1700 Monday, August 1
For mariners, since the Colossus of Rhodes was erected in by the Greeks in 280 B.C., lighthouses in one form or another have guided mariners, showing them the safe path. The Ferryland lighthouse in my photo above shows the modern day light that guides sailors into this port more than two millennia after the Colossus of Rhodes. There is always a sense of relief, and of path forward, once a light is sighted.
The Inuit of the north have had their own beacon, perhaps for a thousand years or more. Inukshuk are stone statues of various size, the most elaborate and recognized have a somewhat human form, two legs, a hint of arms, a torso and head. They may have been traditionally used as beacons for navigation and path finding. In some places multiples are built. The inukshuk is the symbol on the flag of Nunatsiavut, the Inuit managed lands of Labrador.
Now, at Ferryland one sees a lighthouse and several inukshuks erected on the point of land below the lighthouse. These inukshuk are recent, some probably built by recent visitors from anywhere.
I liked the juxtaposition of the two types of beacons. I find myself considering the uncertainties of my path forward this summer. Today the mechanic and machine shop are saying the final part is due to arrive Tuesday or Wednesday this week. There always seems to be one more delay. I also fear that the mechanic and machine shop have not been straight with me about when they actually place orders.
To complicate things, the Cruising Club of America's summer cruise is due in port here for three days starting Thursday. I have to move from my current berth on the main bulkhead to a slip out on a long pier while they are here. Large boats have reserved space on the bulkhead and cannot fit in the depth of the slips. So, I am arranging for a tow to a slip. The Yacht Club does not have a boat to use for this purpose. I likely cannot get back to the bulkhead before Monday. The only way the engine can be gotten back aboard is with a boom truck to hoist the engine, swing it out over the companionway and lower it down. So, it may delay the engine getting back aboard, if the part arrives when they say it will.
So, I am looking for guidance and reassurance from the lighthouse and Inukshuks...
Bill
