Docklands

Visited the North Wharf at Docklands this morning. Wandered about and looked at the reconstruction happening on the 3 masted topsail schooner 'Alma Doepel'.  Currently the masts have been removed and most of the structure is being replaced. You can see images of the 'skinned' ship on the website link. While you could not go onto the Alma Doepel one of the volunteers took me around the shed as showed  the work in progress. Lots of bits and bobs go together to make a sailing ship!

Further down the wharf was docked the smaller 2 masted topsail schooner, the Enterprize. This is replica built in 1997 of John Pascoe Fawkner's Schooner 'Enterprize' that sailed from Van Diemen's land (Tasmainia) in 1835 with the first permanent white settlers to what eventually becomes Melbourne. Traditionally rigged ship with all the tradtional tar covered hemp ropes, flax canvas and lots and lots of block and tackles and woody things. 

They allowed you to come on board the Enterprize and have a look about. I loved all the piles of ropes, belaying pins, brass bits and wooden blocks. I can see some drawings in the near future! I did a sketch of some of the blocks while sitting aft:

And from the wharf, a sketch of the ship from the front view. Boy, there is lots of rigging! So any sailors out there, I know I didn't get half of it on the page, and the half I did is not rigged correctly!