Keith RichardsonParticipant @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

[PierreParticipant @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

[Bob Abell 2Participant @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

 

 

[Colin BishopModerator @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

[Keith RichardsonParticipant @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

[neil hpParticipant @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.

[Keith RichardsonParticipant @keithrichardson77867]

Sorry Neil – I was not able to locate that ebay reference 200322636587.

Keith

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

I’Ve lost it now, too, Keith.

I think it must have been removed, for some reason. neil.

[Keith RichardsonParticipant @keithrichardson77867]

I have started a Construction Blog for the Dhow as a new thread here if anyone is interested.

Keith

[David MeierParticipant @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

[Keith RichardsonParticipant @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

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Keith

 

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

 

Bob

[Keith RichardsonParticipant @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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