01 Dec. 2012; Hilo, Hawaii.

Hilo can be a very difficult port. On the chart it looks very simple, one 90 degree course change and you are approaching the dock and one other 90o degree course change brings you alongside. The whole happening does not take much longer than 40 minutes. The challenge however is the wind. When the regular trade wind is blowing, it is normally under a nearly 90 degree angle with the 2^nd course heading for the dock. At the same time you have to slow down because you are approaching the dock and that increases the drift angle. You cannot have too much of a drift angle because just before you enter the docking basin the channel is fairly small due to a reef on the south side.  Three items to consider and to make Hilo a lot more complicated than it seems.  Luckily today there was no wind and thus the approach was a simple happening. The pilot hopped on board at exactly 06.00 and by 07.00 we were completely and safely docked.

Approaching Hilo; A course of 200 to the pilot station, changing to 098o behind the breakwater and then to 180 for going alongside.The light blue in the chart are the reefs, the so called n0-go-zones.

Being alongside in Hilo is also different from a lot of other ports due to the swell that can run into it.  If it has been windy in the North Pacific, a long swell comes rolling in and increases in height when it comes to the shallow area. It then rolls onto the breakwater of Hilo.

That break water, “breaks” a lot of water on those days but the problem is that the swell rolls past the breakwater where the port entrance is, hits the shore, bounces back and part of that bounce-back rolls into the docking basin. This causes the ship to surge along the dock, go up and down, and go sideways.  Not pleasant for any ship but especially not for a cruise ship that has a gangway out. That gangway will move all over the place as it is attached to the ship and that can make it dangerous for the guests. Most guests do not relate the fact that a moving ship equates to a moving gangway and that can result in falls, stubbed toes and other mayhem. Today there was very little swell and the ship only moved occasionally when an extra long wave rolled by the breakwater. Still I had a security guard posted at the bottom of the gangway all day to ensure that everybody stepped on and off the gangway safely.

In the meantime I was puzzled about something else; where were the whales?? Normally the area around Hilo is teeming with them. On the bridge we had discussed our whale avoidance protocols and I had alerted the Hotel Director about sightseeing possibilities. We arrived during sunrise and thus not the best time to see them but there were none there, the same on departure, none to be seen.  When leaving we sailed close to the North coast of the Island going eastwards, until we could change course to the south but none there either. Most amazing but also disappointing for the guests.  Good for me, as we did not have to slow down, divert course, or even come to a grinding halt to stay clear of the animals. Rules of the road do not seem to be part of the general education that is given to whales and thus we always have a hard time getting out of Hilo. Except this time, nothing……………..

Tomorrow we are at sea and then we lose a day, because Fanning Island is in a different time zone.  It will be so much into a different time zone that it is on a completely different day. That is not really correct as far as time zones go but it is so regardless. I will explain in my next blog why that is; a matter of politics that in this case even makes some sense.

Thus far this cruise is doing wonderfully well with the weather. Our crossing was for Pacific Standards very good. The Hawaiian ports were wind still and not too warm and now the weather forecast for the “Silent South Sea” as it is called in the Dutch language looks very good as well. Nothing more than the regular ocean swell and less wind than normal.  I am keeping my fingers crossed for the coming days, but things are looking well for the next four days. My only concern is how much wind we will have at Fanning Island as it will affect the tender ride into the Atoll.