Sea tractor

[squirmelia]

I daydreamed about crossing vast oceans in a sea tractor, as if the surface of the seabed had been rendered flat and the depth of the sea reduced to only that of a deep ford. The Solent seemed almost a possibility to voyage over.


My sudden fondness for sea tractors emerged after seeing a photo of one in Coast Road: 3,000 Miles at the Edge of England by Paul Gogarty, and then in various old UK travel books by the AA, Reader's Digest, and similar publishers.





I travelled to Bigbury-on-Sea in Devon and gazed at the sea tractor resting on the sand next to Burgh Island, presumably waiting for high tide, when the island becomes cut off from the mainland.

Burgh Island is fairly small, but contains a hotel, a pub, an old building that sits upon the top of the hill, as well as views down to the rocks and the surrounding sea, rabbit warrens and a springiness to the ground.

I walked across to the island but my timing was off, I failed to get stranded. I never actually travelled by sea tractor, which is probably why I am still contemplating it now.

Comments

[jaimeee.livejournal.com]

i just wanted to say happy belated birthday
sometimes the things i write are so silly
i don't know if i really connect with the
brilliant coupland universe anymore.
basic cable has dumbed me down.

but, yes. happy birthday jodi.

xxx
j

[squirmelia.livejournal.com]

Thanks Jaime! I had a nice birthday - spent the weekend by the beach and the moors and there was even snow on my birthday too.

I like reading your LJ, it seems so lively, whether you are writing things that are intended to be silly or even a bit more serious, and cable does not seem to have dumbed you down at all!

If the farmers in the old Time magazines had sea tractors instead of real tractors, their light might not have gone bad and their crops may have survived and by now they would be harvesting seaweed.

[blue-room.livejournal.com]

Mark W: Reminds me of summer holidays on a beach in Wales (http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=215500&y=248500&z=5&sv=215500,248500&st=4&mapp=newmap.srf&searchp=newsearch.srf&dn=815) when I was a kid. Living in a Chalet right next to the beach, kid heaven, even when it was raining and blowing a gale I'd go out and make sandcastles anyway, just because.

[squirmelia.livejournal.com]

Sounds great. Similarly, I stayed in a chalet that looked out over the sea at the weekend, which was amazing. Even in the freezing cold weather, I happily laid on the patio at night and stared at the moon and the dreamy sea.

[squirmelia.livejournal.com]

At least you saw the sea tractor move, even if it did then abandon you. It was entirely stationary when I saw it, seeming like it didn't care about the approaching water.

[illaor.livejournal.com]

I'm told that I have travelled on the Burgh Island sea tractor, sadly as I was only very young at the time my only memory of the day is being unable to sleep since I was scared the radiator would set fire to my bed.

[elzbthpdx.livejournal.com]

I don't really get how it works but it looks cool nonetheless. Have an awesome party this weekend!

[jaimeee.livejournal.com]

thank you, jodi.