PROFILE: A former helmsman in Gujarat does his bit to pass on the heritage of pure wind-powered sailing.
He might be 76-years-old, but Shivji Bhuda Fofindi buzzes with so much life that he is considered the living marvel of the port city of Mandvi in Gujarat. If you have any doubts you can join him in the sea every evening and watch him teach the local children to swim.
That the sea has been life for Shivji, as he prefers to be called, cannot be understated. “As far as my memory serves, I can only remember being on board a ship,” he smiles.
These are not just any ordinary ships, they are the traditional wooden boats called dhows (in Arabic) or vahanvati (in Gujarati). Working his way up as a sailor, Shivji specialised to take on one of the most important tasks on a boat – that of the pilot or helmsman.
His choice in that era was significant since boats back then were purely wind-powered, and its performance was entirely dependent on the skill of a pilot.
“We have sailed to places as far away as Jeddah, Somalia and many times to the island of Zanzibar. In those days the sailing was slow, but required the entire ship’s crew to be highly skilled,” he recalls.
When the purely wind-powered ships became obsolete, Shivji transitioned to powered vessels and was forced to hang up his boots on reaching 60, which is the retirement age enforced by maritime authorities.
Today, Shivji retains the aura of being one of the best pilots Mandvi has produced, but is now appreciated more for preserving the identity of traditional wind-powered sailing. His tiny boat replica shop at the entrance to the Mandvi Customs Station, sees a constant stream of visitors who come to order a handcrafted dhow in all its regal sailing splendour.
“I decided to make these models because I was sad that over the last 30 years, the sailing vessel has slowly disappeared. Today a sail is only used to assist the diesel engine at the most,” he says.
The store-cum-workshop is a treasure trove for anyone wanting to witness the art of wooden shipbuilding at a glance, as the replicas are built exactly the way the bigger vessels are made.
Right from laying the keel to bending the side planks and finally adding a protective finish to the boats, Shivji makes it as close to the real thing as possible. In fact all the boats are “sea worthy” and float effortless on water.
“It takes about twenty five days to complete the model once ordered. I use Burma teak for all the boats as it is an excellent wood and gives a nice finish. On some boats we also wire remote controlled kits cannibalised from Chinese boat-making kits so that the owners can sail them in the water,” he says.
The walls of the store are plastered with certificates of thanks from maritime organisations from around the world. The multi-mast boats are the most sought after, and for Shivji, his personal favourite is the four-mast boat. He says they were predominantly used by the Omanis.
A replica is often priced by the foot, regardless of its design. The current price quoted is Rs 7,000 for a foot. Shivji is helped in the enterprise by his young nephews and grandchildren, who have been trained in the craft by him. He does need all the help he can get considering he has to take time out for his evening swim.
