SATURDAY 18TH FEBRUARY, 2006

Stirred slightly, around 3.45am, and realized it was a tug coming along side. From then, we just dosed on and off. Not sure what time we actually tied up, but believed we were berthed by 4.45am. At breakfast we where told that we had shore leave until 10pm. Freddy the steward told us that if we walked for about 10 minutes, from the ship and over the bridge, we would be in the shopping centre. Cam, Judy and I headed off with our directions, but not before we stopped on the wharf beside the ship to take a few photographs. Two low loaders had arrived with cargo for us. One piece was 230 tonnes and the other 250 tonnes. The wharf was covered with approximately 300 Volvo excavators, of all shapes and sizes, and there were also rows and rows of small Hyundai cars, well at last that is what I thought they where. Closer inspection revealed they where Hyundai Getz, but where badged as Chevrolet Sparks. It was almost impossible to tell how many of these cars there were but an estimate put the number at about 6000.


We left the wharf area and started walking to Freddie’s directions. Two hours later we had crossed the bridge and made it to the outskirts of the central business district! I guess we walked a bit more than 10k, and whilst we had countless tries, no-one we spoke to understood English at all. I recognized a large department store called Shinsengae, one which Judy and I had shopped in, in Seoul, a couple of years ago. We were hoping to find a money changer and thought someone in the shop may have been able to help us. We were lucky as they actually had a money changer in the store. The rate was not that good but at least we had some Korean Won to help us get around. Back out onto the streets, and we headed into the direction of the fish market, as this appeared to be the only English sign around. We walked another 3 or 4k to the fish market, and what a delight this turned out to be. Quite obviously Westerners are a rarity in places like this, as I don’t think anybody at the market had seen people like us before. We walked the market for a couple of hours, and the crowd seemed to get bigger all the time. It was very strange, but there were mainly only old ladies doing all the selling, fish shelling and cleaning, etc. We saw one younger person (35-40 y/o) out of many hundreds of others. Eventually we ended up at the river bank almost opposite our own ship. We took a couple of photographs, as it is not often we get to see the ship, other than from the wharf side. We walked the streets a bit further then finally hailed a taxi to a “Tesco Home Plus” store that Judy had managed to locate. Judy had tried to get directions to this shop from a hotel worker, but he could not speak English. With the aid of the written directions given to us by the ships agent (in Korean for this shop), the hotel guy recognized the Korean writing and pointed us in the right direction. He also gave her a rough map so that we wouldn’t get lost. We got to the shop, knowing that in most cases, shops like this have a food hall. The three of us dined on a cheap and very filling meal that was a mixture of Korean and Western food. When we walked out of the shop, there was a young lad dressed up in a uniform with a very long coat and uniform hat, and he was directly traffic around the corner to the carpark. It was comical watching this lad. He beckoned each car towards him with his left hand, pointed where they should go with his right hand, and then bent at the waist and bowed to each vehicle. Such a choreographed display. We headed off down the street to what looked like an information booth, but as Judy approached the glass the lady inside looked horrified. She held up both hands and shook her head, for what was obviously a display to tell us she could not speak English or help us in any way. Not to be put off, Judy approached her with another note in Korean from the agent. This one said we wanted an internet café, which she understood and this seemed to relax her a bit. Two young Korean girls, about 14 years old, were walking past us, so the lady in the booth called them back. Next thing we know we had our own personal guides. A few hundred metres, and a couple of corners later, the girls got us to the internet café and we managed to download the last few days of this blogger without too many hassles. We walked the streets and shops a bit further, searching for blank DVD’s to copy on too, but in the end we gave up due to our lack of Korean language expertise and we caught a taxi, getting us back to the ship around 8.30p.m. We boarded and were told the departure time was now 4a.m. So movie, then bed for a few hours sleep without any rocking and rolling.



SUNDAY 19TH FEBRUARY, 2006

As per usual we were stirred awake by the bump of a tug as we left the wharf, but this time it was straight back to sleep. We headed down for breakfast about 8am and where told that we were steaming for Japan and would pick up a pilot at 3pm to go through the Kaanmon Straits. We were making really good time so we had to slow down to 14knots (76 rpm) so as to arrive at the pilot’s station on time. The Engineer told me we had put 400 tonnes of fuel on at Masan, and that the best speed achievable was at 105 rpm, but for continual operation 101 rpm is what is used. We duly picked up the pilot and headed through the straits, and by now Judy and I had taken our seats in the bridge. The Captain had told us that this was the best place to observe this passage from. I add that it was pretty cold outside, so there was no way we where going to stand on deck for the 2 hours it would take to clear the straights. It was really interesting, lots of turns to Port and Starboard to navigate the narrow channels. We went under a very large suspension bridge, and even had the added enjoyment of the Pilot pointing out sights on the land to us. It gives you a real buzz when they devote some of there time to lowly passengers. This was our first sight of Japan, and both sides of the straits were built up, vibrant communities. The whole area was obviously dependant on the sea, with fishing boats, barges, tankers and bulk carriers passing by the whole time we were in transit of the passage. When the pilot departed, it was full steam ahead towards Kobe. The inland sea, as it is known, was as flat as a mill pond and it was extremely pleasant sailing. We were due at the pilot station in Kobe at 12 noon tomorrow, so there was nothing much more we could do other than read and watch more movies. As we where just ticking along we had an enjoyable, still, nights sleep.

MONDAY 20TH FEBRUARY, 2006

Woke up and did the usual breaky thing, then reading etc until lunch. Captain had told us we would be picking up the bay pilot at 11.50am, so as soon as we finished eating, we headed for “our” chairs on the Bridge. We watched the action with the first Pilot until 2.40pm when the Berthing Pilot arrived and took control. As we were going to need our two 320 tonne cranes to lift out of barges, we needed to approach stern first into the narrow harbour, and then tie up abutting the starboard side. This is quite a maneuver to watch, when only one tug and our own bow thrusters are used. Impressive to see the way the pilot and tug work in unison to get us berthed.

We tried to ring Jayden, but our satellite phone kept telling us that his number didn’t
exist. A call to Stretton and another to Briony got things sorted out. It appears that Japan has a communications umbrella over the entire country that stops SMS or calls to or from satt phones to internal numbers. The Captain explained that the ships satellite telephones were useless as well. Funnily enough, we could ring OZ all right. We got the kids at home to ring Jayden, and as he had finished work for the day, he was headed in our direction by train. While they were on the one line to us, and another to him, between us we managed to arranged to meet him at Marine Park Station in the centre of Rokko Island, about 3k’s from our berth. None of us really knew where this was or how to describe it to the other, but it turned out alright and we met up about 4.30pm. We walked a bit then got a taxi to take us back to the ship. We had arranged for Jayden to be allowed to board the vessel to look at our abode and to join us for dinner.

After dinner we packed a few things and headed for Jayden’s place. We had to ride on 4 different trains to get there! It was fun trying to sort out where we were going, as whilst Jayden had a rough idea, he had only been in Japan for 3 weeks, and this was new territory for him. Anyway, we made it and it certainly showed how good the rail system is in Japan. To be able to ride on public transport where there is no graffiti, no rubbish, unmarked cloth seats, no obnoxious passengers, female only carriages and always on time is a real treat. Wake up Australia!

Jayden’s place was a short 5 minute walk from the station, and we were most impressed with the area he was in. It was now around 9pm, but there were people everywhere, and most were just coming home from work. His flat mates, both Americans, seemed real nice guys. Howard, the eldest of the 3 of them was in the process of renewing his contract with Nova (the company that employed all 3 of them) for another 12 months. He had met a Japanese girl and looks like he has copped cupid’s arrow and wants to stay in Japan forever. The other chap, Ben, had been in Japan for 5 months and also seemed to be enjoying the experience. It is probably the happiest we have seen Jayden for some time. Just to be on his own and not involved in deep study for the first time in years, appeared to be really suiting him. He had come to Japan via Malaysia, and whilst there he had spent his time with the latest love of his life, Chrysann. He had met her over the internet while he was helping her brother with some of his work. Love blossomed and they are now heavily into email and phone calls to one another. Hope it goes well for him.

Back to Jayden’s flat. A smallish 3 bedroom flat with a very small and basic kitchen. The bathroom was up 1 small step, and all 3 of the boys had to duck to avoid hitting their heads on the door frame. The shower room had the added obstacle of an exposed timber beam right at its entrance, certainly no place for the tall that are not entirely awake! There was 1 western bedroom, similar to the design back in OZ, but much smaller. The other 2 bedrooms were Japanese style, with no cupboards, a paper wall dividing them, and the floor was covered in matting similar to sea grass. This is how they described the room sizes in Japan, i.e.: 6 mat Japanese style bedroom, which I would say is about 2.7metres square. A reasonable sized lounge room/dinning area formed the central section of the flat. Their flat was on the 4th floor, and there was no lift. There was a bicycle parking area down at the bottom, and Jayden had invested in a new bike since arriving there. Everybody rides a bike, and they are all registered.

We realized that we couldn’t stay the night as there was simply no room for us to doss without putting everyone out, so we chatted with the boys for a couple of hours, then headed for the station at 11.30pm. A short 12 minute train ride put us back at Osaka station. On the way to Jayden’s we had spotted a hotel near this station, so as soon as we got off the train we made a bee line for it. No real problem booking in, but as is the norm in Japan, it was not cheap. The room was smallish, with 2 smaller than double beds. After the singles on the ship, these looked great. The bathroom was an experience in itself. It consisted of 3 separate rooms, 1 with a basin, mirror etc, 1 with a WC, and 1 with a small bath, about 1.2metres long with a shower over one end. In this shower room there was also another shower on the wall just inside the door that had a foot stool to do whatever with. The strange thing was, there was not an actual shower cubicle, and the entire room was the shower. It was possible to stand in or out of the bath and use both shower roses if you wished.

