Although we left Vancouver dock first, we were overtaken by the Zaandam while we were swinging off the berth and by the time we approached Discovery Pass, we were back to the regular line up. Century in the lead as she was going to Icy Strait, followed by the Zaandam for a mid day arrival in Juneau, followed by us for a mid afternoon arrival. Those two ships can go faster than the Statendam anyway, so it is better that they pass us before the narrow part of the Inside Passage starts. We cannot go through the Seymour Narrows at the same time and thus the arrangements are made depending on the speed you can maintain and how far you have to go on the other side. With the tide being so late, all three ships will have a hard time to keep their schedule anyway. Each cruise schedule has some leeway built into its timings but this time the Tide is very late and the weather further up north very inclement. We will be in the hands of the Weather Gods on how we fare while going through Queen Charlotte Sound.
First we had to go through Seymour Narrows. As it offers the best short cut for getting up north without having to sail around Vancouver Island it has always been an important seaway. With the arrival of larger, e.g. deeper drafted ships it also became a problem due to the existence of a pinnacle rock, Ripple Rock, in the centre of the Narrows. Many a ship, caught by the current, ended up hitting this rock quite often with disastrous results. It got so bad in the end that the Canadian Government decided to blow the whole thing up.
A tunnel was dug under Seymours Narrows and a shaft drilled into the Rock. This shaft was filled with explosives and when done, the whole rock was blown up, causing the biggest –non- nuclear explosion until that time. A good thing for us; because if the rock would still have been there, then the modern large cruise ships would not have been able to go through.
Goodbye, Ripple Rock. Many a skipper will have raised his glass in a happy toast that day.
Nasty things, eddies. They make even a big ship go all over the place.
Now the only danger left is the current, the maximum tide/current observed in Seymour Narrows is 14 knots, the maximum speed of many a good size bulkcarrier or Tanker. Normally full currents run anywhere from 5 to 10 knots and any current over 4 knots is a no-no with a larger ship. Not the current as such, but the eddies caused by it. If the current would be running straight all the way, then it would not be such a problem but as soon as the water has passed the narrows, it loses its velocity; it bounces against underwater obstructions in Menzies Bay and then curls back upon itself. That creates the challenge of sailing through the Narrows and the chance of being thrown sideways towards the shore is not part of the cruise experience.
Thus we lined up for going through 10 minutes apart from 02.00 onwards when the Flood current (against us) was falling under 4 knots. By 02.30 we were through as well and then it was time to put the pedal to the metal and go for it. At 3 am the tide changed and the ebb started which greatly helped as it gave an extra 3 knots in the back. Building up spare time, time that we would badly need when getting the adverse winds in Queen Charlotte Sound.
Pilotage ends at Pine Island, where the Inside Passage gives way to the Queen Charlotte Sound. There we said goodbye to our two British Columbia pilots and headed into the Sound, with 35 knots of wind against us. By now the current was changing to Flood again, against us, and that did not help with our speed plans either. So we are in indeed in the hands of the Weather Gods for a timely arrival.
Tomorrow morning we will embark the American pilot at Kake Pilot station inside the Alaskan Inside Passage. One pilot to take us to Juneau where the 2nd pilot will then board. The weather for Juneau looks good. Very chilly, but dry and what is very important no wind, once we get there.
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