28 Feb. 2017; Oranjestad, Aruba.

Today we are back in the Netherlands, although Aruba has a “Status Aparte” which means that it is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands but not governed by it. A sort of Commonwealth situation but with a Dutch twist. Not that anybody is concerned or interested in that here on board; of much more importance is that there is a big Super market here that sells all the Dutch treats which are hard to get in other places.  Thus yesterday whole expeditions were planned (especially with the eye on sharing a Cab) of how to get to the super market during the off time and also in getting back on board on time to let somebody else go. We are the only cruise ship in today, so there is no danger that another ship would be emptying the shelves before we get there.

I should explain this system, of staying on board, as it is industry wide a standard but not everybody knows how it works. It is called In Port Manning or I.P.M and ensures that at all times there are enough sufficiently trained crewmembers on board to protect the ship and to respond to emergencies.  For Deck and Engine that number is 50% so we can always man 2 fire teams and supervise one whole side of the ship in case we have to lower boats.  For the Hotel department it varies with 50% in the higher ranks and 33 to 25% in the lower ranks but always with the minimum needed to lower all the lifeboats on the sea-side of the ship. Normally that is not a problem except in ports such as Oranjestad where everybody wants to go ashore, if not for shopping, then for a drink or for dinner. Then officers have to swap and share the slots available and that results in long planning sessions in the Officers Bar.  If you try to get off the ship while you are on IPM duty then the check-out computer at the gangway will beep and security will stop you.

We see the same thing when we call at ports in Indonesia or the Philippines where we observe something similar. As the ships still have to provide service not everybody can get away. If it is a two day call, then we normally do a 50% split but if it is only a one day call, then you have challenges as some will miss out. The ships have solved that problem long time ago by letting family come on board. Normally with a maximum of four guests per crewmember. Then it is always funny to observe and find out how many Pilipino crew have Indonesian family in Bali and how many Indonesian crew have Pilipino family in Manilla. Of course the captain knows the game that is being played but it says nowhere in the rules that your guests have to be your real family. Only that the Photo ID is correct and with it the relevant security information. Having a 1000 family on board below decks makes for a very atmospheric day and lots of happy faces.

For Aruba it is different, the happy faces will be on board later, when the Dutch goodies are being consumed. I try to stay away from that super market as my one weakness is Dutch liquorice and they have nearly all the variations (approx. 50) available.

The nautical chart of Oranjestad Aruba. Clearly visible is the reef which protects the Paarden baai (Bay of Horses) in which the port is located.

With running full speed, the Zuiderdam just made it on schedule to the pilot station on the west side of the island. Oranjestad has a natural harbor and the docks are protected by a large reef / sandbank. That gives an entrance and an exit. Something we really like because if something happens we can just sail out again without any issue.

I only observed that only once here, long long time ago. The good old Statendam IV was an old and tired steamship by the year I joined her in 1981. We had regular blackouts and a lot of other things went wrong as well. But she was calling at Oranjestad and as she did not have a bow thruster or a stern thruster; we had two tugboats to push us alongside. So we were happily sailing in, and then the bridge ran slow ahead (6 knots) on the ships telegraphs from the half ahead (10 knots) we were making. And nothing happened. The captain ordered a double ring, to wake those @#$%^*@……  down stairs but still nothing. So we sailed with two tugboats attached to the ship straight out of the port again.

The good old ss Statendam seen docked here in the summer of 1982. She was handed over to a new owner in October of the same year.

It turned out that the manoeuvring wheel for the steam reduction on the port side engine was stuck and it took about 30 minutes to get it going again. So we sailed back to the west entrance and went in a second time. This time we docked as planned. The company sold the ship shortly after.

We will stay in Oranjestad until 23.00 hrs. tonight and then we sail to Willemstad Curacao, which is just next door.  If the planning stays the same, then we will dock inside the port. Weather: more of the same standard Caribbean weather. Warm, windy and a chance of a local shower.