A 150-year-old Indian dhow, rescued by an American from the shores of Dabhol in Ratnagiri (Maharashtra) where it had been left to rot, will soon set out on an astounding voyage.Manpawan the sailboat will journey from India to the US, covering a distance of 7,318 nautical miles or 13,553 km. A similar voyage from the opposite direction by the Indian Navy, which brought the USS Trenton (now INS Jalashwa) from the US to India in 2007, took 35 days, 18 knots being the average speed.Manpawan, a cargo sailboat dating back to 1861, has been restored and conserved by 76-year-old Neil Bruder of Michigan. He chanced upon Manpawan in the mid-1990s when he came to Dabhol to work as a bulldozer operator, employed by Bechtel Corporation for the Enron power project.“From the hill above the construction site, I saw two mid-size ships rotting on the shore. I made inquiries and purchased Manpawan as it was in a better condition,” said Bruder.Once home to 25 sailboats, Dabhol was left with only two when Bruder landed there. He bought Manpawan from the heirs of owner Shamshuddin Chowgule in 1995. The other sailboat he saw was reduced to junk three years later. A mid-size cargo sailboat registered at Dabhol port in 1861 in the name of Shamshuddin Chowgule, Manpawan ferried roofing tiles from Mangalore to Maharashtra and other regions. With the advent of modern road transport, it was no longer profitable to transport roof tiles via the sea route. Manpawan later hauled timber and coal to stay afloat. “It is my estimate that with good winds the sails will power the ship to cruise at 18 knots without using a drop of fuel. Now where do you get such efficient mileage on a ship of this size? Had I not taken over, even this would have rotted away,” said Bruder.Bruder says he has been declining offers to sell the the 85-feet-long and 45-feet-wide boat. He repaired the segments of the rotten hull and built cabins to accommodate himself, captain, crew and guests. The boat was fitted with a 150 horsepower engine and a brass propeller to be used sparingly. The old wooden rudder was fortified with steel plates and steel hinges. Most additions to the boat are Bruder’s handiwork. The fact that he can neither read or write does not come in the way. “I can fix any machine and make any part of the machine.” Pundalik Killekar (68), one of the lead carpenters for Manpawan, said they learnt a lot from Bruder while working on the interiors. Instead of having two handlebars at the corners of the wheelhouse, Bruder suggested just one on the edge of the intersection of the two walls which would enable easy use from both sides. “After having Neil around for ten years, my son Umesh now speaks fluent English,” said Killekar. Incidentally, Killekar’s great grandfather was part of the team of carpenters that built Manpawan in 1861.Once the restoration work is complete, Bruder plans to take Manpawan out to sea. And then the long journey to the US.
