Wind Spirit Status

[ducklite]

There's also the possibility that they sailed back to PPT with an ill passenger.  Until they get to Raiatea there isn't another fully equipped hospital--just small clinics where the care, while excellent, is no more sophisticated than what can be had on board in terms of equipment.  

[milepig]

42 minutes ago, ducklite said:

There's also the possibility that they sailed back to PPT with an ill passenger.  Until they get to Raiatea there isn't another fully equipped hospital--just small clinics where the care, while excellent, is no more sophisticated than what can be had on board in terms of equipment.  

 

There was just a post on the roll call thread. The itin was canceled, people are being allowed to stay on board, although the  PPT port isn't where I'd like to be for a week. The are getting their WS payment back along with airfare, but not any accommodations other than "stay on board." There wasn't any mention about also the charges to rebook a flight. Anyone is free to leave to go to another island or hotel, but WS isn't paying for that. There was talk that some pax managed to rebook on the Paul Gauguin, WS gave them the phone number and said they were on their own.

 

This is one time that explains why I use a TA - one call to him (or actually he might call me first) and he'd get it all sorted out. We were caught in the aftermath of the Pride grounding - not that itin but the next. And he contacted me by email phone and text before we heard anything from WS. Those messages from him came as we were leaving for the airport and he saved the day.

[msears101]

I will second that. A GOOD TA is worth their weight in gold when things go sideways.

 

I had dinner with the captain, the night before the incident.  He told us they were planning on rebuilding an 'engine' while we did our overnight in Bora Bora.  They had taken on two extra crew for the work. During the returning guest cocktail hour (first night of Bora Bora), I asked the Chief Engineer how the rebuild was going in Bora Bora.  He said the 'generator' rebuild was nearly done.  I asked a few more questions. He was not interested in chatting. We left  Bora Bora the next night without incident. I was not paying attention.  We had just gotten back from the "fire dancing" - I was not paying attention.  However leaving Huahine we seemed to be a drift for a little bit before heading out.   We started to turn to head out, but then stopped unexpectedly.  We eventually did begin to move, but it was not a normal departure in my opinion.

 

Also we used a tug boat to help us into Papeete.  I would not have expected it. On the way out we only brought on board the harbor pilot.  It is a tad trickier pulling out of the harbor when they have to back out and turn around, then just pull in.  I would have expected a tug more on the way out, not on the way in - unless there was an issue.

 

It is unclear if it was the work in Bora Bora, the bump in Raiatea, or if it is a third unknown issue that caused them to cancel the itinerary.  It is becoming less likely it has anything to do with Raiatea, they would have skipped Bora Bora, Taha'a, and Huahine, if that were the case on the cruise I was on.  

 

I am a sailor.  I have always been disappointed in the "sailing" effort of windstar crew.  This crew, specifically the second officer seemed to take pride in trimming his sails regularly. I would often say something like that sail needs to be let out, and usually in a minute it was.  Leaving Huahine the sails were in odd positions.  Either they were not paying attention and preoccupied with something, or they could have been using them to steer.  The sails at times were being filled from the wrong side.  This would slow us down a little, but primarily it would have in this case caused the bow of the boat to move to port.  

 

Based on their track yesterday it looks like they were testing systems in the open ocean.  Also their AIS system did not broadcast a destination, which leads me to believe they were not actually cruising - just going out to test.

 

I have resisted publicly speculating, but there seems to be interest in this and figured I would share the info that I have.

 

Hopefully - she will be back sailing again.  I love both the MSY Wind Star, and MSY Wind Spirit.