said al namany is the captain and owner of this boat. leh said al jabri is a former navy officer who famously sailed the handmade 9th century style dhow, 3000 miles to singapore. >> anthony: the first omani boats that went out into the sea around how far back, how many years? >> said: i would say more than 3000 years. >> anthony: so b.c.? >> said: b.c. yeah. >> anthony: now, in the beginning it was fishermen but then start to trade all up and down east africa or around pakistan, up the china straits to china. >> said: and the evidence about it even in there, china, language there is some arabic. >> anthony: interesting. >> said: it's very interesting. >> anthony: what did the chinese have to trade that the omanis wanted?

said al namany is the captain and owner of this boat. ury style dhow, 3000 miles to singapore. >> anthony: the first omani boats that went out into the sea around how far back, how many years? >> said: i would say more than 3000 years. >> anthony: so b.c.? >> said: b.c. yeah. >> anthony: now, in the beginning it was fishermen but then start to trade all up and down east africa or around pakistan, up the china straits to china. >> said: and the evidence about it even in there, china, language there is some arabic. >> anthony: interesting. >> said: it's very interesting. >> anthony: what did the chinese have to trade that the omanis wanted? >> al namany: they exchanged it with the silk, fabric, and all the kind of things and of course coming back was spices. not only arab's went there, indians came as well so if you look at the eastern coast, they lack the spices and all this kind of food. >> anthony: well the people also, i mean, it's a real mix of arab, southern indian, african, maybe that's why the food is so delicious. >> al namany: thi