History of Liveaboards
Floating Maldives 2006 - 1st January, 2006
The Republic of Maldives or locally Dhivehi Raajje had awakened from its sleeping beauty hideaway only at the beginning of 1970's, to open its marine borders for international Tourism.
Although, the very initial development of islands around Male' into Tourist Resorts in 1972 like Kurumba, Bandos and Villingili was followed soon by the establishment of the first local Safari-boat, as locally built boats are called in Maldives today, accommodating tourists for activities such as cruising, scuba diving, wave surfing, fishing and sailing.
Despite a very few small foreign Yachts catering occasionally for Tourists those days, the true pioneer of locally built Safari boats was Mr. Ahmed Adam of H. Hickory with the establishment of a converted local fishing Dhoni (boat) built entirely out of local coconut wood in 1973, the second year of Tourism in the Maldives.
The boat carried the distinctive name ALADEEN, the first of its kind. As that boat was facilitated with one main cabin accommodating up to six foreign guests in bunk beds right below a center-elevated deck and in addition upgraded from using Latin sails to diesel powered Japanese-made Yanmar 2-T engine, such modernized version as unseen before eared itself the well deserved nickname Yacht Dhoni. The boat offered one common pump toilet, fresh water from island wells was stored in locally built cans and jerry cans carrying a maximum of 400 liters onboard with three unskilled crews operating the Yacht Dhoni. Provisions were limited to strictly Maldivian cuisine and re-provisioned while traveling from one island to another. All high-tech the boat owned those days was its diesel engine, there were no desalination plants, built-in soundproof generators, attached stylish bathrooms with hot water, no general electronics relating to the boat operation and nowadays guest comfort. The boat was steered by its traditional local Hunganu rudder and controlled by the captain's mighty foot.
Although, those days it was a locally praised Yacht Dhoni, it actually impressed by its practical simplicity, guests were synthesized with the Yacht Dhoni as they were with nature around them. Guests brought their own diving equipments, including compressors and the day to day vacationwas all about activities such as swimming, snorkeling, diving, local fishing, visiting inhabitant islands with their native population totally unexposed to foreign visitors as well as visiting and camping on deserted islands as most of those were unexplored those days. ALADEEN Yacht Dhoni served during her first three years of operation to game fishermen using local fishing methods. ALADEEN also sailed a well-known German photographer to his first island shots, which remain published even today.
During the 1970's, ALADEEN Yacht Dhoni was soon followed by few other boats converted to Yacht Dhonis, like the oriental named SINDBAD,a foreign teak-wood hull converted in Male' with six bunk beds for guests; the ALIBABA in 1976, a converted Freighter locally built and called Batheli; AKIRI 1 and AKIRI 2, the two canopy covered converted Yacht Dhonis all of similar style which were chartered by a German divepioneer to Maldives.Cruising on those boats was the true and ultimate adventure seeking within the maritime boarders of Maldives.
Conversion and construction of Yacht Dhonis continued: The company Voyages Maldives represented by Mr. Solah Shihaab was founded in 1980 and followed with their first two Yacht Dhonis VOYAGE 1 and 2 beginning of 1980's, offering classic Dhoni Safaris. The company has developed during the 1980's and 90's various Yacht Dhoni designs like Sea Farer, Gulfaam, Kethi ,Sea Coral and Gahaa, furnished with single and twin sharing cabins. Those Dhonis were customized for fishing, surfing and diving and have remarkably sustained safari operations with their specific local style till today, for guests searching for the ultimate difference, alongside the modern high-tech Liveaboards.
Importantly, other individually-designed boat types emerged early 1980's. BARAABARU was built by a French man married to a Maldivian beauty on the island of Velidhoo in northern Noonu Atoll in 1980 and registered tourist operation in 1981. The boat shape was of specific difference in terms of construction and size, much to the well understandable skepticism of local carpenters those days. Four individual guest cabins were covered by a full deck spanning across the entire hull, the 57ft boat no longer called Yacht Dhoni was powered by a Mercedes 82HP marine engine, and sailing with the support of majestic Latin sails rigged on two masts which was at that time the biggest tourist accommodating vessel built in the Maldives.
Fresh water supply by gravitation with refillable tanks on top of the deck, 12V electricity convertible and a silent Frigomar refrigeration system enhanced the before unseen comfort. Kerosene or battery powered lamps provided silently-romantic lights at night before small transportable Generators made its way into Safari boats providing more reliably energy to the ever increasing power requirements over the years. BARAABARU offered inaddition some very popular windsurf boards and a modern Boston whaler Dinghy with a powerful 35HP outboard engine adding to the comfort and recreational activities.
Around the same time MV SHADAS was built by a young courageous German with skilled Maldivian carpenters far up north in Maldives, on Vashafaru island. Although, the boat matured from the earlier Yacht Dhoni designs, its construction was of unseen high quality and the interior appeared far progressed from the traditional Yacht Dhoni design.
