OMAN BY ROAD

On our last trip on board Fulk Al-Salam from Sharjah to Fujairah through The Strait of Hormuz last November. At the very tip of Ras Masoud we faced a mechanical problem with the vessel which we could not solve at sea. The decision was to go back all the way to Riviera Boat Ship Yard in Sharjah for dry docking and repairing. Estimated time for repair was a week. Instead of waiting in Dubai we decided to go to Oman by car and explore Qantab and Masira Island which we have not seen before. We spent four nights altogether in Oman, two of which was on the island. Here is a pictorial record of the trip.

My Ships by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Ella Wheeler Wilcox

My Ships

If all the ships I have at sea 

Should come a-sailing home to me, 

From sunny lands, and lands of cold, 

Ah well! the harbor could not hold 

So many sails as there would be 

If all my ships came in from sea. 

If half my ships came home from sea, 

And brought their precious freight to me, 

Ah, well! I should have wealth as great 

As any king who sits in state, 

So rich the treasures that would be 

In half my ships now at sea. 

If just one ship I have at sea 

Should come a-sailing home to me, 

Ah well! the storm clouds then might frown, 

For if the others all went down 

Still rich and proud and glad I’d be, 

If that one ship came back to me. 

If that one ship were down at sea, 

And all the others came to me, 

Weighed down with gems and wealth untold, 

With glory, honor, riches, gold, 

The poorest soul on earth I’d be 

If that one ship came not to me. 

O skies be calm! O winds blow free-- 

Blow all my ships safe home to me. 

But if thou sendest some awrack 

To never more come sailing back, 

Send any--all that skim the sea-- 

But bring my love-ship home to me. 

Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Oceanco Display New Design - Project Magnitude

Based on the original Y700 Oceanco Series, Project Magnitude is a 90m superyacht concept, combining innovation with intelligent and functional design.

With the impressive series of Oceanco Yachts in the Y700 series such as the Y707 and the Y708, comes a new, natural design from Lukasz Opalinski. Project Magnitude is a yacht which exemplifies the innovation of superyacht design whilst maintaining the performance envelope of technical and operational feasibility.

Lukasz Opalinski, a designer with a luxury background, and John Henson, an ex-captain and solutions partner to Mr. Opalinski, created the concept combining aerodynamic styling with state-of-the-art technology and functional, luxury design.

Speaking to Project Magnitude’s designer at the 2010 Fort Lauderdale Boat Show, Lukasz Opalinski noted, “it is full of innovative elements that we believe are ground breaking, such as her natural lines and the application of glass surfaces that create much lighter interiors and bigger visual spaces … a lot of the main key features include the watersports deck that opens up into a unified platform which allows you to launch jet-skis, submarines, anything, even take a morning jog.”

Project Magnitude offers a “super intelligent and intuitive environment designed to complement the elegance and comfort on board.”

Her interior reportedly furthers the design elements seen on her exterior, created with flowing interior spaces and an impressive split level owner’s apartment.

Al Bastakiya Dubai البســتكـيه دبـي

دبي تحول منطقة البستكية العريقة إلى منطقة جذب سياحي وثقافي وتجاري

تبذل حكومة دبي جهودا حثيثة في المحافظة على التراث وتحويل المناطق التراثية القديمة الى مناطق جذب سياحي وثقافي. ومن المناطق التراثية المهمة في دبي (منطقة البستكية) بمساكنها التراثية ومبانيها المتراصة وسككها القديمة وهي من أعرق أحياء مدينة دبي القديمة.  والبستكية تمثل مرحلة مهمة في تاريخ العمارة والتطور المدني والحضري لمدينة دبي. وتعود التسميه الى السكان الاوائل لهذه المنطقه والنازحين من منطقة بستك على الساحل الايراني من الخليج العربي وكانوا في غالبيتهم من التجار الميسورين ويتجلى ذلك في تصميم البيوت وما تحويه من اخشاب وزخارف جبسيه وملاقف الهواء التي تعرف محليا  "البارجيل" وتقع منطقة البستكية في الجهة الشرقية لبر دبي بمحاذاة الخور بطول 300 متر تقريبا وعرض 200 متر وقد بني أول بيت من بيوت البستكية عام 1896 واستمر البناء في تلك المنطقة حتى ستينيات القرن الماضي لتشهد بعدها هجرة السكان الى المناطق الحديثة من دبي

وقامت حكومة دبي ممثلة في بلدية دبي وإدارة التراث العمراني بترميم كل بيوت المنطقة والبالغة 54 بيتا وطورت استخدامها كمتاحف وقاعات عرض فنيه وفنادق ومقاه وجمعيات نفع عام وذلك لجذب السياح وطلبة المدارس والمواطنين لتلك المنطقة. بدأت اعمال الترميم عام 1995 وانتهت عام 2008 وتقام في البستكية حاليا فعاليات ثقافية عدة منها أسبوع التراث العالمي الذي يقام بالتزامن مع يوم التراث العالمي الذي يصادف 14 أبريل من كل عام كما تقام بشكل مستمر فعاليات صيفية وورش عمل ودورات ومحاضرات تثقيفية عن التراث والمحافظة عليه

Al Bastakiya in Wikipedia

Saving a Whale (A story with a great ending)

Michael Fishbach narrates his encounter with a humpback whale entangled in a fishing net. Gershon Cohen and he have founded The Great Whale Conservancy to help and protect whales.

Visit them on their website and their Facebook page to join them in helping to save these magnificent beings.

Fishing with birds!

In the Guangxi province of China, fisherman use trained cormorants to help them catch fish from the Li river. A noose tied around the birds' necks to stop them swallowing any fish they may catch. Extraordinary clip from the BBC's Wild China series.