Email from the Ship: Wow! What an afternoon! By times we got huge waves- the bow of the ship plunged way down and one time I thought it wasn't going to come back up- but it did. We had to stay in our cabins for a little while for safety reasons. Most of our drawers and cabinets have outside hooks on them for rough weather. One of my drawers did not have a hook and when I came back to my cabin the drawer and all it's contente was scattered all over the floor.
We altered our course some in order to stay away from the worst of Hurricane Ivy. We sailed around the back of it. Our position today is S 33 W 178.We hope to be in Auckland by late tonight 3-1 or early tomorrow morn 3-2.
Friday, February 27, 2004
Wednesday, February 25, 2004
February 25th 2004:
Email from the Ship: For the past 2 days ( 24th and 25th) of sailing it has been raining and the ship has been rolling the most of anytime yet. These seasoned sailors here say it's still not really bad. It's enough for me when I step forward 1 step and automatically take 2 backwards and sideways and all the things in my cabin are moving around. Taking a shower is like dancing in a water puddle with water all over the BR floor. In spite of all this I'm managing quite well. Our position today 2=25 is 23 S 160 W. We will soon cross the international date line and if I understand correctly we will go from Thurs to Sat and skip Fri.
We are traveling a little slower 14.8 knots. This morning suddenly everything was quiet because the engine had stopped for a half hour but they got it going again. This ship is rather old and I think I told you they refer to it as a rust bucket. The captain says it might be good for another 5 years. I'm glad we have knowlegeable engineers on board. I haven't seen the engine room yet but it's on my to do list.Everyone says you only want to see it once as it is very dirty and very hot. I'll tell you about it when I see it.
We are traveling a little slower 14.8 knots. This morning suddenly everything was quiet because the engine had stopped for a half hour but they got it going again. This ship is rather old and I think I told you they refer to it as a rust bucket. The captain says it might be good for another 5 years. I'm glad we have knowlegeable engineers on board. I haven't seen the engine room yet but it's on my to do list.Everyone says you only want to see it once as it is very dirty and very hot. I'll tell you about it when I see it.
Monday, February 23, 2004
February 23rd 2004:
Email from the Ship: The weekend is over and all the workers are back on the dock with lots of activity going on. They are loading trucks, containers, boats, and coconut oil.
Yesterday was Sunday and with everything being so expensive here we decided to stay aboard ship and relax. They had a lifeboat drill for the crew which was very interesting to watch as they put the boat into the water and sailed it around in circles.. In about 10 days you will see the pictures on my website. I trust the mail will go out today.
Early this morning we all took a taxi to town( Mon.) The market has an authentic polynesian atmosphere. All the vivid colors and fragrances are combined as you walk through the flower market, pass the stands of fruit and vegetables, Tahitian vanilla and perfumes and the days catch of fish. There were also crafts and souvenirs. The Tahitian cultured black pearl is the most coveted souvenir. They are very expensive-several thousands of dollarAs I said everything is expensive--c d's are 40-50 dollars, lunch $20-30, banana splits $9. We were hot and tired when we got back to the ship.
The captain ays we are leaving at 6 pm tonight 2-23 for Auckland, N Z. I'll be glad to be back on the sea where it is so peaceful.
Yesterday was Sunday and with everything being so expensive here we decided to stay aboard ship and relax. They had a lifeboat drill for the crew which was very interesting to watch as they put the boat into the water and sailed it around in circles.. In about 10 days you will see the pictures on my website. I trust the mail will go out today.
Early this morning we all took a taxi to town( Mon.) The market has an authentic polynesian atmosphere. All the vivid colors and fragrances are combined as you walk through the flower market, pass the stands of fruit and vegetables, Tahitian vanilla and perfumes and the days catch of fish. There were also crafts and souvenirs. The Tahitian cultured black pearl is the most coveted souvenir. They are very expensive-several thousands of dollarAs I said everything is expensive--c d's are 40-50 dollars, lunch $20-30, banana splits $9. We were hot and tired when we got back to the ship.
