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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 Prinsendam (page 2 of 6)

23 June 2019; North Cape & Honnigsvag, Norway.

June 23, 2019 / / 7 Comments

The wind turned to the North during the night and although that did not help with the outside temperatures, it did do wonders for the visibility at the North Cape. Seeing something here is always hit and miss with my experience being about 50/50 for seeing something or not, either the base of the Cape and /or seeing the top. But when we arrived at 08.30, it was sunny, it was bright, and it was clear. We could see the top with only a little bit of haze around the Globe Statue.

The top of the North Cape from the ship . Even the Globe Sculpture / Statue is clearly visible.

So the Captain swung the stern of the Prinsendam towards the Cape so everybody could have a good look. I was happy with a quick photo from my balcony as how many times can you look at the same Rock? From there the ship continued and sailed around the northern edge of Norway into Honnigsvag which is located in a V shaped entrance quite well protected from the winter weather. Not that it does not get cold here. It must be very cold here in the winter as now on summer’s day, the temperature only just reached 7oC/45oF; due to a northerly breeze blowing while there was not a cloud in the sky.   Continue reading

22 June 2019: Norwegian Sea.

June 22, 2019 / / 2 Comments

Today is our sea day to get to the North Cape and Honnigsvag. The weather followed the weather forecast and it was nice, quiet and dry for most of the day. In the afternoon we got a bit of motion of the ocean courtesy to a weather front behind us which is creating some waves but the Prinsendam is a good surfer and thus the dis-comfort is very minimal. We are on average sailing a distance 12 miles from the shore. Partly because the dotted line between the pilot station of Trondheim and where we go around the corner of the North Cape makes it so, but also partly to stay out of coastal waters.  There is the 3 mile zone (full territorial waters) and we try to stay out to avoid the local rules; and there is the , 12 mile zone, where we stay out of if possible as here the international regulations might vary from country to country. The latter can be quite complicated and brings headaches to every captain. IMO (International Maritime Organization) sets the standards that are approved by every member. But the regulations are allowed to be “amended by the local administration”. So a measure of a Liter of paint in Europe might be a Gallon of paint in North America, and a Jin in China. To avoid going mad and/ or making mistakes we try to plan our courses outside the 12 NM. Continue reading

21 June 2019: Trondheim, Norway.

June 21, 2019 / / 2 Comments

Trondheim is located in Trondheim fjord which is the 3rd largest fjord in Norway. About 72 nautical miles long and the city named after the fjord is about 40 miles deep into this fjord when measured from the open sea. It is one of the most ancient cities in Norway so old that it takes at times priority over Oslo the capital city. When new Norwegian Royalty ascends to the throne, it happens here and not in Oslo and there are few more of these things. The city has a 2nd name Nidaros and for a brief period in 1930 it was the official name. Then almost a revolution took place and the government put the name back to Trondheim. This must have been a major issue as the attitude of the Norwegians does itself normally not link to revolutions. I have been told that this is still smoldering on but more peacefully as there is a split in opinion about whether the name should be spelled Trondhjem or Trondheim. So maybe one day when we come here during a cruise we will see the barricades up again, dividing the town in a hjem and a heim. Continue reading

20 June 2019: Alesund, Norway.

June 20, 2019 / / 4 Comments

Alesund is one of the better ports in Norway at least from a Navigators perspective. It is sheltered from most winds, it has nice docks, we dock with the gangway in downtown and downtown is worthwhile to visit. Most of it is constructed in German Jungendstil style or related to it after a big fire they had here a long time ago.  There are some other good ports as far as shelter or docks or downtown distance is concerned but there are not that many Norwegian ports that have it all together. You might think about Oslo but this port is located at the end of Oslo fjord which is so wide that the wind can still blow the ship all over the place or keep it pinned to the dock. So Alesund is very highly rated on the list of ports that come closest to a Cruise Captains dream of having the best of all. And I fully agree as it even has a Big Red Bus for hop on hop off and for an initial exploration of a city it is one of the best ways to go. Holland America also recognizes that and nowadays you can buy the tickets on board. Continue reading

