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Ocean Liner History and Stories from the Sea, Past and Present. With an In Depth focus on Holland America Line

Category: ms Oosterdam (page 3 of 3)

27 Nov. 2016; At Sea, day 1.

November 27, 2016 / / 1 Comment

As usual we had to wait for the sun to set before we could leave the dock in Key West. Because it was nice weather with only a gentle breeze in the afternoon, everything that floated was up and about and thus it took some doing to get the ship into the turning basin and back to open sea. The pilot boat had to summon & remind several pleasure craft about the Rules of the Road and that if that did not work, explain ………..if big goes against small, then big normally wins.

As soon as we left the pilot station we made a sharp turn to the East and then we followed the Gulf Stream into Nicholas Channel and then the Old Bahama Channel. When we went the other way, coming from Europe we did our best to avoid the Gulf Stream now it was a challenge to find the best balance between staying in it for as long as possible and at the same time not adding too much length to the courses. Otherwise you lose again what you gained with that free push of current.  Unfortunately for the chief engineer and his fuel saving focus we will not catch much Gulf Stream before we enter Old Bahama Channel, where the current is against us.

We will be spending two days at sea and adjust for an arrival time at the pilot station of 09.45 in San Juan. From there it is roughly an hour to be completely alongside and if the local authorities are quick, then everybody will be able to go ashore at the scheduled arrival time of 11.00 hrs. There should not be an issue as Puerto Rico is considered to be a sort of USA as far as clearance activities by the CBP are concerned. And as we are coming from a USA port it should all be fair sailing. We should be in port with the Crystal Serenity and the Freedom of the Seas but we will only find out for sure when we are docked there as the cruise schedules are not always kept up-to-date.

The route we are following takes us above Cuba and Hispaniola in one straight line to San Juan. From Key West you can also go under Cuba but that is considerably longer as you first have to go west and south, then sail under and then come up again through the passage between Hispaniola and Puerto Rico. But it is a viable option when there is a hurricane going to the Bahamas and taking the Northerly route along the Eastern Caribbean Islands. Then we use the mountain range on Cuba as a natural buffer and just sail around the bad weather.

Our route and weather to San Juan. We are just sailing through the lower part of a weather front and it remains to be seen how much water is in there.

Our route and weather to San Juan. We are just sailing through the lower part of a weather front and it remains to be seen how much water is in there.

At the moment there is not much chance of a hurricane or storm as everything is really scattered in dry and wet areas. There is a lot of wet weather hanging over the Puerto Rican basin and we will have to see if some of that water will be “downloaded” onto the ship. It will all depend on the length of the cloud system and the angle of the wind higher up in the atmosphere. Same for the waves. Currently we are nicely sheltered with Cuba to the South and the Bahamas to the North but late tomorrow we will leave that shelter behind when we enter the open sea area south of Great Inagua Island. But as there is no frontal system around to whip up the waves we will only have to deal with the regular trade winds. And that means for the waves to reach a height of not more than 9 to 12 feet. Up to 10 feet the ship does not move at all and when the waves get higher then it depends on the length of the waves on how it will affect the ship. For the moment my estimate would be that we will have a very smooth sail to San Juan.

For on deck it will make for windy weather. We are going against the wind with about 17 knots. The wind is coming at us with about 20 knots and the combined wind velocity is thus reaching Gale Force winds if you stand exposed at the bow. On the Oosterdam the decks in front of the radar mast are completely shielded by tinted windows and thus you do not notice it. But it can be a tricky area as the sun beats down with Caribbean strength, and then reflects from the waves, and all around is the white superstructure from the ship which reflects the sun as well. Altogether good enough to create a sort of microwave oven of sun rays. Sun block 35 or 50 is of the essence.

Tomorrow is our 2nd day at sea and then we will be sailing in the open North Atlantic Ocean. Weather for tomorrow: a chance of rain and sun, windy and temperatures in the mid to high 70’s. (Mid 20oC’s)

26 Nov. 2016; Key West, Florida USA.

November 26, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Because we left Tampa exactly on time, we also managed to arrive in Key West exactly on time. As mentioned last cruise, the time /distance between Tampa and Key West is really tight and 30 minutes late from Tampa automatically means 30 minutes late in Key West. Luckily for the rest of the cruise we have some time up our sleeve in regards to the schedule. While going to Key West we sailed through the remnant of a weather front in the early morning but by the time we reached the pilot station it was sunshine galore, ensuring a very warm day, accompanied by a moderate breeze. Thus a regular Key West day, to enjoy for all the guests. The Oosterdam was the only ship in port today and we docked again at B pier, which means tonight we can sail only as soon as the sun has set over Mallory Square.

The bridge profile of the American Victory. If you look at the Aagtedyk below, you can see that their profiles were all the same.