The captain ays we are leaving at 6 pm tonight 2-23 for Auckland, N Z. I'll be glad to be back on the sea where it is so peaceful.
Sunday, February 22, 2004
February 22nd 2004:
Email from the Ship: We finally arrived in Tahiti this morning 2-21-04 at 7 am with the fog and the misty rain. I got up at 5am so I wouldn't miss anything.By 7am it was clearing up.
It's so fascinating to watch the happenings of entering the harbor and docking the ship in it's designated berth. A pilot boat brings the pilot to the ship and he is responsible for giving the helmsman directions for getting the ship to the dock. The tugboats are waiting for us to push the ship turning it completely around and up to the dock.Then the unloading starts which is very entertaining At 9am we walked down the swaying crooked steps with ropes to hold on to to get to the dock to meet our taxi for an around the island tour.It was very hot and humid. The island is full of many colored flowers, lush green plants and many trees.
We ate luch at a restaurant along the water with a huge group of people attending a wedding reception. We were very hot and tired when we arrived back on ship late afternoon. We will be here until Mon eve so I'm not sure what we will do tomorrow. I'm sending more pictures but it will take awhile for them to get there.It's nice to get emails from some of you and I may not be able to answer all of them but I will continue to add to my web site.
It's so fascinating to watch the happenings of entering the harbor and docking the ship in it's designated berth. A pilot boat brings the pilot to the ship and he is responsible for giving the helmsman directions for getting the ship to the dock. The tugboats are waiting for us to push the ship turning it completely around and up to the dock.Then the unloading starts which is very entertaining At 9am we walked down the swaying crooked steps with ropes to hold on to to get to the dock to meet our taxi for an around the island tour.It was very hot and humid. The island is full of many colored flowers, lush green plants and many trees.
We ate luch at a restaurant along the water with a huge group of people attending a wedding reception. We were very hot and tired when we arrived back on ship late afternoon. We will be here until Mon eve so I'm not sure what we will do tomorrow. I'm sending more pictures but it will take awhile for them to get there.It's nice to get emails from some of you and I may not be able to answer all of them but I will continue to add to my web site.
Monday, February 16, 2004
February 16th 2004:
Email from the Ship: The last 2 days have been sunny and we are traveling along @ 17.5 knots the fastest so far. The engines must be working ok now. We saw many porpoises playing around on the port side of the bow yesterday.Our position 2-15=04 was 05 N 115 W and today is 06 N 118 W.
I haven't said much about the food we eat. I think it is very good. Often I don't know what it is by the name on the menu so the others explain it to me. Then when it comes, it seems like the food we eat in America. i.e.yesterday was savoury minced beef, chipped potatoes, and artic roll. It was sloppy joes, french fries and ice cream cake. Usually we have Russian soup(borscht) and a buffet of a salad, raw vegetables, cold cuts, cheese and crackers. One day we had a Scottish meal-Haggis, neaps and tattiea. Haggis is a mixture of lambs liver, kidney and heart with oatmeal. neaps is rutabaga and tatties is mashed potatoes. I wasn't too fond of it. The cooks are russian and the prepare 2 separate meals- one for the crew and one for us and the officers. They serve a lot of fish. There are some other unusual dishes too. That's it for now
I haven't said much about the food we eat. I think it is very good. Often I don't know what it is by the name on the menu so the others explain it to me. Then when it comes, it seems like the food we eat in America. i.e.yesterday was savoury minced beef, chipped potatoes, and artic roll. It was sloppy joes, french fries and ice cream cake. Usually we have Russian soup(borscht) and a buffet of a salad, raw vegetables, cold cuts, cheese and crackers. One day we had a Scottish meal-Haggis, neaps and tattiea. Haggis is a mixture of lambs liver, kidney and heart with oatmeal. neaps is rutabaga and tatties is mashed potatoes. I wasn't too fond of it. The cooks are russian and the prepare 2 separate meals- one for the crew and one for us and the officers. They serve a lot of fish. There are some other unusual dishes too. That's it for now
Saturday, February 14, 2004
February 14th 2004:
Email from the Ship: We crossed the equator @ 8:42 on 2-13-04. We all gathered on the bridge for a little celebration. Now our position has changed to S01 W 105. This morning we had a lifeboat drill. Those life jackets are cumbersome and we had to walk down 4 flights of steps.
