Navy sails into history with stitched ship

Wooden vessel, inspired by a fifth-century design, set for ocean voyage

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India's navy boasts aircraft carriers, submarines, warships and frontline vessels of steel as it spreads its maritime power worldwide. But none of its vessels is as unusual as its newest addition that set sail on its maiden Indian Ocean crossing yesterday - a wooden stitched ship inspired by a fifth-century design, built not to dominate the seas, but to remember how India once traversed them.

Steered by giant oars rather than a rudder, with two fixed square sails to catch seasonal monsoon winds, it heads westward on its first voyage across the seas, a 1,400-kilometre voyage to Oman’s capital, Muscat.

Named Kaundinya, after a legendary Indian mariner, its 20-metre long hull is sewn together with coconut coir rope rather than nailed.

Connecting past, present