Muscat: Shabab Oman, the Sultanate's only tall ship, embarks on Wednesday on its eleventh international voyage to Europe, the Royal Navy of Oman (RNO), which operates the sail training ship, has announced.
The elegant all-wood craft, which has a mast height of 34 metres, has doubled as Oman's 'goodwill ambassador' on its numerous sailings around the world.
On its latest cruise, Shabab Oman will call at major ports in Turkey, Greece, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands and Germany.
A statement issued by the Royal Navy of Oman described the voyage as the continuation of an annual tradition of sailings aimed at strengthening ties of friendship with all countries of the world.
Last April, the RNO marked the 30th anniversary of the tall ship's induction into the Omani naval fleet.
As the Sultanate's goodwill ambassador, the ship has traversed four continents and visited over a hundred ports in 43 countries over the past three decades. During that period, several hundred trainees have gained their sea-legs on board the unique vessel.
Shabab Oman was built in Scotland originally as a sail training vessel with a hull composed of Scots larch on oak frames and with a pine deck.
Since its commissioning, the 52-metre-long ship has undergone a number of major refits and now has a hull of oak and maranti timber on its original oak frames, while the deck is now all-teak.
The ship's sailing rig is barquentine (i.e. square-rigged on the foremast, and fore and aft-rigged on the remaining two masts). With a total of 14 sails, the ship boasts a combined sail area of 840 square metres.
The vessel has won the International Friendship Cup a total of five times, in sailing boat races organised by the International Sailing Association.
