Nungwi Beach

This guide to Nungwi Beach in Zanzibar City opens with a question: no one hands the builder a blueprint, so how does he know the hull taking shape on the sand will float. It follows the dhow builders working the northern stretch of the beach, judging every plank and curve by eye, heating iron rods to bend timber ribs, and for smaller boats, stitching planks together with fiber instead of nails. You'll hear how boys as young as ten start out sanding and fetching before anyone lets them near a blade. Watch the fire before you watch the finished hull.