While we were coming from the South, the Koningsdam was coming from the North and in between was a Princess ship which was going west to Princess Cays, about 5 miles away from Half Moon Cay. So in the early morning dawn Half Moon Cay saw the lights of three apartment buildings coming closer and closer until the Princess ship went the other way. We dropped the hook at 07.00 while the Koningsdam who made her approach about 30 minutes later remained on the engines. With Azipods and the latest electronic gadgetry it is as easy to float as to anchor. But the Volendam has conventional propellers, rudders and stern thrusters and then dropping the hook is still an easier option. Continue reading
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Today we have our 2nd day at sea and we are sailing with a speed of 15 knots towards Half Moon Cay. We have outrun the bad weather and now we have just the regular Trade Winds blowing, although they are quite strong ones, reaching wind force six at times. Normally for a Trade Wind is a strong wind force 4 or a small 5. Still the sun is shining and that is what counts, the decks are open for the guests, much to the great relief of the Cruise Director. Because today was the “Walk for the Cause” and that is something you do not want to cancel. Thus far the company has raised over $ 6 million in funds for the Cancer Fund (and part of it goes to the Cancer funds in the home countries of our crew members) and a lot of good work can be done with that money. So by 11 am. we had about 40 quite excited guests getting ready to make the rounds on deck after having bought the T shirt. They had the additional benefit of seeing Cuba on the portside as we were just sailing into the Windward Passage. Continue reading
Well, the weather system moved towards us quite rapidly and created a bumpy ride during the night. It also brought enough wind on the starboard side of the ship (As with Trade winds strong or weak it all comes from the East and we are going north) that he captain gave the orders to close off the outside decks on the starboard side. The reason that we are doing this is not so much that guests cannot walk or stand against the wind but because of the angles of the wind. You have to push hard to get the wooden doors to the open decks open against the wind. Not all guests are good at that. But then you have to step through and that is when a lot of guests run into problems. While stepping through the door normally moves a little bit and then it gets the full blow of the wind with a varying angle. And that full blow is then of a different force (due to the angle of the door) than when you started pushing the door open. Guests often do not realize that and with a bit of bad luck the door slams shut again. With or without a part of a guest in between……………………. Continue reading
When I was on the Zuiderdam I blogged about the ships movement when going from Aruba to Cartagena and from Cartagena to Panama. The strong Trade Wind pushing in the back and the subsequent waves & swell caused a corkscrew motion of the ship. All with the stabilizers doing their best but limited in their success. On this run we are going the other way. So we do not have following seas which catch the square stern and lift it up; now the sea movement hits the pointy bow and lifts it up. The result in a similar movement but at the same time different. Continue reading
It does not happen very often but we made it all the way through the Canal at roughly the times we had on the published schedule. In the past it was sometimes earlier but often later. Often caused by things outside the control of the Panama Canal Authorities (PCA) as ships have a mind of their own and even if they are willing then the people around it might cause a change in the routine. But today we just sailed through as planned following nicely in the convoy that had gathered in the early morning. There were still lots of ships at anchor and those not on a preferential schedule (such as cargo ships) might have to wait up to 40 hrs. The Panama Canal is going through a dry period and thus the Canal is watching its water consumption carefully. Thus the convoy system is rigorously enforced and that means that no water is wasted by having ships go through without re-using the water for a ship right behind. Continue reading
It is about 500 miles from Punta Arenas to the Panama Canal and that is too much to do during one night. So we have a relaxing day at sea with nice weather and a little bit of following wind which blows along the ship towards the bow. It gives the positive effect (at least for the Bo ‘sun) that the birds cannot land on the forward light mast as the flow is wrong. They keep trying it but time and time again they have to abort as they cannot take in their wings while landing. If they do that, then the lift they normally still have, when going against the wind, is gone at once as it does not push against the feathers but just glances over it and under it. For the bridge team it brings a bit of diversion as the acrobatics are sometimes quite comical. What does amaze us all is that the birds do not seem to remember what happened to them 30 seconds ago. They take off after an aborted landing, swerve out to open sea, and about 30 seconds there comes the new attempt. Which is then aborted again as the wind had not changed. And so it went on and on all day. Continue reading
When I was blogging from the Zuiderdam 14 days ago, we called at Puerto Limon Costa Rica; and now we call at the opposite side of the country at Punta Arenas, Costa Rica. Different port but for the rest it is nearly all the same. Costa Rica is not a large country, only 5 million or so inhabitants but it is a well-organized and a very stable country. What the Costa Ricans have realized at a very early stage is that Mother Nature gave them a very rich country and in return they are looking after it very well. Electricity comes from Hydro Power and Solar Panel farms and the carbon footprint has been greatly reduced by planting a large number of trees. Continue reading
We are always a little bit apprehensive when we approach Corinto with a ship. The port of Corinto is reached via a narrow channel about 3 miles long which leads towards the estuary of a river along which the docks are located. That shallow water poses a problem when there is swell. If a long rolling ocean swell comes in, the waves heighten when they come onto the shallow part. Waves have amplitude which is half under water and half above water, when looking at the mean height. When we see the down part of the wave it is really a hole that is normally filled with water. On very shallow depths, that hole cannot go down. It still has to as the waves roll on. So the whole wave system has to go up. As a result ocean waves rolling in over shallow coastal areas get higher until they crash on the beach. (This is the simple explanation, if I have to do it 100% correct, it will take me two pages) You have a similar phenomenon at rivers where there is a bar outside. Such as the Colombia River going to Astoria /Portland or the Garonne River leading to Bordeaux. Continue reading
This is a cargo port and the reason we are calling here is for the tours. Everybody, who goes on tour, disappears into the main land for shore excursions. They are all nearly full day tours and due to the peculiarities of the way the Guatemalans travel on the roads, they are sometimes more than a full day. The tours mainly go to Colonial Antigua which is a UNESCO world heritage site. Continue reading
Puerta Chiapas can be a problematic port due to the swell that can run straight into the entrance. A swell from the West, North West or South West can cause such a surge in the entrance that a ship cannot safely enter. The swell rolls in and bounces back from the Eastern Sea wall and then sometimes bounces back from the Western sea wall as well. The fact that the entrance is barely 35 to 40 feet deep exacerbates the problem even more as the swell energy cannot be absorbed by deeper levels of water. If the swell is high and a ship would go in, it would be exposed to a rolling motion as if you are being rocked in a cradle on steroids. Continue reading
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