Farouk Bahlawan, Khaled's uncle, said his family had preserved the original shape and structure of ancient Phoenician boats, with a few modifications.
"We mainly make ships from eucalyptus and mulberry wood from the Tartus forests," said the 54-year-old, a skilled carpenter.
Young children played hide-and-seek in the boats' hulls at the workshop, while an elderly man smoked in the shade of a large ship.
Close by, more than 40 wooden boats were moored at the Arwad port.
"We used to manufacture four big ships and several boats every year that we would export to Cyprus, Turkey and Lebanon," Farouk Bahlawan said.
"This year, we only worked on one ship, and it still needs a lot of work before it is done."
He gazed at the beach, where the children ran in the sand.
"We must continue this journey," he said, his voice welling up with emotion. "We bear a historic responsibility on our shoulders."
