We had the honor of sharing stories with Rashed Alremeithi, an avid dhow sailor, through Wander events. Through his musings, we have been able to live through the experience of maneuvering the sea with winds that can’t be tamed. The conversation below is an authentic depiction of his experiences and the preservation of a rich culture in the Emirates.
What would you share with the Wander community about your experiences?
If I would share anything with anyone, it would be to listen to the wind, smell the sea, watch the sunset. Learn to navigate using intuition and a compass - being intimate with nature will ease your troubles in this world.
How long have you been sailing?
I have been sailing since I was seven with my father. It has been seventeen years of being out at sea since then and I just want to sail to free my mind. No engine noise, I feel free with my soul on a dhow in the water with the sound of the wind.
Would you say your experience in sailing is different than your father’s?
This sport has changed significantly since before the 90s. When my father was sailing back then the boats were thicker and were able to make their way through stronger waves albeit a lot slower. In today’s sailing culture, our dhows are, as they say, onion peels - thin and focused on weight reduction to navigate faster. The variance between these two approaches reflects the different uses of dhows from pearl diving trips that lasted about six months and races that last 15 hours. This is one of the biggest indicators of a developing culture and what I focus on preserving is the learning that happens on the dhow mentally, physically and emotionally before anything.
What have you learned?
One hand can’t clap. The dhow won’t move if we don’t work together. We must help each other to reach the destination. This is a learning that has shaped who I am today.
More importantly, I learned patience. Patience solves all your difficult moments, we always say “after fatigue, there is rest”.
Sailors are distinguished by their knowledge of navigation and how to master teamwork. Learning the exact locations of the islands along the coast of Abu Dhabi, that after trials there is comfort and the ability to work as a collective in a small space on a wooden boat are some attributes that make this experience worthwhile.
