The captain of the ‘Shahab Oman II’, Issa Al-Jahwari, highlights one very specific point when defining the role of this training vessel. Beyond navigational skills or astronomical knowledge, it is essential that the crew understand that they are part of a team and should avoid working on their own.
His approach clashes completely with the current way of life “shaped by social networks“. He recalls with satisfaction that one of the young trainees used to spend four hours a day checking his online accounts. “Since he’s been on board, his average is 12 minutes a day, and that’s an indication that social life is enhanced here as opposed to individual life,” Al-Jahwari notes.
Guides on board
In fact, a good part of the crew and trainees offer themselves as guides for residents and tourists who board this Navy training vessel of the Sultanate of Oman. The vessel, which is 86 meters long, offers its last open day today, from 10am until 6pm.
After setting sail on April 11th from the Omani port of Wudam, the ‘Shahab Oman II’ stops for three days in Ibiza before heading to the Atlantic to sail to Porto, its next stop. In the last few weeks, she has sailed the Gulf of Oman, the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, before crossing the Suez Canal to rest in Crete. Dubrovnik and Catania were the stopovers prior to the port of Vila.
Her journey to the North Sea will end in the Danish city of Aalborg, before returning to Oman via the same seas, but calling at new cities. In total, the voyage will last six and a half months, until October 23rd, crossing a total of 15,800 nautical miles. “Some 30,000 kilometers, with 27 stopovers in 18 countries,” says the captain.
One of the characteristics of the ‘Shahab Oman II’ with respect to other similar training vessels, such as the Juan Sebastián Elcano, is that it is not limited to the training of military personnel. “The vessel belongs to the navy, but coastguards and university students also embark for training,” he says.
In addition, this training work for civilians is open to people from other countries. On the current mission, all trainees are Omani, but on its last voyage, in 2019, eleven nationalities coincided.
Showcasing Oman
As in Ibiza, all interested locals are allowed on board at all ports of call. Although launched in 2013, the design of this sailboat is inspired “by the boats of XVIII”. “So it is very important for us to show it off so that they are not forgotten and that people know how past generations sailed,” he says.
Similarly, the vessel plays an informative role and has an exhibition of images to publicize the culture, landscapes and people of Oman, as well as tourist brochures. “We spread a message of peace and friendship,” he says.
For the full article, please visit Diario de Ibiza website here.