Paul Frankowski, documenting working sail. 2

by · September 25, 2010


Paul Frankowski at the helm of a Felucca


Zanzibar Dhow in construction


Deck of Dhow


Dhow Mombasa


Dhow Rig



Fishing dhow red sea Hurgharda



Fishing dhow red sea Hurgharda


Sailing Shaui Zanzibar

Sailing outrigger Zanzibar


Name Nizva It looks this boat is expedition boat used by trench to make journey from Persian Gulf to med retracing legend of HENRY de MONFREID

Fishing harbour Hugharda


boat hugharda red sea


feluccas


Felucca
Nile barge called FELUCCA, nowadays hull made from steel, wooden rigging sails Egyptian cotton. Lateen sail in order to set, is raised by halyard along long spar, from point were mast is touching spar up to the top of the spar, spar is made from 3 parts permanently fixed to mast in upward position, boom can be raised upwards parallel to spar, in this method it is easy to reef and store sail, relatively big rudder, same Feluccas have centerboard which can be raised when boat is crossing shallows, to steer skipper have to use whole weight of his body, strong weather helm


detail of sails of Feluccas


Lateen riged boat Tunisia

Jahazi Tonga harbour

SAILING ON YAHAZI



Derelikt lambo perahu Sulawesi


on deck of lambo perahu Makasar

Align Center

mast base of Jangolan outrigger Lambok



Bhur on Ganges River

all images courtesy Paul Frankowski

I’ve written about Paul before, take a look. Paul is on a quest to document working sail as it is being used in various locales around the world. He doesn’t have a grant or a salary that pays him to do this. It’s his passion and he is funding the project out of pocket. Here’s what I wrote before, explaining his mission:

Born in Poland, he immigrated to the UK in 1995 after learning to sail on the Baltic in what he terms “the tough school sailing world of a communist regime,” where he was denied entry to foreign ports. He’s made his way by working as a builder and was inspired by Clifford Hawkins’ The Dhow, and the book and film of The Last Sailor, by Neil Hollander and Harald Mertes to document indigenous working sail, or as he puts it, cargo ships.

After a visit to the Mediterranean, where he experienced the local ciaques, he sailed to Tanzania and Zanzibar where he managed to sail on a Jahazi, an indigenous dhow, and reports “it was like to be back in Vasco da Gamma times (with) no radio, no life preservers and so on.” Next he went to Indonesia where he sailed a Lambo Perahus, a type of Günter sloop. Lately he’s been to the Bahamas to document the Haitian sloop – certainly a lot of adventures. There is also a photo of an Indian dhow on the Ganges, so I would assume… ?

Paul has also published two articles about these craft in Polish sailing magazines. His next research landfalls would be to Brazil to sail Saveiros and to Madagascar where there are still plenty of cargo schooners, Gaolettes and dhows. I am hoping for the best of luck for Paul and the book he’s writing on this subject.

This year he cruised his Moody 333 Perhau from the UK to Egypt, and documented Felucca. He sent me another parcel of photos, some from his latest trip, some from earlier journeys, many of which I am sharing with you. As I mentioned above, Paul has no funding beyond his own resources. I feel he is working on a very important project and would like to suggest that anyone who can help Paul with funding and believes in his project, step forward. Email me and I’ll connect you with Paul. You can work out the details together.

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