Live from the Viking Star World Cruise 2021-22

[TayanaLorna]

4 hours ago, GKTV32162 said:

World Cruise Day 48/152 - Sea Day - Rounding Cape Horn - we're now qualified to wear a gold earing and eat with a foot on the table

 

https://kolbsontheroad.blogspot.com/2022/02/world-cruise-day-48152-sea-day-rounding.html

Another great chapter and photos.  Here are some sights you missed after Ushuaia when it was dark as the Star sailed to Cape Horn.  Port Williams and the Pinnacles.

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

1 hour ago, TayanaLorna said:

Another great chapter and photos.  Here are some sights you missed after Ushuaia when it was dark as the Star sailed to Cape Horn.  Port Williams and the Pinnacles.

Curious - in the picture before this one, do you know if those are lighthouses, or one of them?  I'm always on the lookout for lighthouses.  But I know nothing about that part of the world.  

 

[Jim Avery]

4 minutes ago, IWantToLiveOverTheSea said:

Curious - in the picture before this one, do you know if those are lighthouses, or one of them?  I'm always on the lookout for lighthouses.  But I know nothing about that part of the world.  

 

I like a good lighthouse as well.  Have you sailed the real Inside Passage in BC Canada?  The Canadian lighthouses are very picturesque.  Major cruise lines, including Viking, tend to miss this stretch.  The Alaska Marine Highway or the small ship operators in Alaska tend to be the best viewing for these lighthouses.  

[TayanaLorna]

2 hours ago, IWantToLiveOverTheSea said:

Curious - in the picture before this one, do you know if those are lighthouses, or one of them?  I'm always on the lookout for lighthouses.  But I know nothing about that part of the world.  

 

They sure look like a pair of lighthouses but i cannot confirm.  And what I called the Pinnacles is incorrect.  The formations are known as the Gables on Isla Gable (of course). 

 

We traveled with the Patagonian & Fuegian Channels Chilean Fjords Cruise Chart.  It is not a navigation chart with the lighthouses, channel markers or bouys but it does name all the islands, channels, bays, lakes and has red dashes indicating the navigable routes for ships as well as naming many of the glaciers.  I would recommend it for anyone sailing on a cruise ship in the area between Puerto Montt and Cape Horn that is interested in this sort of thing.   Here are sample chart snapshots of some of the routes the WC traveled.

[stretchcruz]

Rose's blog said that they have a positive case now. I must have missed it. And 2 contacts quarantined for 10 days?

[GKTV32162]

World Cruise Day 49/152 - Sea Day - They stamped us! Whale how about that?

 

 

https://kolbsontheroad.blogspot.com/2022/02/world-cruise-day-49152-sea-day-they.html

[deec]

7 hours ago, Jim Avery said:

I like a good lighthouse as well.  Have you sailed the real Inside Passage in BC Canada?  The Canadian lighthouses are very picturesque.  Major cruise lines, including Viking, tend to miss this stretch.  The Alaska Marine Highway or the small ship operators in Alaska tend to be the best viewing for these lighthouses.  

Jim, when we were very young we did Alaska with backpacks and the Alaska Marine Highway's Ferries took us  by wonderful lighthouses and new city campgrounds each night!!!  not quite Viking style but magnificent views!!!

[Heidi13]

21 minutes ago, deec said:

Jim, when we were very young we did Alaska with backpacks and the Alaska Marine Highway's Ferries took us  by wonderful lighthouses and new city campgrounds each night!!!  not quite Viking style but magnificent views!!!

 

Definitely the best way to see the Alaska Coast.

[Jim Avery]

28 minutes ago, deec said:

Jim, when we were very young we did Alaska with backpacks and the Alaska Marine Highway's Ferries took us  by wonderful lighthouses and new city campgrounds each night!!!  not quite Viking style but magnificent views!!!

Good times, Dee.🍺

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

9 hours ago, Jim Avery said:

I like a good lighthouse as well.  Have you sailed the real Inside Passage in BC Canada?  The Canadian lighthouses are very picturesque.  Major cruise lines, including Viking, tend to miss this stretch.  The Alaska Marine Highway or the small ship operators in Alaska tend to be the best viewing for these lighthouses.  

I've cruised the Inside Passage on Oceania and did see some lighthouses in Canada. But I don't remember which ones I saw, or which cities in Canada we visited. I've seen red and white Brockton Point lighthouse in Vancouver, perhaps precruise at least but I've no doubt missed many in Canada. 

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

6 hours ago, TayanaLorna said:

They sure look like a pair of lighthouses but i cannot confirm.  And what I called the Pinnacles is incorrect.  The formations are known as the Gables on Isla Gable (of course). 

 

We traveled with the Patagonian & Fuegian Channels Chilean Fjords Cruise Chart.  It is not a navigation chart with the lighthouses, channel markers or bouys but it does name all the islands, channels, bays, lakes and has red dashes indicating the navigable routes for ships as well as naming many of the glaciers.  I would recommend it for anyone sailing on a cruise ship in the area between Puerto Montt and Cape Horn that is interested in this sort of thing.   Here are sample chart snapshots of some of the routes the WC traveled.

Wow, so many little islands.

[SJD117]

1 hour ago, deec said:

Jim, when we were very young we did Alaska with backpacks and the Alaska Marine Highway's Ferries took us  by wonderful lighthouses and new city campgrounds each night!!!  not quite Viking style but magnificent views!!!