The WC was typical Japanese hotel style. The seat was padded and heated, and you could use the WC as a Bidet if you wanted. There were hot and cold water sprays of multiple styles. You could have a straight jet, fan jet, or even a vibrating jet of water at any temperature, directed straight at your fundamental orifice. It was enough to make you want to take “War and Peace” to the dunny for a read! The laugh came a bit later when Judy started the water jet and couldn’t stop it. The yell was so funny, as was the ever increasing pool of water on the floor, as she was trying to escape with at least some of her clothing still dry.

We slept well, went down stairs for a western breakfast, then checked out and hit the streets. I need to add, it cost us over $600 for the night, and I am not talking 5 star accommodations. The Concierge had given us directions to an internet café, so this was today’s first stop. We found it alright, checked emails and downloaded the latest edition of this blogger. Next it was a walk through the central business area near the Osaka station, and a visit to a large department store that Jayden had told us we could buy any thing in. He was not for wrong, and we got the clock battery and blank DVD’s we wanted for the ship. We headed for the station that took us to Jayden’s as we knew there was a huge book shop there. A bit of searching, and we both got another book to read, as well as a few newspapers in English. This achieved, we walked back to Osaka station and after much guess work, found the right train platform to get us back towards Kobe. Just to clarify things, there are lots of train operators, and each has their own sections of track or areas that they service. All of the different lines terminate at stations that are close by and linked to each other, so to get from one area to another, you may have to change between several different operators. Easy when you get the hang of it, and even easier if you manage to find signs or automatic ticket machines that have English words!

We went right in to Kobe, found a “Micky Dee’s” for a junk food hit, then really went all out and found a doughnut shop to get our supper fix for tonight. We wandered around the streets a bit, stopping to look and photograph a bicycle parking station. Just like a car park, complete with ticket booth and roofed over. All of the bikes had a tag stapled on to them to show that they had paid. The Japanese are so orderly, and go about their business with much less fuss than we do in OZ. If they chain there bikes to a post or rail in the street, they get a fine. If there bikes don’t display a rego sticker, they get a fine.

We headed back to the station and caught a train a few stops back towards Osaka, getting off at a station that connected with the monorail that would take us back to the port at Rokko Island. A short walk and then a taxi had us back at the ship around 3pm. Time to unpack, grab a coffee, and then it was up to the Pilot deck to supervise the loading.

It was sunny and reasonably warm, 13º, so we hung out up there for an hour or so. They were lifting some huge pieces out of barges tied up to the side of the ship, and while we watched, 3 fellows came up and joined us for the view. After introductions, one was a Rickmers Agent from Canada, one the owner of the large pieces we were about to transport to the USA, and the other, a Japanese lad who was the owners local contact. They were really informative, telling us that the cargo was all part of a nuclear power plant that they were building in the USA, and what each individual piece actually was. Two of the pieces were steam generating chambers that sat on top of the nuclear reactors, and each weighed 272 tonnes. The nuclear fuel rod covers each weighed 62 tonnes. These were big lifts, and the steam chambers were lifted by both of our 320tonne cranes at the same time. As the pieces were quite long, a crane was hooked to each end of the steam chamber, and with very slow movements they juggled it between the crane towers and down into the holds. It was good to not only see the loading, but to have our own experts telling us all about the cargo was even better. The Rickmers agent was a man of “20 questions”, and boy could he talk. He wanted to know where we came from, how were we enjoying the trip, where did we start from, where were we finishing, how was the ship, how was the food, how were we treated, on and on, but I guess it is his job to know what goes on, on the ship.


As dark approached, we headed for dinner, then after a movie went to bed. I got up and went to the Bridge for the departure at 12.40am. I love being on the Bridge when there is a bit of action, it’s a real buzz. The Captain told me we would be sailing for 18 days to get to the Panama Canal, but would lose a day when we crossed the International Date Line. He told me we would most likely travel south of Hawaii as there were rough seas expected on the Great Circle Route to the north of Hawaii, which is usually used. He was just waiting on confirmation from Rickmers Head Office to set his course. When the pilots changed over (berthing and harbour), I called it quits and went to bed.



TUESDAY 21ST FEBRUARY, 2006

As we were sailing in the Inland sea, it was fairly calm. There was a slight swell but not enough to worry about, and it was a sunny day. We had now learnt that we had to sail about 8,200 nm to Panama, and the long range weather forecast was for smooth seas. Things were looking good for this our longest leg at sea.

During the day we had a couple of Bridge visits just to check that things were under control, and we spent a bit of the arvo walking the deck and checking out what new cargo we had loaded in Japan.

At dinner, the captain told us he had just received a telex from Rickmers, and that the weather was now reasonable for a Great Circle Route to Panama. Funny thing was, he didn’t agree with their predictions, and both Judy and I started to think just who will be correct with the weather forecast for the passage.

Had another early night, but didn’t sleep well as the cabin seemed to have heated up a lot. Oh well, doesn’t really matter, as we have plenty of time to catch a few ZZZZ’s over the next few weeks.


WEDNESDAY 22ND FEBRUARY, 2006

Breaky was followed by a Bridge visit. Only the 3rd Officer was there, and this mighty vessel was doing her own thing on auto pilot. The course was now plotted and entered in the GPS, so no one needed to do or touch anything for days now. We looked at the charts, and saw that we were now going north of Tokyo, just south of the Aleutian Islands, and on an arc towards USA. Our highest point would be 175ºW & 46ºN, so probably pretty cold.

After lunch we went for a walk on deck, but we were well rugged up this time. The swell had increased and we were pitching a bit causing a small amount of spray to come onto the deck, quite invigorating really. The crew was busy tossing about 6m³ of timber overboard. It appears that the USA has a new rule that only lets timber that has been subjected to 56° temperature for a period of time to kill the bugs, to enter the country. This means that all of the small timber, approx 2m x 150mm x 25mm, has to go. This is the stuff that they use to separate the different cargo so as they can sling it easily to lift. I reckon we left a floating trail for some 120nm.

We didn’t do much for the rest of the day, Judy was starting to succumb to motion sickness and really wasn’t feeling well, and my only other big job for the day was to break in my new “Tsingtao” beer stein with a “Tsingtao” beer. After dinner we watched a DVD then headed to bed.




THURSDAY 23RD FEBRUARY, 2006

Well it started during the night! We really began to rock and roll, and if Judy was unwell yesterday, she was worse today. We have a swell of around 4 metres, but every so often you get a bigger swell of 6 to 8 metres. It is like hitting a brick wall when the ship noses into the face of these swells. The whole superstructure sways forward and back, and what ever is not tied down ends up on the floor. It is nigh on impossible to sleep peacefully as you just nod off when, BANG, another big hit and you are wide awake. I guess it all adds to the story, but a bit less of this would be better.

We were doing ok really, the CD’s jump, but the DVD player doesn’t have a problem with the vibrations. Didn’t do much other than watch movies and read, walking the deck is right out of the question with seas like this. Judy didn’t go for lunch as she was still a bit off colour. She isn’t too the vomiting stage, just lethargic and says her stomach just feels a bit off. She is standing up well all things considered.

I knew that I wouldn’t sleep, so I stayed up and watched 3 movies on my own. Finally went to bed about 12.30am, but didn’t really sleep, just dozed on and off.



FRIDAY 24TH FEBRUARY, 2006

Breakfast brought the news that the 3rd Officer, an Able Bodied Seamen, and an Ordinary Seaman had succumbed to the swell and Force 9 waves, and all were feeling poorly. My darling wife was doing better than them; at least she was putting on a brave face. We both gave breakfast a miss, and just lounged about in the cabin for the morning. After lunch, things didn’t really improve with the seas, so we just read and listened to music. Not much to add other than a real S****y night in bed, with little or no sleep between us.


SATURDAY 25TH FEBRUARY, 2006

This morning didn’t bring any great improvement in the seas, just a drop in the winds and a more regular and even swell.

Judy skipped breakfast, had some lunch, and for dinner I bought some boiled spuds and pork stir fry back to the cabin for her. She didn’t do it any justice, and halfway through gave up and went back to bed. Seems the only time she gets any relief is when she lies down.

I just lolled around, and wandered up to the Bridge a couple of times to check things out. More DVD’s and music CD’s filled in the day. Tried sleeping about 11pm, but not much joy.


SUNDAY 26TH FEBRUARY, 2006

Well we had a horrendous night, tossed and turned, all night and every thing was rattling and banging. I don’t know how big the seas got, but it was absolutely impossible to even lie still in the bed.

We went for breaky and lunch, but things were starting to really deteriorate for me, as well as Judy now. I have felt ill all day, but know if I am not going to get worse, I have to eat. We have both spent most of the day sitting, and/or, lying in bed reading a book. Trying to get some of this blogger done, but even this is a battle.

Judy decided to give dinner a miss, and I have put in a special order, as there was no way I could look at the “Oriental Grouper Fish” that the cook is making for us. A plate of pasta and a couple of snags got me sated, and soon after I collapsed in bed. We had a shocker, with so many thumps keeping us awake, and both now feeling off colour, sleep was impossible.

What will tomorrow bring?


MONDAY 27TH FEBRUARY, 2006

Both of us were doing it hard now, and with the lack of sleep, it was really draining. We gave breakfast and lunch a miss, and stayed in our moving beds until after 1pm.

Slight improvement in the seas this arvo, but is this just another false alarm like over the last few days? The sun was trying to shine through, so the crew was out on deck painting and doing crew things. They never stop doing things to the vessel, as even though it is less than 2½ y/o, the rust comes through every where and has to be dealt with.

A trip to the Bridge around 4.30pm brought better news. The Captain had the latest satellite weather forecast, and we would be changing course to the south later this evening, so as to avoid an extremely large low pressure system that had developed in the middle of our intended track. If we had proceeded, we would have got consistent 8 to 12 metre waves, and very strong winds. We were now expecting the swell to lower a little, but to come against the stern of the vessel, and this he assured us, would stop most of the pitching. Thank God!

