Deagostini Sultan Arab Dhow User guide

Brand: Deagostini

Model: Sultan Arab Dhow

Type: User guide

TECHNICAL DATA:

The Sultan Dhow

Model no: 22165

Degree of difficulty:

Length: 470mm (1816/32in)

Height: 420mm (16 18/32in)

Beam: 125mm (4 3/4in)

Scale: 1:60

The 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.

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

DHOWS

Most 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

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 300–500 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

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.

Below: Dhows have been a familiar sight in

coastal waters of Arabia for millennia.

DeAgostini

1 THE SULTAN DHOW

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 arm’s length. The user sights the

lower edge of the rectangle against the horizon, and the

upper to just occlude Polaris. The dhow’s 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.

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.

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.

The dhow trade routes from

Arabia to India and East Africa

represent the most long-lasting

tradition of commercial seafaring

in world history.

The battil is a double-ended dhow,

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.

Above: Dhows continue to provide

a cheap, reliable form of transport

in Arab waters.

Peter Ifland, author of Taking the Stars: Celestial Navigation from Argonauts to Astronauts

2 THE SULTAN DHOW

GENERAL TIPS

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.

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.

ATTENTION! Assemble under adult supervision. Unsuitable for children under 14. To

assemble this model we recommend that you follow the step-by-step guide.

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.

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. To give a more authentic appearance to

the ship’s sails, dye them in some tea. When

completely dry, add them to the ship without

ironing them.

6. For parts that need bending or curving,

dampen them in water for greater flexibility.

You can also use a tool called a bending press,

which is highly useful during assembly.

7. Before mounting the pulley blocks or dead-

eyes, it is best to enlarge the holes with a

0.75mm diameter drill.

GLUES

Apply glue sparingly and in strict accordance

with the manufacturer’s instructions. There are

three types of glues that can be used to

assemble the model.

White glue

This is also known as carpenter’s glue or PVA.

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

This glue can be applied with either a brush or

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

them correctly.

PUTTIES

Use regular stopping putty for wood. Read the

manufacturer’s instructions carefully!

Applying putty

To fill holes or cracks in the ship’s 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 manufacturer’s 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:

1. Apply a first coat and allow to dry.

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

manufacturer’s 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.

1 THE SULTAN DHOW: LIST OF PARTS

1Vertical keel

2-13 Frames

14 Stern strengtheners

15 Bow strengtheners

16 Main deck

17 Nails

18 Stern deck

19 Stern bulkhead

20 Bow deck

21 Small central deck

22 Plates on first plating

23 Stern

24 Keel

25 Sternpost

26 Clear strakes on second plating

27 Dark strakes on second plating

28 Wide rubbing strake

29 Narrow rubbing strake

30 Deck plate

31 Central interior ends

32 Vertical interior ends on stern

33 Interior ends on stern

34 Transverse ends on stern

35 Interior ends on bow

36 Transverse first end on bow

37 Transverse second end on bow

38 Stranchions on bulwarks

39 Lower lengthwise frames in the gap on the main deck

40 Lower transverse frames in the gap on the main deck

41 Upper lengthwise frames in the gap on the main deck

42 Upper transverse frames in the gap on the main deck

43 Central side gunwale covers

44 Side gunwale covers on bow

45 Side gunwale covers on stern

46 Gunwale cover on stern

47 Stanchion strengtheners

48 Rudder blade

49 Small hinges on rudder

50 Large hinges on rudder

51 Side embellishments on stern

52 Side mid-embellishments on stern

53 Rudder tiller

54 Side walls on the rails

55 Handrails

56 Side columns on the rails

57 Long pillars on the canopy

58 Short pillars on the canopy

59 First beam on the canopy

60 Second beam on the canopy

61 Third beam on the canopy

62 Lashing on ladders

63 Mast hole for mizzenmast

64 Sides on ladders

65 Steps on ladders

66 Top of stern rail

67 Tops of bow rail

68 Columns for the bow and stern rails

69 Exterior lengthwise frames for the load hatch

70 Exterior transverse frames for the load hatch

71 Interior lengthwise frames for the load hatch

72 Interior transverse frames for the load hatch

73 Covers for the load hatch

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)

•Sandpapers (cont) – very fine grain (1000)

