Circumnavigating Africa

Phoenicia completes latest stage of record-breaking journey

The replica of a ship built in 600BC that's being sailed around Africa in an attempt to recreate the first ever circumnavigation of the continent has just completed the latest stage in its record-breaking journey.

Phoenicia arrived in Ascension Island last week. The journey is intended to repeat the voyage Phoenician sailors are thought to have undertaken over 2,500 years ago, as documented by the Greek historian Herodotus. The Phoenicans were an ancient civilisation famous for their maritime skills.

After sailing around Africa, the crew plans to sail the ship to the United Kingdom. By that time it will  have sailed 17,000 miles.

Khalid Hammoud and a team of shipbuilders were selected to build the 20 metre replica ship in Syria. Maritime archaeologists and historians developed the design using data from shipwrecks found in the Mediterranean and Phoenician artefacts such as coins and pottery.

The crew had to prepare for dangerous weather conditions as well as the threat of piracy in the waters surrounding Somalia and Tanzania.

In the ship’s log, the crew describes catching sharks and cooking them for dinner, flying fish landing on the deck and the sail tearing due to strong wind.

There are currently eight people on board, after three sailors chose to remain in St Helena where the ship docked recently. Phoenicia will now sail on to Gibraltar, Tunisia, Egypt and Lebanon, before returning to Syria.

Captain Philip Beale has previously sailed from Indonesia to Africa in a replica of an ancient Indonesian ship, to demonstrate early trade links between the two regions.

You can follow the ship’s progress at www.phoenicia.org.uk