Atlantic Basin Barge Detail

Bowsprite satified my hungry eyes with her epic vistas of the diverse craft in the Upper Bay Sunday.  Let me complement by directing the eyes to equally satisfying detail.  Like flags defying uniformity of color and shape flying from

mastheads of divers tips.  Actually, the tell-tale is called a wimpel.  On the top foto, notice the Flinter house flag.

Fugelfrij, built in 2000, already striking with its flat-black hull, enhances that with   . . . black fenders.

Vrouwe Cornelia, 1888, has lovely carved signs.  Whoever Lady Cornelia was, she

left her shoes on deck.  Was she the beloved, or

despite the wooden shoes . . . the mermaid muse of the first skipper?  Either way, this reminder rides Cornelia‘s tiller through every turn.

These three boats (far to near . . . Pieternel, Sterre, and Vrouwe Cornelia ) alone have the combined age of 362 years!

And each tiller carries a different beast, land spirit or

water.  This fish rides Sterre‘s rudderhead.

Like grapes are these parrel beads, and like a fine basket the fenders on Windroos.

And after night fell, there was the utterly delightful music man of the waters, Reinier Sijpkens, turning as many circles as

designs on his vessel or notes in his music.  See him here on Youtube.

More soon.  All fotos here by Will Van Dorp.

Remember, fotos of the trip upriver can be seen at Arjen’s  site here.  It’s also an opportunity to struggle with Dutch text.  Still more fotos are here.

And a request:  if you happen to cross paths with this flotilla the next few weeks, I’d love to see and maybe post your fotos.  Email me.