19 June 2019; Stavanger, Norway.

June 19, 2019 / / 7 Comments

The weather turned out better than expected and under dry skies we picked up the pilot at 05.00 hrs. and docked just before 07.00 in Stavanger. Today it was a busy day in port with four cruise ships in. Our good selves, the Costa Favolosa, the Costa Mediterranea and The Viking Sky (*). Being the smallest ship meant we went to the smallest dock but in this port that does not matter that much. The downtown docks of Stavanger which are now mainly used for the cruise ships are surrounded by the town and that means that downtown is nearby at all sides.  If we dock at the official cruise terminal, then we are opposite the Maritime Museum and while we now are docked here, we are across from the Pub so both docks have its advantages. Luckily downtown Stavanger with is large park behind it is fairly spacious so it could easily absorb the approx. 8000 guests going ashore (Not to mention the about 3000 crew members. (*)) Continue reading

18 June 2019; At Sea.

June 18, 2019 / / 8 Comments

Today we are at sea after leaving the Netherlands two hours late. Reason, the lock door of the Main Lock in Ijmuiden did not want to open. Amsterdam can only be reached by deep sea ships via Ijmuiden and then sail via the North Sea Canal to the various cargo berths of Amsterdam Port or all the way to downtown where the Passenger Terminal is located. Which is a great location as there are not many big ports where you dock a 5 minute walk from the downtown area. Also for joining and leaving the ship it is great as Central (Train) Station is also only 5 minutes away. And if there are a lot of Dutch guests on board you can see long lines of “cloggies” roiling their suitcase down the street from the train to the ship.

They have now built the walls of the new locks and have lifted a complete dredger into the lock pool to clear out all the mud inside. (Photo Courtesy: Dutch Government)

But the locks are another matter. They are expanding the locks to be the biggest in the world and it seems that the old one is a bit upset about that and starts giving sensor problems. And without electronic sensors nothing can work nowadays. Not even a set of locks that are already over a 100 years old (The first one is from 1876) and must have worked a long long time without any electric wizardly. The Prinsendam was delayed 2 hours inbound two weeks ago and now again two hours while outbound. If it has to happen then outbound is better, as inbound it might affect the dis-embarkation & flights of the guests going home. Outbound there is most of the time sufficient leeway in the schedule to catch up again. And in this schedule on the way to Stavanger we have plenty of time. Continue reading

17 June 2019: Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

June 17, 2019 / / 3 Comments

Today we witnessed something totally new for Holland America; Entertainment employing a nautical person to make a cruise successful.  And to ensure that this milestone was indeed taking place, yours truly joined the ms Prinsendam (II) today in Amsterdam from where she commenced her final voyage. This is a 14 day North Cape cruise, calling only at Norwegian ports, and the final port is Amsterdam. Then she will sail to Germany for handover in dry-dock and a large refit. Eventually she will emerge as the Amera for Phoenix Reisen. To make the investment by entertainment worth their while I have offered to do 5 lectures and the Entertainment Manager is trying to squeeze it all in. For the rest there will be the social stuff. I always say, it is great to be the Captain on the bridge, but it is not so bad either to be a Captain in the bar. And as a Norway cruise is an extremely busy one for a cruise ship captain, I have no problems to volunteer to take over the time he cannot be in the ship to entertain. So I stopped over at home to change my work uniform for formal wear so I can be presentable in accordance with the company’s dress code.  Continue reading

14 June 2019: Quebec, Canada.

June 14, 2019 / / 8 Comments

At 23.00 hrs. we boarded the St. Lawrence River pilots at Escomins and then sailed up the river for a 06.00 hrs. approach to the port. For that we pick up a docking pilot about 3 miles away from Quebec port itself. We use a local docking pilot as he can talk to the linesmen for the rope configuration etc. once we come alongside. Not an un-necessary service as the local linesmen here belong to the most argumentive linesmen we have during our cruises anywhere. So when the ships want something,  they do not always agree and that makes the port pilot very useful. On departure we do not have one, as letting go the lines does normally not result in too many heated exchanges. I speak a certain amount of French but not Quebecois but this morning on arrival I heard a few choice words which I have to try to remember as they might be very handy for the future. They sounded quite impressive but maybe not to be used in refined company.    Continue reading

