Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
had taken off in separate directions and were exploring the sea bed and may well have been
spearfishing. They were both equipped only with snorkels and flippers as well. Apparently
one of the twins had discovered a giant clam, and was trying to get it to open or dig out
some of the meat when the clam's jaw snapped closed around his hand like a steel trap. His
brother appeared on the scene just a little too late and had been understandably devastated
by the tragedy. I was almost sick when this young skipper told me that the surviving twin
had had to cut off his brother's wrist to retrieve his body.
Later that evening we rowed around to Lady Ellen and introduced ourselves, offering them
some lobster for dinner. The young captain and crew were delighted and invited us aboard
to share the lobster, remarking on how big it was. We readily accepted and handed one of
them the painter and climbed up the sea ladder on the side of the large wooden hull.
“My word, what a beautiful boat you have! She's magnificent!”
“Thank you, yes, she es beautiful, but she's not ours; she belong to the Danish govern-
ment,” replied the captain in his heavy Danish accent. He couldn't have been older than
twenty-five or so, I guessed; he must have been quite a sailor.
“Would you like to look around? I'll yust geef thees to da cook.”
A very attractive, young lady with a mane of blonde hair smiled and in halting English said,
“Oh what a big lopster, she goin' to tase very goot!” She politely took the fish from us and
disappeared into the galley, like a fit, young cat.
We were down below at this stage and taking in all the restored splendor of this magnificent
old ship. She had recently been overhauled, and the honest, “old school” wood work had
been varnished and painted. It was immaculate, shipshape, and authentic. Spartan would
have been my description, elegantly spartan and functional. The essence of a good sea ves-
sel. Simple and salty she was, from the galley to the crew's quarters, basic bunks orderly
and neat; she was typical of the old Danish sailors.
They smiled at our obvious pleasure, and when the captain mentioned that they had no en-
gine, I was doubly impressed. “Ya, we have to choose our places to visit, and anchor out,
using da big rupper dinghy and enchine to go about,” he said. “Come, let's sit on deck.” He
motioned for us all to follow.
Until now, the other crew had been silent, but now as we sat about on the large coach roof,
they spoke in broken English, pointing out interesting aspects of their ship or answering our
numerous excited questions. She was ninety feet long, including the longest bowsprit I had
ever seen. She was a three-masted, top, gallant schooner, steel hull with plank-like lines
etched into the topsides. She was very authentically rigged with canvas and tar frapping
