Day 11; 10 November -at Sea

Day 6 of Atlantic Crossing

Late posting due to loss of satellite internet service.

We managed the usual 1.5 mile walk this morning despite tall wind and salt water spray. This is to be the last full day of the crossing so we use the time to prepare for landfall tomorrow. Cameras are being charged and time adjusted. The itinerary for port is reviewed and appropriate clothing and gear selected. Dollars are exchanged for Euros. $1=.75€ (about). The sky is mostly sunny, then partly cloudy, cloudy, mostly sunny and so on. The white caps continue to rise and fall and the horizon remains a sharp line.

The much awaited (?) noon report: Position 27º 59.58'N and 021º38.57'W, or :Out There!” Course 085. Speed 15.3 knots. Depth 4,780 meters. Wind NE 25k (force 6). Apparent wind off port bow at 35 knots. Temp of 21C/70F. Sunrise 0743, sunset 1836. Total distance 3,465 nm. Noon to noon 366 nm.

Just after recording this information we wandered aft and down 3 decks for lunch in the main dining room. As we arrived there at 12:20 pm the lights went off and the ship fell silent. A few seconds later a few emergency lights came on and we were able to be seated with some other hungry folks by a window. The ship remained silent of the usual mechanical sounds and after a few minutes the Captain came on the PA system and announced we had lost power and were working to restore it. We ordered lunch. The table mates were curious about the situation. I told them about losing power once in the South Pacific when we blew a generator and electrical panel and drifted for about 3 hours undergoing repairs. That didn't help their nervousness. Then the Captain came back on and announced that we had lost propulsion and that the engineers were working on shifting ballast to counteract the list to port. I had noticed when looking out the port side all I could see was water and mostly sky out to starboard. And now without stabilizers we began a slight roll. Regular reports started coming every 5 minutes by the Staff Captain. Finally we learned that one engine then another had come back online, the ship began to make way again, the normal sounds resumed, AC returned and we leveled out again. When Captain Smit came back on the PA at 1:05 were back up to speed and back on course. Although the interruption caused a few guests some concern, frequent floaters didn't seem to mind. We were not concerned as we know the line has professional engineers and crew aboard who can deal with all kinds of mechanical issues. The matter was handled well. Actually, I think this is the third time we have experienced a short power outage while afloat.

The rest of the afternoon was spent preparing for the next day's landfall. All 3 cameras and two video cameras had to be charged and the date/time set. Lenses cleaned and memory cards checked. Backups of photos are done daily. Then shore bags packed according to the anticipated activities ashore. Clothing selected and laid out. Dinner.

Caveat: With full days ahead it is likely this blog will not be updated daily. Before posting I must download a days photos, select those to use in the blog, re-size them and move them to a posting file. The daily log must be completed. From that will come the blog log. The Internet is called up, the blog opened, text copied to the blog, photos added and the whole mess uploaded. Then that is checked for major errors. Minor errors to not keep me awake but the major errors, or the uncertainty thereof, will put demons under my pillow. So if daily updates do not appear, it does not mean we have met our end, but more likely did not have the time. If something major happens you will hear about it on the evening news.