A ₹10-crore luxury dhow, created by nearly 40 traditional carpenters and fitted with state-of-the-art amenities, is getting ready at Beypore for its maiden sailing in March.
Interior decoration is in full swing to enhance its splendour and meet the requirements of the Qatar-based buyer who expects to use it for business leisure trips.
The dhow, 140-ft long and 30-ft wide, can carry 40 persons at a time with all ultra-luxury facilities. It has 20 sleeping berths, a spacious kitchen, several bathrooms, storerooms, and a cabin. Binafa, the firm that built the dhow, says it is the culmination of a two-year endeavour. The 275-tonne vessel is the biggest ever dhow fully made and furnished in India.
“It can sail at a speed of eight to nine nautical miles an hour with the support of an 850HP Japan-made twin engine. This is the first work we fully completed from Beypore, including furnishing and engine fitting, under the leadership of chief carpenter Puzhakkara Ramesan,” says Abdul Gafoor, who heads Binafa Enterprises. An eight-member crew from Gujarat will be coming soon to take the dhow to Doha, which is 2,200 nautical miles away from Beypore.
Two units
Beypore now has two active units that build dhows, which are in high demand among affluent industrialists in Quatar. Binafa alone has crafted five dhows so far and four of them have already been purchased by Qatari businessmen. The use of high-quality native teak ensures the longevity of the dhows, which also display the high-end craftsmanship of Beypore carpenters.
Beypore’s fame for making quality dhows is known across the world, especially Arabian countries where businessmen are keen on making investments in luxury dhows to power their tourism business. The flat-bottomed Zambuk is the most-sought after piece of work in this ancient harbour area.
Sustainable income
Moreover, the business is providing a sustainable income for many traditional carpenter families in and around Beypore.
Mr. Gafoor says his workers have been busy with the dhow design since 2015. He points out that the dhow complies with all security parameters of a modern sailing boat, and that it has all modern safety paraphernalia. It will be personally handed over to the Qatari buyer who will be arriving in March.
