T

he dhow is a type of boat with two or three

masts and rigged with lateen sails. For centuries,
these boats have plied their trade in the Persian
Gulf and the Oman Sea and further afield in Malaysia
and Zanzibar. Until the 1960s, dhows regularly sailed
between the Persian Gulf and East Africa with cargos
of spices and timber. Today, dhows continue trading
and are still hand-built in Zanzibar.

TECHNICAL DATA:

The Sultan Dhow

Model no: 22165
Degree of difficulty:
Length: 470mm (18 16/32in)
Height: 420mm (16 18/32in)
Beam: 125mm (4 3/4in)
Scale: 1:60

Not suitable for children under 14 years of age. Model for collectors only.
 DHOWS

1 THE SULTAN DHOW

Dhows have been plying the seas for two millennia or more. Their size,
shape and construction methods have varied through the centuries and
between various countries. The basic principle of a wooden sailboat with
lateen sails a shape developed by the Arabs is still used today in the
Red Sea and the Persian Gulf, and in the Indian Ocean, from the north of
Madagascar to the Bay of Bengal.

M
ost dhows sail mainly in
coastal waters, but larger
versions are capable of long,
deep-sea voyages, during which
sailors once navigated with the kamal,
a simple instrument for determining
latitude with a surprising degree of
accuracy. Smaller dhows are also used
on great rivers, such as the Nile.
Dhows have always been used for
peaceful purposes, rather than as
fighting ships. They are typically used
to transport people and goods and
in the past, in the heyday of the Arab
slave trade, people as goods. They
DeAgostini
make excellent fishing boats, and are
used as bases for pearl divers.
Sailing on the monsoon winds
Until the mid-20th century, dhows
would sail south on the monsoon
winds of late winter from Kuwait,
Oman and other Arab states, taking
dates, salt fish and other goods to
East Africa. They would return to
Arabia a few months later, laden with
timber, cloves and other goods, when
the winds changed in their favour.
These dhows had crews of about a
dozen, and displaced 300500 tonnes.
Similar boats can be found on these
routes today, although they are
usually fitted with auxiliary engines.
A typical dhow has two masts,
with a mainsail considerably bigger
than the mizzensail, and a long, thin
wooden hull with a sharp, upward-
pointing bow. The traditional method
for making a dhow, known as shell-
building, was different from that
employed in Europe, where
shipwrights first built the framework
of the hull, then fixed planks to the
Below: Dhows have been a familiar sight in
coastal waters of Arabia for millennia.
 2 THE SULTAN DHOW
Above: Dhows continue to provide
a cheap, reliable form of transport
in Arab waters.

The battil is a double-ended dhow,

Above: A boum in Bandar Kong, a port town of Iran by the Persian Gulf. Boums were
sailships until the 1960s when most were converted to diesel power like this one.
ribbing. In shell-building, by contrast,
the outer skin of the hull is built up
from the base.
In the case of the earliest dhows,
this was a simple dugout. Thin teak
planks were sewn to the side of this
to build up a hull. Over the centuries,
a keel replaced the dugout, but the
basic technique, in which the
shipwright created a vessel one plank
at a time, remained unaltered. One
advantage of this technique was its
adaptability. Changes could easily be
made during the process of
construction, simply by adding more
planks, altering their shape, or
attaching them at a different angle.
After European ships first the
carracks and caravels of the
Portuguese, and then galleons began
to appear in the Indian Ocean in the
16th century, the dhow-builders
began to nail the planks together
rather than sew them, but shell-
building continued to be the favoured
method.
Several types of dhow evolved
over the centuries to suit different
purposes. They are all characterized
by size and by the shapes of their
hulls. The baghlah, which is now no
longer built, was made for deep-sea
sailing, for example, and carried a
comparatively large crew of 30 or
more. It featured a flat, squared-off
stern, called a transom with five
windows, and a high poop deck which
was reminiscent of those seen on
the grand European galleons of the
16th century.
Decorated dhows
The ghanjah was another large,
ocean-going dhow with an up-curving
stem the timber at the front of the
boat and a sloping transom, which
was usually highly decorated with
often ornate carvings.
with a long stem post, which ends in a
large, clubbed finial, and a stern post,
which owners often decorate with
pieces of worked leather and shells,
particularly cowries.
Sailing in calmer waters
The badan, a smaller double-ended
dhow with a shallower draught, was
intended to be sailed in coastal waters
and on rivers. It was similar to the
felucca, made for the protected
waters of the eastern Mediterranean
and the Red Sea. They can safely be
crewed by two or three people, and
are still in use today on the Nile,
ferrying up to a dozen people (and
often livestock) across or up and
down the river just as they have
done for centuries.
The dhow trade routes from
Arabia to India and East Africa
represent the most long-lasting
tradition of commercial seafaring
in world history.

