06 April 2012; Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica.

By 05.00 I dropped the anchor as close to the dock as possible and by 05.30 we had our tender service in full swing. There was hardly any wind as was forecast and little change was expected, so although we did not dock we could live with it. The dock was occupied by a self unloading bulk carrier and a car carrier. Hence the reason that we had to anchor.  I had tried to arrange for the tours to return in the same way as they departed bus by bus load but most busses came back at the same time and although we had a perfect tender service running, it delayed the return of our guests to the ship as you can only load one tender at the time.  As a result it was passed our official departure time before the last guest was back on board. Then we had an un-expected disembark and that meant that we left the anchorage more than an hour late so I was not a happy camper. Hopefully we can convince the port authorities that we have to dock next time.  Still I will be able to make up the lost time and reach Hualtalco on time. 

Dolphins with spots on their back. (Photo courtesy: Ships Travel guide Nancy Leach)

Just going back to Golfo Dulce, I have included a great photo taken by our Travel guide that gives a better view of what sort of dolphins we encountered in the Bay. These photos were taken “straight down” from the bridge wing, so you can understand how close they came to the ship.

The Japanese fishing vessel Ryou-Un Maru begins to sink and list to starboard after receiving significant damage from the Coast Guard Cutter Anancapa crew firing explosive ammunition into it 180 miles west of the Southeast Alaskan coast April 5, 2012. The derelict fishing vessel sank at 6:15 p.m. in 6,000 feet of water. Photo: USCG / US COAST GUARD

Another question recently posted, was about ghost ships.  In the shipping news there was in the last few days a lot of publicity about a Japanese fishing vessel that had drifted all the way across the North Pacific. It had been dislodged from a Japanese port after the Tsunami hit there, that also caused all these nuclear issues and since then had casually drifted across the North Pacific and was now approaching the west coast. Today it was in the news that the derelict hull was sunk by gunfire from the Coastguard.  This is rather unusual and I have never seen a vessel this size floating around for months without anything being done about it. Normally it is detected by a ship or a plane and then a salvage tug or Coastguard cutter will pick it up. For me it is most peculiar that this did not happen.  We on the ships occasionally see abandoned sailing yachts that have left adrift. Then we stop, check if there is anybody on board and then report its position to a Search and Rescue Centre. Quite often sailing boats are abandoned by their crew in bad weather because they think that they are sinking. The crew is airlifted away but the yacht stays afloat.  Unless a yacht is severely holed, there is quite often enough air left in closed off compartments to keep it afloat even with the accommodation being completely filled with water.

I was once sent to inspect a sailing yacht (two master) while we were with the ss Rotterdam on the way from Bermuda to New York in 1991. The yacht had been abandoned as it got caught in hurricane Rose but was found by us wallowing in the waves, upright and looking good. The captain decided to lower a lifeboat with yours truly in it for inspection.  With 14 feet waves, it was not possible to get the lifeboat alongside so in the end I jumped in the water and swam over. Only to find out that the yacht had been abandoned. The engine compartment had filled with water but for the rest she was in a remarkably good shape.  That gave me the bright idea to sail the yacht to Bermuda and to claim salvage. Even with 10% of its value it would still have been at least $ 50,000 probably at lot more. However my captain did not agree and I had to come back to the Rotterdam. Later on we found out that the owners had dispatched a tugboat to collect the yacht and tow her in. A pity as $ 50,000 was quite a bit of money in 1991 and would have helped greatly with paying off my mortgage.  Still I have never understood why the yacht was abandoned, as apart from some ingress of water there was no damage what so ever.  I think that the occupants did not know the difference of having respect for the sea or being scared of the sea.

Tomorrow we will have a sea day before we arrive in Hualtalco de Santa Cruz.  At the moment it looks like that the wind will start to blow there after we have passed through, so that makes it easier for all of us as we will not have to ballast so much to Starboard to keep the ship upright. The day is going to be a perfect, a sunny, hot and windless day. That means a nice breeze on deck created by the ships speed at 19 knots.