On the 16th of September 2022 the Grand Harbour witnessed the arrival of the Royal Navy of Oman Shabab Oman II. It replaced the Shabab Oman in 2014 and is one of the longest sailing ships in the clipper class.
The ship was built by the Dutch shipbuilder Shipbuilding Damen Company and given the name “SHABAB OMAN II” on May 8, 2014. On November 16, 2014, the Royal Navy of Oman hailed “SHABAB OMAN II’s” arrival at SBSNB. She is a full-rigged ship which was built in Romania, fitted out in the Netherlands and launched in 2013.
The ship’s three enormous masts, which reach a height of 51.2 meters above the deck and can support up to 34 sails, have an overall length of 85.7 meters. Her can go at tremendous speeds of up to 18 knots with more than 2,600 square meters of sail. She provides comfortable accommodations for all 54 of her crew members, as well as all 36 trainees and 4 VIPs. This also has a special place to stay for female trainees.
On the 18th of September, a team from Horizon visited the ship, we were welcomed aboard by the ship’s public relations officer. The Ship was on an international voyage for this year to the European continent, entitled Oman, the Land of Peace. We were briefed about the ship’s tasks and also met the Ship’s Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Marine Issa bin Salim al-Juhouri.
When the ship called to Valletta it was on its return leg to Oman after this year’s international Voyage, they arrived in Oman on the 23rd of October 2022 and berthed at Port Sultan Qaboos in Muttrah.
The Royal Navy Oman-owned ship covered 16,805 nautical miles, stopped at 25 ports in 18 nations, and passed through 30 stations in 196 days. A record 172,235 people visited the ship during this voyage.
Her first lengthy journey took her over the Mediterranean, Red, Arabian, and Sea of Oman in order to get to Muscat, the Omani capital.
Approximately 211,000 people visited Shabab Oman II during her fourth journey, which took place from 15 April to August 2019, stopping at 17 ports across 12 nations. The majority of these people came during her participation in the Armada Festival in the port of Rouen, France, from 6 to 16 June 2019.
On her sixth international journey, she took part in Kiel Week and the Tall Ships Races in the Black Sea in 2022, visiting a number of European nations and winning recognition as the vessel that travelled the farthest distance to take part in the festival.
On the outside, the clipper appears to be a lovely classic teak vessel, but on the interior, she is equipped with the latest cutting-edge technology. The sail training clipper features nameplates and scrollwork that are exquisitely hand-carved and gilt, giving it a classic Omani appearance.