Time will tell, but the Captain had a wry smile when he gave us the news, as it was his call in the first instance, to go south of Hawaii and avoid these developing systems. The Rickmers office had made the wrong call based on their assumption of the costs and time to get to Panama, and our Captain had used his many years of experience to prove them wrong. We would have been there quicker his way and the fuel costs for the extra distance would have cancelled each other out. The strong winds we had been experiencing had slowed us by 2 knots per hour using the same engine RPM, so over 8,200 k, it’s not hard to see where savings can be had if we keep a good steady pace.

Whilst on the Bridge, I had a yap with the Chief Officer, Arnulfo. He explained a thing on the Radar Scope that I hadn’t noticed up until now. The vessel is represented by a yellow boat shaped icon on the blue radar screen. The track and direction of travel is shown as a red dotted line extending from this icon. What got my attention was a red dotted arc of 90° some distance ahead of the vessel icon. Arnulfo told me this was like a shield, and it was set 10nm in front of, and 45° to either side of our intended track. If any other vessel breeched this arc on the radar, an alarm would sound and who ever was on watch could identify the vessel and take what ever action, if any, was needed. Technology!

I have managed to get all of this blogger up to date today, but just realized that my good work has been too good, I am writing this blogger a day in advance, as today is actually tomorrow. For the last few days we have been steadily advancing our clocks by 1 hour as we cross into a new time zone. Because of the Latitude we are sailing at, we cross these zones almost daily. Well, we crossed the International Date Line this morning, which is not just time, but day as well. So I reckon, if I write tomorrows blogger today, as it will be the same date, I might be able to pre-empt the seas, and tell you there is now no swell, and we both feel great again. Do you think this will work, I can only try I suppose?


MONDAY 27TH FEBRUARY (SECOND TIME)

It worked!!!!!!!

We had a good nights sleep, and whilst we still have a gentle roll, there is now no pitching of the ship to keep us awake. We did change course, and the swell has dropped to about 1.5 to 2 metres from the Portside/Stern direction. The weather seems to have improved as well, so we might get a walk on deck today.

Did the usual breaky, Bridge visit thing. The Captain had previously told me that whilst his 5 month contract would be up when we got to the USA, he hoped to stay onboard until the ship got back to Hamburg again. His son was getting married in July, and he thought that if he worked a bit longer this trip, he would be able to have more time ashore when he got home to Poland. So today when I ventured the question again, and asked “What is the latest on your leaving the ship?” he replied “As soon as possible, my wife has fallen while ice skating and broken her leg”. These are the things that must hurt the most for these seafarers, i.e. not being there for your loved ones when needed the most. The Captain said that if possible, he would leave in New Orleans, and if not Houston. I suppose we will just have to use our Aussie charm and break in a new Captain, and only hope that he is as amiable and approachable as this fellow has been.

As I was leaving the Bridge I said to the Captain, “Well I will leave you in charge, just give me a call if there are any whales or dolphins”. Of course this was said in jest, but about 45 minutes later the phone rang in our cabin and it was the Captain to inform us that there were whales off our starboard side. Quickly grabbing the camera and binoculars, we raced to the Bridge. Sure enough about 400 metres away were a couple of huge whales, not close enough for a picture, but close enough to wet our appetite for more sights of the sea.
We had our afternoon walk around the deck, and both of us felt much better now that the seas had settled a bit. It wasn’t hot, probably 6°C, but this was a huge improvement on what we had been experiencing.

Didn’t do much else for the day and a movie and sleep saw us out, and away with the pixies.


TUESDAY 28TH FEBRUARY, 2006

Well the smooth seas didn’t last. Not that it got real flat, but at least the pitching had stopped, and that was the thing that made everybody uncomfortable. But now we got roll BIG time! We were listing, from side to side, up to 30° from the vertical, and it was continual. Almost impossible to walk straight, but we didn’t feel nauseous because of it. The temperature had dropped again, so the afternoon walk was just a quickie. At some stage during the day the other 2 passengers were on the Bridge when 2 pods of Dolphins appeared in the distance, but we didn’t see them and will have to wait until they become more prevalent in the warmer waters around Panama, the Mediterranean, or Red Sea areas.

The Captain told us we were now using 14,200kw, or 90% of the engines 15,785kw of power to turn our propeller at 101rpm. This was moving the ship along at about 19 knots due to current and wind effect. He was full of news today, and said that he would soon have the details of any passengers that will be joining “OUR” ship in USA, and that he would tell us when he got same. He also told us his wife was going to have surgery on her leg tomorrow, and that they would be inserting a plate(s) to aid her recovery. Hope it all goes well and that she makes a full recovery. Funny thing about her accident was that she had just bought new ice skates for both of them, and I wonder if she will be as keen to use the skates now that she has had such a nasty fall.

Usual dinner, movie and bed.


WEDNESDAY 1ST MARCH, 2006

No BL**DY sleep again for Doug! I had just nodded off for about 1 hour, and then, suddenly, I was wide awake. I looked across and Judy was in the same alert state. We got up and watched a movie together, and when it was finished, Judy tried sleeping again with success. I watched another movie then tried sleep at around 2.45am, but just tossed and turned until around 6am, when I dropped off for about 2 hours. It seems that the time zone changes are playing havoc with our body clocks at the moment. We have to advance our clocks an hour almost every second day and our internal clock doesn’t want to cooperate. Oh well, at least we don’t have to go to work!

Did the usual breaky thing, and then collapsed for an hour in bed. After lunch we walked the decks together for a while, and then Judy headed for the warmer interior of the ship. It wasn’t too bad with a coat and gloves on, I guess about 10°C or maybe a bit more, but the wind was blowing from the Portside Bow direction and was quite cool. I did 18 laps to try and burn a bit of energy, and just maybe aid in getting some sleep.

The crew was hard at it now that the weather had improved enough for them to toil on deck all day. There was lots of cleaning going on, the pressure wash and brooms were going like crazy. It seems that the USA regulations for the ships entry were quite severe, and everything had to be washed before we arrived, I could be so bold as to say, every thing had to be ship shape!

After dinner we did the usual Bridge visit to get our position to mark on the world map we have stuck to the wall, and then it was movie and bed.


THURSDAY 2ND MARCH, 2006

Well the walk didn’t work, I got less sleep. I don’t know how to deal with this now, but I am not getting tired during the day so it can’t be doing me any real harm. It’s just a pain in the bum lying in bed wide awake for hours on end, maybe dropping off for an hour, and then the process repeats over and over. I think I will give it a dose of booze tonight, maybe that will trick the body into thinking it is tired.

Didn’t do much in the morning, just a few Sudoku puzzles and a bit of reading. After lunch, we did a few laps of the deck together, spending a lot of time chatting to various crew members while they went about their tasks. The weather had warmed up to about 15°C and the wind had dropped off, so it was quite pleasant when compared to what we had been enduring for the last 6 weeks.

One of the crew, Baltazar, was trying to remove rust from the pins that held all of the movable pieces of the fore deck hawser winches together. These winches were just 2½ years old and were almost seized with rust. He was using a chipping hammer, and a compressor operated scabbling gun, but really wasn’t making much impression. I suggested that he get a large pipe wrench, and with it and a big hammer, he should be able to get things moving. Sure enough, about 45 minutes later when we passed him again, things were on the up and with the aid of my suggestion, the pins were now moving. He thanked me as it had saved him a lot of work. The rest of the crew had almost finished washing the entire ship, so things were starting to sparkle now.

Back in the cabin, Judy got out a big jig-saw puzzle to do, so with that task to do (aided by a couple of large bottles of Tsingtao Beer) we were set until dinner time. Dinner was Lamb and Pineapple Kebabs, so the Chief Engineer, Andrzej, thought it appropriate that we share a bottle of Merlot. Smart man, he must know he is aiding my quest for a full nights sleep.

The usual movie and bed, but a 1 hour advance on the clock again might just stuff all the booze up!



FRIDAY 3RD MARCH, 2006

You guessed it, tossed and turned all night! I really don’t know why I am not sleeping soundly, the rolling with the sea, together with the vibration of the ships engine should mean a pleasant nights sleep for anyone, and evidently does for all but me.

Judy had decided that she would give breakfast a miss and stay in bed, so I went alone. It was a nice day, so after breaky I headed off around the deck for a stroll, and today I only had a pair of shorts and a T-shirt on, as it was 17°C and not much wind. The crew was chipping rust all over the decks, so it was easy to see that painting would be a big thing in the days to come.

Late in the morning we got a call from the Captain to say there were dolphins off the Port Side. We got to the Bridge just in time to see them disappearing in the distance. He did say that now that we were coming into warmer weather and waters, we can expect to see lots more of them, hope he is right.

After lunch we headed for the deck and it was really pleasant. There was wet primer paint being applied all over, some of it even made it onto Judy’s hand! The deck Fitter, Ronnie, was busy with the oxy and acetylene torch making a drum kit out of empty oil drums. He said this was for the “Party” so as they could make some music. Things could get real interesting by the sound of it, and both of us are looking forward to the outcome of Ronnie’s expertise. He then went on to tell us that he was also making a spit for the pig that we were going to roast at tomorrows party, sounded real good now.

On our last lap of the deck, while leaning on the deck rail waiting for a photo opportunity of the swell that was now 2-3metres, we spotted our first 2 dolphins. Just a glimpse and only 15 metres from the side of the ship. They were gone in no time at all, but at least we had seen them up close, even if only quickly.

Back in the cabin, we just read until dinner. After dinner we ventured to the
Bridge for our Lat/Long position, and while I got into a discussion with the Chief Officer about ships night time operations and ship to shore communications, Judy was really getting a history lesson from the Captain. He told her all about the work ethics of the crew and officers (or more to the point, lack of ethics), then all about the passenger he had had aboard his ships. Obviously some had not been as amiable as us two, and this very much included the two Canadians that were with us now. He also told Judy that we were the two youngest people that he had ever had as passengers and the only Australians.

