Sunday, December 23, 2018

Fishing Boat

I'm taking a bit of time off of work this Christmas to enjoy time with the kids while they're visiting. These lazy days allow me time to just sit and observe life here in Monrovia. Maddie and I were sitting  at the front window one morning, enjoying our breakfast while gazing out on the ocean. I noticed a white ring of something floating in the water. Was it foam churned up in the current? I shifted in my chair and leaned in closer to get a better look around the palm trees swaying in the light breeze. A colorful boat bobbed off shore circled by a ring of buoys.

Brightly painted fishing boats float past our house several times each day. Often several pass my window in a short period of time headed out to fish or back into port with their catch. The boats we see go in and out of West Point, a peninsula located in the north east area of Monrovia which is the most densely populated slum area here.

There are two types of boats that pass by, dug out canoes paddled by one or two people which sometimes have a white, square sail and these larger boats powered by a motor. My understanding is that these colorful boats have come from Ghana. I don't know why these fishermen decided to resettle here in Liberia, but they fill every port. The boats often have a Bible verse reference painted on the side. The Liberian flag as well as laundry strung down the middle, flutters in the breeze and a white cross was mounted front and center in this boat.
Colorful fishing boats passing our window
Fishing boats in Marshall, Liberia 


Up to this point I'd only seen the boats coming or going, so I was excited to watch the men gather their net. We stood along the edge of our compound for an hour or so, watching the circle slowly constrict with each pull of the net into the boat. The sun burned down on our shoulders and sweat tricked down our backs. I can't imagine how hot it must be in the thick of day out on the boats yet a small breeze was coming off the sea.

We stayed until the net was fully collected into the boat. I was curious to see how many fish they pulled in. Watching through my telephoto lens, I was surprised to see only a few fish. It was disappointing, I was hoping to see the men straining to empty their net into the boat and head home with a full load.

The boat we watched this morning.







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