We passengers decided we were not going to use the elevator so every day we walk up and down 5 flights(54 steps) at least 3 times a day. Remember the ship is rolling as we walk. Sometimes I get out of breath and other times I go right to the top. It's good for us. We have another week at sea before we get to Tahiti.
We passengers decided we were not going to use the elevator so every day we walk up and down 5 flights(54 steps) at least 3 times a day. Remember the ship is rolling as we walk. Sometimes I get out of breath and other times I go right to the top. It's good for us. We have another week at sea before we get to Tahiti.
Thursday, February 12, 2004
February 12th 2004:
Email from the Ship: We are on our way to Tahiti and expect to be there 2-21-04. Last night 2-10-04 we had a game of scrabble in the lounge. We had 4 teams of 3 people and it was quite lively with all the joshing back and forth.
It has been raining for the past 2 days and the rain pours down in the Pacific just like it does in Florida.It is hot and humid. Our position is N2 W 93 on 2-12-04. We are nearing the equator. We hear stories about what they do to people who have never crossed the equator before but since all of us have crossed before we are not concerned. By the time we get to Tahiti we will have been on the water for 29 days so we are eager to know what land feels like again.
Again for the past 2 days we are going slower 11.2 knots because of engine problems. I forget whether I said anything about this before but we have 2 giant sized engines and when one of them has to be shut down for repair it slows our speed. Ron and David can tell when this happens by the sounds but the rest of us can't tell. I'm off to the monkey deck now.
It has been raining for the past 2 days and the rain pours down in the Pacific just like it does in Florida.It is hot and humid. Our position is N2 W 93 on 2-12-04. We are nearing the equator. We hear stories about what they do to people who have never crossed the equator before but since all of us have crossed before we are not concerned. By the time we get to Tahiti we will have been on the water for 29 days so we are eager to know what land feels like again.
Again for the past 2 days we are going slower 11.2 knots because of engine problems. I forget whether I said anything about this before but we have 2 giant sized engines and when one of them has to be shut down for repair it slows our speed. Ron and David can tell when this happens by the sounds but the rest of us can't tell. I'm off to the monkey deck now.
Sunday, February 8, 2004
February 8th 2004:
Email from the Ship: Our long awaited for experience of going thru the Panama canal has finally begun @ 8 pm 2-8-04.First we had to wait about 3 hrs. along with 25 other ships in the waters around the canal. What an awesome sight with all the different ships. It took us about 3 hrs. to get thru the first set of locks Gatun locks, this includes the wait time for a ship ahead os us to clear the locks.It was dark by the time we started and it was fascinating to watch how the locks work and to see all the lights.
It was 11pm when we cleared the first set of locks. Then we traveled about 3 hrs on Gatun lake to the next set of locks which is Pedro Miguel. Tugboats and electric locomotives which everyone calls donkeys towed us thru the locks. After Gatun locks, David, Florence, Daphne bowed out and went to bed. Ron and I stayed up thru the Pedro Miguel locks and only I stayed up for the last set of locks Miraflores. As we were emerging the last set we had to wait for the ship ahead of us to clear so that's where I konked out @ 3 am. It took about 7 hrs. from start to finish. We took on some pilots to guide us thru and some of them are quite entertaining and humorous. This morning I woke up and a big fuel ship was by our side refueling us. Again I counted 20 some ships waiting on this side of the canal. The 3rd mate said we will be under way again after lunch. It will probably be another 12 hrs. at sea until we get to Tahiti.