Back in our cabin, we discussed Judy and the Captains conversation, and we both feel for Cam, as he has been categorized in the same ilk as Don, and this is simply because he comes from the same country. They have nothing in common except that they are both Canadian, and retired. Cam is a real nice fellow, well educated (PhD). He is easy to get along with, and always a good laugh. On the other hand, Don’s disgruntled attitude and rude self opinionated nature almost defies belief. He has certainly done nothing for international relationships between anybody on the vessel, nor do I venture to say, with any of the people in the countries we have visited. The Captain and crew are really anti Canadian now, and I think it is a shame that one person can cause so much angst among so many. The less said about him, the better, I just hope he is not the norm in Canada, and that Cam is. Oh well, I guess the world is made up of more than just easy going Aussies.

It was the usual for us newly enlisted creatures of habit, movie and bed.


SATURDAY 4TH MARCH, 2006

No change in my awful sleeping habits, it was a lethargic start to the day. Breakfast got me going, but I was put off when told by the steward that we had run out of porridge.

We did breaky then had a walk around the deck. It was quite warm today, around 20°C, and not much wind. The crew were hard at it, and as we walked we could see that the paint rollers were making the ship look like a patchwork quilt, with silver, pink and green paint being applied all over the place. We went to “A Deck” at the stern, a large open area where the life boat assembly station was situated. A large green mesh net had been installed along the port side and across the stern to just past the external stairway. A bit of detective work, and the reason became obvious. A basketball hoop was fixed to the stair hand rail, and now that it was a bit warmer, the crew liked to shoot a few hoops. It is not too hard to imagine what will happen to the basketball if a throw goes astray, hence the net. This is also the area that is used when a barbecue or spit roast is happening, and by now we knew this was on the menu for tonight. Could be a fun night, if as per previous occasions as revealed by Cam, the crew really got rocking and made the most of a bit of free time to relax.

We did a bit of housework in our cabin, then a bit of reading until lunchtime came. After lunch we did the deck walk thing again, but by now, some areas were inaccessible due to the wet paint on the deck. The ships engine had stopped for some repair work to be carried out on an engine cooling pipe, so we were dead in the water for around an hour. This was a planned stop, and it was quite nice being able to wander in the sun without the constant sound and throb of the engine. We headed for the stern, “A Deck”, just in time to see our dinner come out of the kitchen. Here was this little piggy in a tub, similar to a child’s bath, still partly frozen but obviously just about to be prepared as the main attraction for tonight’s event. Judy headed for the cabin, but I stayed outside to watch the preparations taking place for our “party”.

The spit had to have some modifications made to it, so I wandered down to the Upper Deck area where Ronnie the Deck Fitter was about to weld the fork onto the spit shaft. Ronnie and one of the Ordinary Seamen, Rolly Fantastico, were just beginning the welding when the ship rolled dramatically to the port side. By dramatically, I mean over 30° from the vertical. My first thought was just another roll, but the look of fright on Rolly’s eyes certainly gave me reason to suspect all was not good. Ronnie just looked up from the welding and said “big roll eh!” Well if he wasn’t concerned, why should I be, I tried to tell myself, but not very convincingly. This roll was followed by another to the starboard side, and then over the next 45 minutes, several more very severe rolls. I went to our cabin to see Judy, and burst out laughing when I opened the door as she was on the floor trying to gather the things that had fallen from all of the desks and tables. Broken wine glasses, loose CD’s, loose books, cameras, fruit, lollies, the lot! We went to the Bridge to see what the latest gossip was, and the captain told us we were being buffeted by large 3 to 4 metre swells, and he was trying to use the swell to push the ship bow first into them. During this process we got caught by a few beauties, and that was why we rolled so severely.

By now the pig was being stuffed with spring onions, capsicums, garlic, black pepper corns and salt. A bit of handy seaman’s sailcloth sewing and it was ready to be impaled on the spit. The coke for the fire was brought up onto the deck, and things really started to happen. It was a real community effort, with no less than 5 crew working on tying the pig to the spit with wire, and 3 more lighting the fire. By the time the fire was lit, and the flames died down enough for the spit to be put in place, it was almost 3pm, so obviously it was not going to be ready for 6pm dinner. Another barbecue was lit and embers from this were transferred onto the spit fire to adjust the heat to how the crew wanted it. The spit was turned by hand, continually for 4½ hours, never staying still for a moment. A crew member was constantly basting the skin with water so as to keep it moist, and 4 or 5 others were supervising like me. About 4pm the booze started, and a real relaxed feel came over the ship, and me, as I now had a 2lt can of “Asahi” beer aiding in my relaxation.





By now the small BBQ was being used to cook marinated chicken pieces, so the meal was off and running. Some of the crew had placed tables and stools out, and the ships electrician had rigged spot lights for the big event. With all of the crew except the Captain, the 3rd Officer, the duty AB, and the 2nd Engineer now on deck, the fun really started. Out came a guitar and a few song books and away we went. It was a real hoot, what with more food than we could all possibly eat, more drink than we could possibly drink, and a guitar to provide the entertainment, this was bound to be a night to remember. The Captain sent the duty AB back down to the party from the Bridge, and he stayed there with the 3rd Officer. I was really impressed with this gesture as these fellows work hard and it didn’t seem fair that this one AB should miss out just because it was his turn on watch.

The rain came around 9.30pm, so Judy headed for the cabin to watch a movie. I on the other hand was, I think, in fine form and voice, so I stayed with the crew. We went into their recreation room and continued with the singing, with what were now clearly, very well lubricated voices. 12.30am saw me back in the cabin, and as usual when I had partaken of a little too much liquid refreshment, I was on the satellite telephone telling my kids how much I loved them. They must be real glad I only have the occasional drink now days, but they can surely rest easy knowing I think of them so lovingly when the demon drink has control of my limited senses.

A little while later we went to bed, and I was sound asleep before my head had settled into the pillow.


SUNDAY 5TH MARCH, 2006

It worked, slept like a log, woke up checked the time at 8am, then straight back to sleep until 11am, Fantastic!

A bit on the slow side today, but I know things will get better. Imagine being a non drinker and feeling the same all day, at least I know I will improve. A couple of laps of the deck after lunch, and then we both buried our heads in a book. A pretty boring day really, with no marine life spotted, and certainly not another ship. We haven’t seen another since about the 23rd March. Gee these oceans are big.

We are about 700 miles off the coast of Mexico, about 200 miles to the north west of Acapulco. We will approach the coast to within about 20 – 25 miles, then change course for Panama, but that won’t be until late tomorrow night. The Captains idea is that the closer coastal route should have less swell, and the crew may be able to start work on repainting the deck cranes. Obviously they have to hang in swinging scaffolds and the like well above the deck, so smooth waters are a requisite for this job. Lots of chipping and painting today for the crew, but I don’t think the scabbling gun would be a popular choice for a lot of them today.

We both headed to bed early with our books, but with another 1 hour advance into the next time zone, we already lose a bit of sleep.


MONDAY 6TH MARCH, 2006

Judy didn’t sleep well; I think she is a bit homesick. She needs to do a bit of work on the caravan park sales, and with no internet available, she is a bit stressed. We will be near land soon, so with a bit of luck the mobile phones will enable some sort of connection for us. I woke up once, but with all the sleep I had the night before, it was no real worry. A bit of a read, then I was back in noddy land.

We had breakfast, and then did a lap of the deck to see what was happening. Full on chipping and scraping the rust. Evidently the spray that was coming over the port side was covering all of the decks in salt, and the paint will not cure over salt. The crew were washing the decks as they went, and they hoped to, be able to paint the spots as soon as the decks dried out. Fat chance of a top coat today I reckon, the spray just kept on coming. We did a few laps post lunch, and the wind whipped spray completely wet the port side, and thus fine salt was drifting right over the ship. They were painting the 1st and 2nd coats of primer and sealer, but the top coat would have to wait. The outside temperature was now in the low 20’s, and the water temperature was at 23°C.


We spent the best part of the afternoon up in the bar/recreation room on the pilot deck, both of us with our heads buried into our books. After dinner we met the other 2 passengers in the lounge, and over the next 2½ hours they tried to teach us how to play cribbage. Maybe we should have learnt this game 30 odd years ago; the quick maths sure did test us out.

A visit to the Bridge, while Judy was making a late night coffee for us, rewarded me with a few minutes of the Captains time out on the Bridge wing. He pointed out various stars and constellations, and even showed me a few party tricks with some of the stars. It looks like good weather for a while, so we may be able to star gaze from the pilot deck for a few nights.

I did a bit of work on this blogger to get it up to date, and then both of us headed to bed.


TUESDAY 7TH MARCH, 2006

An early breakfast was followed by a walk on the deck. It was about 20° and not much wind. We followed this with a Bridge visit, and saw another ship for the first time in over 2 weeks. It was going to the same place as us, i.e. Panama Canal, but our GPS/Radar systems told us that it was only traveling at 14.5 knots, where as we were doing 20 knots. It was 18 mile away when we saw it, but by lunch, we had left it far behind. We just read and I had a snooze while Judy did some ironing then played with our photos on the computer.