The bridge profile of the American Victory. If you look at the Aagtedyk below, you can see that their profiles were all the same.

I mentioned the cargo ship in Tampa which is now a museum. It showed up in the port in 1999 after a long career in and out of active service, which started in 1945. The American Victory is one of 534 cargo ships of the same basic design ( but with a lot of variations for special purposes) built during the second world war to satisfy the need of the Allied forces to transport troops and equipment. It was a follow up design of the Liberty class ships of which over 2700 were built. However their average speed was about 10 knots and the operating authorities wanted something faster and thus the Victory Class was designed which could manage about 16 – 17 knots.

After the war all these ships became surplus to requirements, no longer needed, and some went in layup and some were sold to commercial operators. Many of them went to Europe to replace the tonnage the shipping companies there had lost during the war. Holland America also bought a number of them. One Liberty (the ss Blijdendijk (II)) and in total 11 of the Victory class that were very well suited to maintain a regular liner service for the company.  These were called the A class with the very Dutch names of:

Aalsdyk, Appingedyk, Amsteldyk, Arkeldyk, Averdyk, Arnedyk, Aardyk, Abbedyk, Axeldyk, Akkrumdyk, Arendsdyk

This is the ss Aagtedyk, ex Texercana Victory here seen sailing past Sugar Loaf mountain outside Rio de Janeiro.

This is the ss Aagtedyk, ex Texercana Victory here seen sailing past Sugar Loaf mountain outside Rio de Janeiro.

There were all (nearly) the same although some of them had been fitted out in different ways, depending on what they would be used for in the war effort. When they were all put back to their basic cargo ship design some differences remained. I have in my collection a story about one of the captains who sailed on most of them, and who hated one ship (he did not mention which one) where the door from his bedroom was the other way around to the rest of the A class. That resulted for him in bashing his head each time he was called and wanted to run to the bridge, only to run into the door. Most of these ships sailed until the mid sixties when they could not keep up any longer with the more modern motor ships which were better suited to the changing trade conditions.

The American Victory came in service just before the war ended and sailed in the Pacific. Then she went into layup and was used again in 1951 – 1954 for the Korean War effort. Then from 1966 to 1969 she was involved in the Vietnam War and then went back into layup. Around this time most of her sisters started to go to the scrap heap. In between she sailed for a few commercial carriers such as American Export Lines where she was involved in carrying cargo to Europe under the Marshall Plan. Then in 1999 she showed up in Tampa and is now the center piece of the American Victory Mariners Memorial & Museum.

The ss Justicia, ex Statendam II, the strange pattern of dazzle paint clearly visible.

The ss Justicia, ex Statendam II, the strange pattern of dazzle paint clearly visible.

What fascinated me this time was that she had been given a different hull paint job, before she had been regular Navy grey but now she sported a “dazzle paint” camouflage pattern. The earliest form of dazzle paint was introduced in the First World War and invented by an English Gentleman called Wilkinson. The idea was that if you painted a ship in unusual patterns & colors then it would be hard for a submarine commander to see where the ship exactly was. Especially in boisterous seas and grim weather. It was used for most of the First World War especially for passenger liners who with their high profiles stood out like a sore thumb against the elements. If the scheme was successful is debatable. One of our ships under construction during the first world war, the Statendam II, was seized by the British and used as a troop ship. It had dazzle paint but it was still torpedoed.

The American Victory is one of three preserved cargo ships of the Victory Class; the other ones are the Lane Victory in Los Angeles and the Red Oak Victory in Richmond California. She still sails on occasion, often manned by old timers who did it for real in the days when these ships were still out and about.

We will sail tonight as soon as the people at Mallory Square have had their fill of yet another sunset and then we will be at sea tomorrow. Next port of call is San Juan Puerto Rico where we will arrive on the 29th. at  11.00 in the morning.  Weather looks good for the coming two sea days.

25 Nov. 2016; Tampa, Florida, USA.

November 25, 2016 / / 0 Comments

We were lucky, or better said the ships that arrived after us were lucky, as the fog did not materialize. The temperature balance between air, land and water was not such that water condensation occurred which is what fog basically is. Still better safe than sorry and the good ship Oosterdam was happily docked well before problems could have arisen. The wind still weather is to prevail for the remainder of the day and thus the captain opted for docking with the nose in to make it as easy as possible for the ships operation as everybody had just gotten used to the portside flow based on our last weeks docking.

Our cruise of 25 nov - 09 dec. Also on the diagram the cruise we just finished and which we will do again after we have completed the current on.

Our cruise of 25 Nov. – 09 Dec. Also on the diagram the cruise we just finished and which we will do again after we have completed the current one. We have quite a few guests on board who are just doing that.

