Ok, time for a story. There are hundreds of photos on flickr of the wonderful graffiti that graces the hull of the old "Duke of Lancaster" passenger ferry that lies in an old dry dock at Mostyn, North Wales (You can read the history of the "funship" elsewhere). But for all the photos, there is one piece of art, to my mind the most beautiful one, which is hardly ever seen. It is "Mauricamai", the geisha girl who was painted on the old car door in the stern of the ship. As has been mentioned elsewhere the whole ship is sealed off by sea on two sides and by barbed and razor wire fence everywhere else, with a permanent 24/7 guard living in a caravan on the site watching the various CCTV cameras.
It is possible to see Mauricamai but only if you circumvent the razor wire by climbing down the rubble and rock below the high water line aft of the ship. But it is steep, extremely slippery, with sharp and jagged steel reinforcing poking out of the slime covered rubble, and ankle and leg breaking holes down between the rocks. You only need to go 40-50 yards but it is a torturous marathon. Don't be tempted to go below the rock onto the mud at low tide. You will disappear fast. As our dog discovered. She sank to her belly immediately and struggled to get out even with four wheel drive. It was clearly extremely dangerous down there. But don't go too high or you break the sky line or what the guard doesn't see with his eyes, the CCTV will capture.
We eventually got into position to take a few shots but felt so uncomfortable about making the difficult journey out decided to go sooner rather than later, taking the higher route that was easier but left us visible to the nearest CCTV camera mounted high on a pole that could see down below the bank where we were. Having taken the easier route out and skirted round the end of the razor wire we were climbing back up towards the path when three men came down towards us striding fast, two carrying sharp, pointed metal tools. The steely set to their faces and the way they headed straight past us heading where we had been pretty well indicated we had been seen, and they were out to sort us out! After all there was absolutely no one else about. Thankfully we must have moved faster than they thought and they didn't match us with the CCTV images, assuming the intruders were still round the back of the ship.
I believe I am correct in saying that only the Queen owns the land below the high water mark and that as long as you stay there you cannot be guilty of trespass. OK we might have popped up above the high water mark, but it could only have been a navigational error and I just needed to get my bearings.
But I have to admit the thought that three men, two carrying improvised weapons to 'greet' us has left me slightly shocked. The light wasn't great. The subject was in shadow. Clambering over those slimey rocks and obstacles was a nightmare. "Mauricamai, I love you, but you aren't worth the hassle!"
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