After lunch we did the deck walk again, but by now it had warmed up even more and we were thinking along the lines of a little sun baking on the pilot deck. As we walked around the main deck, watching all of the crew chipping rust and painting, we spotted 2 Gannets soaring in the breeze and air turbulence created by the ship. We watched them for about 30 minutes as they dived from great heights into the water for fish. By now their number had grown to 6, and it was a sight to see these big sea birds so close to the ship. You felt as though you could reach out and touch them they were that close. We headed for our cabin and grabbed a few books and things to take up top and keep ourselves entertained for the arvo. After about an hour, I decided to have a walk around this deck, and when I got to the port side, there was Cam, camera in hand, taking close up photos of the Gannets. They almost touched our shoulders; they came that close to us. After watching them for a while, we noticed that there were now 3 different species of birds soaring around the ship in the wind. I noticed that there seemed to be a bit of a to-do, then all of a sudden, many of the birds, and there were now around 15, all tried to dive into the water in the same area. Close inspection revealed that they were diving for flying fish that were being scared by the ships shadow, and then scooting along the top of the water to get to a safer bit of water. It wasn’t working; the birds were having a right feast. I told Judy to come over and see the show, and after about 30 minutes, we decided to head down to the main deck bow area and see if we could see some of these fish up close. Sure enough, we spotted a few jumping out of the water around our bow, but most were more concerned in getting safely out of our way and heading to the port side. Bad luck fishes! Score check, Fish 0, Birds plenty.

The chief engineer and the ships electrician were working on the bow hawser and anchor winches, with multi meters connected to small electronic circuit boards at each winch motor. When the ship is docked, there is a system installed on these circuit boards that keeps the hawsers set to a preset degree of tautness. In other words, as the tide rises and falls, or as cargo is loaded or unloaded, the ship moves against the wharf. This system in the winches automatically increases or lessens the tension on the hawsers (docking ropes) and keeps the ship secure against the wharf. It is really quite ingenious. Part of the cyclic maintenance of the vessel requires the tension to be checked and adjusted if needed. It is then noted in the ships log. This is what the engineer and electrician were doing when we spotted them. They let out about 15 metres of hawser and tied it off on one of the forward bollards, then they checked the tension as they wound the winch in. we were intrigued, and sat ourselves down quite close to the action, but not for long! The boys told us if the hawser snaps, so do we, so that was enough for us to quickly move away to the other side of the ship from where they were working.

The deck fitter who was operating the winch controls while they did their checks spotted a boat on the horizon, so once Judy got sight of it, there was no way we were going any where until she saw it up close. Well it took about 30 minutes for us to pass it, and then as Judy was now happy, we headed for our cabin.

We just had to have another Bridge visit, so we headed straight there before going to our humble abode. The Captain told us he would be leaving the ship in Houston, and that a new Captain from Croatia would be taking over and looking after us for the remaining 2 months of our voyage. We really hope the new chap is as nice a fellow as we have now, time will tell I suppose.

Dinner followed, then the usual movie, and then bed.



WEDNESDAY 8TH MARCH, 2006

Another day dawns, and both of us slept like lambs. Now that we are in a warmer climate, the ceiling ducts are blowing cold air, and I think this is my cure for the sleepless nights.

We had breaky then went for a walk on deck. We sat and watched the sea for a while, but besides us, there was no-one or thing to see. We went to the bridge, and the radar confirmed that we were the only ship for over 75 miles around us. A bit of reading, then it was time for lunch.

Straight after a delicious lunch of chicken, macaroni with beef sauce, home made potato chips, all of this followed by fresh cup cakes, we did the deck walk again. Down at the bow area, we sat and watched 3 of the crew greasing the capstans and winches. When this was all done, one of them scaled the ladders to crane number 1, and went about greasing the pulleys on this. He was perched about fifty feet above the deck, so took the precaution of wearing a safety harness.


We stood on the bow sprit and watched hundreds of flying fish desperately trying to get away from the ship. Eventually, we decided it was too hot in the blazing sun, so we headed for our cabin for more reading. Down at dinner, cam told us we left a bit early as soon after we had gone from the bow, several turtles floated by the ship. He said that some of these huge creatures had large birds standing on the back of their shells as they passed. Not long after this, a school of really small dolphins played near our bow wake for about 15 minutes.

Of course we missed these and the other 2 schools that went by. The first was 5 minutes before our pre dinner Bridge visit, the Captain saying they had just gone from sight, and the other was seen by Cam as we were walking down to “A deck” for dinner. Just not our turn to see them I suppose.

We did the usual movie and bed, but this time we read until we were nodding off.


THURSDAY 9TH MARCH, 2006

I slept well past breakfast time, so Judy just read until I woke up. I love this cooling! We just had a coffee and an apple for breaky in our cabin.

We went for a deck walk, but beside the crew doing the rust removal and painting thing, not much else was happening on deck. The weather was quite warm, about 27°C, but the wind had picked up a bit. Two of the crew were still greasing the cranes, and by now were well onto crane number 2. We then headed for the Bridge, and spent about 30 minutes talking to the 3rd Officer, Jay. He told us all about the process he had taken to the position he held, and what his plans were for the future. He had only done 1 voyage as an OS, 1 as an AB, and the rest as a 3rd Officer. He was 30 y/o and had started on the ships in 1998. He had done 3 years at school for the job prior to this, kind of like an apprenticeship. He is a good lad, and spends all of his time learning as much as he can about the vessel, as this is his 1st Multi-Purpose Heavy Lift ship, his previous ships being bulk carriers and tankers. He has a long way to go to make it to captain, but you can see already that he has the goods to do the job.

Lunch, BBQ beef livers (YUK) for me and a self made salad sandwich for Judy, was followed by our usual walk. The wind had changed direction since yesterday, and it was blowing directly at the port side bow. This made it a bit uncomfortable at the front, and with a good chop on the sea, there was little else to see anyway. We did spot 1 large container ship about 12 miles away, but that was the only other thing we saw.

Our pre dinner Bridge visit yielded another ship in the distance, so things are on the up now that we are approaching Panama. We are now sailing about 100 miles off the coast of Guatemala, and should anchor in the bay at Panama around noon on Saturday. We are going to be at anchor there until it is our turn to join a string of vessels for the canal transit. Evidently we will be entertained by full on life boat drills for the crew, and this is going to involve launching and retrieval. This could be a laugh, as if last weeks drill for donning fire fighting/breathing apparatus suits, and for the retrieval of an injured person from the engine room via stretcher were any indication, wow! The crew completely forgot what they had to do. Maybe this was because it was Sunday, and they were just messing with the Officers, but they were sure acting dumb. I certainly hope this was the case and they really do know what to do if needed.

Same thing after dinner, movie and bed.


FRIDAY 10TH MARCH, 2006

Another sunny start to the day. We had breakfast then did a deck walk. The crew was still hard at it, chipping rust and painting. Down at the bow, Judy and I spent about an hour looking at the mirror like sea, and lots of flying fish. We headed back to our cabin mid morning, and Judy had a nap while I went to the Bridge.

I had a good natter with the 3rd Officer concerning the forthcoming life boat drills. As part of his duties, life boats are under his portfolio, and as such, he is the coxswain for the big, covered life boat. Now this life boat is the one I mentioned much earlier in this blogger. It is the boat that holds 36 persons and is dangling over the stern of the ship at about 45° to the horizontal, and about 17 metres above the sea. It is launched by releasing a clip via a hydraulic pump from inside the boat, after everyone has boarded and buckled themselves in. Well Jay (3rd Off.) has not even been on a roller coaster, let alone a life boat that is around 7 metres long, 3 metres wide, and 2½ metres high, and is going to free fall into the ocean at 45°. He did say he once went on a water slide into a swimming pool, but we both agreed that this experience may be some what different. He told me the instruction manual for the boat says he has to pump about 20 times on the handle to release the holding clip and start his rapid descent into the briny. It’s fair to add at this point in time, he will, by his own words, be very, very frightened! Should be a great laugh on Saturday when it all happens. We spotted a small fishing boat off to the port side, but other than this there was nothing else sharing our ocean.

A little later I went back to the cabin, and as Judy was awake, we decided on another deck walk. It was about 28°C, and no wind to speak of. We thought we would just spend the hour before lunch looking at the sea. When we got to the bow, the Chief Engineer, 2nd engineer, and the Electrician, were well into replacing a part on one of the winches. This part looked like a roller bearing, and was about 40cm in diameter. It had to be removed and replaced on the main shaft that ran through the 2 hawser winch drums and the anchor drum. It was the electronic resister device that measures the tension on the winches (as mentioned a day or so ago) and directs the motor to either let out some rope or retrieve same. The 3 of them worked at this until lunch, then again after lunch for another 2 hours, but when the tests were carried out with the hawser feed out and around a few bollards, all was found to be operating as it should. They did tell me the part was valued at €1000, and was not repairable. Anyway, back to watching the sea.

We stayed until a little after noon as Judy wanted to hear the midday ships horn sound, and one of these was just above the forward bow area on the light and radar tower. Well it was a sight to behold, as by the time the horn sounded, there were 24 very large Booby’s sitting on the tower around the horn. They all S**T themselves and flew in all directions. Prior to noon, we had been watching these birds swoop into the water every time the ship scared the flying fish, and as it turned out, they stayed with us all day and had a feast of fish.


After lunch we had another deck walk, but were a bit restricted as they were painting most of the top coat on the starboard side. We stayed out watching the engineers and birds do their thing, but decided to head back to the cabin to get out of the sun for a while. Judy was reading and looked like nodding off, so I went to the bridge to see what was going on up there.

The Captain and I were having a chin wag when I spotted something off the port side. Closer inspection with the binoculars revealed a school of tuna working some smaller fish to feed on, and to see them jump out of the water was a real treat. Cam came up around 3.45pm, and while we were all talking, we noticed what looked like a pod of dolphins about to pass down the port side. I raced down to tell Judy, and we both ran like crazy to the port side of the ship, at the stern, for a look. They were disappearing into the distance, but we saw what looked like another pod approaching the bow. We went like mad to get to the bow, and just as we got there, Cam, who had also ran from the bridge, told us to look ahead of the ship.

