Boats Galore – Safe Harbours

Voyages of discovery, crashing through storm struck seas and scanning the horizon for the Jolly Roger’s skull and cross bones are daily activities being imagined from the comfort and safety of dry land at three waterfront playgrounds. It’s fitting that a seafaring theme is present in Greater Halifax playgrounds as the harbour and strategic naval considerations were the primary reasons for the the establishment of a colonial outpost by the British in 1749.

Today, kids scampering about the landlocked boats on the Halifax and Dartmouth waterfronts have an unimpeded view of commercial, cruise and naval traffic adding grist to imaginary games. Looking out from the Northwest Arm’s Dingle Playground there is a constant parade of pleasure craft setting forth from the numerous yacht clubs dotting the shoreline.

The Halifax Boat Playground is located on the waterfront (map) directly south of the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. Noah and I have had a lot of swashbuckling adventures here. This fishing boat (photos) seems to be a hybrid between a Cape Islander and a trawler but can easily pass muster as a pirate caravel on the Spanish Main. It has four levels to explore – the working deck as you come aboard back aft, above the wheelhouse, the bow with planked bowsprit and below decks – accessible only with difficulty by adults. If you need to get in under there it will be a crawling situation. Watch out for possible head bumping on cross beams.

There is a gangway along the south border of the playground that leads from the waterfront boardwalk on a slight incline up to the western boundary of the play area. At the other end of the bouncy jaunt there are some seats, a covered area and a free spinning cogged wheel firmly attached to a wooden wall at the perfect toddler height. A couple of years ago this wheel was a Noah magnet, the first stop on any visit. Today he takes the wheel in his hands and gives it a courtesy twirl. The boat and some of the kids aboard are far more compelling, lots more fun. It’s always a blast hearing the exclamations from kids who are seeing this boat for the first time. They are immediately swept away on marine adventures, waving to mom and dad who are still land bound and maybe asking for a small boost up the steep stairs to reach the boat’s highest point.

Above the wheelhouse there is a fine view of dockside action looking southeast and simulated telescopes to take us way beyond the harbour mouth and out deep into the fog banks. Despite the poor weather today, there are a handful of kids pretending the hull is chop, chop, chopping through spraying sea swells. They are, like us, here to revel in the Tall Ships. If there’s a seafaring captain in you just waiting for a chance to test your sea legs get yourself down here with your crew, raise anchor and cast off. If it gets too wet, there’s plenty to see at the museum next door including Merlin, a rainbow macaw. A word of caution – during festivals there are thousands of people strolling the waterfront. I like to keep a super sharp eye out during these times when there can be 50 and 60 kids enjoying the wooden boat beached on a stone bed.

The Dartmouth Boat Playground is located in Ferry Terminal Park on the eastern shore of the harbour (map). It features a larger hulled boat (photos), more pretend nautical instruments, a slide and lush grass surrounding the springy, rubber surfaced play area. If you have the time, it’s just a 12 minute ferry ride and a 3 minute stroll between the two waterfront play areas. This summer, a co-operative venture between the city. Metro Transit and a number of cultural organizations, is creating historical theatre as passengers chug their way across between landfalls. I just found out about Ferry Boat Tales and will be hopping aboard with Noah and Nellie some day soon to enjoy a period piece.

Approaching the vessel. the visual lines say this structure is more of a ship than a boat (photos). No harvester of fish this one. Perhaps it’s a container ship wannabe with its large hull and its mid-section carved out waiting for cargo. Other aspects of its appearance suggest it’s from an earlier time when craftsmen created de rigueur ornamental figureheads. Regardless of its pedigree or type, this ship is a recurring venue of high seas drama for the kids as they sail north toward the bridges and the Bedford Basin.

In addition to its boatish essence, this vessel has a deep blue double slide connecting sky to ground. Like many of the downtown parks, this one is often frequented by the day care set on weekdays. One minute there’s nobody and two bats of the eyelids later there are 10 potential instant buddies crewing the ship, crawling all about and lining up whoosh down the double slides.

There is a lot of scope for climbing here too. Back aft there is a rope, a wood and chain link ladder, and wooden blocks nailed directly onto the stern for a daredevil vertical ascent to the deck above. Once on the aft deck there are red swivelling telescopes to pan the horizon for land, or to navigate by the stars, tubed contraptions to carry voices below decks and a red spoked helm. The ship is well appointed with a figurehead, anchors port and starboard on the bow, even flags permanently aflutter.

The character of these two playgrounds is defined by the intertwining of their design and location. It surely would have been fun to draw the plans and see them take shape on busy harbourside public spaces. Directly to the north of the playground are the Alderney Gate branch of the Halifax library system and Alderney Landing, a downtown Dartmouth community gathering place.

The Dingle Playground is tucked away on the Northwest Arm in the Sir Sandford Fleming Park (map). The playground (photos) is surrounded by mature and stately shade trees. There are numerous picnic benches positioned in grassy, shaded areas around the park. This is a quiet oasis of green where you can almost believe that the city has been left behind.

With its raised prow this vessel is reminiscent of viking ships that sailed these waters centuries ago. Six wide steps with handrails lead up to the open main deck. Back aft there is a helm and there are slides running off the fore and aft decks. This park is accessible by boat. There is a small public dock just beyond the parking lot where two or three small pleasure craft could tie up. There is also a sand beach that could lend itself quite readily to imaginary coming ashore parties. Do not swim – the water quality is not safe at this writing.

Across the Arm, there are views of Point Pleasant Park and some of South End Halifax’s palatial homes. They in turn have wonderful vistas on the Dingle Playground.

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Are these the only three boats in Greater Halifax Playgrounds and are any of them original designs? Many happy seafaring adventures.