Now we are embarking on a 14 day round trip covering the whole Caribbean Sea by means of a clockwise circumnavigation. We have been doing variations of this cruise ever since the company started sailing from Tampa in 1983 with the Veendam (III).  I write variations as we have not always made the exact same cruise in all those years. In the beginning it was purely to do “something different” but with cruising becoming more and more popular the schedule is now also based on where we can dock with trying to avoid tender service as much as possible. We are very proficient in running tender operations but going ashore via the gangway is a lot quicker than having to wait for the shuttle. If nothing changes we will have tender service once this cruise, in Grand Cayman, the last call on our cruise before returning to Tampa.

Because many of the ports in the Caribbean are very close together, tinkering with the cruise schedule is not so difficult. Thus the company can be flexible in negotiating with various ports. In the past they have varied between St. Maarten, St Croix and St. Johns (Antigua)  and St. Johns and Bridgetown (Barbados) Then further south  we have El Guamache (Isla de Margarita), Bonaire, Curacao and Aruba in a row which gives options as well. We are a Friday ship, which is an odd day for starting a cruise but it has the great advantage that we are out of synch with all the big boys which sail on Saturday and Sunday. We will still meet a few of them but less than if we would have been on a weekend departure as well. If the company can wriggle it then the ports selected are based on Guest feedback. One of the reasons we are now visiting St. Johns Antigua. This port of call has been getting better and better ratings and the feedback is really positive. (I am not a shopping expert, but it does have some really good beaches).

The final port on our cruise is Georgetown Grand Cayman, which is our only tender port. (Subject to change of course………) Mainly because there is only a very small dock. The local government has been discussing for years to build a dock for one or two ships but there is the economic faction (more ships are good for the economy) and there is a the ecological faction (building a dock will damage the reefs which is not good for the economy).There now seems to be a tentative agreement to go forward with a dock construction but I have not seen any final plans yet.  Thus the port can handle four ships at anchor and if there are more, which happens quite often around the holidays, then the remainder of the ships will have to stay on the engines and drift.

So that will be the coming 14 day cruise going with the clock until we are back in Tampa on 09 December.  When sailing out it will take us about 3 hrs. from the moment we let go the lines until the moment we pass the sea buoy and start heading south for our first port of call Key West, Florida. On the way out we will pass the American Victory a 2nd world war cargo ship which is now sporting a rather unusual paint coat. More about that tomorrow.

The ss American Victory, a museum ship in Tampa and docked behind us. Since some time it carries camoflage paint on the hull.

The ss American Victory, a museum ship in Tampa and docked behind us. For some time now it carries cammoflage paint on the hull.

The weather for the coming days is under the influence of frontal systems which are rolling in from the Southern part of the North Atlantic. So we might have some rain and wind on the way to San Juan. But first we will have a sunny day in Key West with partly cloudy skies, and temperatures of just under 80F or 26oC.

Caribbean weather. white bands over Cuba indicating rain systems coming over and a lot of rain in the aftermath of Otto in the south Caribbean.

Caribbean weather. white bands over Cuba indicating rain systems coming over and a lot of rain in the aftermath of Otto in the south Caribbean.

 

24 Nov. 2016; At Sea.

November 24, 2016 / / 1 Comment

The weather forecast sort of came out but in stages. In the early morning it was miserable with rain and wind. By midmorning the clouds and rain were gone and a nice sun was shining. Still very windy and with the wind on the bow it blew a near hurricane force over the exposed bow area (and that without Otto helping) but in the sheltered areas it was nice to be outside. Then in the course of the afternoon, the wind started to die down and will continue to do so, to such an extent that it might be gone by midnight.

That will cause another challenge: low clouds descending: or restricted visibility. Tampa is notorious for the stuff and if Tampa Bay fogs in, then the ships are kept at anchor until it lifts. And that can be as late as mid afternoon. Very nasty for the guests who are disembarking. I have been sailing from Tampa since 1984 and from day I it was hammered into me by the pilots, try and get your ship to the pilot station by midnight. Then you are docked by 04.00 hrs. and most likely you will beat the fog.  It always worked out for me and in all my years sailing from Tampa as a captain I adhered to that rule and I was only caught out once and that was because I could not make it to the pilot station by midnight due to engine issues.  So I discussed this with the Captain of the Oosterdam and the wise man that he is, he is going for midnight. Restricted visibility has been forecast and thus he is taking no risks. Not good for the fuel consumption but a lot cheaper than rebooking so many guests onto other flights and as important: keeping the guests happy with a rosy” After Thanks Giving” feeling.