THE KAMAL
This navigational device was first used by Arabs in the
9th century. A piece of cord, with knots at fixed
intervals, is threaded through a hole in the centre of a
wooden rectangle. One end of the cord is held in the
teeth and the other at arms length. The user sights the
lower edge of the rectangle against the horizon, and the
upper to just occlude Polaris. The dhows latitude is
measured by counting the knots between the teeth and
the wood. Kamals were not used outside the Tropics, as
Polaris is too high in the north and sometimes below the
horizon in the south.
Peter Ifland, author of Taking the Stars: Celestial Navigation from Argonauts to Astronauts

GENERAL TIPS
ATTENTION! Assemble under adult supervision. Unsuitable for children under 14. To
assemble this model we recommend that you follow the step-by-step guide.
1 4
1. Follow all assembly steps CAREFULLY.
Take all the time you need. First look at the
photos and read all the documentation included
in the kit, as it will help you assemble the
model correctly:
Parts list with Dimensions and Materials.
Cut Sheet with precision-cut numbered parts.
These instructions.
2 This glue can be applied with either a brush or
2. To remove the wood pieces (see Cut
Sheets), carefully cut the tiny strands joining
them to the sheet. Use the Cut Sheets to
identify fully the precision-cut parts.
After removing the parts from the sheets to
use them during assembly, carefully sand them
before gluing in place.
Given the nature and origin of the wood,
there may be slight differences in the tone
or colour of some material.
3 dampen them in water for greater flexibility.
3. To cut to size and identify the parts which
are not prefabricated, look at the parts list
where you will find:
Part number.
Part description.
Number of same parts to be cut and used
in the model.
Part dimensions (thickness, width, length,
in that order).
Material used to make the parts (subject to
modification by prior notification.
4. To ensure the perfect adjustment of cast
metal parts, go over the edges with a small
file before fitting to eliminate possible burrs
and impurities.
5 This is also known as carpenters glue or PVA.
5. To give a more authentic appearance to
the ships sails, dye them in some tea. When
completely dry, add them to the ship without
ironing them.
6 them correctly.
6. For parts that need bending or curving,
You can also use a tool called a bending press,
which is highly useful during assembly.
7 1. Apply a first coat and allow to dry.
7. Before mounting the pulley blocks or dead-
eyes, it is best to enlarge the holes with a
0.75mm diameter drill.
1 THE SULTAN DHOW: LIST OF PARTS
8
GLUES
Apply glue sparingly and in strict accordance
with the manufacturers instructions. There are
three types of glues that can be used to
assemble the model.
White glue
It can be applied directly or with a brush to
one of the parts to be glued. Clean off any
excess glue immediately after joining the
parts to avoid staining when fully dry.
Contact glue
a flat spatula. Apply a thin coat to both surfaces
to be joined. Before joining the parts, leave for
approximately five minutes. After joining the
parts, apply light pressure and remove any
excess glue.
Quick-drying glue
Apply a tiny amount directly to the point where
the parts are to be joined. It is very important
that the parts are correctly positioned as you
will not be able to move the parts again to set
PUTTIES
Use regular stopping putty for wood. Read the
manufacturers instructions carefully!
Applying putty
To fill holes or cracks in the ships hull, apply
the putty with a flat spatula. Allow to dry and
softly sand the entire surface of the hull to level
off the putty.
VARNISHES
Use clear (not coloured) stopping varnish. Read
the manufacturers instructions carefully!
Applying varnish
Use a brush to apply varnish to wood. Sand
the surface and thoroughly clean the part
before varnishing. Varnish as follows:
2. When dry, sand and clean the part.
3. Repeat Steps 1 and 2.
4. Apply a third coat and allow to dry.
5. When dry, polish the part using steel wool.
PAINTS
Use acrylic (water-based) paints. Read the
manufacturers instructions carefully!
Applying paint
Use a paintbrush. Sand the surface and clean the
part thoroughly before painting. Paint in the
following order.
1. Apply a coat of varnish to prepare the
surface to be painted. Allow the part to dry.
2. When dry, sand and clean the part.
3. Apply a first coat of paint and allow to dry.
4. When dry, apply a second coat of paint.

