A block off the old ship.

  
   
Lookee, lookee.  I have a block of wood. 

It's  not just any old block of wood -- this block of wood came from the hull of the legendary Bluenose, the most famous racing schooner in Canadian history.  

The painted side of the block appears to be part of  the
ship's name or part of the decorative scrollwork.

  

The Bluenose is depicted on the
back of every Canadian dime.

Undefeated for 17 years,  the Bluenose was used as an ordinary fishing vessel when she wasn't racing.  Launched from Lunenburg, Nova Scotia in 1921 she was replaced in 1963 by the replica Bluenose II which is currently undergoing a massive refit at the shipyard where she was originally built.


While Stacey and I were in Lunenburg recently we went to see how the restoration was coming along.

There has been some controversy in Nova Scotia over the reported "chipping" of the hull of this iconic Canadian symbol.  In the Visitor Information Office I was surprised to find a box of free pieces of the Bluenose's hull.  Apparently it wasn't all chipped and I could hardly believe that I had reached into a box, chosen a piece and now held it  in my hand.  My very own piece of Canadian history. 

We then donned helmets and safety goggles and were escorted into the area where the refit was taking place.  

Click here for a live wecam showing how things are coming along with the refit.

BTW:  A "Blue Noser" is someone who lives in Nova Scotia.


There are different theories about the origins of the expression.  My favourite describes how fishermen's wives knitted mittens and dyed them using cheap indigo blue dye.  When wet, raw noses were wiped with soggy mitts, it's easy to imagine how the name came about.