Whaling trip

Within the worn walls of Columbia Harbour House a vast storehouse of sailing paraphernalia awaits exploration. Everything from exhibits on knots, map cases, lanterns, coins, figureheads, miscellaneous sections of vessels, diving helmets, model ships, and even the occasional musical instrument line the shelves and canvas the walls. There is, however, just as much fiction to the sea stories presented inside the restaurant as there is nautical knowhow.

For instance, this posting could very easily be overlooked amongst the slew of other similar announcements peppered throughout Columbia Harbour House’s two floors. The obvious giveaway here is the use of the name, Captain Ahab. The famous captain who pursued his white whale beyond any rational line of thought can be found in Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. While the story never explicated explains where Ishmael, the story’s narrator, heard about the Pequod, one can only imagine a notice such as this one caught his eye and caused him to explore further.

While this mounted poster is indeed a fabrication, one thing is for certain, throughout the history of the sea postings of this nature brought many young men out onto the ocean. This subtle blurring of maritime fantasy and seafaring fact not only serves to create a wonderful environment to dine in, but it also adds to the mystery of the sea.