Specialized 7

First, an update and a photo thanks to Richard: the crane ship shoehorned under the bridges and was recently offloading its cargo in Port Elizabeth. And then there were two, and by now Zhen Hua may be outbound for China.

Meanwhile . . . along the North River, I recently saw what I think must be the most beautiful floating interior there is. I won’t identify the vessel just yet. Specialized how you may ask? Simple, in making the mariner feel at home, as it will have to for a very long voyage.

Admire the rich wood color, all tropical hardwood hand carved by the man who built the boat. Let’s start in the wheelhouse and just glance slowly to port. Notice one spoke of the wheel. The “windows” are about 20 inches high.

We move to port,

more, with the map over the day bed showing the origin of the wood

now looking slightly aft toward the companionway,

and finally stepping down into the aftercabin and looking up toward the skylight, center carving, and wheel.

 

This interior made me want to build a new space that I’d carve every panel of and install with all manner of skylights and cupolas and stained glass and prisms… I’d better stop. Notice the large crystal between the forward edge of the skylight the the face carving? Go back to the first interior shot above and you’ll notice just the tip of it there too.  Reminds me of a Viking navigational device described here.

More on Specialized 7 later, the most comfortable space in the harbor. By the way, the top porthole is from the same vessel.

All photos by Will Van Dorp.