Work Horses of the Ocean, Saldanha Bay

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The painting shows a morning scene in tranquil Saldanha Bay, and the "work horses of the sea", the crayfish trawlers are ready for the early risers who should soon appear to board them.

Saldanha was named after Admiral Antonio de Saldanha, who anchored here in 1503 to look for supplies. He was unfortunately wounded by Khoikoi men. For some time it was thought that Saldanha Bay would become the docking harbour for sailing ships, but water was unobtainable. Thus Table Bay became the major port for ships coming in for supplies.

Now, after three and a half centuries there might be a reversal of roles. With steel and great fisheries there already, Saldanha could begin to play a role in Import/Export of goods. There are plans to expand Saldanha Harbour and give Table Bay Harbour some breathing space.

Back to my painted scene and photos: what a lovely place this is! I wonder if the seagull and the cormorant are eager for the fishing boats to start hauling in their harvest!

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This serene tableau at Saldanha Bay caught my eye. The little yacht seemed quite neglegted and not in use anymore. But how elegant are those lines!!! In real estate one often hears about a house advertised as "a decorater's dream". This could be the yachting equavalent!

We owned a yacht with a Lello form and sailed a lot, as I mentioned before, but don't ask me to count the rigging. I battled so much with those thin lines, there was no way on completing the painting that I was going to go back to see whether they were all there!

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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.

To Lunch, over the water!

There are many beautiful boats and lots of activities to admire in the harbour of Saldanha. Part of a visit along the West Coast is finding a super place to have lunch. While I fidgeted, my husband's "dining experience antennae" discovered The Slipway Restaurant. Inside the restaurant it is light and wide and pleasantly open to the views. Nothing could beat the front corner table we were shown to and soon we had cool wine, and calamari and mussels fresh from the ocean served simply with flavored rice and lots of lemon.

I was fascinated by the small boats arriving from the sailing yachts, which fastened right there on a jetty leading into the restaurant. To break away from the symmetry of two boats and two people, I imagined a little girl showing off her skills in walking off the jetty and over the little plank bridge. Stylistically, of course, she leads the eye in the right direction and shows the way.

Buoy! Oh Buoy!

Saldanha lies on the West Coast Peninsula on what is claimed to be the largest natural bay in Africa. The steelworks, the fishing industry and water sport enthusiasts benefit from this natural deep harbour. Saldanha, of course played a prominent role in history.

During the rule of Napoleon the English feared that the French would befriend the Dutch, and get hold of Table Bay and then own the rich route to the East. Therefore the British Army anchored here at Saldanha and soldiers were dispatched overland to take the Cape. There was a lot of hardship for the British soldiers who had to walk through the thick fynbos wearing down their shoes. Still, the burghers and farmers under Genl Janssens were not fighters and in 1806 England won the Battle of Blouberg and became rulers of the Cape once more! (They had annexed it before, then gave it back to the Dutch)

Every corner of this bay is beautiful and a worthy subject for a painting. Here I have found a colourful bunch of ropes and buoys belonging to a fishing vessel. With the sun shining, it makes a perfect "marine still life"!

Quayside Vignette

Saldanha Bay is beautiful, it floods the senses! Hundreds of fishing vessels and sailing yachts vied for my attention, but I decided not to overlook the small things! For this composition I experimented quite a bit. I chose a large bollard, miles of rope and one of the ever-present seagulls to paint. The canvas is square and was primed with Napels Yellow. Where I usually fall into illustration mode, this time I ignored the intricate ropes and decided not to "count coils" and paint every little detail! And lastly, I have made generous use of black acrylic paint, which I do not normally use.

I am often surprised that so few people in our area make time to visit Saldanha Bay. When I asked around, I received an answer: "Saldanha is much too industrial with all those factories"! Now, nobody will blame the reader if he starts thinking Birmingham or Detroit! But in truth there is a small steelworks and a fish processing factory, both very picturesque. As the seagull and I glance over the shimmering bay towards the misty steelworks on the horison, we both think: Now, that is not bad at all, is it?

Geelbek Restaurant

How fortunate that our visitors from Melbourne, Australia are nature lovers. So, instead of turning south towards the city, we drive in a northerly direction along the West Coast on a 20 minute drive. Soon we enter the West Coast National Park, pass the well-known ostrich treesome on the way and stop at Geelbek Restaurant on the Langebaan lagoon.

As with most National Monuments in the Cape, the homestead stands out sharply white and symmetrical. This building was the original homestead of the farm Geelbekkenfontein, named for the yellow-billed duck. In the Van Riebeeck days a lot of food was needed for the population as well as the hundreds of passing sea-going vessels. Several plots formed an outpost called Oude Post. Farmers had to plant wheat, farm cattle and catch fish. There was also a lookout post from where both Table Bay and Saldanha Bay could be guarded (against the French ). This was during the English rule of the Cape!

Geelbek has a rich history. It was once gutted by fire but now fully restored. It was also the scene of lavish entertainment in the early nineteen-twenties as Governor-General Henry de Villiers Steytler stocked vast amounts of wine in what was known as the biggest cellar in the country. He dredged the lagoon to allow ships to enter right up to the house. You can see the gate to the lagoon in the white wall in my painting! Parties could last for weeks and Cecil John Rhodes was also once a guest there.

Today the restaurant offers fresh line fish, and many favourite local dishes are also on the menu. Be sure to read the plaque that warns visitors that we do not hurry our food on the West Coast! This means that you may leave the table and explore a little to get an idea of the lie of the land. Next time I am here, I want to go through the gate and visit the ruins of the old castle and also go on the bird hideout overlooking the lagoon.