Uploaded June 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
This is the story of a dying art—and the last craftsmen keeping it afloat.
In the coastal town of Sur, Oman, one last boatyard still builds wooden dhows—the iconic sailing vessels that once dominated trade routes from East Africa to India.
The craftsmanship is ancient, passed from father to son for generations. A single dhow takes up to nine months to complete, using traditional tools, no blueprints, and five truckloads of wood.
But the future of this tradition is uncertain. Once, there were eight boatyards in Sur—now only one remains. Fiberglass imports have replaced wooden boats, and few young Omanis are willing to continue the trade.
Most of the builders today are migrant workers from India. Only a handful of Omanis still practice the craft, keeping a fragile heritage alive.
Miniature models of the dhows are popular with tourists, but the survival of the real boats may depend on a new interest from the luxury yachting world, seeking authentic, handcrafted vessels.
Documentary: Connecting Traditions – Oman, Sand and Foam
Directed by: Alexandre Mostras
Production : Ma Drogue À Moi, Ushuïa TV
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Any illegal reproduction of this content will result in immediate legal action.
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#documentary #slice #fulldocumentary #freedocumentary #oman #craft #crafts #handcraft #sea #ship #dhow #amzing #boat #sailing #oman #tradition #traditional #skill #knowhow #dyingtradition
This is the story of a dying art—and the last craftsmen keeping it afloat.
In the coastal town of Sur, Oman, one last boatyard still builds wooden dhows—the iconic sailing vessels that once dominated trade routes from East Africa to India.
The craftsmanship is ancient, passed from father to son for generations. A single dhow takes up to nine months to complete, using traditional tools, no blueprints, and five truckloads of wood.
But the future of this tradition is uncertain. Once, there were eight boatyards in Sur—now only one remains. Fiberglass imports have replaced wooden boats, and few young Omanis are willing to continue the trade.
Most of the builders today are migrant workers from India. Only a handful of Omanis still practice the craft, keeping a fragile heritage alive.
Miniature models of the dhows are popular with tourists, but the survival of the real boats may depend on a new interest from the luxury yachting world, seeking authentic, handcrafted vessels.
Documentary: Connecting Traditions – Oman, Sand and Foam
Directed by: Alexandre Mostras
Production : Ma Drogue À Moi, Ushuïa TV
We fully own the rights to the use of the published content.
Any illegal reproduction of this content will result in immediate legal action.
SLICE wants to fill up your curiosity!
Accessible to anyone from anywhere at any time, this channel is your weekly dose of short docs about curious facts, discoveries, astounding info, unusual stories, weird, fun and instructive. Be smart, have a slice!
Subscribe now ►►► youtube.com/channel/UCvziXdVCN7PMdFZEFZ6aEqQ?sub_confirmation=1
Become a fan ! youtube.com/channel/UCvziXdVCN7PMdFZEFZ6aEqQ/join
Follow us 👇
In French: youtube.com/c/SLICEFR
Facebook: facebook.com/slicedocs
Instagram: instagram.com/slicedocs
#documentary #slice #fulldocumentary #freedocumentary #oman #craft #crafts #handcraft #sea #ship #dhow #amzing #boat #sailing #oman #tradition #traditional #skill #knowhow #dyingtradition
