18 November 2010; Malaga, Spain.

Malaga port is basically constructed in the same way as Barcelona. Lying nearly north to south and with a very long breakwater that is also used for docking ships. It is just a lot smaller than Barcelona and also more exposed to the elements. The elements are something I constantly have to worry about with the Prinsendam as a lot of wind means using a tugboat and tugboats sometimes have to be pre ordered. Then you take chance and pay for a tug while not needed or not order a tug and find out that the wind has suddenly breezed up and you have problems docking. An average tugboat cost about $ 2000, — so it is worthwhile to be prudent with those costs. Because of the wind in Spanish ports, a tugboat can be called out an hour before arrival and thus the problem is not that challenging here as somewhere else. However the wind was predicted to blow from the NW and only with a wind force 3 to 4 and that does not create a problem. 2ndly I knew that while making the turn in the entrance, the Adventurer of the Seas would be acting as a wind breaker and all little bits help.

We lined up happily behind the Discovery, who had led the way from Cartagena, as she was going to a smaller dock further inside and then sailed with a slow speed into the port. The pilot was rather startled when I said that I wanted to swing on arrival and dock nose out. It seems that most ships dock nose in and then either back out of the port or swing on departure in the basin. However the CO requested for a port side docking so we could do a gangway safety test while alongside. We had done the starboard side one a few months ago in Tilbury England and this was the first good opportunity to do the portside. So with a look on the pilots face saying “All Dutch are crazy” we sailed into the port and swung around. Luck would have it of course that at this moment the wind decided to pick up in velocity but I was already spinning the Prinsendam around, whatever the wind did, it could not get enough grip on the balcony enclosures anymore to spoil the maneuver. By the time I had the ship lined up with the pier; the wind was blowing on the sb side and thus became my friend. The only thing I had to do now was regulate the drift towards the dock and stop the drift on time so we did not bump into the pier. For the remainder of the day that wind kept us nicely pinned along side.

The long gangway is used for deck 5 or deck 6, when the deck 4 door is under dock level, due to pier and or tide height.

This gangway testing is something that we have to do on a regular basis. It is to ensure that the aluminum construction is still strong enough to take the weight of the guests when they are leaving and coming onboard in ports where we have to use the higher break doors due to pier heights, tides or a combination of both. This testing consists of a weight test, that is x times the safe working load of that gangway in accordance with the certificate. We do not carry weights with us for these sorts of things but we do have items onboard that can be used as such. Thus we use rice bags. Our Far Eastern crew consumes enormous quantities of white rice and thus we always have an ample supply onboard. A HAL ship can run out of everything but it will never run out of rice. Thus the long gangway was put on pallets as supports and the rice bags piled on top until the required weight was reached. Nothing cracked which was a good sign and then the gangway was inspected for small cracks and any other signs of wear and tear. When all was found in good order, the rice went back to the store rooms and the gangway back in its cradle. The certificate was endorsed accordingly and the insurance company will be happy again.

We sailed at 18.30 hrs and this time I needed a tugboat to get me off the dock. The Adventurer of the Seas had left and the wind was now blowing freely again on the sb side of the ship with over 25 knots. It had been a beautiful day but blustery.

We are now heading out of the Mediterranean and into the North Atlantic as our next port of call is Cadiz. By 11 pm tonight we should be passing Gibraltar and by midnight exiting the Strait itself. Tomorrow should be another day with a lot of sunshine and hardly any wind at all. I will be parking the ship at the best berth in the port, things could not be better.