Well this turned out to be the most amazing afternoon we have had on board. At least 20 pods of dolphins swam by, and many of them were within 4 metres of us as we lent over the bow watching them jump into and out of our bow waves. It was an awesome display, and one we will never forget. We saw two different species, the common bottle nosed dolphin, and the smaller spinner dolphin. These spinner dolphins put on their own display, jumping high out of the water, and at the same time rotating their bodies through 360° while in the air. They do this to try and make a bigger splash so as to scare smaller fish into a ball to make an easy feeding target. Cam and I were lucky enough to have our binoculars trained on the same spot, where we had just seen some sort of movement. Sure enough, a whale surfaced and dived about 100 metres from the ship.


It was just fascinating and got better and better the longer we stayed at the bow. There were 1000’s of short tailed shearwaters returning to their nests ashore for dusk, and every where we looked, there were sea birds doing their feeding thing. Our whole field of view contained action as we have never seen before. We headed back to our cabin around 5.15pm, but you could still see pods of dolphins away in the distance doing their thing. Cam, who has a PhD and who made marine studies his whole life, was a wealth of information to us. He said in all of his travels, which involved diving in most parts of the world, he had never seen displays as we saw this afternoon. Evidently we were running over an area of the ocean that resembled a mountain range under the water, and as such had an abundance of marine life.

One last trip to the bridge for the current lat/long position to mark on our wall map, and we were rewarded with another spinner dolphin less than 50 metres from the ship putting on the last display of the day for us. The other good news for the day was that we were finally starting to see other craft in our area, and during the course of the day we saw 3 ships, and 3 fishing boats. We were traveling about 40 miles off the coast of Costa Rica, so this explained the fishermen.

After dinner, as creatures of habit do on board a ship, we watched a movie! Judy then headed to bed, and I got this blogger caught up. I really don’t want to go to sleep tonight as we are approaching within about 15 miles of the coast of Panama some time around midnight, and I am looking forward to seeing land again for the first time in almost 3 weeks. Well it won’t be land, but I should be able to see a lighthouse, and that will be enough for me to claim it as land.


SATURDAY 11TH MARCH, 2006

Woke up early today as this was a day we didn’t want to miss. I didn’t go to bed until 1.30am as I did a Bridge visit about 11.30pm and stayed watching and yapping. Saw the first lighthouse flashing in the distance, and watched as we changed our heading twice. We had lots of company around 12.30am, with ships all around us. We had to alter our course to avoid two ships. The Captain said it is better to alter course and veer away from other ships than to carry on and possibly have to make a rapid maneuver to avoid a collision. It was a clear sky, so I had no trouble picking out the Southern Cross, looked just like it does in OZ, just from a different angle.

We got up and had breakfast, then we had a deck walk but it was quite windy and a fair bit of haze. As the sun gets higher in the sky it should burn the haze off and we will get improved visibility. We headed for the Bridge and spent 45 minutes talking to the Captain. He told us all about what to expect for the canal transit, including getting out all of the charts and talking us through the entire length of the journey from the Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean Sea.

We did a deck walk just prior to lunch, and spotted the first bit of land we have seen for ages. We were nearing Balboa, at the Pacific mouth of the Panama Canal, and there were many islands on the port side of the ship as we approached. For some reason there were bright red streaks in the water, at some stages it looked like we were in a red sea. Cam surmised it may have been a red tide, but he spoke to the Captain who told him some of the ships here were dumping their bilge tanks, and they put a dispersant type substance into the waste to make any oil heavy and sink to the bottom. Well I think they shirked on the costs a bit, and the waste just stayed slightly under the surface. It looked like, and obviously was, a real strain on the environment, and the Captain said this is the type of thing they get away with in Panama. Graft and corruption rules here, and if you pay, you can do almost anything.

We had lunch and went straight back to the bow, and little did we know at that stage, how good of an afternoon we were going to have. The Chief Officer, Bosun and one OS arrived at the anchor winch, so we thought we would stay put until there was some action. Normally you cannot go to the bow when anchor lowering or retrieval is taking place as it is noisy and can be dangerous. Well the Aussie charm worked and we got to witness another aspect of the ships operations. We had dropped anchor in the southern anchorage of the bay near Balboa, along with about 50 other ships. We had to wait until the authorities arrived on board before we would know when our transit of the canal was going to take place. The pilot ladder was dropped over the starboard side, so Judy and I decided to stand near it and see if we could get a decent photo. It was about 35°C and really hot in the sun, so we stood back from where the ladder was hanging, and where we could get a bit of shade. All of a sudden, Judy said “What’s that? pointing to a disappearing shape in the water. Sure enough, we had about 4-6 whales swimming around the bay near our ship, so we watched them for about the next 30 minutes, until we decided to move on and look at something else. By now the anchor should have been down and all jobs associated with it finished. Not so, they were now retrieving it, hosing the mud of the chain as it was wound in. We could not work out what was happening until the chief Engineer, who had joined the fore deck party, told us get ready for some noise. This time they let the anchor chain free-fall, and it really made a racket as it ran out through the winch wheel. We were told later that as this port anchor had not been used for some time, they had to lower and retrieve it to check all was well with the winch, prior to dropping it again to hold us at anchor for our stay.

The rest of the day was spent watching the whales, birds, and the 50 odd vessels that were at anchor around us. Like typical dumb tourists, we didn’t think, or at least didn’t bother about the tropical sun beating down on us. By the time we went in for dinner, we were both sun burnt, me particularly as I had on a sleeveless shirt and no hat, so the tatts have a bright red tinge, and so does the neck and nose.

At dinner we got word from the Captain that our expected canal transit of 12th March, would now not be until the 15th March. This doesn’t worry us in the least, but Cam has a confirmed flight out of Houston on the afternoon of the 21st March, and if we stay here until the 15th March, he is walking to Canada or buying another air ticket. Oh well, I guess we will just have to entertain ourselves watching the marine and bird life, and sitting in the 30°C+ heat reading a book or two.

Usual after dinner thing, and as long as the movie last, I think this will be our usual evenings entertainment.


SUNDAY 12TH MARCH, 2006

We headed for breaky at 7.30, as today was scheduled for the life boat drill, and there was no way we wanted to miss this. Word after breakfast was that the drill was on, but at a time to be announced. We decided to seek as much refuge from the sun as we could today, but it was already over 30°C, and promised to get hotter. We found a shady spot on the port side, and perched ourselves there until lunch.

After lunch we headed for the Bridge just to see and hear what was going on. The Captain told us that the drill would be straight after afternoon break for the crew. At 3.20pm, we were out the back of our deck watching the preparations for the launch, but there was nothing that could have prepared us for the events that were about to transpire.

The schedule was,
1- Attach lifting slings to lifeboat, and with deck crane, lift it into air to ensure crane is working properly.
2- Reposition lifeboat on rollers ready for dropping into sea with some crew inside.
3- Launch rescue boat from starboard side via its own davit (crane), with a crew of three.
4- When rescue is in place at stern of ship, release lifeboat from its rollers and let it fall into sea.
5- Cruise around ship in both rescue boat and lifeboat to ensure all is in order with both craft, and also to show crew a view of their ship from a different aspect.
6- Transfer crew from lifeboat into rescue boat and take them to pilot rope ladder so as they can climb back onto ship.
7- When most of crew are transferred to the ship, remaining crew in the lifeboat are to attach slings to crane that has its hook hanging just above water, and then crane is to lift lifeboat back onto its rollers.
8- Transfer remaining crew to ship with rescue boat, and then lift rescue boat back onto ship with its davit.
9- Pack up all bits and pieces and finish exercise.

Well schedules are made to be screwed up, and this day’s events certainly stuffed the schedules!

When they attached the slings, the clips that hold the lifeboat onto its rollers and stop it from plunging into the sea were doing a grand job, they were rusted closed! After some persuasion they were released, and the lifeboat was lifted and repositioned on it’s rollers without event.

Next job was the launching of the rescue boat, and this was when things really started to stuff up. First up the straps that hold it into its shallow “V” shaped cradle had to be released. This entailed one crew member getting inside the boat and releasing the ratchet clips, and then placing the straps clear of the boat. The first part went well, but when he lent to the starboard side of the boat to get the straps clear, the boat that was now just resting on its keel some 10 metres above the water, decided that an 80kg crew member putting all of his weight one side meant TIP that way. I don’t know how many of you have seen a Filipino crew member change colour from light tan to white in a fraction of a second, but if you get the chance, don’t miss it! He S**T, the rest of the crew who were supposed to be assisting and holding the boat but weren’t S**T, the Chief Officer S**T as it was his exercise, and all of us passengers laughed until we cried. Poor old Rolly Fantastico, the OS, had a very nervous bowel movement I am sure.

When all was well for the rescue boat launch, it was lifted and turned to the starboard side on its davit. Now picture a small orange fiberglass boat hanging 10 metres above the water on a small cable with a 4 point sling attached to points on the hull, and the other end of the sling attached to a quick release coupling on the davit. Now picture a sisal rope attached to the jib of the davit, and also onto a clip on the now vertically hanging winch wire. This rope and clip combination keeps the boat clear of the ship while it is lowered, and when it reaches a certain point of its downward journey on the davit, the quick release does its job and the boat is freed from this rope. It still hangs via the winch wire (this also has a quick release), but is otherwise unencumbered. The whole launch process needs all parts to be functioning properly and obviously as it is a rescue boat, which would be expected to be the norm. Not this time! The quick release jammed early on in the lowering, and strain was put on the rope. The rope snapped with the craft dropping and swaying dramatically on its davit. Launch aborted, luckily just before the three crew members stepped aboard. If they had have been aboard, it is obvious they would have been tipped into the sea and probably severely injured.


Now with the need for some urgent works to be undertaken on the rescue boat lifting gear, the whole exercise was cancelled until tomorrow. We couldn’t help but wonder just what would have happened if the launch of both craft was in a real panic situation, would it have been as disastrous as today’s exercise. Judy and I made a pact to head for the good old stand by “Life Rings” instead of the boats if we were going to sink!

