There are three passenger cabins on the ship, for a total capacity of 5 passengers, but on this voyage I was the only one. I had a lot of time to explore the ship, linger over meals, and look at the sky and sea. It was March and we were crossing the north Pacific, so it was pretty cold, and the wind was quite strong, so I had to be very careful when walking out on the deck. Bjorn told me that it took an hour for the ship to come to a stop if they just stopped the engine, although they could make an emergency turning stop in about 15 minutes. It's doubtful anyone would even notice for quite a while if someone fell overboard.
Sometimes, though, we do just turn off the engine and drift. This is because we are making too good time, and are going to arrive in port ahead of schedule, before they're ready for us. We do this at least three times between Japan and Prince Rupert, each time for up to a day. It's serene, just bobbing on this infinite ocean.
The smokestack belches large pieces of papery ash. Bjorn warns me not to let any get on my clothes, as it'll never wash out. Ships burn what's called 'bunker fuel', which is, in the words of the 2nd engineer: "When they are done turning oil into gasoline, and motor oil, and everything else, whatever bullshit is left over."
We were sailing East, and as a result we needed to set our clocks forward an hour every day. I missed many meals accidentally because of this. On Friday the 6th, we crossed the International Date Line, meaning the next day was also Friday the 6th. The galley apparently didn't count on this, and they had to hastily redo the menu. The 2nd Engineer sat down and looked in confusion at what he was served, then exclaimed, "Oh, right - it's 2nd Friday."
On my 6th day, I was given a tour of the engine room by the 2nd Engineer. It was big.
We had several days of rough seas and heavy swells. I didn't get seasick, but everything in my room was tossed around. I understood why the phone was so heavily secured, and why there were latches on every cupboard and closet. My computer would have slid right off the desk, despite its rubber feet, if I hadn't been standing close enough to catch it. In this video, it may not look like much, but it felt like a lot.
Land Ho - Aleutian Islands
Vancouver
Seattle
As we approached the US, on one of the final nights of my voyage, it was 2:30 am and I was about to go to sleep, but then I noticed how clear a night it was and I went up to the bridge. There were many ships about, and a lighthouse ahead of us that passed us to port. The Coast Guard was chattering on the radio, asking us and other ships for information on our destination, cargo, and heading. I kept thinking I could see faint lights on various horizons, but when I went out to scan with my binoculars, I couldn't find them. They must just be reflections on the inside of the bridge windows.
I drank mint tea and looked out the windows for an hour. So peaceful and beautiful. The air temperature outside was only cool, and I could stand behind the glass to be shielded from the wind and look through my binoculars. It was just exactly what I had been wanting when I decided to go by ship.
There are three passenger cabins on the ship, for a total capacity of 5 passengers, but on this voyage I was the only one. I had a lot of time to explore the ship, linger over meals, and look at the sky and sea. It was March and we were crossing the north Pacific, so it was pretty cold, and the wind was quite strong, so I had to be very careful when walking out on the deck. Bjorn told me that it took an hour for the ship to come to a stop if they just stopped the engine, although they could make an emergency turning stop in about 15 minutes. It's doubtful anyone would even notice for quite a while if someone fell overboard.
We were sailing East, and as a result we needed to set our clocks forward an hour every day. I missed many meals accidentally because of this. On Friday the 6th, we crossed the International Date Line, meaning the next day was also Friday the 6th. The galley apparently didn't count on this, and they had to hastily redo the menu. The 2nd Engineer sat down and looked in confusion at what he was served, then exclaimed, "Oh, right - it's 2nd Friday."
