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o<Jl' l-1 H1\}' EAS¡\¡ \~ ~ '''11\fNE YACHT SAILS
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RIDING SAILS
COTTON FLAX AND DACRON Box 71, Lincoln Street, East Boothbay, Maine 04544 (207) 633-5071
12,000 sq. ft. new Duradon sails for iron bark Elissa
A PORTFOLIO OF TEN PRINTS BY INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN MARINE ARTIST EARLE G. BARLOW SEND FOR COLOR BROCHURE $1.00 Refundable
STUDIO of SHIPS Box 211 , East Boothbay, Maine 04544
26
India's dhonis can move produce from field to market in less time than a freighter.
In the southern Indian Ocean a fleet of two and three-masted dhonis shuttles between India and Sri Lanka, flying as many as 16 sails in a stiff breeze. Their captains navigate with traditional sea lore instead of charts, and a crew of up to 20 lives before the mast, working in a world of wood and canvas. The dhonis are artifacts of another era , sailing dinosaurs that have somehow missed their date for extinction. They survive because they are an odd exception, a case where small is efficient and big, costly. Most dhoni cargoes are perishables, sacks of vegetables which must be transported quickly from India to Sri Lanka. A small freighter could take the cargo of several dhonis , but the loading and unloading would take several times as long since it is all done by hand. Thedhonis may be slower at sea , but in terms of elapsed time-from the fields in India to the market in Sri Lanka-they are the fastest possible route. They are also the safest route. Dhoni captains seldom lose a ship or damage a cargo. As always, insurance premiums follow the statistics, and in this case the result is a curious twist of perspective. Goods travelling by sail are cheaper to insure than those in the hold of a freighter. Perhaps the most frightening fate that can befall a dhoni is to have a woman come on board. The moment her foot touches the deck it is instant bad luck, a kind of curse that can never be removed . Once a ship has been defiled by a woman's presence, few sailors are willing to work on board. Yet the entire fleet is owned by women. The boats are used as dowries and passed on, from mother to daughter, a guarantee that when a girl is ready to marry, the dowry will be sufficient to make her attractive. The boat will be managed by her father or husband , but on the ship's papers beside the word "owner" is a woman's name. We sailed from Colombo, bound for Tuticorin at the tip of India, and after the first few hours at sea we realized the dhoni is a living museum, a chance to sample life on board a windjammer that is still a functional part of the economic system . Each new caprice of the wind sent the crew into the rigging, for the dhoni is an unruly craft awkward to handle in the best of circumstances. By nature, she is lethargic ; she needs a stiff breeze to set her in motion and once under way strays easily. If she is allowed to wander too far off course it will take the crew a long time to bring her back. Sails are made from cheap cotton bunting and rip constantly. Nearly every time the ship comes about , somewhere a seam is torn or frayed . Sewing is the sailor's pre-occupation , a daily chore as regular as washing down the deck or bailing out the bilge. Every sail evolves quickly toward a quilt of patches that falls apart at the touch. A seagoing sisyphus, the dhoni sailor sews an endless seam .
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Elsewhere, working sail nears its end , and we often had the feeling that the notes and pictures we were taki ng would be an epitaph. Wherever he sails-South America, Africa, Asia-the traditional sailor finds himself at the limits of tradition . The tide is running against him. His way of life is in conflict and not even the sea is big enough to keep him afloat. '1 SEA HISTORY, SUMMER 1985