16 September 2013; Gulf of Alaska.

I always like it when the weather forecast is right. Especially if it is a nice weather forecast. As I mentioned yesterday we were hoping for flat calm seas and little wind and that is what we got. It was flat calm with little wind and it stayed that way until the early evening when slowly the wind began to breeze up to 20 knots. Also as expected. The large depression to the south of us was nearing the land and it curled up a little bit and that brought us then in the top corner of the system. Then it will start to intensify with speed of up to 65 knots expected in about 48 hrs. from now. But tomorrow morning we are going inside again and then the mountains will protect us from the upcoming wind. How that wind is going to blow through the mountain valleys is at the moment anybody’s guess. We will find that out in the next 36 hrs.

Cape St. Elias clearly visibile, this photo was taken looking astern from the port bridge wing. It clearly shows the Pinnacle form of the Cape.

Due to the cold wind of yesterday, the outside temperature was still on the chilly side and that took the chance of those low-hanging clouds away completely. Thus we could see for miles and miles around and as a result for only the 2nd time this season: we saw Cape St. Elias. As we have had such a good summer the Cape and Kayak Island behind it were most of the time obscured with low hanging clouds. But today we had a good view, while passing at a distance of about 14 miles.

Yesterday the ship had U.S.P.H inspection. This is the 6 monthly Health hygiene and sanitation inspection by United States Public Health. Everybody on the cruise ships has mixed feelings about this inspection as the rules are strict, very strict, and some items are open to the interpretation of the inspecting Officer. At the same time we are always proud to pass the exam as we know it shows that we comply with the highest standards possible. The results are published on the website of the CDC, which is basically the operational arm of the department of Health of the American government. The maximum score is 100 points and as the readers do not exactly understand what more or less points mean, the challenge is to score as many as possible as it makes it easier to understand for outsiders that the ship is a good ship.

As we are an American operated company, we follow the rules of the USPH very closely. These are noted in a manual called the VSP (Vessel Sanitation Program). These rules are not identical to what is standard in Europe or somewhere else. That makes it possible that a ship can score high under USPH and not so high in Europe and vice-versa. It means that if a European based ship scores low on the published USPH list, then that does not necessarily mean that it is an un-sanitary ship. It means that it does not comply with the standards of the VSP manual.

We are an older ship and that makes it always more difficult to score high. The equipment gets older, more breaks down and wear and tear sets in etc. The crew on an older ship has bigger challenges to deal with than the crew on a newer ship. Still each ship, regardless of age, takes the challenge square on and goes for the ultimate prize of 100 points. For an older ship 100 points is impossible as we always have the challenge of grouting. Yes, that stuff between the tiles in the kitchen and other cooking areas. After a number of years the original grouting starts to get brittle, mainly due to our incessant cleaning all the time and then we have to fill in, patch up, or replace. As this goes on constantly, the Inspectors will always find one location where it has just worn away, or has got loose recently. The rest is possible and thus we should do it.

We were very happy when at the end of the day, the score was announced, 99 points. 100 points minus the 1 point for the grouting. Basically that would translate in a new ship scoring 104 or 105 points. The inspectors were satisfied, we were happy and our bosses in Seattle as well. TEAM Statendam scored again, the highest possible. As the inspection not only entails the hotel side, but also technical (potable water, swimming pools) and Deck (medical and general cleanliness) it is a team effort and the whole ship feels involved. As you can understand I was a very happy captain. I had not expected anything else as 4 weeks earlier we had scored 100 points with Canadian Public Health. They have other targets and for them grouting is a minor issue. Hence it did not figure in the end score.

Tomorrow we will be in Glacier Bay from 10 am until 7 pm. The weather will be still good for that day but I am watching this deepening depression in the North Pacific carefully.