19 September 2013; Hiding in the Inside Passage.

We raced down Chatham Strait to out run the approaching storm. When you do that, it gives a bit of a strange feeling that there is nothing wrong when you come to a location where you do not want to be later. We had to be back inside for shelter before 10 am and we were there as planned by 6 am, making the turn shortly after. It was a little bit windy but nothing that would make you think” what is all the fuss about”. Once we were back inside, the wind almost dropped to zero as we were completely in the shelter on a northerly course. The storm is coming in with South Easterly winds and that caused it to breeze up when we turned to the East. How much would be anybody’s guess as it all depends on the exact angle of the wind in relation to the mountains, which acts or not as a funnel.

I was on the Bridge when we approached Cape Decision for the turn to go back inside again, just in case the weather forecast was not correct. Luckily it was. Then for the rest of the day I lived between the Bridge and my cabin for keeping an overview and constantly checking the weather forecast. Most of it is now by Internet and email but we have other options as well.

1. We have contracts with two weather companies who provide real time weather on the computer (a constant updated simulation program)
2. There is the NOAA which updates every four to six hours.
3. Then there is Marine Canada which does the same for the other side of the border.
4. When it gets really bad, the company sets up a sort of crisis center and has people from the nautical department monitoring the situation and helping out where needed.

If the internet fails, or is blocked by mountains, then we have as a back up the weather forecasts on the VHF weather channels, which are read-outs of point 2. & 3. Then we also can get print outs via the ships radio station on the bridge.

The various entities that provide the weather information, all have a slightly different take on the weather and thus you get subtle differences. Not about what the current weather is but how it will develop, or what is important for me, how it will pass by and ease off. That means constantly looking for the updates. Then you get a picture in your head about what is most likely to happen. It is the interpretation of the information offered. As a captain you have be convinced that what your interpretation is the right one, as you are making the final decision about what will happen; but it is important to keep checking to see if real life is following the plan that you have in your head. If the weather stays in synch with your own forecast then you can be pretty certain that your decisions are going to work out.

Based on the fact that the weather was completely atrocious in Ketchikan, all the three HAL ships on the way there were told by the Head Office, not to even go there. The Oosterdam and Zuiderdam who were far ahead of me, decided to dash forward to get to Canada ahead of the worst weather and I was going to stay behind until the worst was over. I have to be in Vancouver on Sunday, the rest have to go to Seattle.

The Behm Canal is a north-south channel so it is sheltered from the East by a mountain range. We just cruised slowly up and down. So we went with slow speed and by 10 am the storm hit us, 65 knots of wind, full on the bow. But we were inside, so no swell and no moving ship. I kept the doors to the outside decks closed and that meant that all the guests were safe. Slowly we moved more to the East keeping the wind as much as possible on the bow. After a discussion with our pilots I had selected Behm Canal to spend the night in. This is a North – South channel to the West of Ketchikan and that was going to give the best shelter for the night. We will slowly sail up and down the channel here until tomorrow.

If the wind suddenly drops, which I am NOT expecting, we can still go to Ketchikan, if not then we go for a slow and gentle ride to Vancouver.