LIST OF PARTS
Required extra tools and accessories:
White glue (item 27601)
Quick-drying glue (item 27611)
Hand drill (item 27018)
Varnish 200cc pot (item 27621)
Cutter no.1
Sandpapers medium grain (240)
2 THE SULTAN DHOW: LIST OF PARTS
Sandpapers (cont) very fine grain (1000)
All tools and Recommended extra tools and accessories:
materials are Hammer (item 27017)
Plank bender (item 27024)
available from Mini clamps (item 27029)
www.model-space.co.uk Saw (item 27042)
Thread scissors (item 27060)

Ref: Description Amount Dimensions (mm) Material

1 Vertical keel 1 Pref 4 Plywood
2-13 Frames 12 Pref 4 Plywood
14 Stern strengtheners 2 Pref 4 Plywood
15 Bow strengtheners 2 Pref 4 Plywood
16 Main deck 1 Pref 1.5 Plywood
17 Nails 500 10mm Brass
18 Stern deck 1 Pref 1.5 Plywood
19 Stern bulkhead 1 Pref 1.5 Plywood
20 Bow deck 1 Pref 1.5 Plywood
21 Small central deck 1 Pref 1.5 Plywood
22 Plates on first plating 38 1.5x5x400 Basswood
23 Stern 1 Pref 4 Sapele
24 Keel 1 4x6x250 Sapele
25 Sternpost 1 Pref 4 Sapele
26 Clear strakes on second plating 20 0.6x5x400 Basswood
27 Dark strakes on second plating 34 0.6x5x400 Sapele
28 Wide rubbing strake 2/2 2x3x12/400 Walnut
29 Narrow rubbing strake 2/2 2x2x16/400 Walnut
30 Deck plate 14/26/22/22 1x4x55/275/14/85 Basswood
31 Central interior ends 2 1.5x1.5x250 Sapele
32 Vertical interior ends on stern 2 1.5x1.5x11 Sapele
33 Interior ends on stern 2 1.5x1.5x90 Sapele
34 Transverse ends on stern 2 1.5x1.5x93 Sapele
35 Interior ends on bow 2 1.5x1.5x60 Sapele
36 Transverse first end on bow 1 1.5x1.5x9 Sapele
37 Transverse second end on bow 1 1x5x60 Sapele
38 Stranchions on bulwarks 8/4/24 1.5x3x5/14/12 Sapele
39 Lower lengthwise frames in the gap on the main deck 2 1.5x3x17 Walnut
40 Lower transverse frames in the gap on the main deck 2 1.5x3x12 Walnut
41 Upper lengthwise frames in the gap on the main deck 2 1.5x3x23 Walnut
42 Upper transverse frames in the gap on the main deck 2 1.5x3x12 Walnut
43 Central side gunwale covers 2 1.5x3x184 Walnut
44 Side gunwale covers on bow 2 1.5x3x108 Walnut
45 Side gunwale covers on stern 2 1.5x3x100 Walnut
46 Gunwale cover on stern 1 1.5x6x44 Walnut
47 Stanchion strengtheners 2 1.5x1.5x218 Sapele
48 Rudder blade 1 Pref 4 Sapele
49 Small hinges on rudder 4 Pref 2 Brass strapping
50 Large hinges on rudder 2 Pref 2 Brass strapping
51 Side embellishments on stern 20 Pref 2 Walnut
52 Side mid-embellishments on stern 2 Pref 2 Walnut
53 Rudder tiller 1 Pref 4 Sapele
54 Side walls on the rails 2 1.5x6x98 Sapele
55 Handrails 4/1 1.5x3x98/43 Walnut
56 Side columns on the rails 18 2x3x8 Walnut
57 Long pillars on the canopy 2 3x3x50 Sapele
58 Short pillars on the canopy 4 3x3x40 Sapele
59 First beam on the canopy 1 2x3x124 Sapele
60 Second beam on the canopy 1 2x3x84 Sapele
61 Third beam on the canopy 1 2x3x54 Sapele
62 Lashing on ladders 24 Diam 0.15x20 Cotton thread
63 Mast hole for mizzenmast 1 Pref 4 Sapele
64 Sides on ladders 6 1.5x1.5x26 Sapele
65 Steps on ladders 12 1.5x1.5x12 Sapele
66 Top of stern rail 1 1.5x3x66 Sapele
67 Tops of bow rail 2 1.5x3x30 Sapele
68 Columns for the bow and stern rails 13 3x3x6 Sapele
69 Exterior lengthwise frames for the load hatch 2 2x3x30 Sapele
70 Exterior transverse frames for the load hatch 2 2x3x34 Sapele
71 Interior lengthwise frames for the load hatch 2 1.5x1.5x30 Sapele
72 Interior transverse frames for the load hatch 2 1.5x1.5x27 Sapele
73 Covers for the load hatch 10 1.5x3x31 Walnut
Ref: Description Amount Dimensions (mm) Material
74 Eyebolts 28 Pref 7 Brass

