Immediately behind our living quarters, about three meters farther away from the seawall, were three sunken
pontoon barges,
most probably remnants of WWII, lying
adjacent and perpendicular to
each other. A rusted steel gangplank connecting it to the seawall
makes it accessible. The surfaces of the
pontoon barges
were still generally intact except for a few corroded spots, so you
can walk on it to almost any spot with some caution though. There
were several erect wooden poles very similar to the ones you usually
see at piers, along the farthest barge, probably used then for tying
the flat top pontoon barges to it, so the barges won't drift away to the open
sea. Or probably for tying small boats or vessels while disembarking
personnel and supplies.
The
pontoon barges
would extend to about a hundred yards into the sea. The first two of
the barges, and half of the farthest one, were visible during low tides. But
it's all totally under water during high tides, except for the
gangplank.
The
pontoon barges
were of the sectional type of barges. Each barge was a rectangular
structure formed by fastening together sealed square floating hollow
containers with sloping undersides, called pontoons. The pontoons were
fastened with bolts to long strips of metal at the surface, about six
to eight inches apart along the length of the barge. A pontoon has
several compartments so it will not sink even if one of the
compartments develops a leak.
The concept behind pontoon barges
was already in use during the early Chinese dynasties. In modern
times, this concept of pontoon engineering is being employed for both
military and civilian uses. It has evolved into the development of
pontoon boats or float tubes used for fishing and other water sport, as well as for partying in the waters. This is also the concept behind some of
the most famous breathtaking bridges in existence today.
The
pontoon barges at
the back of our quarters would bring about some of the most exciting
experiences I've had during my growing up years, memories I'd go
back to every now and then with nostalgia in this memoirs.
[Going Fishing Becomes A Passion]