Evening Ebb

Sailboats on the Indian Ocean just outside the Challenger Harbour in Fremantle Western Australia. The America's Cup races were held just north of this spot in January and February 1987. I remember watching the races from Aurora Colorado as it snowed outside never thinking I'd ever be here much less having gotten here by a boat and trains.

Fishing Boat Harbour is just behind Challenger Harbour. There are several restaurants. Here's a shot of Kailis Fish Market Cafe where the fish and chips were quite good.

Toured the Fremantle Maritime Museum where they have Australia 2, the 12 meter sailboat that won the 1983 Americas Cup in Newport. This boat is known for its famous winged keel that the syndicate kept covered during the races. It was a significant technological leap forward and was partly responsible for the win.

They also have Jon Sanders' s/v Parry Endeavor on which he completed a triple circumnavigation in 1986-1988 without stopping, once west-about and twice east-about. It is still the longest distance sailed without stopping or assistance: 131,535 kilometers. And the longest period alone at sea: 657 days 21 hours and 18 minutes. Amazingly, he completed five circumnavigations in total.

And a post card from early in the second world war:

Comments

Vessel Name:	s/v Evening Ebb
Vessel Make/Model:	1979 Pearson 365 Ketch
Hailing Port:	Washington, DC
Extra:	The boat's name comes from a poem by Robinson Jeffers: Evening Ebb The ocean has not been so quiet for a long while; five nightherons Fly shorelong voiceless in the hush of the air Over the calm of an ebb that almost mirrors their wings. The sun has gone down, and the water has gone [...] down From the weed-clad rock, but the distant cloud-wall rises. The ebb whispers. Great cloud-shadows float in the opal water. Through rifts in the screen of the world pale gold gleams, and the evening Star suddenly glides like a flying torch. As if we had not been meant to see her; rehearsing behind The screen of the world for another audience. More