Well the wind kept pounding away and it pushed the current up as well, so for most of the day we had almost 3 knots in combined wind & current force against us and even with running the engines full out, there was no way we could fight against that. So we had a delay in arrival but as we had the whole evening as well in port, our departure was scheduled for 22.30 (all on board), all tours could still take place and everybody had time to go ashore. Bonaire is a very nice island and avery pleasant to go ashore, hence the company has opted to schedule evening stays here. Something that can be done because the next Island Curacao, is only 69 miles away as the crows flies and about 90 miles away for us to sail to. Bonaire even has some hills, clearly visible from our Northerly approach but the problem is those hills are on the North West side and we are docking at the South East side.
So the wind which made our lives miserable at sea and now it made my life miserable for docking as well. It blew 35 knots (wind force 7) when we came in the lee of the island and it remained blowing 35 knots when we came to the pilot station. So I had a long conversation with the pilot on the VHF about wind, docking and tugboats and just “getting there” as this wind would be perpendicular to the ship, so full on the beam when going alongside.
In the end we opted for the push and hold maneuver. It means using the ships thrusters and engines for bringing the ship towards the dock and using the tugboat as a sort of floating anchor to avoid the ship from drifting away. In that way you can make a steady approach, by finding a balance of not coming in too fast and also not drifting out when you ease off on the thrusters. Once alongside the dock, you can then use the tugboat for holding you alongside while the lines go ashore. We use very long lines in Kralendijk and then there is always the danger that they get entangled in the propellers.
Long lines running from the stern all the way to the shore. Perpendicular to the ship and in line with the wind, giving optimum holding power to keep the ship alongside.
That was the plan and that was the way it worked. The tugboat leaned against the ship in the middle on the starboard side and me playing with all the gadgets to get the ship to the dock. The difficulty is to guess the sideways speed when coming in. You do not want to drift away from the dock but also do not want to come charging in and make a landing with an almighty bump. The one good thing about Kralendijk is, is that if the maneuver goes wrong, you drift back to open sea and there is no danger.
That is always a good “plan B” to have. Tomorrow when we are in Curacao there will not be such a plan B.
With the tugboat pushing you can put the gangway out already when the lines are still going out. Those lines, as many as possible, are all breast lines, perpendicular to the ship and because of the length of rope going out it takes almost half an hour to come to a fully safe docked position. By that time most of our guests where already ashore.
To answer two queries on the blog in regards to the Tailors topic:
a. Do they do other jobs on board; yes they are part of the fire squads when needed but for the rest they only work as Tailors.
b. Do they also make the costumes for the Cast/entertainers on board. Answer no; our entertainers work for Holland America Line but they are cast and trained by a Los Angeles company called Stiletto. When a new group joins the ship, or a new show is launched, the costumes are all made to measure in LA. During the rehearsals on board there is a costume lady for adjustment until it all fits. Then for the rest of the contract it is up to the cast members to ensure that they keep the same size and fit in them. (That is not always that easy, as the food is very good on board, and at home most of them have to cook themselves)
As we had an evening call here I left the dock just before 11 pm. Departure was easy as I employed the –blow away- maneuver again. Let go the lines and the wind did the rest. Tomorrow we are in Willemstad Curacao and pilot time is 06.30 so it will be a short night. The weather forecast indicates 30 knots of wind again near the entrance, making it another interesting arrival again. But at least it will not rain.
April 16, 2013 at 11:43 pm
Capt Albert – If a Vista Class ship was docking in Bonaire under the same wind conditions, would the azipods and bow thrusters provide enough propulsion to negate the need for a tugboat?
April 17, 2013 at 5:28 pm
Yes,
The wind was 35 knots on the beam and the Vista can handle that if the wind is steady. A Vista ship might still use a tug boat, so it can switch off the azipods and the thrusters, while the ropes are going ashore to avoid the danger of entanglement. The ropes are long and if the linesboat would let them ship, you could have a real issues.
thank you for reading my blog
Capt. Albert