Cruise The Nile on an Authentic Arab Sailing Boat: The Felucca
by jlk on 07/07/10 at 12:49 pm
Felucca, an Arab word for boat, is a mid-sized sailing boat used since antiquity by Egyptians to cruise the Nile. Today, these compact, versatile and maneuverable boats are used by skippers to shuttle tourists around ancient ruins on the Nile River, from Alexandria in the north down to Aswan in the south.
Cruising the Nile in Egypt sits high on many international traveler’s “bucket list” as something they must do. After all it is, arguably, one of the most famous rivers on the planet as it flows thousands of miles from head waters in the heart of Africa northward to the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile represents Egypt’s lifeline, and it has hosted almost all this country’s history as well as affording an excellent opportunity to see the pyramids, Sphinx and scores of ruins that line its banks from Alexandria south to Abu Simbel.
Agatha Christie gave Nile cruising a dubious boost in her 1937 novel, “Death on the Nile.”. Today a trip along the Nile, whether in the pages of her murder mystery or promoted in travel guides, evokes visions of stately and posh riverboats with well-appointed staterooms. Hundreds of these scaled down versions of huge ocean-going cruise ships ply the Nile every day carrying scores of tourists up and down the river to such famed places as the ancient ruins at Luxor and Aswan.
But to get a truly intimate view of the majestic Nile and all the river offers Egypt and tourists, try a ride on a felucca, the ancient single-mast sail boats used by Egyptians, Greeks and Romans for centuries. Almost all in service today carry tourists for pleasure, but on occasion one surfaces as a working boat that hauls produce to market.
The felucca, an Arabic word for boat, typically has a single mast set forward and a triangular lateen sail, usually made of cotton. Most of these craft are narrow and have a shallow draft, meaning the keel fits almost flush with the wooden or metal hull. Some feluccas have a very small dagger board for additional stability. Feluccas vary in size from compact sailboats that can carry ten passengers to larger versions that seat 30 or more. Some even have accommodations for overnight berthing.
Cushioned seating can either be along the gunwale or amidships, depending on the size and configuration of the boat. Many skippers use the central portion to set up food, drinks or an array of local crafts, which he happily sells. Of course, prices for trinkets and jewelry vary according to your haggling ability, as with almost every shopping experience in the Middle East. Larger feluccas have canopies that provide shelter from the hot Egyptian sun.
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