The Hindu Business Line : Samudra Shipyard delivers houseboat to Arab client

Kochi, July 22 It was an adventure of sorts for a team from the Kochi-based Samudra Shipyard when it had to negotiate high waves along a crowded Abu Dhabi port to deliver a houseboat constructed by them to a buyer there.

The team was led by Mr S. Jeevan, CEO, Samudra Shipyard. The boat was built at a cost of Rs 1 crore, including freight charges. The boat was taken aboard a cargo ship from Kochi. It had to sail almost 80 nautical miles through the choppy sea, he said.

Houseboats are ideal for placid backwater travel but they are not seaworthy. Left with no option, the team decided to go ahead with the journey.

The sea was rough, with waves rising to a height of four to five feet. The boat rolled and pitched, had to negotiate their way through the crowd of ships entering the port.

The team also encountered technical snags like locating the route through GPS as these equipment flashed instructions in Arabic.

The Arab, who had bought the boat, had arranged for a Captain and two Filipinos to assist in the sail. After six gruelling hours, they managed to moor the boat in Abu Dhabi.

Mr Jeevan noted that the company is in the process of constructing sport fishing boats for Sweeden, a houseboat for a celebrity client in the Caribbean and regular house boats for the Kerala market.

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