Sitting on the dock of the bay (Tanzania, Zanzibar)

At the port of Malindi, Zanzibar, mooring operations still rely on coordinated human power, despite the presence of modern cargo ships in the background. The ropes, often several centimeters thick, are hauled in by hand, without mechanical winches.

Sailors, fishermen, and dockworkers organize themselves in lines or pairs, each movement responding to a tension measured by ear or touch. The rusty metal of a hull hauled dry becomes here as much an anchor as a shelter. Between two maneuvers, bodies retreat under the shade offered by the hull, in a discreet sequence of tactical rest and vigilance.

The ground, marked by caulking channels and traces of salt water, bears witness to a daily routine of precise gestures and the slow wear and tear of port work. Manual mooring, still common in the small ports of the Indian Ocean, requires empirical knowledge: reading the tide, adjusting the angle, feeling the rope. A choreography of tension, patience, and silent synchronization.