With the help of thirty men it took me exactly one year to design, build and fit out the 36 metre sailing boat. I spoke no Arabic and had no boat building experience but my technical drawing lessons given by my schoolteacher Mr Hogg when I was aged just 14 proved very useful.
My long held dream became a reality when I found a very small boat building yard. After a great deal of research, I gathered together a group of artisans, local mariners and engineers to help design and build a very special Dahabeeyah (meaning golden boat) that is hand crafted from top to bottom. The Princess Donia is fully airconditioned, has power showers, wi-fi and a stainless-steel kitchen, which operates to highest hygiene standards.