With a happy smile on my face I sailed into Cabo San Lucas Bay because finally we could anchor on anchorage nbr 1., out of the swell and in the lee of the mountains.  First time in the season that we could do so and also first time in the season that we really did not need it as it was wind still for most of the day. Still it protected us from the low swell that was running around the Cape itself; whipped up by a lot of wind outside. Again wind that was not exactly in the forecast. And after departure we had that wind for about 6 hours full on the nose before the weather outside finally got into synch with the forecast. For the day we were happily tucked away in the best spot, nicely away from everything.  I dropped the hook at 06:00 hrs and that gave ample time to set up the tender service and to get everything going. Normally we have about 750 of our of 1200 guests going ashore as most have been there and some of them do not like the long tender ride. Today they saw that I had parked the ship almost in the Marina and we reached the top score of 1078 out of 1220 going ashore.  I had announced that our Amsterdam would be coming in around 09:00 and maybe some guests took that to heart and went ashore early. Continue reading

 Today we spent most of the day crossing the entrance area to the Golfo de California. The weather forecast had indicated nearly wind still conditions but we have become a bit leery of believing any predictions in this area. The forecast is most of the time right when it is blowing really hard and most of the time with a North to South flow coming out of the Gulf or a pure westerly wind coming from the Pacific. When it comes to lesser wind velocities then it seems to be less accurate. With a prediction of 10 knots we normally see 15 to 20 knots. For us not much of an issue but for a little boat that might have decided it’s crossing on a favorable forecast it could be. None of us can prove it of course as it would be long time measurements but subjectively spoken it seems to tie in with what we see in other areas. We see more wind in the Caribbean than forecast and when we cross Tehantepec we have to add about 10 to 15 knots to what is predicted to get it right. Also when sailing past Nicaragua again there is most of the time more wind observed than expected, so today we had the same experience again. The wind varied from wind still to 15 – 20 knots and I was looking at a weather forecast of a steady 10 knots all the way. It makes me feel more and more that the weather patterns are changing. Not a change with a discernible pattern but more leaning to the word “unpredictable”. I am just wondering if that will continue to be the case in the coming years. Continue reading

This is turning out to be a very good cruise, certainly weather wise. How much the guests are enjoying it, we will find out at the end of the cruise when the ratings come in. However everybody seems to be very happy and that is what we are aiming for.  Today turned out to be another glorious day. No wind, sunny and warm. The ship provided 17 knots of wind blowing over the deck, a gentle breeze to enjoy. With no real wind out there, the weather turned very hazy and by lunch time, when abeam of Acapulco 10 miles away, we could not see the land. We knew it was there as we saw a lot of six-pack navigators messing around with boats doing what some people would call fishing. Looking at the erratic behavior of some of them, I found that very questionable. Still it keep the navigators on their toes and we altered course a few times, just to make the margins a bit larger just in case their behavior would become even more erratic. It would not be the first time that these speedboats would think it prudent to cross our bow at a short distance just to get quicker to the other side. After Acapulco the next cluster of these boats will be off Zihuantenego at 19:00 hrs but that will be less of an issue as that is around cocktail time and then most of them are back in the Marina. Continue reading

The crossing of the Gulfo de Tehantepec was indeed un-eventful and we arrived with wind still weather and sunny skies at the pilot station. As predicted it was going to be a hot day. Not a warm day, a hot day. The pilot was nicely on time; as a matter of fact he was out early, sitting in his boat watching the sharks play in the water. It seems that the entrance to the bay is an excellent hunting ground for sharks and we saw many fin tips coming above water. It is a pity that I cannot announce it to the guests as it is simply too difficult to see the fins in the long rolling swell. I counted at least 8 of them, fairly close together, about a mile off shore. With the pilot on board and after his confirmation that it would remain great weather today, I decided to dock nose in, on the west side of the pier. We are busy with changing the wires of the lifeboats and it is better that we do that with the boat above open water. The boat has to go up and down to see if the new wire has been adjusted for the right length and that is something you do not like to do above the pier. By 11 am we were happily docked giving the authorities ample time to clear the ship as our official time for docking was noon time. However it is better to arrive early than just to linger at sea. Puerto Chiapas to Hualtalco is a 2 engine run at about 70% engine output. If I let them run on 80% I hardly use anymore fuel but I arrive an hour earlier. When docked in port, I can then switch off that second engine and save in that hour more fuel than by running 70% at sea. One engine keeps running as it provides the AC and Electricity for the ship. Plus an hour extra in port is always appreciated. If not by the guests, then certainly by the crew.