3 THE SULTAN DHOW: LIST OF PARTS

75 Rings 3 Pref Diam 2 Brass wire
76 Bow pillars 2 3x3x27 Sapele
77 Bow beams 1 3x3x72 Sapele
78 Lashings for bow pillars 2 Diam 0.25x60 Cotton thread
79 Double upper lengthwise frames for the gap in main deck 2 3x3x29 Sapele
80 Double upper transverse frames for the gap in main deck 2 3x3x18 Sapele
81 Lengthwise frames for central hatch 2 3x3x88 Sapele
82 First transverse frame of the central hatch 1 3x3x29 Sapele
83 Second transverse frame of the central hatch 1 3x3x38 Sapele
84 Exterior lengthwise ends of central hatches 2 1.5x1.5x110 Walnut
85 Exterior transverse ends of central hatches 1 1.5x1.5x24 Walnut
86 First interior lengthwise ends of central hatch 2 1.5x1.5x33 Walnut
87 Second interior lengthwise ends of central hatch 2 1.5x1.5x25 Walnut
88 Third interior lengthwise ends of central hatch 2 1.5x1.5x23 Walnut
89 First interior transverse end of central hatch 1 1.5x1.5x18 Walnut
90 Second interior transverse ends of central hatch 2 1.5x1.5x29 Walnut
91 Third interior transverse ends of central hatch 2 1.5x1.5x38 Walnut
92 Covers of central hatches 9/13 1.5x3x33/25 Walnut
93 Lengthwise strengtheners of bracket for main mast rigging 2 1.5x3x23 Walnut
94 Transverse strengtheners of bracket for main mast rigging 2 1.5x3x4 Walnut
95 Bracket for rigging on mainmast 1 Pref 4 Sapele
96 Bracket for rigging on mizzenmast 1 Pref 4 Sapele
97 Upper frames on central hatches 1/1/1 1.5x1.5x23/34/43 Walnut
98 Lengthwise strengtheners of bracket for mizzen rigging 2 1.5x1.5x22 Walnut
99 Transverse strengtheners of bracket for mizzen rigging 2 1.5x1.5x4 Walnut
100 Medium-sized diam 12mm barrels 6 Pref Diam 12x14 Walnut
101 Large-sized diam 18mm barrels 2 Pref Diam 18x17 Boxwood
102 Brackets for medium-sized barrels 6 2x4x29 Basswood
103 Raw fine thread 1 Diam 0.15x18000 Cotton thread
104 Lengthwise battens for wooden chest 6 2x3x26 Basswood
105 Transverse battens for wooden chest 6 2x3x18 Basswood
106 Flooring battens for wooden chest 6 2x3x22 Basswood
107 Exterior vertical strengtheners for wooden chest 4 2x3x12 Basswood
108 Interior vertical strengtheners for wooden chest 4 1.5x1.5x10 Walnut
109 Flooring strengthener for wooden chest 1 2x3x18 Basswood
110 Battens for chest cover 7 1.5x3x46 Sapele
111 Lengthwise lateral battens for chest 12 1.5x3x44 Sapele
112 Transverse lateral battens for chest 12 1.5x3x17 Sapele
113 Battens for chest flooring 6 1.5x3x41 Sapele
114 Hinges and lock for chest 4 Pref 3x15 Brass strapping
115 Chest handles 2 Diam 0.25x20 Cotton thread
116 Small diam 8mm barrels 3 Pref Diam 8x11 Walnut
117 Anchor davits 2 Diam 3x60 Sapele
118 Brackets for anchor davits 2 3x3x18 Sapele
119 Anchor body 1 Pref Cast in metal
120 Anchor arms 1 Pref Cast in metal
121 Anchor rope 1 Diam 0.25x250 Cotton thread
122 Buckets handles 5 Diam 0.8x15 Brass wire
123 Buckets 5 Pref Diam 8 Boxwood
124 Base for amphoras 1 Pref 2 Sapele
125 Lengthwise frames for amphora base 2 1.5x3x30 Sapele
126 Transverse frames for amphora base 2 1.5x3x27 Sapele
127 Brackets for amphora base 4 3x3x14 Sapele
128 Amphoras 4 Pref Diam 10 Boxwood
129 Coils of rope 2 Diam 0.25x200 Cotton thread
130 Bowsprit 1 Diam 5x150 Sapele
131 Bowsprit support 1 Pref 2 Sapele
132 Bowsprit brackets 2 Diam 3x15 Sapele
133 Strengthener for bowsprit brackets 1 Diam 0.8x12 Brass wire
134 Bowsprit lashing 2 Diam 0.25x100 Cotton thread
135 Cleats 16 Pref 8 Cast in metal
136 First transverse curved strengthener for canopy 1 1.5x3x132 Sapele
137 Second transverse curved strengthener for canopy 1 1.5x3x90 Sapele
138 Third transverse curved strengthener for canopy 1 1.5x3x60 Sapele
139 First straight lengthwise strengtheners 2 1.5x3x38 Sapele
140 Second straight lengthwise strengthener 1 1.5x3x42 Sapele
141 Mizzenmast 1 Diam 4x165 Sapele
142 Wide lugs for mizzenmast 2 2x5x15 Basswood
143 Mainmast 1 Diam 5x245 Sapele
144 Wide lugs for mainmast 2 2x5x20 Basswood
145 Wide lugs for mainmast 2 1x4x20 Basswood
146 Auxiliary mast for mainmast 1 Diam 5x28 Sapele
147 Lashing between mainmast and auxiliary mast 1 Diam 0.25x180 Cotton thread
148 Stern canopy 1 Pref Cloth
149 Single yard for mizzenmast 1 Diam 4x210 Sapele
150 Lateen sail for mizzenmast 1 Pref Cloth
Ref: Description Amount Dimensions (mm) Material
151 Fine brown thread 1 Diam 0.15x3000 Cotton thread