As soon as you are passed the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, there is no turning back and the pilots will have to continue guiding the ship through Tampa Bay. As long as there is no wind, thus no drift, that is not much of an issue. The buoy route is clearly visible on the Radar screen and if you give yourself a little bit more time than you normally do when going around the corners, all will be well.  Instead of 04.00 hrs. in the morning, you arrive at 05.00 hrs. and that is still early enough as the CBP and others only start boarding at 06.00 hrs. for the pre-clearance.

We will be docking again at Terminal 3 and this time we will go starboard side alongside. This is my favorite as well; I always prefer to dock with the nose out, so it is much easier to leave when there is wind on departure. The turning basin is not that wide to swing around in with a 300 meter ship and it is never a good idea to make your own life miserable if the weather forecast has given you fair warning.

The 3rd version Company flag in the mast of the ms Oosterdam.

The 3rd version Company flag on the mast of the ms Oosterdam.

Occasionally we see a few unusual things on the ship. The first one was when I boarded on 7 November in Malaga. I was at once intrigued by the fact that our old company flag was in the top. The one we had from 1986 to 2000. It turned out that a guest had once been given such a flag and had brought it with him on the Trans – Atlantic crossing. Good fun of course to fly it a few times.

Doggy heaven for Kiki with his own reserved sign.

Doggy heaven for Kiki with his own reserved sign.

Second thing we have on this cruise. We are getting more seeing eye dogs and service animals on board as more and more owners are discovering that the cruise ships are a very friendly environment for their special needs, and that they can enjoy their cruise without anything to worry about. This cruise we have a gentleman on board with a small service dog, a white Pomeranian (………..or something like it and very small), who detects heart problems. The name is Kiki and Kiki also has to go to the toilet. For that we order real grass from ashore and then the carpenter builds a nice little boxed grass park. So for the whole cruise Kiki was the envy of the ship with an own roped off area, own grass, and an own name sign.

A number of years ago I gave a seeing eye dog his 300 day medal, so if the owner is still cruising the number of days a year that he used to, then his dog (I think the name was Sylvester) must be up to 500 days now. It is probably hard to achieve but I wonder what would happen if a dog would make the 1400 days, which is the Presidents level. Then the President sends flowers every time you go on a cruise. I wonder if he would then send a bone or something……………………….

Tomorrow we are in Tampa and we should be docked by 04.00 hrs. All the families who came for the Thanks giving cruise will be going home and the ship will prepare for the next cruise, a 14 day roundtrip of the Caribbean. Weather for tomorrow: Partly Cloudy 29oC / 84oF. and very little wind, it is going to be a very warm day.

 

Otto has promoted himself to a catagory 2 hurricane and is now on the move into Nicaragua.

Otto has promoted himself to a catagory 2 hurricane and is now on the move into Nicaragua.

Our hurricane centre weather gurus from www.accuweather.com had the following to say:

Otto to bring life-threatening conditions to parts of Central America

11/24/2016 12:16:12 PM

Otto, a Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds up to 110 mph, came ashore in southern Nicaragua mid-morning local time near the town of San Juan de Nicaragua. This makes Otto the southern most land fall for a hurricane on record in Central America.

Otto will continue to bring heavy rainfall to parts of Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama during the next 24 hours as it moves west and weakens. There is the high potential for life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides, especially in the higher terrain of these Central America countries. Rainfall amounts of 6 to 12 inches are likely, but amounts could reach close to 20 inches in some of the mountainous regions. Bands of rainfall will impact parts of southern Honduras. The orientation of the mountainous terrain and the orientation of the winds around Otto will limit the amount of rainfall over El Salvador. In addition to the flooding threat, damaging winds will be possible in parts of Nicaragua and Costa Rica, particularly along and just to the north of the system’s track.

Otto will emerge into the Eastern Pacific Friday as a tropical storm.

23 Nov. 2016; Costa Maya, Mexico.

November 23, 2016 / / 3 Comments

Costa Maya is an artificial place, a resort created out of nothing.  They basically picked a spot where they could build a T pier into deep water and then attached a resort to it. The T pier can take three big ships and the resort can handle the amount of about 7000 to 8000 guests as well. However two ships give everybody a little bit more space and that worked out today.  In port with us was the Norwegian Jade which has about 2400 guests in lower berth capacity but a lot of quad cabins and is thus a real family ship. So I guess we had around 4500 guests hopping or lazing around in the port.

The Norwegian Jay at the side pier with the inner berth empty. A long walk for the guests.

The Norwegian Jade at the side pier with the inner berth empty. A long walk for the guests.

