After leaving Jakarta, we spent a day at sea, heading north and making for a waypoint off the Horsburgh light and the eastern entrance of the Vessel Traffic System for the Malacca Straits.
We crossed the equator again at 6:20 p.m. on the 3rd and the morning was spent initiating young crew members into the realm of King Neptune. The tradition involves the ‘victim’ being put before Neptune and his or her ‘crimes’ being announced; they then have to ‘kiss the fish’ before being subjected to a thorough dousing of vile-looking substances. These are in fact natural food-colouring and are harmless; a far cry from my initiating ceremony in the 70’s. Then I had my head shaved and was covered in vile smelling substances, none of which were ‘natural’, it took around 2 weeks to get presentably clean. 🙁
Staff officers, myself included, act as judges. We decide the victims fate, whether they are into the pool or have to wait, while covered in slime.
Judgement, this one is going into the pool
The slime is applied
Unplanned, the Staff officers are slimed and into the pool, I managed to give as good as I got…
Not to be outdone, Neptune goes in, as does the Judge, Gene, our Cruise Director
In the wee hours of the 4th, we entered the Traffic lanes of the Malacca Straits. This was no easy feat, for to do so, we had to cross the eastbound lane first and then slip into the westbound. This is akin to trying to push a pram across a motorway 😉 and required variations in speed and course to accomplish.
Having successfully got ourselves into the westbound lane, the night was spent in close proximity to other vessels as we (mainly) overtook them. Occasionally, a fast container ship would fly past us. One has to stay on hand-steering in the lanes, alterations of course and speed are continuous as one weaves through vessels. We had supplemented the Bridge team; such complex situations required experience and knowledge to assist the watch-keeping officers and Gerd and I spelled each other through out the night.
6 in the morning found us approaching the pilot station and our journey into Cruise Bay and the Harbourfront Cruise centre.
A web view of Singapore Island VTS. The green dots and shapes are vessels
Our track from the westbound lane and into Cruise Bay
Cruise Bay entrance and the berth.
Karen and I, Col and Paris, Peggy and Leslie joined Leslie’s son Marty, (who had flown in to see her) and toured some of Singapore. It is so vast that seeing it all is difficult, so we went to Clarke Quay and the Botanical gardens. If you want more photos, my blog from our call last year is still there.
Cruise Bay and the entrance, right
The Amsterdam on the berth
And Clarke Quay, somewhat deserted at this time of the morning, it comes alive around lunchtime and is busy until the wee hours.
Children getting wet in the fountains
River-boats waiting for their tourists
We leave here at 5 p.m. for the 194-miles passage to Port Klang, Malaysia’s busiest port and the gateway to Kuala Lumpur.
