Saturday, June 11, 2011

A Day Onboard the M/V Kalakala - Awe-Filled, Terrifying, and 70 Years of Ferry Funk on My Ass!

First off, if you want good photos, go to Blue Lou Logan's page.  There are two links below to guide you.

As Lou and I both blogged earlier, we headed down to Tacoma to lend owner and visionary Steve Rodrigues in his quest to save the world's only Art Deco/Streamlined ferry, the M/V Kalakala, a long-abandoned piece of the State of Washington's history.  It served solidly until...

You know what?  Lou does a much better job at describing our day.
http://blueloulogan.blogspot.com/2011/06/kalaka-update-aboard-for-faith-first.html

will say that from the sketchy gangplank over another, half-sunken ship (of unknown, iron-rotting vintage), all the way across the makeshift gangway of 2x12"s, I had a creepy feeling that this was not my first time to encounter this ship.  Granted, I had actually met the neglected maiden before, way out on Neah Bay, one day, by chance, when Mom and I felt like driving to the northwesternmost point in the lower 48.  On the way back from the least-welcoming aboriginal reservation on the planet, we spotted something fishy out to port: that beautiful art deco ferry, looking like she was headed out to sea.  And she was!  She had broken loose her stern line, and was held to her port by only one line at her bow.  Without both lines, she would head out of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and into open seas.  We watched a man kayak out to her (who turned out to be Steve Rodrigues), and quickly found out that he was her owner, and was trying to save her from ending up beached in India for the scavengers.  He's still aiming for that.  Today, though, was filled with promise and love, and Lou and I both felt that returning to help Steve in any way we could was worth giving up a few Saturdays a month.

We have our assignment: restoring the Captain's Quarters on the Flying Bridge Deck, which requires quite a bit of dum-dee-dum art deco carpentry (I have more practice designing and building theatre sets than my scholarly husband, but he's better with the manual labor).

You guys know that I have no Ghost Hunter bones in me.  I believe in the here and now.  Something felt - I won't say wrong, just "off" on that boat, or at certain points.  Unfortunately, on the starboard side of the promenade deck and the Grand Ballroom, where we're doing most of our prep work, are two places that I don't ever want to be alone.

So, read all about the experience from my husband at:
http://blueloulogan.blogspot.com/2011/06/kalaka-update-aboard-for-faith-first.html

No comments:

Post a Comment


Scram, bitch, I'm on a break.

Recent Meals

  • Grilled (in the rain) marinated top sirloin w/my Steak Frite and London Pub Sauce
  • Fried chayote
  • Roasted aubergine, zucchini, and yellow squash
  • Soft garlic sandwich rolls, and we made meatball sandwiches
  • Sirloin rubbed with cardamom-laced Turkish coffee
  • Chocolate truffles w/rum and bourbon
  • Petit fours
  • Florentine cookies drizzled with chocolate
  • 13-Bean soup w/parmesan rind and leftover ham
  • Apple spice cardamom muffins
  • Guinnes-injected pot roast
  • Cran-blueberry corn muffins
  • Spaghetti and meatballs - basic, but always a hit in this house
  • Hummus w/roasted garlic, olive, red pepper, and smoked paprika
  • Veggie stirfry w/julienned baby carrots, green peppers, garlic, chickpeas, and balsamic, served over Chinese Black Forbidden Rice
  • Ginger-carrot cake
  • Ginger cranberry mojito
  • Lime-cranberry-mint-strawberry seltzer
  • Lavender-mint iced tea
  • Trip to Beirut: Shish taouk, shish kebab, halvah, garlic naan, rice pilaf w/figs, raisins, and pecans, w/my famous lemon-mint-garlic Lebanese potatoes
  • London Broil w/a wilted spinach and mustard green salad with a bacon, balsamic, and mustard dressing
  • Sweet and red potato pancakes w/zucchini and peppers w/chicken apple sausage
  • Italian wedding soup w/homemade croutons and meatballs
  • "Rock the Casbah" Cardamom, Ginger, Apple Pork Roast w/Armadillo Rice (for you fans of The Clash who remember the cover of Combat Rock)
  • Individual Quiche Lorraine
  • Prosciutto-wrapped beef cubes w/mustard pan sauce
  • Chicken Sausage w/garlic naan and dijon mustard - Lou and I were really drunk.
  • Salt potatoes, mixed fingerlings, lightly mashed, with lot of butter
  • Focaccia w/garlic, onions, mozarella and cherry tomatoes
  • Rosemary and lavender bread
  • Spicy greens and spinach salad w/fresh mozzarella pearls, strawberries, and a strawberry vinegarette
  • Polenta casserole w/cheese and squash baked IN acorn squash halves