“Portygee Railway”
The so-called “Portygee Railway,” next to MacMillan Wharf. [2010, Dunlap]
Photos of F/V Ancora Praia show how a boat ties up. When the tide recedes, the whole hull is exposed for inspection and repair. [2011, Dunlap]
The most important — and initially inscrutable — object near MacMillan Wharf is the “Portygee Railway,” on the beach just to the east. Stout timbers form a frame with a long horizontal member, like a giant’s chin-up bar. It is actually a half-cradle against which vessels can be propped for inspection and repair. They are tied fast to the structure at high tide. At low tide, still held upright, their hulls are almost fully exposed. The name refers to the marine railways elsewhere in town that are used to haul boats clear out of the water, but take more time — and cost more money — than the Portuguese fishermen might have or want to spend.