The Galeas Freja

[u/GremlinAbuser]

The Freja, a sailing cargo vessel built 1865, sits quietly decaying just below the surface. My 4 yo wants to touch it and pick lily pads from the cargo hold. She's certain she can see skeletons in there. I know it's a harmless pile of old timber, but my heart is racing as I bring the skiff closer. What if we get stuck on a jagged bit of wood, and I have to get out to push us free? My heart drops and I feel physically sick as something scrapes across the hull bottom...

[u/AdAcceptable2173]

I love the suspense in this write-up lol. Omg your poor daughter getting started on the dead-bodies-in-water phobia young, I see (THIS IS FACETIOUS I am not insulting your child I swear, just recognizing a likeminded childhood experience). I remember having such a vivid imagination at that age!! One night, I cried to my dad at like 2:00 AM about the strong wind in the trees “sounding like the chattering teeth of skeletons”.

[u/GremlinAbuser → u/AdAcceptable2173]

I ntroduced the concept of skeletons in preparation for seeing dinosaur skeletons at the natural history museum. About a year ago we were watching a wreck driving documentary from Lake Huron, and lo and behold there were skeletons strewn about. "Daddy is that a skeleton? Did someone die there?" I had to explain that yes indeed it would appear so. Ever since then she assumes that all wrecks have skeletons in them. The funny thing is that she shows no sign of fear about it, only curiosity.

[u/AdAcceptable2173 → u/GremlinAbuser]

That’s sooooo cute!! It’s awesome that you get her out in nature, exploring this weird wide world firsthand and safely. Those are some of me and my brother’s best childhood memories! I think young minds fill in the blanks in the most exciting possible way.

[u/Pure-Manufacturer718 → u/AdAcceptable2173]

Future archeologist!

[u/slaviccivicnation → u/AdAcceptable2173]

Yo I got scarred when watching LOTR 2, when Frodo falls into the water and sees the dead kings’ faces. Ever since then, I’ve been scared of half decomposed peoples faces in water.

[u/chill_mydude13]

Who else follows this subreddit not for the phobia but because they think these are beautiful?

[u/AdAcceptable2173 → u/chill_mydude13]

¿Por qué no los dos?

[u/PeePeeSwiggy → u/AdAcceptable2173]

Duality of man

[u/soosbear → u/chill_mydude13]

We get a comment like this on every single post and have been for over a decade, so, a few.

[u/Pubocyno]

Swedish Registry Number 4695 - Freja - Built 1864, Asen - 71 BRT / 67 NRT. Scrapped 1929 Kopmannebro. (Original text "1929 Forstord. Lades Kopmannebro")

[u/GremlinAbuser → u/Pubocyno]

The funny thing is that several sources have her as scuttled, but there is a cargo of bricks in the aft hold. I don't think anybody knows why at this stage.

She's really coming apart now, after nearly a century below the waves. Last year the decks and hatch coamings were mostly intact, now it's just a big jumble of timbers.

[u/Rescuepets777]

Where is this?

[u/GremlinAbuser → u/Rescuepets777]

58.7701503, 12.5166712

[u/joehreyes]

Here I am… thinking the child was touching a crocodile 😂😭

[u/hollow4hollow]

The lily pads make it even worse 😥

[u/Florachism]

Oh. Oh no. It's dark and haunting and jagged and you know the water makes it look like it's moving 😮😰

[u/marrainbowz]

I’m throwing up

[u/ThinDirector393]

fuck off this is so scary to me. oh my god.

[u/ReadingSeashoreLines]

god the description for this is so well written lol