Rameshwar Dockyard

[4] It is a tidal dockyard on the west bank of Waghotan river or Kharepatan Creek about 1.5 km from Vijaydurg Fort.

[3][4] Repair and maintenance of the dockyard was generally carried out during the lowest low tides of the full and new moon.

The Indian Navy has retrieved a two-fluked iron anchors from the dockyard, thought to be of the Maratha Period.

The significance of the dockyard of Rameshwar is that it is the first of its type to be found in this region dating to the Maratha Period.

However, it was within range of the spring tide so that a ship could be floated from the dock on completion of repair work.

The site is protected from the tempestuous south-west monsoon by a hill and this enabled shipwrights to continue work even in the stormy season.

The availability of the raw material and thus reduction in the cost of manufacture facilitated the extensive use of such anchors over a long period.

All the grapnels and the triangular stone anchors found in clusters are made of local sandstone and fine laterite.

A further eight grapnel stone anchors were noticed for the first time on the arches of the parapet wall of the second fortification of Vijaydurg Fort.

Most of the boats are still docked using the old stone anchors that were used as mooring bits during the period of Maratha rule.

Further ahead, there are a few crosses installed by the local Christian community residing in a nearby settlement.