For the captains it is a nice day if it has nice weather. The dock is fully exposed to the elements and tends to catch the full brunt of hurricanes which are coming up to the Yucatan coast or the winter depressions coming down the Yucatan coast. It is not fully winter yet so we are in between and we can get a bit of both. Otto is still churning away in the south and if he is not going ashore in Nicaragua there is a fair chance he will have a look at Costa Maya. Mayhem from the north we had today already. Coming down from the Gulf of Mexico was a frontal system with rain and strong winds. I had sort of calculated that it would reach Costa Maya just around sailing time but by noon time the wind was already building up and rain showers were gathering. The Captain had to put the bow thrusters and one of the pods on to release the strain on the mooring ropes. By the 14.30 we were up to wind force 7 and more power had to be put on line. Nothing dangerous for the ship, just unpleasant.

The one danger which is always present here is the swell. This morning it was nice and quiet but with the arrival of the tail of a frontal system laying over the Gulf, the wind started to whip up the waves. Then we have a problem with the dock as it is not a solid dock but built on pillars. Thus the waves can sweep freely under it, hit the ship (which will then go up and down) roll passed the ship, hit the shore and come back. The ship moves on the waves and pulls at the ropes. Too much pull and the ropes break. At the same time the wind is pushing the ship off the dock as well and that makes the ropes go –ping- even faster. Hence the decision of the Captain to put the machinery on to reduce the strain on the ropes.

If the pier walk is too long then you can catch a ride on this contraption. It is called the "all on board" road train and it runs continiously up and down the main pier.

If the pier walk is too long then you can catch a ride on this contraption. It is called the “all on board” road train and it runs continiously up and down the main pier.

We had all hoped for a speedy departure but then we heard that the tours were running late. Murphy has been very quiet lately but today he was back in play again. On the day you want to leave before time to have a good head start for Tampa, there are delays on the road and you have to wait for delayed coaches.  Thus it was past 3 pm. before all were back on board. I was on the forward mooring deck, teaching a new 3rd officer “ the ropes” and he had a good start as singling up (releasing lines) with ropes under strain can be very dangerous if not done calmly and in good coordination. So Murphy was my friend here as it was a good situation for working on the need of having eyes in the back of your head. You need to keep an eye on the linesmen ashore, you need keep an eye on the ropes on board, you need to keep an eye on the sailors handling the ropes and you need to keep an eye on the winch operators. That is eyes for outboard and eyes for inboard so at least looking in 4 different directions at the same time. Most people do not have four eyes and certainly not in the back of their head so it is a skill that you have to develop.

This was the last port of call on this seven day cruise. Tomorrow we have a sea day and then we are back in Tampa. Out next cruise is a 14 day one, going clockwise around the Caribbean. That will take us away from the area where Otto is going to play, and by the time we get to that area in about 10 days, he should have moved on or petered out.

Otto now almost looks like a hurricane from above but were we are going it looks fairly clear.

Otto now almost looks like a hurricane from above but where we are going it looks fairly clear apart from the frontal system (those white bands) moving west.

Depending on how fast our current weather system moves to the West, we could either have a windy and rainy day tomorrow or a quiet day with just grey weather and very little wind. Hard to predict as the ship goes one way with a steady speed of 18 knots and the system goes the other way with  a lot less of a steady speed.

In the meantime Otto is making the weather guru’s life not easy as it keeps changing its mind.

Otto to bring life threatening flash flooding to parts of Central America

11/23/2016 6:32:43 PM

Otto weakened to a tropical storm early Wednesday morning and has shown no intensification to this point with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph. Despite this slight weakening, Otto will remain over an area of warm waters and in an environment of low wind shear. This could allow Otto to regain minimal hurricane strength again before landfall. Otto will drift to the west toward Nicaragua and Costa Rica into Thursday.

Whether Otto is a strong tropical storm or minimal hurricane will make little difference in the overall impacts. Otto will bring heavy rainfall over parts of Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama during the next couple days. There is the potential for flash flooding and mudslides, especially in the higher terrain of these Central America countries. Some of the heavier rainfall will impact parts of southern Honduras. The orientation of the mountainous terrain and the orientation of the winds around Otto will limit the amount of rainfall over El Salvador.

Nov. 2016; Santo Tomas de Castilla, Guatemala.

November 22, 2016 / / 3 Comments

Sailing into Santo Tomas means sailing through a long and narrow channel. Therefore we were all very happy that the predicted wind had disappeared. Thank you Otto for destabilizing the original weather planning. Always nice to have a Tropical Storm as your friend and not as your enemy. The entrance channel is nearly 6 miles long and dredged out of a very shallow inland lake or Laguna. Because it is a very sheltered place, there is a lot of shipping around. Either in layup, or anchor waiting or fishing or docked in the two ports here. Apart from Santo Tomas there is also the smaller port of Puerto Barrios which has a finger pier leading from the town of Barrios to the channel which ends at Santo Tomas. Barrios is specializing in the Banana trade and as Guatemala has an awful lot of Bananas there is always a ship alongside and sometimes also one or two waiting at the anchorage. Chiquita Bananas are mostly coming from Costa Rica, the bananas trading under the name Sole come from here, from Barrios.

