the vast continent of Africa. The waters were unknown, and the dangers were many. The Phoenicians set sail, and after enduring an epic voyage that lasted three years, they completed the first circumnavigation of Africa. But did they really do it? Even Herodotus, the famous Greek historian who tells of the feat, doubted that it was possible. For almost 3,000 years the question has remained: could the ancient Phoenicians really have made that great voyage around the coast of Africa? One man was determined to find out. Captain Philip Beale, who served in the British navy, is a noted sailor and adventurer. He took on the challenge of proving that it was possible for the Phoenicians to have made their famous circumnavigation of Africa. The first step was to build an authentic replica of an ancient Phoenician ship. With the help of archaeologists, who studied ancient shipwrecks and artefacts, the design of the ship was formed. The ship was built in the ancient Phoenician city of Arwad, on the Syrian coast. The shipbuilders came from a family that has been making wooden vessels in Arwad for generations, and are proud of their own Phoenician ancestry. They used traditional materials and techniques to build the ship, which was named the Phoenicia. Captain Beale assembled a crew of volunteers of many nationalities to sail the 21 metre vessel. The ship was launched from Building the Phoenicia