My weekly columns must be submitted a week before publication date. However, they are usually written (typed-out) and e-mailed to the paper a couple of weeks in advance. Ideally, this one should have been published no later than January 7. Ah well, better late than never. Every morning, I check the Marine Traffic Live Ships Map to see what vessels of interest are plying the Seaway. Christmas morning 2025 presented me with a thought-provoking creative writing opportunity.
Unlike the 17th century carol “I saw three ships”popularized by William Sandys in 1883, I saw five vessels at anchor near Wolfe Island, not the three Biblical ones. That event brought the British-German Christmas Truce of 1914 to mind. In the carol, there were three ships, symbolizing the Magi (Melchior, Caspar, and Balthazar) from The Far East. According to the Marine Traffic Live Ships Map, there were five ships, the LAKE ST. CLAIR (a Bulk Carrier), the HAPPY ROVER (Heavy Lift Vessel), the JESSICA B (a General Cargo vessel), NARIE (a General Cargo vessel) and KITIKMEOT W (an Oil/Chemical Tanker). I doubt if any gold, frankincense or myrrh was in their holds. The Wise Men’s camels, (their ‘ships of the desert’), were from The East, but the five vessels were registered under the flags of Antigua, Barbuda, Netherlands, Bahamas and Canada.
None of the above five countries is at war, unlike the British and Germans in 1914. If only I could have taken a motorboat out to the five to find out what was going on! Were there drinks being exchanged, ethnic foods shared, and carols sung? If I had been able to fly over the assembly, that would have provided this week’s photo. If you know of anyone who knows what actually did happen on those five ships of Christmas 2025, please have them contact me.
L’article The five (not three) ships of Christmas est apparu en premier sur Cornwall Seaway News.
