Phoenicia - the long way to Africa to avoid pirates

5:55 AM Sat 12 Dec 2009 GMT

'Phoenicia - now safely in Mayotte' .

It was a longer, slower voyage than originally expected, but they've arrived! Phoenicia, a replica sailing ship from 600BCE has successfully avoided the pirate zone around Somalia, and reached Mayotte in the Comoros Islands of East Africa.

Original Phoenicia Expedition route - however, they have detoured via the middle of the Indian Ocean to avoid Somali pirates - .. .

Their expedition is aiming to re-create the first circumnavigation of Africa, believed to have been achieved by Phoenician mariners around 600BCE, and is an approved voyage with the Royal Geographical Society.

On their latest leg, they set out from Salalah in Oman, and chose to sail for 47 days and across 3000 miles of ocean to avoid the danger area around the Seychelles and Somalia. Their route took them within 200 miles of the Chagos Islands in the middle of the Indian Ocean, but they have arrived safely.

There is an international crew on board the vessel, with sailors from Indonesia, Sweden, Brazil joining the British Captain Philip Beale, and also five members of the Royal Oman Navy.

The next leg of the voyage is due to leave Mayotte on 16th December 2009. The expedition will sail to Mozambique, South Africa, the Azores, Gibraltar, Tunisia, Egypt, and Lebanon before returning to Syria in July 2010 to complete the circumnavigation of Africa. For further information or to inquire about joining the vessel for a leg, visit www.phoenicia.org.uk .

About the Phoenicians and the vessel:

The Phoenicians were arguably the first 'global' civilisation. From around 1200 BC they established a civilisation on the coast of Syria, Lebanon and Palestine which spread throughout the Mediterranean and lasted nearly one thousand years.

The vessel is a replica Phoenician ship which was built using traditional Phoenician construction methods and materials. The ships design specification has been created using evidence from relevant shipwrecks and archaeological finds of artefacts such as vases and coins, as well as advice from eminent scholars and shipwrights.

The 20m long replica Phoenician ship was built in Arwad Island, an ancient Phoenician city state just off the Syrian coast, by Syrian shipwright Khalid Hammoud. Up to 16 crew are sailing the vessel on any one leg.

High resolution photographs are available to download from an exclusive press page on the Phoenicia website. Please visit www.phoenicia.org.uk/pressphotos.htm .

8).Phoenicia is approved by the Royal Geographical Society and full details of the expedition's sponsors can be viewed online: www.phoenicia.org.uk/supporting-our-sponsors.htm .

by Des Ryan

Click on thumbnails to enlarge and find more photos:

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