Sailing and Such

Sailing. Sunning. Smiling.

Location update as of noon local time (8 hours ahead of EST):
Latitude: 31 degrees, 22.2 minutes S
Longitude: 034 degrees, 26.9 minutes E
Average Speed: 16.7 knots
Distance to Mauritius: 1414 NM
Sea Depth: 2505 M, 8216 feet
Sea Temp: 26 C, 78.8 F
Air Temp: 27 C, 80.6 F
Winds from the Northeast at 20 knots. Moderate Swell, long. Rough seas, scattered clouds.
Wave Height: 3 M, 10 ft

Why hello there. Well, lost yet another hour of sleep last night, so now the ship is 8 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time. It makes for easy conversions when I have my computer and iPod clock still set to EST time, all I do is add the 8 and you get a military time answer…which is what we use onboard, so its quite easy.

You know, even though we’ve only been to three ports, the hardest thing to do is get back into the grove of this thing we have to do on board called school. Classes can be such a downer when you’ve just come back from Safari or the Wine Lands or Cage Shark Diving (chose not to do it). But what makes it great is that there are an endless amount of stories to be heard and shared, both in class and out. I feel like I forget about half the stuff I did but then someone will say something that triggers a memory...and boom, a smile comes back to my face just thinking of what it was like. Especially all the conversations I shared with the local folk in Cape Town, Kariega and beyond. Of which, I think will mean the most in the long run when you remember a lesson taught or a thought shared with someone that lives on the other side of the world.

For the past two days in Global Studies we have been exploring a few exciting things. One of them is something that dates back to the beginning of time when man first began navigating the sea. A very dangerous and daring act to embark in, it took the lives of hundreds of sailors. Frankly, if I saw it happening and it was everything I have pictured it to be, I just might join it…PIRACY!!!!!!!!!!!! The problem is, modern piracy is not an entertaining matter. We all know about the pirate attack that happened off the coast of Somalia in October or November I think it was. Now, that was a rare occasion because today’s pirates do not tend to go after large passenger ships. They prefer the big tankers or fishing vessels with small crews but lots of money in the safe. Why would ships like this have money in their safes, you might ask? Well, payroll for one, and second, which costs a lot more than payroll would be port fees. Our ship paid about $10,000 in port fees while in South Africa. So you can imagine why piracy might be enticing duty for someone willing to pillage and destroy for the risky rewards that come.

Now this is where it gets exciting. As far as where pirates like to attack, well, well, well. Mom, don’t get nervous. Here’s a bit of a list for you: the eastern and western coasts of Africa, all of the Indian Ocean (where I am right now!), the south China Sea (by Hong Kong), and the Caribbean (got out of there safely!). However, the most common and regularly pirated region in all of the seas is the Strait of Malacca. Now, if you can look at a map, and know the countries that I’m going to on this Voyage of Discovery, you might realize that we have to navigate our way through this narrow and long (621 miles long, and at its most narrow point, 1.5 miles wide) strait from Myanmar to Vietnam. It just so happens that the Strait of Malacca happens to be the busiest sea lane in the world and anywhere from 200 to 600 ships pass through there on a daily basis. What makes it easier for pirates, is that it is a narrow and busy region, ships are traveling at a much slower rate and there are lots of inlets and little hidden bays that pirates can hang out in until they are ready to pounce. The three countries that share the strait, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore are responsible for protecting the region; however, there is poor communication between the countries and there have been disputes over who does what and where.

In today’s world you could categorize pirates into three categories. The Individual Entrepreneur – a family operation or small group doing it to get by. There are the Gang Pirates, who are much more organized and are the type we think of when we watch “Pirates of the Caribbean,” and most put the pirates off the coast of Somalia in this category. They are much more organized, sophisticated, and experienced at sea battle. Then there are the type of pirates that governments fear most, Political Pirates, or Terrorist related pirates. The good thing is that most ships are equipped with a variety of equipment to ward off and defend themselves in case of an unlikely attack by pirates. As far as our ship goes, the MV Explorer, we have speed; we are the fastest passenger cruising ship in the sea. Second, we have fire hoses. I know this might sound childish, but when you have pirates climbing up the side of your ship, a powerful stream of water will knock the back to the sea. They are also useful for when there is a small ship approaching yours; a hose could easily capsize a small boat with a powerful blast of water. Also, when we are traversing these dangerous waters, there are crew members stationed all over the ship keeping their eyes peeled for unwanted sailors, there will be even more stationed when we are heading down the Strait of Malacca…stop worrying Mother. This makes the journey all the more exciting!

To bring a smile to ward off those fears of pirates, I’ve got a little Pirate joke for you…
What is a Pirates favorite thing to do…..?
MATE!!!!!!!!!! HAHAHAHA.

OK, OK, sorry, I just had to throw that out there. Anyway, it is a stunning and perfect day at sea. The boat is rocking nicely, and the sun is shining brightly, I did my sunning for the day after my morning classes. I have rehearsal this afternoon and this evening, a few committee meetings tonight, and then the Faculty, Staff and Adult Passenger Social. Each sea has one and it is your chance to drink “adult beverages” with the elder members on board. Should be fun. We decided to make ours the Conversation Piece Social, so you have to either wear or bring something that your bought in port to provoke conversation and make it all the more entertaining and cultural.

Well, I’ve got to do some line reviewing! Till next time.

Cheers Mates!