Basking in Qatar's glorious heritage and culture of maritime activities, boat building is thriving in the country, with special emphasis on unique and innovative interior designs, according to a veteran craftsman.
“We build boats according to the tastes of our clients and most of them want the interior in the Majilis style, depicting Qatari culture," said, Peter Antony, an Indian boat builder in the country for the past 17 years.
"It might take one to one and half years to complete the whole work to get a boat renovated and ready for use. About five people are engaged in the work of a boat,” he explained.


The deck of a boat is being built


Uncut teak trunks are used in entirety in boat construction, says Peter Antony


Craftsmen engaged in the construction of a boat. PICTURES Jayan Orma

The professional who has decades of experience in boat building is currently looking after the progress of three boats in construction at Al Shamal, Al Khor and Al Wakra. Old boats are brought from other countries and Antony and his team build the upper part of the boat and repair the lower if needed.
“A typical large size boat we make is about 88ft long and 22ft wide, with three bedrooms, one living room as well as four bathrooms. However, it all depends on the choice of the clients and we design the interior accordingly. Most people want the interior to resemble that of the Qatari style buildings and follow the rich traditions and heritage,” explained Antony.
The deck of the boats might be lower in height and they will have to increase the height about 2ft while rebuilding the boat. Mainly teak is used for the construction of the boats.
“In some cases we use the entire teak trunk as a single piece without cutting. This is generally brought from Myanmar as well as some African countries. We also get wood from Malaysia. About QR700,000 might be needed for completing the renovation of a boat,” he pointed out.
The veteran builder said that nearly 500 people are engaged in different parts of the country in boat building. “The current style of boat building and design is in practice for about 20 years. However, of late, iron is also used for the construction of the boats instead of wood. But, such boats will not last long as iron rusts in due course. A boat made of wood is likely to last for about 10 to 12 years without any major problems,” he pointed out.
Antony who has built 16 boats in addition to supervising the maintenance of dozens of others, have about 20 people working with him. Most of them are from different parts of India.
“Qataris like to go out on marine trips with their families. Sometimes they also use for gatherings of friends as well as for fishing. Many of them use it for fishing competition,” he added.