Home from the sea

Hout Bay, a small town, at one end of the spectacular cliff hugging Chapman's Peak Drive, is jokingly but affectionately referred to by its residents as The Republic of Hout Bay.  Part of its charm is due in no small part to the fishing harbour, where brightly coloured boats sway gently at anchor and screaming gulls wheel overhead.

 Vessels painted in soft turquoise contrast pleasingly with a yellow boat, trimmed in royal blue, the whole set off by a scarlet fishing tackle box.  Even the name of one of the boats, Oceana Amethyst, seems appropriate to the palette of colours.

As well as an excellent seafood restaurant, there's a takeaway kiosk called Snoekies which sells the most marvellous fried battered fish and calamari, straight from the ocean, as well as the best french fries you'll ever taste.  There's nothing better than sitting on the rocks, dipping into steaming hot fish and salty chips, fragrant with lemon and vinegar, occasionally tossing a chip to a beseeching seagull as you watch the passing parade of fishing boats and yachts.

 The harbour is also home to numerous yachts, from luxurious ocean going and serious racing vessels to the smallest one person crafts.

Beautiful as all these larger views are, I am irresistibly drawn to the smaller scenes like this.  I looked down on to the water and saw this piece of wood floating on the surface.  It had obviously been used for painting the boats and, together with the coiled rope, somehow reminded me of a Jackson Pollock painting.

I'm not sure what this part of a boat's anatomy would be called but I thought it made an interesting composition.

And there's that orange again ...

Another boat in the Oceana fleet.

And one final picture to make the senses sing with joy, the primary colours, tied together with beautiful plaited rope.