Beden

Background

The beden is a fast, ancient Somali single or double-masted maritime vessel and ship, typified by its towering stern-post and powerful rudder. It is also the longest surviving sewn boat in the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Its shipyards predominantly lie in the northeastern Hafun region of Somalia, notably Bayla, as well as Muscat. There are two types of beden ships: one geared towards fishing (the beden-seyed) and the other towards trading (beden-safar).

The average trading beden-safar ship measures more than 15 m (50 ft) in length, significantly larger than the fishing beden-seyed ships, which measure 6–15 m (20–50 ft) on average. Both are dwarfed by a much larger trading variant called the uwassiye, the most common trading and voyaging vessel, with some measuring up to 77 ft (23 m).

The ship is noticeable and unique in its strengthened and substantial gunwale, which is attached by treenail. Originally, all beden ships were sewn with coiled coconut fibre, holding the hull planking, stem and stern-post. Omani variants, beginning in the 20th century, began nailing instead of sewing the planks.