Arabs have had excellent shipbuilding skills since ancient times. The Arab sailing ships called “dhow” by the Europeans is now on display in the Evergreen Maritime Museum lobby. This dhow is a real ship that can actually sail on the sea which the Evergreen Maritime Museum ordered in 1995. The curve of the hull is quite beautiful. There are two masts to support a jib (a triangular sail), a tall, 45-degree angled column at the bow, a deck, and a canopy on top of the cabin for protection from the weather.

For hundreds of years, dhows were seen around the coast of the Arabian Peninsula, India and East Africa. Even now, they are still seen off the coast of East Africa, the Arabian Sea and the West Indian Ocean. They are mainly used to transport cargo and for fishing. One of only a few ancient sailing ships in use today, dhows serve as the best example of the excellent quality of Arabian navigation techniques and shipbuilding.