This place is one of the two alternatives that the company is developing for San Juan. The other one is Ponce on the south side. Mayaguez is located on the West side of the island and thus gives another option in case of inclement weather. At least that it is the way I am looking at it. We only call here during the Christmas cruises as it’s tourist structure is still very limited. However with the Prinsendam clientele that is more of a pro than a con, as the ship is being marketed as the Elegant Explorer. So our first port of the New Year was this little port on the West side of the island. It is a very shallow port in water depth. If I had to believe the charts, then I would not even be able to get in it. However we had ancillary information that indicated that the depths were enough for us to remain a ship and not become a landlocked hotel. Also the Prinsendam had already been here for two previous calls and things do not silt over that quickly. Still maneuvering in shallow waters is not that easy as it is difficult to push the water away with the ship when trying to move. I had problems with that in Port of Spain and I was not expecting much difference here. Still it is a very sheltered port from the regular North Easterly winds and that counts for a lot for the Prinsendam.
Thus I was with the ship at 06.00 at the pilot station, bright and early for two reasons. One, to ensure to be docked before any wind might pick up and two as the ship had to be cleared by Custom and Border Protection and that might take a while depending on the way the Inspectors want to do it. We were coming from a non US port and that makes things a bit more complicated. We had a bit of an issue to find the pilot as he was not coming in a normal pilot boat with the regular white and red light in the mast but in a sort of work boat that had no markings at all. Still he made it and we happily sailed into the port and docked accordingly. Least depth under the keel observed was 6 feet, so we knew that we would stay afloat all day, even with the tide (2 feet) going up and down. The locals went all-out with welcoming the ship and its guests and had set-up a sort of flea market under the bow. Plus and open air restaurant and a bar. The latter sold a local concoction called Gasoline. According to the pilot it was not unlike the gasoline that you put in your car, except that it this one was safe to drink but not safe to drive and the other one is more the other way around.
The town centre is about 3 miles away but there was a folkloristic show and local music available for the guests to enjoy. We had a few showers during the day, as forecast but it did not seem to detract from enjoying the day. In the mean time, I was focusing on the weather for tomorrow. We are scheduled to go to Cockburn town on Grand Turk Island and that is very weather dependant. I started this cruise with cancelling Half Moon Cay because of the weather and I am hoping that I do not have to end the cruise with another cancellation for similar reasons. The problem was that I could not really figure out what the local weather would be, as it all depends on how much lee the low lying island will give me. The Prinsendam is not as powerful as the new ships with its thrusters and that means that I have to cancel this place much quicker than the big boys. Worry two is the swell, as the pier is almost identical in layout and line up as the one in Grenada. So with a bit of Northerly swell, it won’t work either. Lastly I have no alternative for this port. There is nothing in the area that would be close enough to fit in the schedule. Thus; hope and pray and we will see what we get, when we get there.
On departure I had indeed issues with the shallow water. I had to maneuver hard to get the ship off the dock and the whole Prinsendam shook and vibrated while we swung the stern around to line up to open sea. Vast amounts of mud came up but it all worked and an hour later we were in open waters.
Tonight I am throwing a New Years party for all the Officers and Petty Officers in my cabin. The place is big enough and it is a nice start to the New Year. The crew had their New Years party last night and this balances things out nicely.
Tomorrow we are in Grand Turk and I am keeping my fingers crossed for the weather.
January 4, 2011 at 2:35 am
Thank you for answering my questions about Grenada and your ship. I am hoping you made it to Grand Turk. That was the only port we had to miss on the Veendam Amazon trip with you. I have learned so much technical information from you so I can understand some of how the Captains are maneuvering.. Joe and I love to get up front for sail outs. I was a physics teacher but I am envious of the young ladies now who have the opportunity to be officers on the bridge.