In the Straits of Messina we crossed paths with the weirdest looking boats. I took some pictures of them but they were too far away to see much in the pictures but we could see them fine with the binoculars. Fortunately for us, maybe not so for the crew, one of them came into our little anchorage this afternoon. The water was quite rough and bouncy and once you see these boats you realize that they are only meant for calm waters. Evidentally this one got caught out in the rough water and had to come into the calm of the anchorage this afternoon to pull it it's booms.
We saw him motoring into the harbor past us and throw out a stern anchor. After an hour or so, I glanced out our cabin window and just saw a big metal frame. The forward boom of this boat was right outside our window! I called Charlie and we ran up to hold the boom off the side of the boat. They had been working on retracting the front boom and forgot to be watching around them and got too close to our boat. The captain ran back to the wheelhouse and gunned the engine in reverse to get away from us. No problem, all clear. We had been joking in the cockpit earlier when they pulled in that they used that front boom to visit anchored boats and try to sell their swordfish steaks. That thought did flash through my mind when I saw the boom outside the window.
The close call did give me a chance to get a good photo of the boat. This was taken after he had retracted the front boom and let the upper boom down a little bit. When we saw them fishing in the Straits there was one guy up on top in the crows nest, another out on the front boom and the captain driving. The spotter on top would direct the boat when they saw a swordfish and the guy on the bow used the spears located right at the bow to spear the fish. I have no idea what happened after that but I'm guessing it was pretty exciting.
This boat design was something entirely new to me and I thought I would share it. It gives me a greater appreciation for swordfish steaks. Hmmm, swordfish...
We saw him motoring into the harbor past us and throw out a stern anchor. After an hour or so, I glanced out our cabin window and just saw a big metal frame. The forward boom of this boat was right outside our window! I called Charlie and we ran up to hold the boom off the side of the boat. They had been working on retracting the front boom and forgot to be watching around them and got too close to our boat. The captain ran back to the wheelhouse and gunned the engine in reverse to get away from us. No problem, all clear. We had been joking in the cockpit earlier when they pulled in that they used that front boom to visit anchored boats and try to sell their swordfish steaks. That thought did flash through my mind when I saw the boom outside the window.
The close call did give me a chance to get a good photo of the boat. This was taken after he had retracted the front boom and let the upper boom down a little bit. When we saw them fishing in the Straits there was one guy up on top in the crows nest, another out on the front boom and the captain driving. The spotter on top would direct the boat when they saw a swordfish and the guy on the bow used the spears located right at the bow to spear the fish. I have no idea what happened after that but I'm guessing it was pretty exciting.
This boat design was something entirely new to me and I thought I would share it. It gives me a greater appreciation for swordfish steaks. Hmmm, swordfish...