Those two boats had influenced largely the modernizing development of the Safari industry over the last 25 years, with subsequent foreign boat designs having been copied on and combined with traditional construction methods to match international Liveaboard standards.
Mohamed Ali or Philippe by his native french name, owner of the legendary BAARABARU constructed on the island of Velidhoo in Noonu Atoll in 1992 the wooden Sailing Yacht 'GOMA', of which its unique Ketch-design has never been reproduced but remain successfully in operation at the Rangali-Hilton Resort Island till today. Furthermore, modernized Yacht-Dhoni is like VAAREDHUNI and Motor-cruisers like NASRUVELI, NASRUALI, KEEMA, MOONIMAA and FATHULBARI to name the largest were all built on Velidhoo island before and around 1990's, influencingmodern Safari-boat production.
Ever since, the Industry has grown froma handful of Yacht Dhonis to well over100 Safari boats, ranging from 50ft basic non-modernized standard Safari Dhonis to luxury 85ft. Boats like SEA SPIRIT and SEA QUEEN and further high-tech modernized Liveaboards of over 100ft in length, with the look of European designed Motor-Yachts and facilitated with air-conditioned cabins, branded soundproof Generators, high-tech water maker, attached yacht-style bathrooms with desalinated hot water and flush toilets, air-conditioned cabins facilitated with various electronics, comprehensively stocked bar, refrigeration systems and galleys furnished to professional standard, to list the least.
A Liveaboard vacation in Maldives offers an onboard holiday, away from mass tourism, with the very specific ingredients of individualism, freedom seeking, adventures approach combined with the various recreational activities offered such as scuba diving, snorkeling, wave surfing, various kinds of game fishing or just cruising or sailing to secluded tranquil locations, including marine parks, entangled with pure and unspoiled nature. Sail away from all your hassles, and leave behind the hectic and stressful working life, become a seafarer like the historic Maldivian's, nonetheless with comfort and style.
Whereas during the first 20 years of Safari-boat tourism boats have catered mainly for divers and a very few for just cruising and local fishing, over the years boats were customized not only to the increasing professional demands of divers but also have diverted towards other recreational services such as wave surfing and specific game fishing.
Today, support boats or locally called Dhonis operate in tandem with the Liveaboards. Fully crewed Dhonis carry diving equipments and take divers save, comfortably and weather protected to the various dive sites while the mother vessel is safely anchored, for wave surfers the Dhonis serve as a bridge to the surf sites and will provide safety support.
Besides, the Dhonis are used for recreational fishing, trawling, visiting islands located in shallow lagoons inaccessible for Liveaboards and transferguests to the various locations including airport pick ups. Unlike over the first 15 years of tourism, the majority of Liveaboards use today customized support Dhonis.
The exposure towards modernism and the western world enhanced the speedy development particularly over the last 20 years. Whereas a traditional Yacht Dhoni built may have cost US Dollar fifteen thousand in 1973, today a 100ft and above customized luxury Liveaboard may absorb an investment of up to US Dollar one Million and above. In terms of facilities, nowadays modernly built Liveaboards leave little room for improvements, facilitated like a floating hotel, providing also for the most demanding guests comfort and appropriate facilities.
Local and foreign crews were experienced to personalize guest service onboard Liveaboards and the personal direct contact to crews onboard results often in friendship and multi-cultural exchanges unlikely happening on large resort islands.
Liveaboards cruise usually on a standard 7-days or 12/14-days schedule, in conjunction with chartered or scheduled airline traffic and nowadays the boats can be provisioned conveniently for a 14 day's itinerary without returning to Male' for re-provisioning. That enables the guests touring selected Atolls far reaching, dependent on prevailing weather conditions.
Nevertheless, modern Liveaboards are constructed far stronger than during the early days of Safari-tourism, enhancing the ability to travel moderate and occasional rough seas reliably.
During favorable weather conditions, fishing trips can reach within 7 days up to the most northern Atolls and return.
A 12/14-days dive Safari can span its itinerary across 4-5 Atolls with a daily three-dive program. Occasional unfavorable weather conditions will leave plenty of options to enjoy the variously offered water sports onboard also within a limited itinerary. Guests are usually supported with theircollective wish to cruise desired itineraries, depending on weather conditions and forecasts as well as the cruise period and occupancies.
Last but not least, Liveaboard operators as well as guests have collectively the great opportunity to contribute significantly towards nature conservation.
The close exposure to the magnificent nature of Maldives and its ecology on land and particularly below the surface with the marine flora and fauna in mind makes it essential to contribute ecologically thoughtful, support self-consciously preventive measures of pollution on the beautiful islands, the crystal clear seas and intact reefs ofMaldives, to let the marine life live untouched and undisturbed just by being a decant guest in their natural aquarium and to cooperate regardless of competition by maintaining nature as our current and future asset clean and intact.
That will assure a healthy foundation to continue for YOU as our appreciated Liveaboard guests to experience very much the very best the Maldives can offer, a great Liveaboard vacation.
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