Oddities are those places that don’t really fit into other categories. Be they outsider art, totally unique geological formations or something created for a purpose, these are places that are unexpected, visually at least.
Nowadays the concept might sound ludicrous, but 100 years ago concrete ships were a lot more popular.
The reason was simple; metal, especially during wartime, was in short supply, so anything that could be built out of cheaper, more plentiful material was at least debated (there was even research into a ship made using wold pulp and ice).
As technology moved on the ships were decommissioned and eventually, 10 of them moved to Powell River to become these giant hulks, sitting in a row offshore to create a breakwater for a mill. It’s fewer now, though I’m not sure exactly how many, as some have become artificial reefs.
As it is, though, the ships look like a forgotten movie set for some apocalyptic sea tale, with some tilting and many looking thoroughly decrepit.
A few of the ships are or were notable for various reasons. One, which I think was sunk last year, was the last concrete ship fro WW1 still afloat. Another was the largest American built concrete ship still afloat. As concrete ships continue to disappear, this odd collection is one of the largest of its kind in the world, and while it’s functioning as a piece of infrastructure, it’s also a bit of a museum.
Just north of the current centre of Powell River, the ships are just off the shore of the local mill and the historic centre of town. Being that they’re offshore a bit, there are a few ways to snapshots of these hulks. There are some viewpoints back from the shore aways where you can get a good shot of multiple ships, or you can find areas along the shore or in the ocean to shoot from.
They aren’t the most popular thing in Powell River on the to-do list according to TripAdvisor, but they do rate well. I don’t think many people outside of phtographers interested in taking photos of them are interested. AtlasObscura also has a page for one of them, here. There’s also a site dedicated to concrete ships, so if you want that sort of info, check this out.
Treqd 