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With a certain amount of apprehension in my heart we approached the pilot station. The pilot was as chirpy as ever, trying to sell a perfect day with perfect sailing circumstances when we contacted him. When we came closer the thing that I had hoped for and needed was indeed happening. The swell was more to the south and ran against the South breakwater and not into the port. We were in business. There was not a great deal of water under the keel but 9 feet was sufficient to go in. The pilot happily announced that there was funding to dredge the port to 12.5 meters instead of 10.5 and that would make things easier for the future. A good thing for the port and based on that NCL has now also decided to start calling at Puerto Chiapas with their big ships and I think they have even more draft than our Vista Class which until now were the largest ones going in. As a matter of fact during our next call in October we will have to share with an NCL ship. This is not a problem as the port has two very nice berths. I just have to make sure I come in first as I have to dock in the back at berth 2. The bigger ship gets the cruise terminal of course as we are only a little one. Continue reading

As we are staying longer during this call, compared to our regular Trans canal schedule on the southbound cruises, I did not have to arrive that early. The fly tours to the Mayan ruins had ample time to return so a take off at sunrise was not necessary. That made it all a lot more decent for everybody and meant that I did not have to get up at 02.45 in the morning for a 04.00 pilot but at 05.45 for a 07.00 pilot. Much more civilized. Port Control was awake, the pilot was on time and the swell was running onto the breakwater and not into the fairway. Things were perfect and by 08.00 we were happily docked at the cruise terminal. Life in port was busy with at least 5 bulk carriers waiting at the anchorage and a large tanker at the gas oil fuel berth. The first time ever that I have seen a large ship docked there. I saw no loading/unloading activity going on and the pilot could not exactly explain what the ship was doing there. “They were doing things there” was the helpful information received. So I made sure I kept my Statendam well clear of the tanker, so I would not disturb whatever “things” they were doing. Continue reading

We had a scheduled 10 am arrival and thus we arrived at 09:00 at the pilot station. Corinto is reached via a long narrow channel leading through shallow waters and then located behind a natural boundary of islands. It offers a nice sheltered harbor but is difficult to get to as there can be a large swell running in the outer channel, and once in the inner channel there is a lot of current from constantly changing directions. I had not been here since my cadet ship in 1979 so I had to prepare myself carefully with all these variables. Input from other captains had warned me that the pilots were not used to highly maneuverable and low draft cruise ships as they were only dealing with heavy tankers, bulk carriers and container ships. So they tended to be a bit heavy handed with ships that only need a gentle touch.  I had decided to sail the ship in myself and “pump” the pilot (as far as the language barrier allowed) for all local information that I needed. We did swerve and yawned on the following ground swell in the channel as expected, but with two rudders that was controllable.  All worked out well and at 10 am we were safely docked.  Guests were going ashore and we had 40 children from a local school coming on board for a day out. Continue reading

 This place never fails to amaze as it looks like that the authorities have no concept of guest service. Last time we had to tender while a berth became available at 09:00. This time we arrived and the whole dock was free. Not a ship alongside but I still had to go to anchor. That was not looking good as a long low swell was running into the bay causing high waves to crash onto the breakwater and onto the Beach. So we stopped the ship and let it settle to see how much swell there would be running along the tender platforms. It was about two feet and that is way too much. Just imagine stepping in a moving elevator that you have to catch when it moves constantly two feet past the threshold. So I moved further up the anchorage where according to port control, the local experts, it was better. It was not. Coming closer to the shallows the swell only built up more. Thus I had to make the unpleasant announcement; cancel! It is too dangerous; I cannot guarantee your safety on the tender service. So the tenders where pulled back inside again and I turned the bow to open sea. Just when I was about to give a kick ahead to get to a better location while waiting for clearance, port control called, inviting us to come alongside. I wonder why the sudden change of mind; …………… anyway, 20 minutes later I was alongside the dock. Continue reading

It was a glorious wind still day while we sailed under the coast of Costa Rica and then into Golfo Dulce. Wind still and clear skies. It was so wind still that even the wavelets that normally show with windforce 0 or wind force 1 had a hard time forming. Without wind, there is less turbulence above the rain forest and that means that the hot and damp air that is rising from the rain forest does not mix very much with cooler air and that reduces the chances of rain. Cooler air is not cold air, it is just cooler in comparison. The difference might only be 2 or 3o but that is still sufficient for rain clouds to form as the water turns from vapor into rain drops. When entering Golfo Dulce we saw some rain clouds hanging far inland over the mountains but they stayed where they were and we had a dry day. Golfo Dulce is part of Costa Rica and that means that we had to get cleared when coming in. Continue reading

 Bright (at least us on the bridge, the weather was overcast) and early we arrived at the sea buoy of Cristobal for an entry into the break waters at 05.00 as scheduled. We were told to wait as Cristobal Signal Station had a traffic muddle on their hands. Three ships coming with the convoy; and the local dredger (the Charles Darwin) was enlivening it all by slipping in and out inbetween to dump the spoils from dredging in the fairway. They do that every two hours or so when the hold gets full, and they hate to wait for other traffic as that costs money. The dredger has been there all season already as he is busy with deepening the approach channel for when the new locks are ready. Last time he was sitting right in our way when we came in but this time he was on the East Side outside the channel. Still he was part of the holdup and in the end we were inside at 05.15.  

Luckily as we were the first in the southbound day convoy, pennant S 10Z, we did not have to wait for the convoy, we lead the convoy this time. So with a speed of 6 knots we trundled along to the first locks, so we could go in as soon as the 06.00 shift change had been completed. Continue reading