Boats in music, literature, the arts.

What recommendations do you have for enjoyable boat related subjects in music, literature, the arts?

Reminders of old classics and familiar friends welcome, but I’m particularly thinking of contemporary, perhaps lesser known or idiosyncratic references . But hey, its a broad church!

A synopsis, brief quotation, links, a few lines on what you enjoy about the piece ?

And yes, this is your chance to get poncey, chichi, artyfarty: go for it!

A couple of warm up examples to follow.

 

James Dodds: artist









http://www.jamesdodds.co.uk/welcome.html

James Dodds is an artist who apprenticed as a shipwright, and works in Essex, England. His subjects are traditionally built boats and boat yards. His work is relatively large, and focuses on the construction, detail and patina of boats traditional to the area. I particularly enjoy his paintings;

http://www.jamesdodds.co.uk/paintings_gallery.html

they are both scholarly and robust, with a sensitive appreciation of texture and a slightly otherworldly colour. I wish I could afford one!

 

The Oatmeal Ark by Rory Maclean

The Oatmeal Ark by Rory Maclean

I am about halfway through this novel, which traces a journey from the Western Isles of Scotland through Canada, by 4 generations of the Gillean family. It uses a slightly fanciful device of the ‘angels’ of previous generations, travelling with the youngest, Beagan, but this does not obstruct at all. It works, purely as a way of telling the story, and the bickering between generations is very funny.

However, it is the boats that come across as the real characters, richer and more lifelike than the humans (or angels.) There is great description of the building of ‘the Good Intent’ by the village in the outer Hebrides, and the subsequent harrowing journey across the Atlantic to Cape Breton, as part of the clearances diaspora. Parallel is Beagan’s crossing, in a few days, in the container ship ‘Global Trader’ and then making her way up the St. Lawrence. Maclean gives a compelling sense of life on board a modern ship like this, and describes it with great humanity.

But this is just the start. From here we get great grandfather Hector’s rescue by Micmac birch canoe, Beagan blagging a lift up the locks in a lottery winner’s hi tech gin palace, courting by canoe, the rescue of a steamer drifting onto the rapids by splinting the broken propshaft with a whalebone corset, and much more to come. Great stuff.

 

Big Rod - Singing his heart out

Sailing

Music? Had to start with this one, growing up outside Portsmouth, knocked out by the 2 Spithead fleet reviews I saw.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reuhRjgB6xg

I can’t find it attached to the wonderful footage on the ‘Sailor’ title sequence (I think it was actually with the end credits) but here’s a picture of the fleet review as compensation

 

I would love that triptych on my wall at home !!!....Excellent......thanks!

 

I am vein enough to hope my boat build will be seen in similar artistic light, it is starting to look very fine... The artistry is by Bob Oram... Most great artists had to be, by necessity, great engineers...

Tiny Turnip, thank you for an interesting thread concept...

 

T`is indeed Mas ( looking fine ).

 

painting