The ms Oosterdam, nbr. 3 of the Vista Class. Docked at Santo Tomas.

The ms Oosterdam, nbr. 3 of the Vista Class. Docked at Santo Tomas.

The Oosterdam happily sailed by and docked at the Commercial berth nbr.1 of Santo Tomas. This is the designated cruise ship berth but is also used as a cargo berth. Behind us at the same pier is the container berth but if there are two cruise ships scheduled then they kick the container ship(s) or bulk carriers or tankers off the berth and a 2nd cruise ship can go alongside. That does not make the cargo ships captains very happy but it is all about making money and cruise guests bring in more money than containers.

It is a long way in and thus we had the pilot on board at 05.45 in the morning for a 07.00 docking.

It is a long way in and thus we had the pilot on board at 05.45 in the morning for a 07.00 docking.

Santo Tomas is really a port for taking tours. The longest tour is a fly tour to the Mayan ruins of the city of Tikal. That tours leaves on arrival and comes back when the ship leaves. (Quite often the ship leaves just after the tour has come back) There is also a Mayan ruin closer by, Quirigua, which you can do in one morning. Then there are the Eco Tours and the beach visits.

The local indoor souvenir market (and some art as well) In the centre a sitting area with a cafe, telephone and internet, and a stage with a Marimba band.

The local indoor souvenir market (and some art as well) In the centre a sitting area with a cafe, telephone and internet, and a stage with a Marimba band.

For those who stay on board (this cruise we have a lot of guests on board who have already been there and bought the T shirt) there is an extensive souvenir market in the port building where you can still buy a T shirt in case you forgot it last time. (And a lot of other things as well) I was almost tempted to buy a Mayan skull with two lights in it in the shape of red hearts. But I value my marriage and I know that my wife would not be amused if I brought that one home. I did try the local beer called Brahva and I was a little bit disappointed. A lot of Belgians lived here in the 19th. Century and you would think that they would have at least taught the locals how to brew a decent beer. But some of our guests where drinking it so maybe it was my personal taste. There was a full size Marimba band present in the terminal and thus you could enjoy some local culture without leaving the port.

The Marimba band. they played without amplifiers so it was very pleasant to listen to.

The Marimba band. They played without amplifiers so it was very pleasant to listen to.

There is only one way in and thus also only one way out and at 17.00 hrs. the Oosterdam will thus sail through the channel again to open waters and then north to Costa Maya. Tomorrow we will have a short call there from 08.00 to 14.30 in the afternoon. Longer is not possible otherwise we might arrive late in Tampa. Costa Maya is a purpose built resort in the middle of nowhere (although there is a small village about 20 minute’s walk outside the gate). Normally a six hour visit is long enough for a Beach call and through all the years I have been going there I have never heard guests complaining about the stay being too short. Most of them were just ready to step back on board after a lot sea salt and sand. The pier can take three ships and we will be there with one other ship.  Contrary to Santo Tomas this port is fully exposed to the Caribbean Sea and thus we depend on nice weather. At least not too much wind, otherwise we cannot dock and not too much swell, otherwise the ropes break and we cannot remain alongside the dock.

For tomorrow things look quite good, not too much wind, and thus not too much swell, but warm 28oC / 82oF and a fair chance of a shower.

Otto now looks like a tropical storm although still a small one. Thus not much of an deep eye and a swirling -isolated-cloud around it.

Otto now looks like a tropical storm /hurricane although still a small one. Thus not much of a deep eye and not a defined swirling -isolated- cloud around it.

Otto still seems to like it in his little corner of Panama but he is gathering strength all the time and the weather guru’s expect he will start moving eventually. Not in our direction and so all is well in the little world of the Oosterdam.

According to our friends from the hurricane Centre:

As of early Tuesday morning, Tropical Storm Otto’s maximum-sustained winds have increased to 70 mph, only 5 mph short of Category 1 hurricane intensity. Otto remains nearly stationary and is not expected to move much through Tuesday afternoon. Tropical storm-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles away from the center of the storm.

Otto remains within an environment of warm water and decreasing vertical wind shear. This should allow Otto to intensify further and Otto could become a hurricane before making landfall over southeast Nicaragua on Thursday. Though the system is nearly stationary at this time, it will start to slowly drift westward over the next few days as high pressure builds over the eastern Gulf of Mexico and Florida. This will create an easterly steering flow that will take the storm westward.

