We managed to get out without much delay and thus we could keep the schedule to Key West. It meant a full-out run until the Key West pilot station. As the keys are very low laying there is not much shelter when a strong wind is blowing over it and that is always of concern. And we had a strong wind out in the open Straits of Florida. Also what blows in open water is not necessary what blows inside, neither in strength, nor direction, and thus we are always a bit apprehensive when getting there. The pilot normally gives an update when he is coming out with the pilot boat but his boat is not more than 10 feet above the water and our superstructure is considerably higher. But today we had our own little weather station in port by means of the ms Nieuw Amsterdam who had arrived ad 07.00 hrs. and was docked at the Navy Pier. For the ships the safest pier to dock at but for the guests the worst one as you need a little train system to get you to the gate and then it is still quite a distance to downtown.
How nice, the ms Nieuw Amsterdam all the way alongside the dock.
Key West has three piers for cruise ships, Mallory pier opposite Mallory square, you cannot get more downtown than that, then there is B pier about a block away from Mallory and then there is the Navy pier quite a distance to the south. For docking all the captains love the Navy pier. The ship rests all the way long the dock and there are bollards galore to safety moor the ship alongside. Mallory and B pier are not very good in that respect. They are T piers with a few bollards on dolphins to keep the ship alongside. The longer the ship, the harder it is. Mallory is almost too small for the S class let alone for a Vista class ship such as the Oosterdam. The B pier has a longer T form and thus more of the ship rests alongside but still it is not that great. At the bow you can set fairly good head and spring lines but aft it is mainly spring lines which mean the ship is not very happily docked if the wind comes from the South East. On such occasions the aft thruster or the outer Azipod has to remain on to act as a tugboat.
All our stern lines were facing forward. Even the ones set on the next dock. Safe when the wind is from the right direction; a challenge when it is not.
Still we happily docked this morning and as the wind remained from the NNE and thus mainly pushed against the springs so all was well in the world. Key West is a rather unusual place and it has a sort of love hate relation with the rest of the world and that includes us. Roughly 50% loves us and the other 50% has objections to our presence to varying degrees. This also affects our sailing time. The Nieuw Amsterdam, docked at the Navy pier, can leave whenever it wants to but we at B pier have to leave either well before sunset or well after sunset. A highlight of the day in Key West is assembling on Mallory Square, watch the sun set in the bay, and then join in with the fun-fair on the square with huskers, fire eaters, art (sometimes) for sale and anything else in alternativety that arrives on the square by bike, pushcart or children’s pram. Great fun for everybody and then a cruise ship can be a party pooper. Both leaving from Mallory and from B pier we have to swing in the turning basin to get out and that is exactly where the sun goes down.
Gathering for sunset at Mallory and B pier. This photo was taken during a departure when sunset was not affecting our schedule.
This evening all on board is at 17.30 hrs. and sunset is at 17.39 hrs. So we cannot sail before the sun is well gone and everybody is turning away from the dock side. Even if all the guests were early back then we would have to wait. This cruise we have a very diverse public on board and some of them are diverse enough to not be in a hurry to get back on board. So I expect that we might not be getting out as scheduled. Not that it matters, to make our next port in Mahogany Bay on time, we only have to sail with a speed of 16 knots and thus we have ample time up our sleeve if needed.
Our itinerary: 7 days West Caribbean.
Tomorrow is a day at sea while we follow the coast of Cuba South Westwards and we will enter the Caribbean Sea tomorrow morning around 06.00 hrs. when we have passed Cabo San Antonio, the most westerly point of Cuba. Officially the area is called the Yucatan Channel but that is only a local name for the part East of Mexico. We are making a 7 day cruise from Tampa, calling at Key West, Mahogany Bay on Roatan, followed by Santo Tomas de Castillo in Guatemala and finally Costa Maya in Mexico. Our next cruise, starting on the 26th. of November will be a 14 day around the Caribbean cruise.
What is green, yellow and red is rain, dense rain. Grey is only overcast or light showers.
Our eyes are still on Otto. Otto to be or not to be. The weather gurus keep hedging their bets. At the moment, what could become Otto is now called 90L, but it is still not a real depression or worse. But if you compare todays picture with yesterday‘s then you can see that the circle of strong rain is getting tighter and tighter now and that is not good news. It will take some time to completely develop but it is already bringing a lot of rain and stronger winds to the area where we are going. My estimate is that we will make the ports of Mahogany bay and Santo Tomas before Otto wakes up and then we will sail back ahead of the system. Still you never know, so we stay alert.
For tomorrow we have nothing to be concerned about. Clear skies, regular Trade Winds and temperature in the high 77’s.
Our latest input from the Hurricane Centre:
Our focus this weekend remains in the far southwestern Caribbean. A broad area of low pressure, labeled 90L, has remained disorganized and it will likely remain so during the next day or two. However, conditions early next week can become more favorable for organization. It is then that there could be a depression or even tropical storm forming. If the latter happens, it would be named Otto. If development occurs, the main threat looks to be Central America late next week.
November 21, 2016 at 8:00 pm
Very nice picture of the “Nieuw Amsterdam”, Captain. I hope the Guest Relations staff looks at your blog as well. Perhaps they are reminded of the ships calling Tampa and Fort Lauderdale their home ports. And perhaps one alert birdie thinks to finally check when the last time was they sent mail bags to these home ports for the ships in question ?????