Funky Nautical Junk

One of the fun things about going to the shipyard with Himself is all the cool things I can photograph.  Everywhere I look there are fascinating objects. 

There are pallets and pallets full of ropes.

Ropes of every shape and color you could imagine.

Chains of all sizes sit rusting on the dock.  This anchor chain has links that are around two feet long! 

I’d love to have this hook!

There are even ropes with chains!

In other places you can find piles of nets. 

And stacks of crab pots with netted sides.

I don’t know what these pipes are for but aren’t they fun with that flower shape and pops of bright color?

Everywhere on the dock are turn wheels connecting hoses carrying who-knows-what. 

This old dock cleat caught my eye.  It’s marked “Atlas Foundry – Tacoma”.  I would take it home in a heartbeat if given the chance!  It looks ancient.  I wonder how old it is?  The company dates back to 1899. 

This welded tag was on a piling floating in the bay. 

And all of that is before we get to his ship – the M/V Independence.  Not quite sure what this grappling hook is used for but I love the contrast of the yellow against the blue.

Once on the Indy, there are more ropes tied in interesting knots!

These knots are called “monkey fists” and are used to help get ropes from the ship to another ship or the dock.  The monkey fist is tied to a lightweight rope that is tied to heavy rope.  You throw the monkey fist over like a baseball and pull the heavy rope to you.

This big chain is the Indy’s anchor chain.

One way to get to or from the ship is in the “man basket”.  This is a man basket that is collapsed down.

When you go down to the engine room, there are all sorts of pipes and rods.  I have no idea what they are for but I love the way they look!

The repetition of the yellow turn wheels and every other one having a red tie was a surprise.  Aren’t the brass tags great?

This green turn wheel was big.  Looks like it has had a rough time of it too.

There’s a little bit of everything with this wench… bars, wheels, gears, ropes. 

I wonder what this is for? 

I think this is part of the mechanism that controls the anchor chains.  It was heavy duty and grease laden.

Cool looking at any angle!

It’s funny watching the deckhands watch me as I photograph the things that are part of their everyday life. Sometimes they will go over to see if they can figure out what I found interesting enough to take a picture of. Usually they walk away shaking their heads.