Maputo - The exclusive island getaway of Medjumbe Private Island in the Quirimbas Archipelago of Mozambique now boasts its very own custom made dhow.
The dhow has been specially hand crafted by a traditional dhow building family for the magnificent hotel, and now guests can experience and enjoy their own Mozambiquean adventure on water.
An intricate process, it took three months to build the dhow from start to finish, and it’s made from the wood of the Mangroves trees. The ribs are carefully found and chopped to match the shape of the inside of the dhow.
First a bamboo frame is built with the keel place in the centre and then the ribs are shaped correctly and nailed on. Next the sidepieces are carved and slotted in and nailed onto the ribs.
These need to fit in to each other carefully or there will be water leaks. The top of the sides or gunnels are then covered. Once this is done, an island expert will do the kalafati, which is a process of filling the gaps between the wood with cotton and fat to seal the dhow. After the kalafati, the inside floor is done and the dhow can be painted.
Finally the dhow is put in the water and the mast is installed. The sail needs to be custom made to fit the shape of the dhow.
This beautiful dhow will be used for sunset cruises for a magical Indian Ocean experience.
For all reservations enquiries, please contact Rani Resorts reservations by telephone on +27 11 658 0633 (Johannesburg Office) or +258 21 301 618 (Maputo Office) or by email at [email protected] or visit the Rani Resorts website on www.raniresorts.com.