Dhoni

The dhoni is the traditional means of transport in the Maldives. Originally they were fishing boats and transport of goods, now they fulfill many purposes. With a diesel engine equipped, bring the tourists dhoni from Male ', the capital of the Maldives out to the various islands of the atolls, the starting point of a dive or serve as an excursion boat for an " island hopping " to neighboring islands.

Traditional production

The construction of a dhoni is the most important handicrafts of the Maldivians. Over the centuries Dhoni remained largely unchanged. Thus, the dhoni were perfectly adapted to the conditions prevailing in the Maldivian atolls water and weather conditions, the hulls were made of the very hard and difficult to machine wood of the coconut palm. The wood has the property to be so strong and resilient that even a collision of boats with the often lying very flat under the sea coral reefs, not destroyed. The planks were held together with coir and woven the square sails made ​​from coconut fibers. Externally remember the dhoni to those used by Arab seafarers Daus.

The Dhoni at the present time

With the motorization of Dhoni in the 1970s and 1980s changed their traditional form. The hull was narrower in order to fit the achieved by diesel engines higher speeds. Also, the boat was a cover to hide the motor and to provide storage space. To connect the planks copper rivets were used and the square sail was replaced by a triangular lateen sail. The wood of the coconut palm exchanged shipbuilders largely by imported hardwoods. To enable a faster transport to and from the islands, the Dhoni is increasingly replaced by the much faster, so-called " Maldivian Air Taxi". Almost all inhabited islands have a Dhoniwerft or at least over a stretch of beach where the ships are repaired. Some islands have even specialized in the construction of Dhoni. Thus, the island has Alifushi in Raa Atoll, for example, the reputation of the island with the best Dhonibauern the Maldives.

Boat types

When the most beautiful, but only rarely encountered dhonis apply Mas Dhoni. This 10 m long and 4-5 m wide Fischerdhonis with sails are built specifically for fishing within the protected atoll ring. Since they are built very simple, they like the conditions outside of the reef not withstand. Fitted with motors Dhoni are the so-called Ingeenu Dhoni ( Engine dhonis ). In contrast to the Segeldhonis they can follow the schools of fish on the reef edge and beyond and overnight significantly increase the fishing quota.