The wind was still blowing un-abated when we started to make our approach to Tallinn. From all sides the cruise ships were converging on the city and thus we had in alphabetical order: Alexander von Humboldt, Costa Atlantica, Empress, Minerva, and the Prinsendam. A port full of cruise ships, while not counting the numerous cruise ferries that call during the day at Tallinn. We were sailing into the port behind the Costa Atlantica which had the pilot 30 minutes earlier and was scheduled for the new cruise pier while we were docking in the old port. With the wind blowing strongly I was glad that I had ordered a tugboat for arrival, to keep the stern under control while the wind was setting us towards the dock. Then I saw my tugboat going to the Costa ship instead of coming to us. Both the pilot and I uttered some very unhappy words, which were then repeated by the pilot into the VHF. As my “Estonian language knowledge” is near zero, I could not follow the conversation but port control was quite agitated.
It turned out that the Costa Atlantica had requested the tug to come over to help with a controlled drift towards the dock, without bashing into it. She was perpendicular onto the wind and although she has much more power than the Prinsendam, she also catches a lot more wind, being over 3 times bigger. Port Control was really concerned about its dock and ordered the tugboat over. So I had to let my tugboat go but it placed me in a predicament as this could make my docking impossible for the next 45 minutes. Then we would have to wait another 45 minutes as the ferries would be coming in from Helsinki and thus we would be late for our 10 am arrival.
That meant it was time for plan B. Take it one step at the time and see what is safe to do without a tug. So I swung the ship around, settled on the approach course and then waited to see what the drift/wind was going to do to the ship. If things did not work out, one kick ahead on the engines and we would be back in open water. Then I had a stroke of luck. The Wind veered from East (perpendicular on the starboard beam) to East North East (3/4 angle on the beam) Not much but enough of a shift to make it possible for me to control the ships drift by keeping the bow just off the wind. As the pilot was happy with this as well, I went astern with the Prinsendam and slowly slid into the port. Once inside the breakwater, there was more room so I could let the ship drift a bit faster and come to the dock by letting the wind push the ship sideways to the dock while regulating the momentum with the bow thruster by keeping the bow more ….or….. less into the wind.
The new dock is where the white cruise ship is docked to the right. The Prinsendam docked in the old port next to the shed with the red roof. Although the entrance looks quite wide, under water it is very shallow leaving only a channel of a 100 meters wide and that is not much when dealing with a drifting ship.In the photo you can see that even the small ship entering the port is staying close to the breakwater.
By the time I was alongside the dock, the usual happened of course and the wind started to die down. At the same time the Costa Atlantica also made a safe landing which must have made the Harbour master happy as he did not get a dent in the dock. Although nowadays the dock normally makes a dent in the ship as the tensile steel that is used for construction is meant to absorb an impact by deforming while in the old days the hull was so thick that the energy of the impact was bounced back to the dock. That then normally resulted in crumbling masonry and flying bollards.
The lessening wind brought around noon time, a torrential rain shower, which made nobody happy except my chief officer who saw all the salt being washed off the ship. To top things off, we had to re-dock on departure for a medivac, just while we were leaving. That resulted in an hour delay and that was not pleasant for our sailing schedule to St. Petersburg, where we all (7 cruise ships) have a time slot at the pilot station to make docking on time possible. Luckily I could re arrange my time slot and will be there only 30 minutes later than planned.
At least the weather looks better for tomorrow and we are docking in the new port, which is better for the guests.
August 18, 2010 at 9:29 pm
So did you still have to pay for the tug? Sounds like the Costa ship was unprepared. I would presume since port control took over, the Costa ship would have to pay. You should have yelled “Ramming Speed!” over the VHF to port control. 🙂
Thanks again for the blog, I follow it daily.
Mark
August 19, 2010 at 2:22 pm
Captain Albert, we read your blog because we ‘re interested in what our neighbours (Ruud and Jolande from Lunteren) see this cruise. We enjoy your stories, especially about the passage through the Kiel Canal. Greetings, Cor and Martien.
August 20, 2010 at 1:30 am
On the old city maps of Tallinn designed under the regime of the USSR there was some sort of sliver island in a half moon shape showing in the opening of the harbour. On the newer maps of Tallinn this affair is removed. Very likely, that island is still lurking at the entrance of the harbour.
Where you docked with your Prinsendam, Captain, is where I was allowed to go spazieren with my small snap-shot camera for a time. And that’s also where the Costa ships docked with their booming horns!
Sure can visualize your description of the olden days crash docking of thick-hulled ships 🙂