Flèche d’or

The Brahmaputra carpenters constructed this boat following traditions and ancestral technologies belonging to a type of boat called Panchi. This boat was used a few thousand years ago for rowing races between villages. They were broadened later, without losing their very original elegance, for fast transport of troops across the numerous rivers in this zone. This version remained and is still used for transporting passengers between villages. The Flèche d’or is the longest Panchi in the country. She measures 72 feet long and is equipped for daylong or half-day cruises through Dhaka, the old city and the surrounding countryside.

The B613

In 1997 we converted one of the largest wooden hulls of the country, built according to the thousand year-old techniques of the Brahmaputra carpenters, into an international standard cruising boat.
The B613 is a Malar boat, measuring 93 feet long and 23 feet wide. She is equipped with 6 double cabins, 4 bathrooms, 2 showers and a large well-equipped kitchen.
The original rigging has been rebuilt with a 20m high mast and two magnificent hand woven red-ochre trapezoidal sails that measure a total surface of 250 square metres, making the B613 the biggest sailing boat of Bengal.

The Burmese teak deck measures 11m in length and 6.5m wide, and part of the deck is sheltered from the sun by the beginning of a bamboo roof. This area is accessible to passengers and is a great favourite spot for watching the sun drop beyond the river.
The boat is also equipped with two American diesel engines (Detroit Diesel brand) of 110 hp each which are silent – hardly any vibration is felt. Clipboards and blackboards can be used without any problem. The B613 has chairs and tables and a generator for using projectors, microphones and other equipment for seminars, meetings and retreats. The open roof and sides can also be covered effectively , in case of rain or if the room needs to be darkened..