Why do you think The Nella Dan was so special to Bo and to the others who sailed on her?

The Nella Dan wasn’t the first ship that Bo sailed on. Why do you think she was so special to him and to the others who were aboard her?

The Nella Dan was, in a way, the main character. The refuge, the escape, the safety net for Bo and the others.
The Nella Dan was also the glue that bonded the sailors through good times and bad as they shared and experienced their deepest emotions.

The members of the crew became a family and bonded while on the Nella Dan. The ship surrounded and held those friendships together. Being on the ship was an isolated existence and a community within itself. So the ship symbolized their bond with each other.

The little red ship, The Nella Dan, was home for many months to the tight-knit crew who worked together as partners, friends, surrogate brothers. They were well paid, well fed and kept themselves as well entertained while performing their jobs expertly. The close quarters of the orderly ship was well-loved, familiar and provided a safe haven. The men bonded together and were proud of their sturdy vessel.

The Nella Dan symbolized a lot for so many...perhaps for Bo a connection to his father. His father had sailed on the Nella Dan some 26 years previously. It would seem that Bo was relatively young when he lost his father. The ship was larger than life, as often father figures are, and provided warmth, security and safety, roles often assigned to fathers.

The Nella Dan feels like home and the crew feels like family. Spending that much time in cramped quarters with a group of people for extended periods of time makes you adapt. They all look out for each other, help each other out, and care how they are doing. It represents a place they feel safe and secure.

The ship was the last of the Dan line, and made with great care and attention. The crew loved her for it, how safe and comfortable it made them.

The Nella Dan was the one constant in Bo's life. His crew mates became family to him which made the ship feel like home to him. No matter where life took him being on the Nella Dan or memories of it would be "home".

The ship was Bo's home. He felt a part of it in the same way that we often feel about our home or about the place we end up that has become our home.

Nella Dan was a "safe place" for Bo in the severe climate/landscape of Antarctica. It was a warm and defined space. The closeness fostered a camaraderie among the crew, who depended on each other for survival and companionship. It was a place that Bo could experience what his father had experienced.

Bo's father had sailed on the Nella Dan and I believe he wanted to find out what his father had that kept him away from the family. He began to love the ship as his father had before him. When you have no family and spend so much time on a ship with the same people, they become your family. This is what Bo needed

I think you hit the nail on the head, nancyh. There's a sense of belonging that I suspect Bo felt for the first time on the Nella Dan as his shipmates became "family."

This ship was well-made, dependable and outstanding by the color it was painted. That was a comfort for those who traveled to and from the Antarctica for so many years. Not only was it special for those who worked on the ship, for those traveling to research the Antarctica, but even for the Hobart townspeople where it docked periodically.

The history of both the ship and personally for Bo made it special. The descriptions of the boat - living and working on board were very well done. The boat is really the central character in the book.

The Nella Dan was a secure home at sea for those who counted on her for protection, comfort and warmth. This was the vessel that took them into the harshest, most treacherous conditions and brought them safety back to their homes on land. Along with the attachment and dependence on the others who were aboard the ship for extended periods of time, I'm sure there was an strong dependence and deep attachment to the ship as well.
After reading about the violent storm at the beginning of the book and how the ship made it through, I could see how those aboard would feel that the Nella Dan could be trusted with their lives. She was their security in the worst of times.

I agree with you, jeann. You said all the things I wanted to say about "the little red ship."

I never thought about it, but I agree with poniesnpearls: the ship is the main character in the book. Good callX!