06 June 2018; Baltic Sea.

June 6, 2018 / / 1 Comment

What the English language calls the Baltic is called by the Dutch and the Germans the Oost zee, or OstSee, or translated the East Sea. Logical as it is to the East of those countries. But it causes confusion sometimes when a Dutch sailor in his best English advises a Harbormaster in an English port that he came with his ship from the EAST SEA. But for the international world the word Baltic is used and it is a bit uncertain where it is derived from. Wikipedia gives at least four options, but to me it seems that Sea behind the Balts = the Belt Islands between Demark and Sweden is closest to the most viable options.

So we plunged last night into the Baltic Sea after we came out of the Kieler Kanal and had sailed through the Kieler Bight. The Baltic Sea is a shallow sea and if they would close the entrance to the Baltic off at Helsingborg and Helsingr then you could have extended valleys of dry land here, interspersed with mighty rivers carrying all the drainage water from the various countries. The mind boggles what would then happen to the ships, the local infrastructure but also to the boundaries of the surrounding countries. For that reason there is a description in the Finnish language of the Baltic being the “Peace Sea” as through the centuries it kept the various warren factions somewhat apart. It did not always work but the water required those who were intent on conquest to build ships and others to spend their money on forts to protect them. If the sea had been dry land, then any major army could have just marched south or north and things would have been greatly different.

Our Route through the Baltic Sea. Going North we are favoring the Polish side; coming south we will favor the Swedish side.

The Baltic Sea has always been an important trading route from spring to late autumn. Then the sea would freeze over and all the ships would have to wait until the next spring. Nowadays the icebreakers are so powerful that the ports can be reached all year round as long as the ships are following the exact track made by the icebreakers. For the cruise ships that is not much of a challenge we are only here in the summer time. But we still pass the islands that were important points and landmarks for the old navigators in the sailing days.

One such is the island of Bornholm. Located halfway between Poland and Sweden. In the Dutch language we have a saying “achter Bornholm liggen”, to lay behind Bornholm. This referred to what the ships would do if there was a storm blowing. You can shelter behind the island in all directions so where ever the storm is blowing from, you can find shelter at the opposite side behind the island. This was done so often that the phrase became part of the Dutch Language and was even used by those living far far from the sea. There are extensive ferry connections with the island and there is the port of Ronne on the west coast. A ship as the Prinsendam is about the biggest size that fits inside but larger cruise ships will have to anchor.

Today we did not have to lay behind Bornholm as the weather was really good. So we kept Bornholm nicely on our port side and sailed further up the coastline, passing Gotland also on the portside around 17.00 hrs. this afternoon. Gothland is home to the town of Visby which we will visit later on in the cruise. Because the Baltic Sea is so very busy there are assigned shipping lanes everywhere and Bornholm is used as a sort of Separation Island. If you are out of the Baltic and up past Denmark to the North Sea then normally you stay north of Bornholm. Coming into the Baltic and going north, you normally you stay south of Bornholm.

Around midnight we will change course to starboard and sail into the Gulf of Finland with the aim to be docked in Tallinn by 07.00 in the morning. Tallinn is on a different time and thus the whole ship will go forward one hour tonight. The port now has two large dedicated cruise piers and the cruise ships do not dock in the old port anymore. That is now reserved for the ferries of which a greater number call in every day. For the guests it does not make much of a difference. The length of the walk into town is the same length and with the modern pavement it might even be easier than the cobble stones near the old docks.

The weather for tomorrow is supposed to be sunny with temperatures in the high sixties. There is talk about a breezy day but I hope it is not too much as I am examining the sailors tomorrow to extend their competency certificate as Tender Drivers so we going to mess around with boats so to speak.

05 June 2018; Kieler Kanal, North Germany.

June 5, 2018 / / 0 Comments

We left Hamburg in the early morning and turned the ship around as I explained yesterday. Such a maneuver is not done “ off the cuff” but carefully planned so all the officers know exactly what the captain, or his designate who carries out the maneuver is going to do and when. If the officers fore and aft have the exact maneuver also in their mind then they can report in what they see fore and aft while retaining the same mental picture.

