Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Boats and Yachts.

This post is specifically for JoJo Earle. The first part was copied from my second ever blog  but then I have added the bits about the other two vessels.

Friday, October 26, 2007

Well, I'm a Canadian and have been since 1978, however I started life as a mewling infant in Cheshire, England. They gave me World War II for my first birthday - you can work out for yourself how ancient I am. After that war, my parents went to live in the South of England and we eventually moved onto a Thames Barge called Iota. It was a wonderful craft. They were built to carry goods up and down England's rivers, in particular the Thames which flows through London, and someone got the idea of converting them to residences. They had flat bottoms so could go into the shallowest of places. They had leeboards on either side to prevent them drifting in the wrong direction. Most had a mainsail, topsail and foresail. Some had a mizzen sail too, aft (at the back) and were operated by a man and  a boy although I knew at least one married couple who operated one for many years.

This was an incredible place to live. We had fitted carpets and a fridge - not that many appliances available in those days. I remember the fridge was a pain in the butt as it was propane fired and had to be kept level. Keeping a fridge level on a boat of any kind is difficult. I remember lots of problems and swearing about that fridge although I was only about 9 or so at the time. My father loved to sail so we took Iota to France, Holland and Belgium on many occasions. This was how I learned to love food and I think, how my mother learned to be a gourmet cook. When she first got married she literally couldn't boil an egg. There was a family story about my father picking her up from work to go somewhere, they went to his place so he could change, and he asked her to make a bacon sandwich whilst he was getting ready. He returned to find her in tears because she hadn't a clue how to do so. Considering what a wonderful cook she became, this always seemed funny to us in later years..

 Eventually  Iota was sold and my father bought the Sunfish which was a converted Motor Fishing Vessel. She was never used for fishing although she had been used for mine sweeping during the Second World War: my father found her in South Africa somehow and paid a company to bring her back to England. She was a very sturdy boat and would ride some pretty bad weather much of which we experienced in the North Sea which is not a calm place at all. We travelled to many ports on Sunfish (her legal name was Silver Sunfish). One time we went to Denmark and she was too big to fit in the yacht harbour so we had to go into the commercial harbour and when we wanted water we had to go into the Tuborg (beer) harbour. It's the only place we ever visited where the harbour master offered us a beer.

After Sunfish came Pamara which was actually built as a yacht and was a fairly old boat. She rolled
like a stuck pig on the calmest of waters. I personally didn't like her nearly as much as the Sunfish. My father retired and sailed her to the island of Malta in the Mediterranean where they berthed for a number of years. They sailed to lots of different spots in the Med and I often flew out from England to join them. She too was close on 90 feet as was Sunfish. My parents finally left Malta as did many English people as they had a new prime minister who was very anti the English. They must have lost heavily through this I think. With Pamara they ended up in Alicante, Spain where they lived for a few years then sold the boat and moved into a house. A delightful place which they called Villa Pamara.

So, JoJo, this is how I lived on boats or was associated with them for many years.

I love Bruschetta and this sounded good. Don't forget it's pronounced Brusketta.

Basil and Tomato-Feta Bruschetta

  • 36 servings

What You Need

  • 1 French bread baguette (16 oz.), cut into 36 slices
  • 2 Tbsp. oil, divided
  • 7 plum tomatoes, chopped (about 2-1/2 cups)
  • 1 pkg. (4 oz.) ATHENOS Traditional Crumbled Feta Cheese
  • ½ cup finely chopped red onions
  • 2 Tbsp. chopped basil
  • 1 Tbsp. chopped black olives
  • ¼ tsp. pepper

Make It

Heat broiler.
Broil bread slices 2 to 3 min. on each side or until lightly toasted on both sides. Brush evenly with 1 Tbsp. oil.
Combine remaining ingredients with remaining oil.
Spoon onto toast slices just before serving.

Have a great day
 

22 comments:

  1. Living on a boat that size must be incredible. Especially for a kid. As a former boater, I spent one summer living on our boat when my husband and I separated. That was enough for me.

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    1. Not sure about incredible Denise, but it was something I took in stride I guess. I didn't have any choice in the matter and did get seasick a lot. However, as I got older, that got better.

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  2. That sounds a fascinating childhood. We never went near boats as my father used to get seasick in a dinghy a few metres out on a flat sea. As a result I didn't discover until I was an adult that I wasn't the same. I've never actually been seasick even in rough weather with everyone around me turning green and throwing up.

    The bruschetta sounds delicious.

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    1. I replied to this once. Grr. I said we used to describe that as "sick at the sight of a passenger list". I became inured to seasickness on our boats, but one time I travelled on a passenger boat from Norway to the UK and had to retire to bed without my supper. I just felt lousy.

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  3. That is SO COOL. What an awesome way to grow up. You must've seen and done a lot of great things, plus all the food and people you met along the way. I wonder if your parents had a hard time adjusting to life on land after being on ships and boats for so long. Thanks for the clarification on the pronunciation of bruschetta. In my mind I am still saying 'brooshetta'. Will try hard to remember it's a K sound.

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    1. I guess I did. I wasn't very impressed with it at the time though JoJo. Looking back it sounds so much better. Actually I don't think they had much trouble adjusting at all although my dad wasn't ashore very long before he died.

      It is difficult to change to the K sound, I had trouble when I first found out.

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  4. Very interesting with the living on boats! Surely an adventure not duplicated by a lot of people!

    betty

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    1. There were some other kids where we lived with the barge and the MFV but I don't think many of them sailed anywhere like we did. My father didn't give a damn about school, if he decided to go, we went.

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  5. I had no idea you'd grown up on so many boats. What a wonderful experience for a child.

    I'd have to fake the cheese, but we have fresh basil growing in our garden and it would be delicious on bruschetta.

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    1. I didn't think much of it at the time Diane, but looking back, it was pretty fab.

      I have a pot of basil too. Lovely flavour.

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  6. Your life was one big ADVENTURE!

    That bruschetta looks amazing.

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    1. I guess it was Susan. Wish I had appreciated it at the time.

      It does, doesn't it? I could eat it right now.

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  7. WOW!! You have a very interesting life. I see a good book there. I LOVE Bruschetta!!

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    1. Not a writer per se. So it won't be me writing any book Cathrina.

      I love bruschetta too.

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  8. I would probably get seasick, as well.

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    1. You sort of get it knocked out of you Ivy, you get used to it. I told myself it wasn't worth getting sick because the voyage was only so many hours each time. I convinced myself to feel OK. Amazing how psychology works.

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    2. I agree. Were ally have that power and will to overcome things. Amazing.

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    3. We do Ivy but not many make use of it.

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  9. A very unique way of living in your young years. Your parents sound like adventurers. Do you still love to go boat riding and miss it at all?

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    1. Yes, it was different. My father was certainly an adventurer and my mother just went along. I don't so much miss sailing as the life that went with it.

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  10. Great post Jo ... as you know we live in Kent, near the sea, and have quite a few of these preserved Thames Barges locally. Wonderful sight when they are in full sail.
    I love Bruschetta but always rub garlic clover onto the toasted (broiled) bread before adding toppings ... can't imagine them without garlic LOL

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    1. Hadn't registered the lack of garlic Sue, I would add it too.

      Sadly the Iota when last heard about was a rotting hulk. Someone sent me a picture. So sad.

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