21 Nov. 2016; Mahogany Bay, Roatan,Honduras.

November 21, 2016 / / 2 Comments

Without much fuss we arrived this morning at 07.00 hrs. at the pilot station of Mahogany Bay in Roatan.  Ahead of us was the Seven Seas Mariner, also nicely on time, so there was no delay in going to the dock.  Mahogany Bay is a construction initiated and designed by Carnival Corporation and therefore it is similar in many ways to Grand Turk Island. Nice pier and right behind it a little resort. Difference for Mahogany Bay is that it has a chair lift which runs from the resort where we dock to the other side, where there is another cruise ship dock and some facilities and which is used if there are three ships in port or if the wind and swell run into Mahogany Bay.

Maybe a boring photo for a reader but this is exciting stuff for a captain. Keeping the red side while going to the dock.

Maybe a boring photo for a reader but this is exciting stuff for a captain. Keeping the red side while going to the dock.

It did not do that today and thus we could happily dock here. What is unusual is the docking procedure. For the dock they have dredged out an entry channel of about 4000 feet long but there is no turning basin and thus the ships back in. In the old days this would only be possible if there would be a tugboat present to help with the steering and coming alongside but in this day and age with Azi-Pods and bow & stern thrusters it really does not matter anymore if you go bow in or stern in.  The only thing you have to be careful about is the current. There is normally a strong current running to the West just in front of the entrance and thus you have to stay close to the red(buoys on the east side of the channel) when coming in to avoid drifting to the shallows which are marked with yellow (danger/wreck) and green (end of channel) buoys. We did just that and slowly went astern to the dock where the Seven Seas Mariner was just finished docking and the linesmen could come over to us. It is always good when a plan comes together.

The whole port. The orange blocks show the turn of the Oosterdam and moving in. The blocks pop up again near the dock when the ships speed is coming off.

The whole port. The orange blocks show the slow turn of the Oosterdam and moving in. The blocks pop up again near the dock when the ships speed is coming off.

As Otto is keeping our area nice and quiet and Mahogany Bay is really showing us today what a sheltered bay can do. It is warm today, leaning to very hot and no wind to make it feel a bit more pleasant. So I expect a lot of guests coming back tonight who will be feeling like and imitating a lobster.  I decided to stay on board because of this warmth although the little resort is very pleasant to walk into; and there are a few bars which will take care of you in case the heat is getting to you. But today I ran refresher courses for the lifeboat crews. There have been a few crew changes since Tampa and thus the new lifeboat boat team members have to be brought into tune again with the rest of the remaining team. In the coming days I will work my way through all the various functions in a life boat (Commander, Asst. Commander, Painter line, Riggers, Communicator) so that all the dustiness created by a long vacation is shaken off again. The Training Officer who is supposed to do this has just been promoted and now has an excellent chance to see how this goes.

We will sail tonight at 17.00 hrs. and I will be on the aft mooring deck, showing a new navigator how to run a deck crew. We start with departures as letting go the ropes is easier and eventually we will get to bringing out the lines on arrival and making the decisions of where to put the ropes.

Tomorrow we are in Santo Tomas de Castillo in Guatemala. We will arrive there at 07.00 hrs. but it is a long way in so everybody has to get out of bed early.

Here we are. Observing the birth of Tropical Depression Otto. It took a few days, but here he is.

Here we are. Observing the birth of Tropical Depression Otto. It took a few days, but here he is. (And luckily remaining where he is for a few days)

In the meantime Otto has arrived. Depression L90 became overnight Tropical Depression 16 and has now become tropical storm Otto. Still Otto is going to stay where he was born for a few days and will then start moving west (supposedly). It will mean we can call at Santo Tomas without any problems and most likely to Costa Maya as well. Next cruise we are going Eastbound and away from whatever mayhem Otto might be up to. Still we keep watching as the westward drift will depend on a high pressure system in the Gulf of Mexico. Thusfar Otto has been doing a good job of bringing us nice weather in Roatan.

According to our friends from the hurricane center:

Tropical Depression 16 has become tropical storm Otto with winds of 50 mph. Otto is stationary and is not expected to move much during the next 24 hours. Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 35 miles. Otto remains within an environment of warm water and decreasing vertical wind shear. This should allow Otto to intensify further and Otto could become a hurricane before making landfall over southeast Nicaragua Thursday. Though the system is nearly stationary at this time, it will ultimately slowly drift westward over the next few days as high pressure builds over the eastern Gulf of Mexico and Florida. This will create an easterly steering flow that will take the storm westward.

Otto will bring heavy rainfall over parts of Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama during the new few days. There is the potential for flash flooding and there can be mud slides in the higher terrain of these Central America countries.

20 Nov. 2016; At Sea.

November 20, 2016 / / 0 Comments

We had indeed to wait until our official departure time of 1800 hrs. and even passed it. Although sunset was at 17.39 hrs. it took some time for all the sunset watchers to digest the sunset and wander off and it took some time to get the last straggler back on board. Key West was a busy as ever and Mallory Square must have been heaving if all who came for the sunset also stayed around for a while.

