Maritime Life and Traditions No. 32

Table of Contents SEA BASS By Gilles Bernard On the West Coast of Brittany, France, the Raz de Sein is a treacherous stretch of water beset with swift-moving currents and large sea swells. Despite the hazards some fishermen, working alone in high-powered boats, manoeuvre in amongst the rocks in a search of one of the world's maritime delicacies — the sea bass. ROALD AMUNDSEN, GJOA, AND THE NORTHWEST PASSAGE By James P. Delgado For centuries explorers searched for a way through the ice at the ‘top of the world’. But the Northwest Passage proved elusive until about 100 years ago, when the Norwegian, Roald Amundsen, completed a three-year journey on board the sloop Gjoa. PIONEER By Brian Kennell Built in 1864 by Peter Harris of Rowhedge, Suffolk, the first-class smack Pioneer had a long, hard-working life before sinking off West Mersea in 1942. There she lay, quietly deteriorating in the mud, until 1998 when Brian Kennell, Rupert Marks, and Shaun White decided to salvage what is now the last remaining Essex ‘Skillinger’. CENTENNIAL OF TOCONDEROGA AND THE STEAMBOATS OF LAKE CHAMPLAIN By Douglas Brooks The steamer Ticonderoga carried passengers between ports on Lake Champlain from 1906 to 1953. In 1955 she was moved overland to Shelburne, Vermont, where she was restored to her 1923 condition. Today visitors can explore her decks and relive the days of regular lake transport. MARITIME CURIOSITITES IN BOTTLES By Louis Arthur Norton For nearly three hundreds years art in bottles has charmed and fascinated — enjoyed both for its simple beauty and intricate engineering.