The L'Avenir and Other Sailing Ships
The L'Avenir
Finnish 4-masted barque (bark)
Built in Germany for the Belgian Government, the L'Avenir became part of the Erickson "Wheet Fleet". After her 1933/1934 voyage to Australia, it was re-named General Kargfanger, and the vessel was lost with all hands on her next trip.
Percy Grainger, 1934.
Art, writing and leisure become synonymous for Grainger during the 1933-34 voyage to Australia with his wife Ella, a dream realised to escape and sail away on board the four masted Bark L'Avenir. During the sea voyage of 110 days, he painted the people aboard, the ship, shipboard life and the ships in the Australian ports of call. His unfinished literary creation of 230 pages, the autobiographical essay, the Aldridge-Grainger-Strom Saga was written whilst engaged in crew tasks on deck and below, aloft in the ship's riggings and the crow's nest. Grainger mastered the craft of sailor's knots with several practice pieces of sinnet knotting, short hauser pointing and plaited belts completed during the voyage. Including a 'Da-Da' sculptured ink stand constructed from found materials like cardboard, pieces of commercial ships rope, newspaper and sections of leather braces, all lashed together with string to accommodate a Ronnings drawing ink bottle and box designed and made to prevent the ink from moving or spilling when the ship hoved to.
Click on the thumbnails for full-size images.
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