by Steve Sharp | Jan 18, 2024 | 2024, Uncategorized
January 18,2024
Aloha from Hilo on the big Island of Hawaii. Kim is already off shopping. I’m going to enjoy the warm air and read a book by the pool.
Last night we set our clocks ahead one hour for the second time. The only other time we crossed the Pacific Ocean we went from Japan to Alaska. Every other day we lost an hour. One would think that since we really didn’t do much each day, it wouldn’t really matter, but losing an hour several times had an effect on us.
Breakfast was from 7-9 each morning and as you know I never got there until just before 9, and the place was deserted. Well, as time went on I was joined by more and more fellow travelers. Everyone’s butts were dragging by the end of the trip.
One of the major reasons for picking this cruise is that it is sailing west. So, we get 25 hour days instead of 23 hour days. Much nicer.
They cancelled our stop at Christmas Island due to low tides and started the conversation about the Red Sea and how we might change course. That’s not until sometime in May, so fingers crossed it will all be resolved by then.
Tomorrow is Maui.
by Steve Sharp | Jan 17, 2024 | 2024, Uncategorized
This is where our friend Tom worked when he was 13 on Catalina Island. Too bad it was closed rot the winter.
by Steve Sharp | Jan 17, 2024 | 2024, Uncategorized
January 14-17,
Sea day #2.
Well, the best laid plans and all that stuff……
Once we were under way, I wrote a blog only to find I had no access to sailwest.net. For two days and many hours with the ships IT guy, and with the help of my IT guy (sc@clnw.com), no luck. So, I’ll keep writing every day or so, but I won’t be able to publish them until we reach shore. This is our longest sea days strung together and when we hit Hilo, I will publish everything I have written. What this means to you is if we are at sea, don’t look for any news on my blog.
Welcome to the great lake of the Pacific. All calm out here. But, as my good preacher friend said “this too shall pass”. I’m sure we will pay for these smooth sea days.
How do you do 5 days straight at sea? Don’t look at a calendar or clock. If you are hungry, eat, if thirsty, drink, if sleepy, hit the sack. I imagine you have figured out where I’m going with this.
I bought a subscription to NFL, com so I can watch the playoffs and the Superbowl. $6.99, money well spent unless you ask Kim.
Every day at noon our captain gives an update as to how we are doing. Today we are 1679 miles from Hawaii, 635 miles from the nearest land, a small uninhabited island. It’s 72 degrees outside. (sorry snowbound friends).
They brought this guy, Riaan Manser, on board to give us lectures. He is amazing. He has bicycled around Africa, Kayaked around Iceland, and when he proposed to his wife and asked where she would like to get married, she said Hawaii. So, they set off in a rowboat from San Francisco and rowed to Hawaii. His stories of the people he met is so wrought with emotion that it brought me to tears. Folks, we don’t have a clue how well we live our lives. Look him up, he has written several books. They have 2 or 3 lectures a day, We go with the attitude that if we are not interested at the 10 minute mark we will leave, happy to say we haven’t left yet.
Have you ever tried to weigh yourself on a moving ship? Can’t be done! The constant motion, though slight makes the scale to funny things to your weight. Gained 20 pounds oops lost 20 pounds 😉
Tomorrow is Hilo Hawaii! Land! 82 degrees on our veranda today. More later…….
by Steve Sharp | Jan 16, 2024 | 2024, Uncategorized
January 12, 2024
Avalon Catalina Island CA.
Note, the IT guy on the ship could not sleep until he solved my problem. He messaged all of the other IT guys in the fleet and wow here it is. Enjoy
Not much has changed in the past 20+ years since I was last here. There is a new Brewery, but I didn’t partake. IKR, Steve missed opportunity to have a beer? Well, don’t worry we’re back on the ship and I have a beer in hand.
Well, I thought I booked the “perfect” suite. On one side we have a neighbor and on the other side are the lifeboats. As close to the middle of the ship as possible, both horizontally and vertically. On the Port(left) side of the ship(Sunnyside). We handpicked this room for several reasons, it’s midship, that means we are close to everything. It also means that we are “the middle” of the teeter totter, i.e. less motion. Well, on “tender” days, the lifeboats are tenders. Today, the first tender left the ship about 6:15. So, at somewhere before 0 dark 30 and a really good dream, the noise began. So, this is now an earplug suite on all tender days.
We were treated to some great views of a pod of dolphins this morning at breakfast. In a few minutes, we will set sail for Hawaii, 5 days away. Sailwest.net.
Hope to be sending you some wildlife (off the boat) pictures in the next days.
Enjoy!