Recommended extra tools and accessories:

•Hammer (item 27017)

•Plank bender (item 27024)

•Mini clamps (item 27029)

•Saw (item 27042)

•Thread scissors (item 27060)

All tools and

materials are

available from

www.model-space.co.uk

Plywood

Brass

Plywood

Basswood

Sapele

Basswood

Sapele

Walnut

Basswood

Sapele

Walnut

Sapele

Brass strapping

Walnut

Sapele

Walnut

Sapele

Cotton thread

Sapele

Walnut

500

2/2

14/26/22/22

8/4/24

4/1

Pref 4

Pref 1.5

10mm

Pref 1.5

1.5x5x400

Pref 4

4x6x250

Pref 4

0.6x5x400

2x3x12/400

2x2x16/400

1x4x55/275/14/85

1.5x1.5x250

1.5x1.5x11

1.5x1.5x90

1.5x1.5x93

1.5x1.5x60

1.5x1.5x9

1x5x60

1.5x3x5/14/12

1.5x3x17

1.5x3x12

1.5x3x23

1.5x3x12

1.5x3x184

1.5x3x108

1.5x3x100

1.5x6x44

1.5x1.5x218

Pref 4

Pref 2

Pref 4

1.5x6x98

1.5x3x98/43

2x3x8

3x3x50

3x3x40

2x3x124

2x3x84

2x3x54

Diam 0.15x20

Pref 4

1.5x1.5x26

1.5x1.5x12

1.5x3x66

1.5x3x30

3x3x6

2x3x30

2x3x34

1.5x1.5x30

1.5x1.5x27

1.5x3x31

Ref: Description Amount Dimensions (mm) Material

2 THE SULTAN DHOW: LIST OF PARTS

74 Eyebolts

75 Rings

76 Bow pillars

77 Bow beams

78 Lashings for bow pillars

79 Double upper lengthwise frames for the gap in main deck

80 Double upper transverse frames for the gap in main deck

81 Lengthwise frames for central hatch

82 First transverse frame of the central hatch

83 Second transverse frame of the central hatch

84 Exterior lengthwise ends of central hatches

85 Exterior transverse ends of central hatches

86 First interior lengthwise ends of central hatch

87 Second interior lengthwise ends of central hatch

88 Third interior lengthwise ends of central hatch

89 First interior transverse end of central hatch

90 Second interior transverse ends of central hatch

91 Third interior transverse ends of central hatch

92 Covers of central hatches

93 Lengthwise strengtheners of bracket for main mast rigging

94 Transverse strengtheners of bracket for main mast rigging

95 Bracket for rigging on mainmast

96 Bracket for rigging on mizzenmast

97 Upper frames on central hatches

98 Lengthwise strengtheners of bracket for mizzen rigging

99 Transverse strengtheners of bracket for mizzen rigging

100 Medium-sized diam 12mm barrels

101 Large-sized diam 18mm barrels

102 Brackets for medium-sized barrels

103 Raw fine thread

104 Lengthwise battens for wooden chest

105 Transverse battens for wooden chest

106 Flooring battens for wooden chest

107 Exterior vertical strengtheners for wooden chest

108 Interior vertical strengtheners for wooden chest

109 Flooring strengthener for wooden chest

110 Battens for chest cover

111 Lengthwise lateral battens for chest

112 Transverse lateral battens for chest

113 Battens for chest flooring

114 Hinges and lock for chest

115 Chest handles

116 Small diam 8mm barrels

117 Anchor davits

118 Brackets for anchor davits

119 Anchor body

120 Anchor arms

121 Anchor rope

122 Buckets handles

123 Buckets

124 Base for amphoras

125 Lengthwise frames for amphora base

126 Transverse frames for amphora base

127 Brackets for amphora base

128 Amphoras

129 Coils of rope

130 Bowsprit

131 Bowsprit support

132 Bowsprit brackets

133 Strengthener for bowsprit brackets

134 Bowsprit lashing

135 Cleats

136 First transverse curved strengthener for canopy

137 Second transverse curved strengthener for canopy

