Upon leaving the shelter of Haiti, we got the full brunt of the Caribbean Sea winds. Normally called the Trade Winds but this went beyond what a trade wind is supposed to be. Wind in the region of 30 knots sometimes peaking at 40 knots, are not Trade Winds, they are gales. For the guests the winds are luckily mostly on the bow and thus I do not have to keep the doors to the outside decks closed. It is a bit breezy outside but the bow and front superstructure of the ship are nicely shielding the winds from reaching the walk-around decks. Thus it did not affect the life on board and that is the most important thing. I am running the engines full out but against so much wind and current, there is a moment you cannot do much more. So we just have to see how much it will affect us.

We are heading to Bonaire, one of the Dutch islands in the Lower South West of the Caribbean Sea. They are called the A.B.C islands. Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao. Of all three, Bonaire is the one with the closest ties to the home country and also the most un-spoiled one. Although tourism and holiday homes, 2nd homes etc. are becoming very quickly more and more important. We will dock at the port of Kralendijk Bonaire. There are two docks and both are available to us, so I picked the North One, which has the least walking distance to the town.
The name Kralendijk is Old Dutch for coral reef or coral dyke. As with many of the Caribbean Islands the town is located on the south Side where there is the most lee from the ever blowing trade winds and the strong pounding ocean waves. So when we approach we will sail past the island and around a little island to the south, called Klein Bonaire (small Bonaire) to pick up the pilot.

As is also the case with most Caribbean islands, they are mountain peaks just touching above the sea water line. Thus you can sail quite close to them as they go straight down for 100’s of feet. Not that we come too close of course but we can sail closer to them than many another islands.
While we were in Fort Lauderdale we also loaded fuel. In this case HFO oil with a sulpher percentage less than 1 %. I blogged about this before but on this cruise we will be dealing with various fuels that we have to use because of local regulations. Fort Lauderdale is blessed with a shore side pipe line system that runs under all the docks from a central tank area. It can supply through these underground pipes, the various sorts of fuel that are out there without the need of tank trucks or a fuel barge.

blog fuel

Loading fuel in fort Lauderdale. The little black tent is a pump station that regulates the flow speed of the fuel going through the hose.

On arrival we parked in a position so that the shore side hose can reach the ship bunker break (access door to our fuel manifold) and then the amount needed is delivered. They pump most of the time with a rate of about 200 tons an hour, which means that for 900 tons, it takes a 5 hour period including connecting and disconnecting. Connecting takes some time as the transfer speed is slowly being built up and disconnecting takes some time as the transfer speed has to be slowly decreased and then the pipes have to be blown empty with air to avoid oil from leaking out of the hose when it comes loose.

 

 

The world is slowly moving to using fuel of a lower percentage of Sulpher in the oil as it gives less pollution. Holland America is following this process step by step and adepts at once when a new rule comes into operation. We normally try to be ahead of the game but with fuel that is quite difficult, as the shore side first has to make the fuel available to purchase. Last year when Alaska went to 1% it was quite difficult to get sufficient of the right fuel in Vancouver to comply with the rules. Now it is routine as it is much easier and so it goes for every area in the world. The rules can only be changed if and when the product is available in sufficient quantities so that all ships can get it.
So tonight and tomorrow morning we continue to plow through the Caribbean Sea. It will be a windy and a sunny day in Bonaire, so I am afraid that a few people might catch a bit of sunburn. I better had warn them.