CLIPBOARD : DISCOVERY : ANTIQUES OF THE SEA

When Eric Bakker owned a restaurant in Sunset Beach, his customers frequently pleaded with him to sell them the nautical antiques that gave his establishment an authentic atmosphere. “I got tired of saying, ‘It’s not for sale, it’s not for sale,’ ” he said. “It only seemed to make them want it more. Eventually they’d wear me down and I’d go get a screwdriver from the back room and take whatever it was they wanted off the wall and sell it to them. I made some pretty good deals.”

Bakker never intended to leave the restaurant business to become a full-time antique dealer, but finally his collecting habit forced him to make a decision. “The restaurant was full of antiques and so was my house, including the space under my bed. I had ship’s clocks chiming all over the place,” he said. “Eventually, I sold the restaurant and bought a building next door and opened up a shop. That was about 15 years ago.”

Bakker, who grew up in The Hague, one of Holland’s major seaports, supplies nautical decor to restaurants, homes and offices. He travels frequently to the East Coast and to England with his wife, Pat, attending auctions and sales.

Antiques of the Sea has cannon-fired and shoulder-thrown harpoons used on whaling ships in the 1800s. There are lots of telescopes, but the most impressive one is a large, brass, celestial model made in the 1850s that sells for $5,000.

The store is full of shiny brass telegraphs, the instruments used by captains to signal the engine room to go full speed, half speed, slow or dead slow. “Listen to the sound it makes,” said Bakker, moving the handle back and forth, causing the pure tones of the instrument’s brass bell to ring through the store.

There are wood-handled flare pistols, captain’s pocket telescopes, diving suits and helmets, sextants, octants, chronometers, whistles and lanterns. The back room is full of wooden hatch covers from World War II liberty ships. “I have a customer who is a landscaper and he builds bridges and steps out of them,” Bakker said.

“The Navy doesn’t always take the time to salvage these things before destroying old ships. So whenever I see a good item, I can’t help buying it,” he said.

In fact, Bakker’s store is so full of interesting items, most people think it’s a museum. “I guess that’s a compliment,” he said. “The things here are not just fancy decor objects. They are part of history.”

Hours: Friday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., or call for an appointment.

Address: 16811 Pacific Coast Highway, Sunset Beach

Telephone: (213) 592-1752

Miscellaneous Information: Antiques of the Sea sells nautical antiques dating from the 1800s to World War II. There are new items for sale, including brass telescopes and hand-carved bow maidens.