It was pretty hot now, so we headed for our cabin for a coldie and a read until dinner. Dinner over we walked the deck looking at all of the other ships at anchor, all with their lights blazing making for a pretty spectacular sight. Movie and bed followed, but we slept hoping nothing ran into us at least until they got this rescue caper sorted out!


JUDY:

Well what a month it has been, starting the month seeing Jayden and satisfying myself that everything seemed ok, then thinking about and dealing with issues at home (thanks children for sorting things out and being there for each other – very proud of you all), and finally getting on the long voyage across the Pacific Ocean. Gee it is a long way on the world map located on our cabin wall, but the three weeks seemed to fly bye. It was great to experience the different sea conditions including seasickness, and then the feeling that nothing else exists in the world. For days you see nothing, including other ships. It also gave me the opportunity to get to know the crew better and I guess for them to feel more comfortable with us hanging around asking questions, and taking lots of photos of them carrying out their daily chores. It was also great seeing the bird and fish life up close and in its own environment. Then to finish the month off, sitting at anchor off the coast of Panama, soaking up the sun. We seem to keep busy by doing nothing in particular. Every day brings a new advantage even though you think the day prior could not get any better.

Cam is still great company and I have all his 7,500 photos on the computer to entertain (or bore) people with when we get home. Don is still Don but Cam has come up with an explanation as to why he is like he is it is “As you get older the blood vessels in the brain close off and the ones relating to reason and logic have closed off”. They both get off in Houston and it appears no new passengers will be boarding in America. The captain also changes over in Houston. Mixed feelings about getting a new captain as we get along good with the present one but it will also be an experience to have someone else as the captain dictating what happens onboard.

The end of the second month has now come and gone, and I am still enjoying it immensely. I have finally (I think) relaxed and am trying to take it all in. Obviously missing everyone but sometimes you have to sacrifice one thing for the experience of another. Am glad we started in Singapore as it gave us the first month to enjoy the busy times of calling into a lot of ports before the long ocean crossing.

Looking forward to the next month, going through the Panama Canal, and whatever else will be in store for us.


DOUG:

I pretty much echo Judy’s comments for the last month. It has been much better than I thought, and I did have high expectations of the trip anyway. The ship, officers, crew, accommodation, meals etc, have at least met or exceeded my preconceived ideas of how they would be.

It was great to see Jayden in Japan, all be it only for a few hours. To see where he lives and to meet his flat mates was great. My only regret is the lack of telephone contact with him now that we are at sea again. Telstra really dropped the ball when we were trying to organize our mobile and satellite telephones, and our internet connection for while we were away. I will tell them all about it when we get back, but I don’t suppose it will help then, just make me feel better to give someone a serve.

The long voyage from Japan to Panama was something you need to do rather than read about. It is such a big world, and it really hits home when you go for a couple of weeks and not even see another ship out on this vast sea. The time flies by so fast though. My promise of learning to play the guitar and to learn to speak Italian reasonably well just hasn’t happened yet. Can you believe that there isn’t time to do these things? We seem to fill in the whole day without any problems and time just runs away.

Like Judy, I am so proud of our kids. They really step up to the plate when needed, and this time is no exception. We have some very vibrant businesses back in OZ, and at present there is more going on than what we expected to leave for the kids to look after. Well done kids, adequate compensation will be arranged when the accountant reaches the office in May! Ha ha.


MONDAY 13TH MARCH, 2006

Today started out with a buzz about the ship, as the lifeboat drill was going to happen. We didn’t know what time it would be, but were left in no doubt when we went on deck straight after breakfast. The crew all had their life jackets and helmets on, and it was all systems go.

The first job was to launch the rescue boat, and unlike yesterday, this went without a hitch. They had repaired the rope that had snapped, greased all the parts, and all worked as it should. The 3rd Officer, an AB, and the 2nd Engineer were in the rescue boat, and once in the water, they positioned their boat at the rear of the ship not far from where the free fall (big) life boat was supposed to drop into the sea. By now all of the crew who had not experienced a launching in a free fall life boat were assembled on “C deck”, and in turn were taking their places inside the craft. Judy, Cam and I went to the Pilot Deck to get the best view of the launch, and with cameras poised we awaited the launch.

It happened so quickly, one second the boat was secure in its rack, the next it had plunged bow first into the sea. It made a huge splash, quite spectacular to see. I managed to get a photograph of the impact with the water, but the sun affected the shot a bit. I had been asked to take a photo for the ships records as my camera put a date on the image and it then could serve as a permanent record of when the boat was launched. By maritime law, this type of free fall life boat must be launched at least once every six months to ensure all is well. Well it went according to plan and the two boats then did a couple of circuits of the ship to prove their sea worthiness, and to give the crew a bit of a look at the ship from a different aspect. Following this they transferred all but three of the crew that was in the big boat to the ship, via the pilot’s rope boarding ladder. The hook of the stern crane was lowered to the water level, and the three remaining crew fitted the lifting sling to the top of the vessel. These crew then transferred to the rescue boat, and then to the ship via the pilots ladder. The free fall life boat was then lifted back into its rack, and then the rescue boat was raised and placed back into its own rack. All in all, it was a successful exercise, and the crew all seemed to have a better understanding of what would be expected of them in an emergency after the drill was completed.




We spent the rest of the day walking around the decks, reading books in the sun, and just generally relaxing and enjoying the views of the other 50 odd ships coming and going in the bay that we were anchored in.

As usual, a movie and bed followed dinner.


TUESDAY 14TH MARCH, 2006

After such a tiring day doing next to nothing, we both slept in and missed breaky. Not that this mattered, we were being fed as if we were members of the hard working crew, and the girth is really starting to expand.

We headed for a deck walk mid morning, and, anchored about 1k from our ship, was the “Queen Mary 2”. They were transferring passengers, via the ships own lighters, to the shore for what we suspect were tours of the City of Balboa. These transfers went all day, and the 5 lighters they were using did not stop until they were lifted from the water around 6pm.

When in the life boats yesterday, the crew had noticed that the name of the ship needed repainting on both sides of the bow. This became today’s task for some of them, and a big task it turned out to be. For the starboard side they used a container lifting frame attached to the forward crane, and with the addition of a rope safety rail, they duly went about their task. All was well until just before morning tea, a large swell started rocking the ship. The crew had, luckily, just got off this swinging scaffold (platform), and if they hadn’t, they would surely have joined the tins of paint that plunged from the scaffold into the sea. The platform began to swing wildly, crunching into the sides of the ship, and it became quite uncontrollable and dangerous. The crane operator dropped the platform onto the sea, but this didn’t stop the swing, so then they quickly raised it to the upper deck level and dropped it with considerable speed and force onto the deck to stop the frame causing further damage. White faces and brown undies all round! After morning tea they resorted to rope and plank scaffolds to finish the task, but these take a lot of time to rig and access, so until we get to our next port, I don’t know how much they ended up getting done of the paint job.


During our morning walk, we noticed that a hatch was open in the bow area, and until now we hadn’t seen this cover open. It appeared to be a rope locker of some sort, and from what we had gathered so far on the ship, like many other hatches and doors, it was out of bounds to passengers. I couldn’t help myself, the temptation was too much. The crew had gone to morning tea, so down the ladder I went, leaving Judy to keep a look out up top. No sooner had I got down than I heard her talking to someone, and by her tone and speech pattern, I realized it was probably one of the officers. I took off towards the stern as I reckoned that this area linked up with another door and stairway I had seen open when we came forward. Spot on, there it was and I was able to make my escape unnoticed. Judy said the officer had peered down the hatch looking for me, but when he didn’t see me he just continued on his way. As I had suspected, it was just a store for various ropes, steel slings, and other paraphernalia.

We went back to the stern, but not before I managed to get a photo of the green and white paint floating down beside the ship on the water. Not much you can do when you drop cans of paint I suppose, just hope the EPA don’t arrive.

We went to the mess to check what was on the menu for lunch, and while there ran into the Chief Officer. I got him talking about the painting, then moved the discussion on to what the hatch in the bow led to. He nearly floored me when he said “go down and have a look, it is all right for you to go there”. Now I had permission to go where I had been, and I didn’t know where to take the conversation next. I said, “I will only go where I am allowed, and only if I ask and am given permission directly”. Actually I felt pretty crappy, as it is not in my nature to tell untruths like this, so I guess I was just trying to justify my own indiscretion. Anyway, it all turned out well, and I then managed to get his permission to accompany him down into the number 3 forward holds on both sides of the ship, to watch him check gas levels on the nuclear power plant pieces that we loaded in Kobe. Every day he has to check the pressure of the Nitrogen gas that is connected to them to stop any possibility of corrosion occurring inside the pieces until they are installed and operating in the power plants. It was a real climb down into the holds via vertical ladders that seemed to drop away into the darkness and to Hades. Well it was as hot as Hades is thought to be anyway. The inside of the holds was like a huge darkened room, about 8m high, 10m wide, and 32m long. As the holds have movable deck levels, they can adjust any of these to suit the cargo to be carried. We were on an upper level, but there were other levels installed and full of cargo below us. In fact, we were many metres above the actual base of the hold. Arnulfo duly checked the gas levels on the pieces, and I walked around in the hot and stuffy hold taking as many photographs as I could. Another great experience had, just wish Judy didn’t suffer from the vertigo that she does, and she could have accompanied me down there. It was a bit of a climb, so it was best that she decided to give it a miss and to rely on me taking some good shots to show her.

The rest of the day was spent reading and sun baking on the pilot deck, the only variation being a bridge visit to have a talk with the Captain. He told us he was leaving the ship in New Orleans, and that the Chief Engineer was now not able to get off until at least Hamburg, in Germany. He won’t be happy, so we won’t mention this to him for a day or two, at least until he is resolved to the fact.

