Sunday, December 30, 2012

Shipwrecked Picnic

 Yesterday, myself, Dad and some sisters borrowed the boat and took off across the harbour to visit the old whalechaser. These days the ship is tenement housing for pigeons and the smell of guano is almost overwhelming. The picture above is of the engine room. Check out those piston rings.
Below: Cookie being a fruit, looking into the wheelhouse.



The crows nest. "One day soon, that mast'll come down," Dad said. He used to live on this ship for a while as a caretaker, a year or so before it went onto the rocks at the deep water jetty.

 The foredeck with the mounting for the harpoon up at the bow.


Yes! Mussels! Dad does cool stuff like this. He brought out a little cooker and a pot and we ate the mussels we gathered from the sides of the whalechaser, for lunch.





11 comments:

  1. Brilliant. Lovely little adventure. And then those amazing photos or rust! Awesome little paintings.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That rust is gorgeous yes? That's the south facing side of the ship, the bit that cops all of the weather.
      I was just on the phone to Dad and we both agreed agreed that little adventures are the juice that keeps us going. Apart from food, air and shelter that is.

      Delete
  2. Saw Life of Pi the other night. I'm so scared of big seas I think I may have been a sailor once before. One of the one's that went overboard... All that cranking, groaning metal. Terrifying doesn't even come close. As heroic as whaling sounds, even with diesel engine and explosive harpoon, I could never have gone out into the deep in such a low sided ship as that. Nuh-uh, never..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I really, really want to see that movie. It's coming out new year's day here but I'm bony arsed broke for the next fortnight. (See above post as to why!)

      Those whalechasers must have been gnarly to work on. Right in her waist, you would have been walking through water, holding onto the rails, seeing your life flash before your eyes.

      Delete
    2. The movie worked for me on three levels; visually, in story terms and that crucial 3rd aspect, the post viewing reflective depth charge. It's good. The storm sequence had me gripping the chair arms and pushing my feet into the floor so hard I had sciatic pains till this morning.. :-)

      Delete
  3. Your 'little adventures' aren't so little I don't think Sarah. You're really lucky to be able to do all that. I must spend some time soon reading through your blog to try to get a handle on where you are. Every time I come here it seems a world away and so, so exotic.

    Happy New Year and all that!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's funny Melba, I've had conversations about the exotic. Because we are from here, the exotic is not exotic, if you get what I mean. Melbourne, South Africa and New York are exotic to me. This is just the life I live.
      But adventures are always important. They take a little bit of organisation and a quixotic/poetic motivation. In the end, you can have one anywhere in the world.

      Delete
  4. Your dad uses the exact same pot to cook mussels as I do. Great pictures.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dad's just really cool like that.
      Aussie and I were at an isolated beach one day and we saw someone canoe in, get out and start cooking up his lunch on the shore.
      "Is that your dad?" she asked me.
      "Mmm, yes," I said.
      But neither of us had clothes on so we just waved from a distance.

      Delete
  5. Fun place for a picnic. Love the rust - especially where it morphs into the sea - amazing.

    ReplyDelete