Departure Hamburg during the ebbing tide. As usual we try to use the current as our friend. Put the bow in the current and have it pushed down stream while keeping the stern in position with the main propellers.

Then we sailed down river and just after 9 am. made the sharp turn to starboard and into the Brunsbuttel locks of the Kieler Kanal. Although the official name is the Nord- Ost See Kanal, the name Kaiser Wilhelm II Kanal is also used after the Emperor who opened the canal.  It was opened in 1895 but was between 1907 and 1914 already widened due to amount of traffic and larger ships. Holland America has a claim to fame here as the Rotterdam III was the first commercial ship (Commodore F.H Bonjer) that sailed through the Canal following the imperial yacht Hohenzollern with the emperor on board. A Dutch flagged ship was chosen to avoid international bickering about who was more important. The Kingdom of the Netherlands was neutral in European matters so it was the best way out for Germany to keep France, Russia and Great Britain from complaining. The Canal was officially built to reduce the time for ships traveling from the Baltic to the ports in lower Europe and vice versa.  Otherwise you have to go all the way around Denmark. The un-official reason is that the Canal was very handy for the German War Fleet to get from the Baltic to the North Sea and vice versa without giving Denmark or Sweden the chance to make things difficult by closing the narrow through fare off between Helinsingor and Helsingborg.

Entering the locks at Brunsbuttel at the Elbe River side. There is a second set of locks to the far right, which is at the moment under re-construction.

There is ample space for the Prinsendam and also larger / read longer and wider ships / to fit in the locks and go through the canal. That is not the problem. The challenge is the height of the ship above the water. There are a number of fixed bridges over the canal and we have to go under them. The Prinsendam is prepared for it as she can lower the top of the radar mast. Some ships also have to lower the funnel (they do that by tipping the top over) but the Prinsendam funnel is low enough. When we book a transit for the canal, one of the things we have to do is to send in a certificate which is approved by Lloyds and which clearly states how high the ship is above water including the draft variations. In the past it has happened a few times that the measurements forwarded to the canal authority where not exactly correct and a bump was the result. Since then a Lloyds Certificate is required.

Folding down the top of the Radar Mast to avoid bumping into the bridges.

The Kanal has a length of 98 kilometers and the average speed going through is about 10 knots, with stretches where the ship can do 12 and there are some – inhabited areas where the speed has to go down to 7 or 6 knots. Then there are moments that big ships have to pass each other and then one ship will go against pillars at the side of the canal and lean against it. The 2nd part of the canal is the smallest, the part towards the Baltic, and there no traffic can pass each other, so ships wait at moorings until the North bound convoy has passed. In similar style as in the Panama Canal where ships wait in the Gatun Lake. While going through the Canal we have a pilot, who changes half way through the canal, but the pilot also brings helmsmen to steer the ship. They know exactly how to stay in the middle of the canal or to slow or to veer off the center track when there is opposing traffic.

Entering the narrow part of the Canal. There are only a few bridges and the only other way to cross is by small ferries which can be found along the Canal at regular intervals.

By 1830 we were at the end of the Canal at the Holtenau Locks which give access to the Ost See or in English the entrance to the Baltic. This area is called the Kieler “Bucht” or Bight and when we exit the canal it has served the purpose for normal ships of not having to sail around Denmark and for us to have had a very nice scenic day. And we did have a very nice day. With the combined experience of Captain Dag and I we can say that this day was one for the record books. Sunny but not too hot, a gentle breeze but not windy, and a transit all the way on schedule. It is not often that we have all those elements coming together in one day.

This evening we will sail past Kiel and in the lower Baltic and then follow the German coast by going North West towards Tallinn, were we are spend the day, the day after tomorrow.

Expected weather for tomorrow: Sunny, low sixties or around 16.17oC and a gentle breeze. And that gentle breeze should (hopefully) just be enough to keep those low hanging white clouds away.

A view of the Prinsendam from one of the bridges. Taken in 2009 while going through the smallest part of the Canal.

 

 

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