We headed to bed about 8.30pm as we wanted to be up and about early for our expected canal transit in the morning.



WEDNESDAY 15TH MARCH, 2006

We woke up around 12.30am, but lay in bed until we felt the engines going. By 1.30am we were seated in “our” chairs on the bridge, and with the pilot already aboard, we were steadily threading our way along the start of the Panama Canal, heading towards the Mila Flores Locks. We had to go through 3 lifting locks at this end, and later on, 3 lowering locks at Colon to bring us back to the level of the Caribbean Sea.

When we left home, this was the one thing we really looked forward to the most, and we weren’t disappointed. It was dark, but that didn’t seem to spoil things at all. We were the first ship for the day, and at 1.50am, we entered the first lock. The Panama Canal Authority insists on many different things for the vessels that transit their waters. We had to have 2 pilots, although one did the harbor to canal bit then disappeared down stairs for coffee. The second stayed with us from just before the first lock, until we dropped anchor just short of Gatun Lock on the other end. We had to take Panamanian crew onboard to attach the lines from the Mules, small heavy trains that keep the ships central in the locks, and this involved the transfer of about 20 men from the pilot boat to the ship via rope ladder. These men work in 2 teams, one forward and one aft. It is there task to throw a small rope from the ship to the side of the lock, where another person attaches 2 cables from each Mule. They then haul these aboard with the winches, attach them to bollards, and relax until they have to cast off the lines when we have finished the transit of the lock. It really is a “job for the boys”, but I guess it keeps them employed in what otherwise is a very unproductive country. We were aligned into the lock by 2 tugs, then once connected to 2 mules on the starboard side bow; we began to very slowly proceed into the lock. An additional Mule on the starboard stern, and 3 in similar positions of the port side followed, and away we went. The locks were HUGE! We had left the bridge and were on the pilot deck, as we thought this would give us more freedom to go from side to side to observe the goings on. I telephoned Stretton and Rowan on the satellite telephone, and they were able to get on the internet and watch our transit live on the Panama Canal web site. It was one of the most amazing things we have ever experienced, and something we will never forget. This ship is almost 200m long and 30 m wide, but it traveled through the locks as if it was a row boat. We felt that we were close enough to touch the boats going through the locks in the other direction, and in our glee, we waved to all and sundry who stood on their decks. The methods they use to make the ships transit possible are amazing, and when you remember that this canal is 100+ years old, what a feat it was to make it way back then. The locks suffer from old age and more often than not, the lock doors and machinery need attention to keep them operating. Hey, who wouldn’t if you were that old!


We traveled through the first 2 locks, then a short piece of canal before entering the Pedro Miguel lock for the last of our lifts. After this lock, we were in a very narrow section of the canal called the “Gamboa Pass”. This narrow section is cut through virgin jungle, and is quite pleasing to see. The entire route is lit by overhanging orange lights, positioned on the banks and shining into the water, roughly every 200m apart. The scene was really enthralling, and we were now back in “our” seats on the bridge to take it all in.
Because of its width, this section can only handle one-way traffic, so this is the reason the canal transit is so slow and gets backed up. They are beginning to carry out works to widen this section, but it’s anyone’s guess when it will happen. There is talk of a new canal being constructed through Mexico, and if this goes ahead, Panama will suffer greatly as the new canal would be better positioned for most vessels wishing to go from the Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean Sea/Atlantic Ocean, and vice a versa. Maybe they will wake up soon and make the improvements they need to make before it’s too late and they lose the income stream that comes in via the canal fees.

After the Gamboa Pass, we entered Gatun Lake, a man made lake that came about when they constructed the locks, and which is some 15-20 metres above sea level. This was awesome, and to peer into the jungle where probably no man had ever stepped was an added bonus. The sunrise was really stunning, and the views of the lake itself quite unusual. Every turn revealed more islands and coves created by the flooding of the lake, and we even managed to spy an alligator on a sandy bank, sunning itself in the already warm morning sun.

By 8.45am we had anchored near the Gatun Locks, and now we just had to sit and wait until it was our turn to transit. We headed down for a late breakfast with the Captain, and then went for a short nap before the rest of the journey had to continue. We were booked for a 6pm transit, but by now we knew that this wouldn’t eventuate. Although we were the first to transit the sections of the canal to this point for the day, this didn’t give us the right to continue on and finish the transit until other ships, which had precedence over us, completed their journeys. Some companies have 2 vessels every day through the canal, and obviously are VIP customers. Others ships had been waiting longer at anchor than us, so we just had to wait our turn. Well that and the fact that corruption and graft is rife here, and simply put, Rickmers don’t pay enough to get priority.

We spent the afternoon in our chairs on the bridge. This afforded us a good view of what was transiting the lock, what was anchoring like us, and what was getting priority and going straight through the lock. Besides this, it was too hot and windy to sit outside, so this was the best spot for the arvo. A large cruise vessel, the “Galaxy”, came through the lock and anchored near us, and similar to the Queen Mary 2 on the other end of the canal, used its own craft to ferry passengers ashore for the day.

We had dinner and watched a movie while waiting for the pilot, and around 10.00pm he boarded the ship. He was accompanied by the obligatory 20 crew and 2 tug boats, and by 10.50pm we were installed in the first of the three locks. Just like the other end, it was a real buzz going through the locks, and for those who read this and want to see for themselves, get on the net and look at the Panama Canal web site and click on the live web cam section.

We stayed on the bridge until the pilot departed the ship at the Cristobel Pilot Station, and then waited a little longer until the ship passed through the breakwater and left the harbor of Colon. It was now 2am, and we needed a sleep, big time!


THURSDAY 16TH MARCH, 2006

Stayed in bed until 11.30am, but when we did get up, Judy wasn’t feeling all that good as the ship was in very choppy seas, and after the last 5 days of real calm waters, the swell and chop was making her feel pretty sick. I think my tummy and head ache may be for the same reason. We had lunch, and the usual post lunch walk, but besides the big blue Caribbean Sea and lots of spray over the side, there was little else to see.

Judy had a long sleep in the afternoon, and I tried to catch this blogger up. Not much else for the day, except dinner and a quick walk on deck. Judy headed back to bed, so I grabbed a new book and joined her, in our Boudoir, for an early night.


FRIDAY 17TH MARCH, 2006

We woke up to relatively smooth seas, so we were set for a good day. We had breakfast then did the usual deck walk. It is really pleasant standing and staring out across the water. You try your hardest to see any action that may be taking place in, on, or above the surface, and the smallest deviation from the norm gives you a real thrill. Today we saw the smallest flying fish (about 4cm long), together with the biggest flying fish (about 30cm long), since we had started our trip. Not much else to speak of, so we retreated to our cabin and our books.

After lunch had another walk, then at 3.30pm, I went on deck and watched the crew do a fire drill. Just like the first life boat launch attempt, this was also a farce. I saw men putting on fireproof suits with helmets on the wrong way around. One had his clear visor to the rear, and the reflective collar over his eyes. After a while they got it together, but if it had have been for real, the ship would have burnt to the water line before these blokes were organized. To see a man suited up in a fire proof suit, complete with oxygen tank, utility belt holding an axe and crow bar, and safety harness to attach to a safety line, installs a certain amount of confidence in me, as a lowly passenger. Surely he knows what he is doing and is going to save my life. Well that is until, he and another crew member similarly attired, advance on the imaginary fire. They are both pulling a fire hose and nozzle with them and intending to douse the flames, but just at the opportune moment, his utility belt that has been incorrectly fitted, slides down over his bum and he falls over! Gee, I hope they have another drill and get it right before they have to save Judy and me from the flames.

We were back in the cabin watching a National Geographic DVD on Australian Kangaroos, when the phone rang. The Captain had spotted whales and was ringing to let us know. We made it to the pilot deck in time to see them swim by, one as close as 50m from the ship. We then went to the bridge to thank him, but as per the norm, he then spent the next 45 minutes telling us about all sorts of shipboard tasks and trivia. He ventured into the electrical cupboard and emerged with a small yellow wooden box, about 45cm square. When he opened it, we were stunned, as it contained a globe of the world showing all of the stars and constellations. Together with its very accurate graduated brass mountings, it could be used to accurately pin point the vessel where ever it happened to be in the world. This was truly an amazing piece of equipment. Obviously this was a piece that required a good knowledge of the stars, as well as navigation techniques, to be able to use it properly.

We did little else for the day, and as per last night, went to bed early with our books.


SATURDAY 18TH MARCH, 2006

Both of us had an ordinary night in bed. For some reason neither of us slept that well, must be the anticipation of putting our feet on solid ground for the first time in almost 4 weeks.

We had breakfast and did the usual deck walk, but it was windy and much cooler than we had been experiencing. The crew was still painting and washing the ship down, never ending tasks for them it seems. There was nothing to see, so it was full on computer today. Judy said I had to have this up-to-date and ready to copy to disc this afternoon, and that she needed time to add a few photos and get it ready to send from New Orleans. What Judy wants Judy gets! We knew we would not get another chance to do it as the New Orleans pilot was due on the ship almost as soon as we arrived at anchorage there. This was expected to be around 6pm, and from there, we would start the 9 hour journey up the Mississippi River from its delta to the city. Too much activity going on to be sitting at the desk typing, so what ever else happens this afternoon or tonight, will be included in tomorrows tales.

Not quite true! Just as I was spell checking, a call from the captain to tell us an aircraft carrier was off the port side. We raced to the bridge, and about 4 miles away from our ship, an old aircraft carrier was being towed towards Florida (confirmed by GPS). It would seem that this will be its final resting place. It is said that they make good diving reefs! A few minutes later we spotted the first, of what we are told, would be a multitude of oil rigs. We will be passing them by just over 1 mile, so it should make for good viewing. To be continued.

New Orleans, Gumbo, Paw boy, Jazz, Blues, Budweiser, here we come!