Divers retrieve old wooden sunken ship
Team uses air bags, water pumps to float vessel
KUWAIT CITY, Sept 30, (KUNA): Professional Kuwaiti divers, aided by volunteers and advocates of environment protection, lifted a 25-meter-long, sunken wooden ship from south of Kuwait Bay.
The chief of the diving team, Waleed Al-Fadhel, told KUNA on Sunday that the team used air bags and water pumps to float the ship and later would towing it to Doha coast for maintenance works and to ensure the safety of seagoers of Kuwait’ Bay.
The ship was considered as a threat due to the dispersal of some of its parts in the sea at the high tide, which must be removed in order to ensure the safety of the sea-goers in addition to containing fuel and oils adversely affect the marine environment, he added.
He explained that the ship, which was recovered from the type of (Baghlah), a traditional Kuwaiti sailing vessels used for travel from Kuwait to India and East Africa as well
as Aden and Basra, indicating that this ship is rare only three vessels of this type were manufactured in the Gulf.
The vessel was built in Kuwait with traditional methods (baghlah) and is a large deepsea dhow, a traditional Arabic sailing vessel, the name “baghla” means “mule” in the Arabic language and similar to Portuguese ships used in 17th
century.
Al-Fadhel stressed that the Kuwaiti Dive Team strives to protect the marine environment through its voluntary activities and help the sea-goers to recover their ships and boats in the event of drowning. It also contributes actively to spreading the culture of volunteering and fruitful community participation.