It's a very pleasant place and the sea is calm most of the times because Arpoador rock forms a shield.
Because of its calmer waters, Posto 6 is usually the favorite beach spot for people with small kids or for those
who are a bit afraid of wilder waters, and for that same reason it was chosen by fishermen to live and keep
their boats safe from undertows.

Located at the end of the beach, in a calm nook full of trees, Posto 6 is one of the most beautiful and pleasant
places in Copacabana. Despite the rush, the noise and the chaotic traffic jams typical of the neighborhood, that
beach spot seems totally isolated from all that mess. It is surrounded by the sea, the sea almond trees and their
shadows and by the Arpoador rock. The visual link to the neighborhood is a 6km long beach where the buildings
and Atlântica Avenue seem small and distant.

The Z-13 Fishermen's Colony was officially founded in 1923, but the fishermen occupation on that Copacabana
beach nook is quite old. A picture taken by Marc Ferrez in 1895 shows fishermen canoes on the sands of that
beach spot.

The fishermen stay at the very end of the beach, where there are sea almond trees that offer a very nice
shadow. At the colony there's a small fish store with a refrigerated display, but when the boats arrive from the
sea, usually around 10 a.m, many people buy fish right on the beach and later in a counter built under the trees.
The counter was recently covered with tile. In the old times they improvised by using wooden boards on top of
boxes.

The watercrafts used for fishing are wooden canoes with a small engine, but those are already being replaced
by fiber boats also motorized. The replacement is an option attributed to each fisherman who owns a boat.
When the boats arrive from the sea they are pushed into the beach to a position that protects them from the
high tide and the strong waves. Pieces of wood are placed on the sand to facilitate moving the hull.

Nowadays there are many fishermen in the colony but none of them live at that workplace. At Posto 6 there's
great activity of people who go there often or eventually: beachgoers, gymnasts, surfers, spearfishermen, fish
buyers, life-savers, senior citizens, curious people, tourists... The colony is located in an unique part of
Copacabana not only for being at the beach, but also for its relaxed environment where many people gather and
everyone seems to know each other.

Many people sit on the benches talking to friends, or even by themselves watching the time pass by or, who
knows, thinking about life. Those benches are near the counters where fish is sold in a place which is a bit like
a square and where everybody meets.

There's also a little chapel in honor of Saint Peter. Many people, not only the fishermen, stop in front of the
chapel and say a little prayer. It's interesting to notice that there are people of all ages and social classes.
On July 29, Saint Peter's Day, there's a party on the courtyard in front of the chapel, where a mass is
celebrated. According to the fishermen two children were baptized there.

The nets used for fishing are spread under the sea almond trees to dry out. There the fishnets are fixed, a work
done by people of all ages, and also the water crafts are maintained. The sea almond tree's shadow provides a
perfect atmosphere for people to gather, talk, exchange ideas, rest, watch the ocean and the boats coming and
going. The fishermen's colony is an interesting attraction.

There you can see many people talking, telling stories, and some of them are at the same time selling fresh fish,
for the counters are also there. As soon as the boats arrive the fishes that were not sold on the beach are
placed on the counters for sale.

That's also the place where they discuss the fishing results, weather and ocean forecast, and the perspectives
for oncoming fishing. Things that happened not only at the colony, but also in the city and even all around the
world are debated at that place which is not exclusive of the colony fishermen.

Everyday between 9 and 10 a.m in the morning a card game table is set, always in the same place under the
sea almond trees, to the right if you are facing the sea. The players arrive slowly. Some of them show up very
early and talk to the fishermen and other people until the game get started. The game lasts until around 1 p.m,
but some players leave the table around noon to have lunch. Nowadays the card game table is being set at a
more reserved place right there at Z-13 colony.

In 1991 the colony Z-13 fishermen still used to drag a fishnet. Everyday, if the ocean conditions were good,
the fishnet was thrown many times and some fishes were caught. They don't do this anymore because the
amount of fishes and their sizes are not worth it. They only go fishing in open sea now and, according to the
fishermen, it's becoming harder every day.




(*) Those images are part of a set of pictures taken in 1991 for a project presented at the
course "Developing a personal style in photography", which was taken from March to
November, at EAV – Parque Lage Visual Arts School, Rio de Janeiro.