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

19 Feb. 2018. Half Moon Cay, Bahamas.

As mentioned we left an hour late, due to late arriving guests and then we had to wait for the clearance. The procedures for this have changed in the last few years. In the good old days, you would receive your clearance paper indicating that you had fulfilled all obligations (read payments) of the port and you were allowed to go. You handed in that certificate in the next port and then you were cleared again there. In some Caribbean ports it still works that way.

But most countries have now gone electronic and the USA and Canada have been spear heading that process for a number of years. Now the passenger landing manifests are sent up to 96 hrs. in advance, to be merged with the CBP computers and they are then scrutinized for naughty people. And it has happened that there was a receiving party at the gangway when the ship arrived, sometimes with hand cuffs, guns, dogs and all. Sometimes for traffic violations or for busting parole; but also for more serious crimes or for not paying large fines.  (They do not send a welcoming party if you have a 25 dollar parking fine outstanding, it has to be worthwhile the man power)

Now we have had for about 10 years the ENOAD, the Electronic Notice of Arrival and Departure. The departure one was the important one yesterday. The system is run by USCG and the CBP. The Coastguard wants to know what the ships are doing along the coast and the CBP wants to know who is on board. They also want to know who is on board on departure.  Until fairly recently we could just sail and then send an updated passenger and crew manifest. Now we have to wait until everybody is on board, then send the manifest and then wait for the confirmation that it has been received and then we are allowed to sail. Normally that takes about 10 minutes but if the receiving computer is down or the email does not down load correctly it can become a long and drawn out affair and you are not allowed to sail until it has all has been sorted out. That can be very bad for the blood pressure of the Captain.  In our case the confirmation did come in within the 10 minutes and thus the Zuiderdam sailed an hour late but not more.

That hour did not have any influence on our arrival time at Half Moon Cay as the ship had sufficient speed up the sleeve to catch up. It was just a bit expensive for the Chief Engineer so to say. By 08.30 we were at the anchorage with what looked like a windy but very nice day. Windy for the ship, the guests are nicely sitting on the beach in the shelter of the vegetation so they do not notice it; but it was a steady wind and no frontal systems in the area. Thus the wind remained blowing from the same direction the whole day and by putting the anchor in the right position, the ship could lay on the wind without much issue.

I took the opportunity to take 3 cadets forward to give a bit of explanation about the anchoring procedures. They normally go forward with a 3rd officer, who has often just finished his/her cadetship and is still gaining experience his/herself.  I have been around the block a few times, so they hear from me about the pitfalls and the near misses and what to look out for. We have four cadets on board, two gentlemen and two Ladies who are all on their 2nd contract. Read 2nd half of their cadet year. As they are all Dutch, they have a dual training at school, so they have to spend time in the engine room and on the bridge. Then when they are finished with their school and have their dual license, they will choose for upstairs or down stairs.  At the moment there are 3 upstairs and one lady down stairs so I could take 3 of them to the bow. Both on arrival and on departure.  Dropping the anchor is easy enough, just operate the winch. The complicated part of the job is to learn to be a bit cynical…………….. what can go wrong with every step………………. If you prepare, nothing will go wrong, if you don’t……………………… murphy loves anchors.

We stayed in Half Moon Cay from 08.30 to 16.00 hrs. and then set sail for Aruba, where we will arrive the day after tomorrow at 1400 hrs. Although we expect a lot of wind again, more than the normal Trade Wind strength; it should not bother us to begin with. We first have to sail through the Windward Passage and past Haiti before we encounter the proper Caribbean Trade Winds.

 

4 Comments

  1. I love reading Capt. Albert’s Blog, I learn a lot.

    Rowena Roque
    Port Agent
    Vancouver, BC

  2. We are scheduled on a HAL cruise in April 2018, FLL to SAN, through Panama Canal. One of the port calls is Puerto Chiapas, Mexico, and there is a note for this port, “Times Subject to Tidal Conditions.” None of the other ports of call along the Pacific coast have this notation. The primary cause of tidal variations are the relative distances and positions of the moon, sun, and earth. Shape and seabed topography of the bay at the port also influence tidal conditions. I assume all of these factors are know for Puerto Chiapas, as well as other ports of call, for any given date and time, and hence tidal conditions can be estimated/predetermined accurately. What other factors require this notation for Puerto Chiapas?
    Thanks – I really enjoy your blog.

  3. Captain A,
    I love hearing about your cadets. I have a question that I am sure you have answered before but here goes. When the cadets get to you have they finished university or a maritime training school? Also at the end of one year do they then become officers, assuming they have successfully completed their studies and passed associated tests? Finally, is there then a probation/under supervision period for each of the young officers?
    Thanks as always and regards.
    Roger T

    • Thank you for (still) reading my blog.
      Cadets in Holland and England are on university level. I think they call them Poly techs in England. The total course is 4 year, of which is one practical year as year 3. then they spend 9 months at sea, and have to complete a task book/ To together with simulator training it then qualifies them for the last year. When they are finished they will graduate with their 3rd officer license, 4th. engineer license and Bsc in nautical sciences. For the higher ranks they have to gain sailing time and return for refresher courses. Once on board they becomes the Assistant Officer of the watch and that they remain until they have sufficient sailing days to qualify for Chief Mate.So they are continuously under the supervision of an officer who holds a Chief Mate’s license or higher Then they will be allowed to stand the watch as the Officer of the Watch. From there they can then progress to First Officer and once they obtain their Master’s endorsement they can be promoted to Staff Captain. But then they are at least 12 years further down the line.

      Best regards

      Capt. Albert

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