MALDIVES - AN OVERVIEW

"It is more robust than hemp," wrote Ibn Battuta, "and is used to sew jointly the planks of Sindhi and Yemeni dhows, for this sea abounds in reefs, and In the event the planks ended up mounted with iron nails, they'd break into items when the vessel hit a rock. The coir gives the boat bigger elasticity, to ensure it won't crack up."No particular pe