I took the Marine Highway ferries from Juneau to Seattle in the summer; Skagway, AK to Bellingham, WA in the winter; and Seattle to Haines, AK in the winter. Each time I set up my tent and "camped" in the boat's top-deck solarium. Great fun!  

[GKTV32162]

World Cruise Day 50/152 - Sea Day ramblings, 33.333% gone, flybys, and a sunset, finally

 

https://kolbsontheroad.blogspot.com/2022/02/world-cruise-day-50152-sea-day-ramblings.html

[Azulann]

Love the picture so of the bird. And the sunset is spectacular.

 I am so enjoying your daily blog.  Thank you so much. 

[Aquadesiac]

Sorry it's taken us a while to load up all the photos! Scenic cruising is such an understatement! 

 

Day 27 https://roundtheworldwriter.blogspot.com/2022/02/day-27-sea-day-with-scenic-moments.html

Day 28 https://roundtheworldwriter.blogspot.com/2022/02/day-28-baby-its-cold-outside-chilean.html

Day 29 https://roundtheworldwriter.blogspot.com/2022/02/day-29-punta-arenas-chile.html

Day 30 https://roundtheworldwriter.blogspot.com/2022/02/day-30-unexpected-delight.html 

[GKTV32162]

World Cruise Day 51/152 - Sea Day - Pushers, Crises, and with apologies to Davie Bowie...Ch...ch...ch...ch...changes
 

https://kolbsontheroad.blogspot.com/2022/02/world-cruise-day-51152-sea-day-pushers.html

[Jim Avery]

The national sandwich of Uruguay is the  Completo. Fantastic.  See Anthony Bourdain's files to go where the best is.  🍺

[Heidi13]

1 hour ago, GKTV32162 said:

World Cruise Day 51/152 - Sea Day - Pushers, Crises, and with apologies to Davie Bowie...Ch...ch...ch...ch...changes
 

https://kolbsontheroad.blogspot.com/2022/02/world-cruise-day-51152-sea-day-pushers.html

 

With respect to Abandon Ship/Fire Drills, SOLAS require pax vessels to hold them weekly, with all crew attending a drill at least once per month. Most of these are scheduled when pax are ashore.

 

The fire-fighter SCBA cylinders are filled with compressed air, not oxygen.

[carolyn22]

You should consider framing that second sunset picture. It is spectacular!

 

Thank you for doing this blog and letting us live vicariously though you. 

[Aquadesiac]

We were given the final revised itinerary when we joined the WC in LA, and "Uncle Torstein" promised us a world class experience. Mission accomplished!  

Cruising around the Horn: 

https://roundtheworldwriter.blogspot.com/2022/02/day-31-in-which-we-go-round-horn.html 

[Aquadesiac]

Sea Days are my happy place! Good thing. That's where we were for Days 32-34 with more to come after Uruguay!

https://roundtheworldwriter.blogspot.com/2022/02/day-32-33-34-water-water-everywhere.html 

[MarkTapley]

1 hour ago, Aquadesiac said:

Sea Days are my happy place! Good thing. That's where we were for Days 32-34 with more to come after Uruguay!

https://roundtheworldwriter.blogspot.com/2022/02/day-32-33-34-water-water-everywhere.html 

Really enjoying your blog, particularly the nautical term of the day!

[GKTV32162]

Word Cruise Day 52/152 - Montevideo, Uruguay - Sacramento and Los Angeles - what?

 

https://kolbsontheroad.blogspot.com/2022/02/word-cruise-day-52152-montevideo.html

[stretchcruz]

33 minutes ago, GKTV32162 said:

Word Cruise Day 52/152 - Montevideo, Uruguay - Sacramento and Los Angeles - what?

 

https://kolbsontheroad.blogspot.com/2022/02/word-cruise-day-52152-montevideo.html

Love your blog. Not a fan of football. Just watched the halftime show. Not a fan. On to reruns of Dick Van Dyke

[Heidi13]

3 hours ago, GKTV32162 said:

Word Cruise Day 52/152 - Montevideo, Uruguay - Sacramento and Los Angeles - what?

 

https://kolbsontheroad.blogspot.com/2022/02/word-cruise-day-52152-montevideo.html

 

Tugs - With almost daily docking, cruise ships try to avoid hiring tugs, as with thrusters, pods/high-lift rudders they can handle most dockings/undockings unassisted. They will be ordered by the Master, if wind is a concern, or the port is tight, or they can be a compulsary requirement of the Harbourmaster.

 

Based on you photos, I would say the port requires mandatory tugs. However, they locate and assist at the direction of the local pilot, who issues orders via radio. Tugs can be made fast with a ship or tug line, or stand-by to push. Making fast or pushing is the pilot's decision and both options have pros/cons.

 

As a Master, unless the tugs have their tires/fenders covered with white canvas, I prefer the tugs to be made fast and avoid pushing on the hull, lest we get the unsightly black marks, which the deck crew must soogee/paint.

 

If the tug hit the ship, that is indicative of tug Master error, unless the ship required an emergency push. If given an order to push, the tug normally eases alongside, then applies power to push.

 

The photo showing the tug astern secured with a tug line is a normal arrangement, with the tug just following the ship. If the ship experiences mechanical failure, the tug assists with steering and stopping the ship.

 

Tug pictured looks fairly new and based on the colours, is part of the Smit (Saam) Towing Group. It is a standard ship docking tractor tug found in many ports. Power is probably 3,000 to 5,000 HP and like many of the company's tugs was probably designed in Canada.