4 THE SULTAN DHOW: LIST OF PARTS

152 Trucks 45 Pref Plastic
153 Blocks 16 Pref 5 Boxwood
154 Lower end of lateen yard for mainmast 1 Diam 5x245 Sapele
155 Upper end of lateen yard on mainmast 1 Diam 4x125 Sapele
156 Tip of lateen yard on mainmast 1 Diam 3x60 Sapele
157 Lashing for mainmast lateen yard 4 Diam 0.15x80 Cotton thread
158 Lateen yard truss on mainmast 1 Pref 2 Sapele
159 Lashing for truss 4 Diam 0.15x60 Cotton thread
160 Lateen yard on mainmast 1 Pref Cloth
161 Blocks 7 Pref 5 Boxwood
162 Stand bracket bow 1 Pref 4 Sapele
163 Stand bracket stern 1 Pref 4 Sapele
164 Joining battens for stand brackets 3 4x4x130 Sapele

Cotton thread

Part No
diam 0.15mm
62, 103, 151, 157, 159 Cotton thread

diam 0.25mm

78, 115, 121, 129, 134, 147 Cotton thread

 1 THE SULTAN DHOW: STEP BY STEP
THE SULTAN DHOW
STEP BY STEP
Check that all the necessary ship parts are present and that you have all the necessary paints, varnishes and glues and the
! tools that you need to build the model. Follow the steps CAREFULLY.

False keel and Frames

1
1 2 3 4

2 3 4 5 9
Bow

13 12 3 2 6 7 8 10
4
11 10 9 8 7 6 5

1 11 14 15
12 13

1 Remove all the frames 2 to 13 and the vertical keel 1 from the 4mm plywood pre-cut sheet. It is advisable, after sanding them, to place them in
order from bow to stern. Place them in the corresponding slots on the vertical keel 1, ensuring that each is perpendicular, making a 90 angle
with the keel. Do not glue them yet. Glue the two bow strengtheners 15 to the vertical keel 1. Glue the two stern strengtheners 14 to frame 13,
ensuring that they are at the same level as the vertical keel 1 (broken red line). Use white glue.

3 11 12
14
2 13

5
15
4

1 15

10 14 13
9
8
7
6
5 14
4
3 12
2 11
90
15
90
90 1
 Decks
2

2 THE SULTAN DHOW: STEP BY STEP

16 17

16
20


10mm


20

10mm


18

19 21
16

90
16

18

19

20

2 Fit and adjust the decks 16, 18 and, with the nails 17, fit these decks onto the vertical keel (broken red lines). Glue the stern bulkhead 19 into its
corresponding slots so that it makes a 90 angle with the main deck 16. Fit and glue the bow deck 20 and the small central deck 21 in which
the two holes for the mainmast are located.

Modelling the hull

3
1 16
17

90
90

90 3 4 17 5 6 7 8

3 Glue the frames with a mixture of white glue and 20 per cent water so that they make a 90 angle with the vertical keel 1. With the nails 17, fix the
main deck 16 to the frames 3 to 10 (broken red lines).