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2.2.14

RUSSIANS IN TENERIFE

 THE SHTANDART

This is a Russian replica of a ship first launched in 1703, and which is touring the Canary Islands this month.
I went to see it this morning in San Miguel harbour, where it looks enormous beside the usual yachts, but tiny compared with the Queen Mary ll which we saw in Santa Cruz de Tenerife last month!
There's a fierce lion on the prow rather than the buxom beauty you might see on an English ship, and the ferocious theme continues with eagles and talons everywhere.


For the knowledgeable friend who was with me, every rope meant something, but to me the miles of rope would be bewildering. You can book passage on it, when presumably you would learn what they all do. Although there were a few modern touches, such as a wide-screen TV among the hammocks, I think a sea voyage aboard this lovely wooden boat is for people younger and fitter than me.
The chart room aft had a door either side,
 each of which led to a room totally filled by a bunk, presumably for the captain and mate, but everyone else sleeps in hammocks.
The workshop was a shambles but as they'd sailed from St Petersburg I assume the crew knew where everything was! We wandered at will except for the lower deck and discovered a strange troll tucked away in a corner.
The only part of the original boat is the bell, because when the Russians tried to lift the wreck from the sea they used ropes rather than a cradle, and the wreck was so fragile that the ropes cut it into several sections.
We did wonder if whoever did that is now toiling away in a salt mine!

3 comments:

  1. Lovely, thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  2. It all looks interesting, but I especially like the troll.

    ReplyDelete

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