Saldanha Bay - Early Morning Rhapsody in Blue

A nick-name for the West Coast is "the cannery coast", for here bedazzling amounts of fish are harvested from hundreds of fishing vessels. The great reserves of plankton-rich water attracts shellfish, harders and maasbankers, the so-called pelagic fish. Soon after the Dutch created their outpost for supplies in the Cape, the large number of seals and seagulls were a sure sign that fish were plentiful here. In later centuries a little coastal road developed which is today the well-known R27. Even today the local economy depends much on fishing the waters around Saldanha and its six islands.

I caught these two boats "dozing" in the bright morning mist in the harbour of Saldanha. The blue colours on many of these vessels are extremely attractive. I noticed in a private part of the harbour that the massive I&J fishing fleet has a uniform royal blue for their boats, but cannot tell for sure why so many others are painted blue. I only know that I hope to paint many more of them!

To paint the ripples on the water I under painted in white, covered with sea-green and then "lifted" the white bits. My art friends will also notice that I have once again defied the rules of composition! In the previous post all the people walk OUT of the picture and here I balance the heavy mass of two boats with nothing but the bright water and a strong thin border of distant land.