I always wonder if these people do not have a sunset at home to look at. Maybe not if you live in the Big City.

I always wonder if these people do not have a sunset at home to look at. Maybe not if you live in the Big City.

Today we are in between Key West and Roatan and we managed to get passed Can San Antonio safely around noon time.  I use the word safely as there can be a lot of traffic there, as every ship which goes to the south or to the north here tries to get around the west point of Cuba in the most efficient way. Which means with the sharpest course lines possible. If you are not calling at a Cuban port you have to respect the 3 mile coastal zone and stay out of it and thus every ship would be curving around here at 3.1. Nautical miles from the coast if it got the chance. (Approx. 3.5 land miles) This gave in the past cause to a number of collisions and thus the IMO laid out vessel traffic separation (VTS) zones to keep north and south bound flow apart. When you now go northwards you sail approx. 4 to 5 miles off the Cuban coast and southbound it is about 10 miles. And then there is a no-go zone between the two lanes. There can still be a problem when you enter and leave the traffic lanes if there is a more creative navigator who decides then to “cut across” by following the most convenient course line from the VTS, to wherever he or she is going. But in general things have improved here dramatically.

We did not have any issues and thus we entered safely the Yucatan channel which turned out to be a lot windier than originally forecast. A fresh North easterly breeze is now pushing us into the Caribbean Sea and as it is a following wind, the relative wind on deck is very gentle and thus everybody is happy today.

After a complete survey of the ship, I have embarked on my next project that will keep me going for a while. Store room management and Space categorization.  And I think that needs some explanation.  When a ship is constructed various areas on board are protected in different ways against fire and other mayhem. The insulation and steel strength around the engine room spaces is different than around guest cabins. Also the pantries where liquor or combustibles could be stored are constructed in a different way than area’s which store buckets and or paper work. Then there is sound insulation to a varying degree and the need of fire suppression or not. Construction rules classify each space on a listing from 1 to 14, with category 14 being the most heavily protected space.

A bit of a boring picture but this is the "roof" or under decks of the Neptune Lounge and surrounding cabins. all the spaces have a different number indicating what can be stored in there and what the protection level is.

A bit of a boring picture but this is the “roof” or under decks of the Neptune Lounge and surrounding cabins. All the spaces have a different number indicating what can be stored in there and what the protection level is. A cabin is a 7, a general store a 13, meaning you can store more flammable material in a 13 then in a 7.

That is all done at the shipyard and verified by the Classification society, in our case Lloyds Register. But then the ship starts sailing and the lockers are filled up with anything you can think of. Sailors are real hoarders as it is not always easy to get items on board that you know you will need again one day and thus will not discard. Lockers start filling up with items which sometimes should not be there. Then there are dry – docks and the modifications are carried out. Structural modifications have to be approved and normally are. But dry dock people can be very creative and are also very good in “circum navigating” the normal procedures if it reduces time. Thus our main office Carnival Corporation has come up with a “Store Room Management Policy” to ensure that by regular checking everything remains as required and remains safe.

Why does it involve me: Because it deals with a myriad of rules and regulations, past experience and authority needed to enforce changes if needed. If a captain speaks up, everybody listens, if it is a less senior officer, endless arguments ensue as nobody wants to move items, or heaven forbid, discard something. Part of the new policy is that every place where something can be stored will receive a sign which in general states what is allowed in the space and what is not. It will not say how it has to be stored, apart from safely stored that will be the decision of the inspector and evaluator.

Not that I am expecting many challenges. During my inspections on the crossing I found the ship in an excellent shape; now it is time to review compliance not with the spirit of the rule, but with the letter, the dot and the comma.

Tomorrow we are in Mahogany Bay Roatan. We will be at the pilot station and 07.00 hrs. and then sail astern (backwards) into the bay for about half a mile and then dock at the south pier. Behind us at the north pier will be / is scheduled to be, the Seven Seas Mariner.  Weather for tomorrow: Partly Cloudy, 81oF / 27oC. with a moderate breeze. Yesterday the forecast was still rain but it looks that a developing Otto is pulling all the moisture towards the forming center.

Otto is starting to look more like a Tropical Storm which deserves a name.

Otto is starting to look more like a Tropical Storm which deserves a name.

The weather gurus are still hedging their bets, but the language is getting more ominous.

A broad area of low pressure north of Panama, labeled 90L, will remain fairly disorganized today with a scattering of showers and thunderstorms around the low’s center of circulation. The environmental conditions for tropical development of this low will become more favorable during the next 24-48 hours and it may become a tropical depression early this week. If this system were to organize into a tropical storm, it would take on the name of Otto and threaten Central America late next week.

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