Dungeness: The Boat Graveyard

So a few months ago vicky described to me a place she called 'the boat graveyard'. Of course i wanted to go, this is my blog about it and some pics when i get around to it.

Since i've been in England i've been writing Stormy, which is all about pirates and ships, so i've been doing as much as i can to see old ship. Now Dungeness isn't really that old, or the boats on it aren't but the region has some pretty amazing history.

First the look of it. Imagine a really long 'Beach' beach in the english term meaning a giant beach of pebble stones, wild grasses and flowers, and the cold water sea that streaches all the way to france. Yes you can kind of see it, on a very clear day. The beach itself is beautiful in very haunting way and the boats only make it more so. Scattered along the length of Dungeness are around ten to fifteen small fishing ships, all from the 60-70's i'd say in various stages of going back to the earth.

One very big old one, that looked like it once held five to ten men, all with net ready, was half broken, planks and wood come apart, the hull at the back broken, probably by a strong wind. Many of the others are still whole, tipped to one side, wood faded and rotting away slowly in the thin sunshine.

I went down with David wwho is my new father in law, he came here alot as a boy and it was easy to imagine what this place would have once been like. Each little plot of land was once a family fishing spot. Many sites that once held boats dn't all that is left is a rusted winch where they we're pulled in after a day at sea. There at one time would have been tens and ten of boats on this streach, all working craft, fisher men and families coming for there coastal holiday, in the days before easyjet.

The thing that is almost sad about this place, is the boats. They are well made, clinker bult (i think), well crafted hulls and all hand made. They at one time we're valuable, very valuable and even when they we're hauled up the sand for the last time, to begin there journey back to nature, they could have been sold for something.

The thing i can'tunderstands is why. Yes it looks beautiful and it's a very good reminder of how different life was only a few very short years ago, in a different gerenation, but why not sell them. I later on found out some reasons why.

One story i heard, which was about a shack, not a boat, but i think it must be the same story for a lot of thing and places. An old man owed it, he passed, his only family, cousins, who lived somewhere else. His little shack now left, the grounds, overgrown and forgotten. I feel many of these boats would be the same. Even some that dd have sale signs once, now are too far gone, they are not needed, the fishing industry that was once ehre has gone.

If you can come here, do. It's a beautiufl and haunting place. We only have a few years to enjoy it before the wind and the salt take them it back.