SURTI SHIPWRIGHTS-BEST IN THE WORLD….
An endearing scene in the new, much hyped SRK movie, is when little Rizwaan Khan’s mother, seeks the help of a Parsi gentleman to educate little Rizzu. The child charms Mr.Wadia, by mentioning a certain Lovji Nusservanji Wadia, the world famous shipwright from Surat.

Ship building in Surat runs way back to the ancient ages. Being an important port for sea trade, Surat and Suvali beach have been mentioned in many a historical travel book by authors who sailed the seven seas. A special mention on the ability of marvelous ship building by Surtis is an integral part of historic writings.

Tome Pires of Florence who traveled to India in 1511, wrote,’Gujaratees were better seamen, had larger vessels and more men to navigate.’

Aurangzeb’s navy that was superior in size to that of Akbar’s, had, besides many naval ships, 4 special ships that carried Haj pilgrims, free of cost, to and fro from Surat’s Mecca pool (Makkaipul).

The ‘Ganj –i- Sawai, an 800 ton ship, then considered one of the largest, most magnificent in its times was built in Surat .A heavily armed ship, it had 62 mounted guns and a musket armed unit of 500 guards.


Nicolo Conti, Venetian merchant and explorer, who visited India in the 15th century, wrote, “The nations of India build some ships larger than ours, capable of containing 2,000 butts, and with five sails and as many masts. The lower part is constructed with triple planks, in order to withstand the force of the tempests to which they are much exposed. But some ships are so built in compartments that should one part be shattered, the other portion remaining entire may accomplish the voyage."

Ship building and dismantling in Surat was carried out at yards along the Tapi river belt, one such still exists - the ABG shipyard at Surat’s Magdalla port.

The seaworthiness of the Surti ships was due to the technique and tools used to build them. Deodar teak and mahogany were planked together with iron nails, bolts and screws caulking them to make them leak proof.

Many were often copper bottomed or filled with ‘dammer’Indian substitute to tar. There were shell built sewn boats with wooden pin dowelling, watertight seams. Ships built with’vadhera’system of joints, had internal frames of ribs and cross beams.The ‘rassis’had a special variation of stiching the planks together.

In 1635, East India Company set up a shipbuilding yard in Surat.In its first year itself, 4 pinnaces and other larger vessels were built.

J. Ovington, Chaplain to the British King, the seventeenth-century English traveler, who visited Surat, wrote a book A Voyage to Surat in the Year 1689. He was impressed by the skill of the Indians in ship-building and found that they even outshone Europeans. The timber used by the Indians was so strong that it would not ‘crack’ even by the force of a bullet so he urged the English to use that timber ‘to help them in war’.
Lovji Nusservanji was born in 1702 in Surat to the Wadia family that got its name from the yards (wadis) that they owned. He was educated to be a shipwright and took employment with the East India Company. Extremely talented and skill worthy, he secured many contracts to build ships for the British and went on to form the Wadia shipbuilding industry in Bombay, where he shifted base.

Lovji and his brother Sorabji set up the first dry dock in Asia. Many members of the Wadia family stayed back in Surat, carrying on the family business.

Shipwrights of Gujarat built frigates for the British that went on to fight in the battle of Trafalgar. American sea farers visited Surat and Bombay to watch the skillful Wadias at work.

The HMS Minden -1810 built by Jamshedji Bomanji Wadia is the one on which America’s national anthem ,’star spangled banner’ was written by Francis Scott Key,as a poem.

The HMS Trincomlee -1817 built by Wadias is still in use and known as the TS Foudroyant.Its the oldest sail driven warship and good enough to be afloat for 300 more years!

Lovji once proudly engraved in the central beam of a British warship,

“This ship was built by a d-----d Black Fellow A.D.1800.”

After all, you can always trust a Surti to tell it as it is.

Tapi town tattle-My name is democracy and no one can dictate me otherwise.