It was 11pm when we cleared the first set of locks. Then we traveled about 3 hrs on Gatun lake to the next set of locks which is Pedro Miguel. Tugboats and electric locomotives which everyone calls donkeys towed us thru the locks. After Gatun locks, David, Florence, Daphne bowed out and went to bed. Ron and I stayed up thru the Pedro Miguel locks and only I stayed up for the last set of locks Miraflores. As we were emerging the last set we had to wait for the ship ahead of us to clear so that's where I konked out @ 3 am. It took about 7 hrs. from start to finish. We took on some pilots to guide us thru and some of them are quite entertaining and humorous. This morning I woke up and a big fuel ship was by our side refueling us. Again I counted 20 some ships waiting on this side of the canal. The 3rd mate said we will be under way again after lunch. It will probably be another 12 hrs. at sea until we get to Tahiti.
Friday, February 6, 2004
February 6th 2004:
Email from the Ship: Yesterday 2-05-04, there was a little excitement on board when we passed Monserrat- the first sight of land for 11 days. Life on ship is not boring, it is relaxing and serene. My usual day is getting up early about 5:30 am- having some alone time, visiting the bridge,going to breakfast @ 7:30, spending time in the lounge while the girls are cleaning my room,playing scrabble,relaxing, going to lunch at 12, spending time on the deck reading,sunning,chatting,looking for passing ships, walking to the bow, or simply gazing at the sea, cocktails before dinner, and a variety of things in the eve.
Last eve we had a bar b que on deck and everybody came. We had lots of food and all kinds of meat to grill. After eating it became a lively party with singing and dancing. The capt. said we will be having more of these. The prediction is we will be at the canal by 2pm Sun aft. What fun we have!
Last eve we had a bar b que on deck and everybody came. We had lots of food and all kinds of meat to grill. After eating it became a lively party with singing and dancing. The capt. said we will be having more of these. The prediction is we will be at the canal by 2pm Sun aft. What fun we have!
Thursday, February 5, 2004
February 5th 2004:
Email from the Ship: The days are passing by and it is so peaceful and beautiful as we are gliding through this great expanse of water-the Atlantic. We feel the ocean breezes sometimes more than breezes and we hear the thuddering thomping noise of the engines. Tonight 2-4-04 is full moon and it is a gorgeous sight to see the moonbeams on the water and the bright stars in the sky. I would like to stay on the deck all night.
It's very warm now so we spend a lot of time sitting on the lounge chairs on deck, reading,chatting, watching the cloud formations and just relaxing.This afternoon I walked to the bow and watched the flying fish. When I heard about them I thought they were large fish jumping out of the water. Much to my surprise they are little creatures with wings and they jump and skim across the water like when you throw stones in the water and make them skip.
Tomorrow afternoon 2-5-04, we will be passing by Guadalope and then another 3 days to the Panama canal. We expect to be there after lunch on 2-8-04. The captain said that cargo ships usually go through at night. Sometimes there is a long wait until we can enter the canal. The ocean is calmer now so the ship is not rolling as much. Our position is N 19, W 55 and we are doing 16.3 knots. Tonight we all gathered in the lounge-the capt, his wife, the 2nd mate and the 4 cadets.It was a fun time.
-Mim
It's very warm now so we spend a lot of time sitting on the lounge chairs on deck, reading,chatting, watching the cloud formations and just relaxing.This afternoon I walked to the bow and watched the flying fish. When I heard about them I thought they were large fish jumping out of the water. Much to my surprise they are little creatures with wings and they jump and skim across the water like when you throw stones in the water and make them skip.
Tomorrow afternoon 2-5-04, we will be passing by Guadalope and then another 3 days to the Panama canal. We expect to be there after lunch on 2-8-04. The captain said that cargo ships usually go through at night. Sometimes there is a long wait until we can enter the canal. The ocean is calmer now so the ship is not rolling as much. Our position is N 19, W 55 and we are doing 16.3 knots. Tonight we all gathered in the lounge-the capt, his wife, the 2nd mate and the 4 cadets.It was a fun time.
-Mim
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