138 Third transverse curved strengthener for canopy

139 First straight lengthwise strengtheners

140 Second straight lengthwise strengthener

141 Mizzenmast

142 Wide lugs for mizzenmast

143 Mainmast

144 Wide lugs for mainmast

145 Wide lugs for mainmast

146 Auxiliary mast for mainmast

147 Lashing between mainmast and auxiliary mast

148 Stern canopy

149 Single yard for mizzenmast

150 Lateen sail for mizzenmast

Brass

Brass wire

Sapele

Cotton thread

Sapele

Walnut

Sapele

Walnut

Boxwood

Basswood

Cotton thread

Basswood

Walnut

Basswood

Sapele

Brass strapping

Cotton thread

Walnut

Sapele

Cast in metal

Cotton thread

Brass wire

Boxwood

Sapele

Boxwood

Cotton thread

Sapele

Brass wire

Cotton thread

Cast in metal

Sapele

Basswood

Sapele

Basswood

Sapele

Cotton thread

Cloth

Sapele

Cloth

9/13

1/1/1

Pref 7

Pref Diam 2

3x3x27

3x3x72

Diam 0.25x60

3x3x29

3x3x18

3x3x88

3x3x29

3x3x38

1.5x1.5x110

1.5x1.5x24

1.5x1.5x33

1.5x1.5x25

1.5x1.5x23

1.5x1.5x18

1.5x1.5x29

1.5x1.5x38

1.5x3x33/25

1.5x3x23

1.5x3x4

Pref 4

1.5x1.5x23/34/43

1.5x1.5x22

1.5x1.5x4

Pref Diam 12x14

Pref Diam 18x17

2x4x29

Diam 0.15x18000

2x3x26

2x3x18

2x3x22

2x3x12

1.5x1.5x10

2x3x18

1.5x3x46

1.5x3x44

1.5x3x17

1.5x3x41

Pref 3x15

Diam 0.25x20

Pref Diam 8x11

Diam 3x60

3x3x18

Pref

Diam 0.25x250

Diam 0.8x15

Pref Diam 8

Pref 2

1.5x3x30

1.5x3x27

3x3x14

Pref Diam 10

Diam 0.25x200

Diam 5x150

Pref 2

Diam 3x15

Diam 0.8x12

Diam 0.25x100

Pref 8

1.5x3x132

1.5x3x90

1.5x3x60

1.5x3x38

1.5x3x42

Diam 4x165

2x5x15

Diam 5x245

2x5x20

1x4x20

Diam 5x28

Diam 0.25x180

Pref

Diam 4x210

Pref

Ref: Description Amount Dimensions (mm) Material

3 THE SULTAN DHOW: LIST OF PARTS

Ref: Description Amount Dimensions (mm) Material

151 Fine brown thread

152 Trucks

153 Blocks

154 Lower end of lateen yard for mainmast

155 Upper end of lateen yard on mainmast

156 Tip of lateen yard on mainmast

157 Lashing for mainmast lateen yard

158 Lateen yard truss on mainmast

159 Lashing for truss

160 Lateen yard on mainmast

161 Blocks

162 Stand bracket bow

163 Stand bracket stern

164 Joining battens for stand brackets

Cotton thread

Plastic

Boxwood

Sapele

Cotton thread

Sapele

Cotton thread

Cloth

Boxwood

Sapele

Diam 0.15x3000

Pref

Pref 5

Diam 5x245

Diam 4x125

Diam 3x60

Diam 0.15x80

Pref 2

Diam 0.15x60

Pref

Pref 5

Pref 4

4x4x130

Cotton thread

Part No

62, 103, 151, 157, 159 Cotton thread

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

diam 0.15mm

diam 0.25mm

4 THE SULTAN DHOW: LIST OF PARTS

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.

Bow

1Remove all the frames 2to 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 90º 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.

1 2 3 4

90°

13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 432

2 3 4 59

6 7 8 10

11 12 13 14 15

115

11 12 14

14 13

8910

90°

False keel and Frames

1 THE SULTAN DHOW: STEP BY STEP

16 17

2Fit 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 90º 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.

3Glue the frames with a mixture of white glue and 20 per cent water so that they make a 90º angle with the vertical keel 1. With the nails 17, fix the

main deck 16 to the frames 3to 10 (broken red lines).

Decks

Modelling the hull



10mm

10mm 20

90°

345678

2 THE SULTAN DHOW: STEP BY STEP