[Rhodes22-list] Cruise Ship Security
Roger Pihlaja
rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org
Thu, 15 Aug 2002 16:31:29 -0400
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Bill,
When we initially checked in, we were required to have two government =
issued pieces of ID. In Deb's & my case, we both had our Michigan =
driver's license & US passport. The cruise ship then issued us a "blue =
card", which was like a credit card with a magnetic strip down the back. =
The blue card had our name, the ship's name, the cruise dates, & our =
dining room table assignment embossed into the front, but not our =
stateroom number. As we entered the ship for the 1st time, we had to =
stick our blue card into a reader & get a digital picture taken. This =
picture had to be taken without any glasses or hat. Losing your blue =
card was a fairly big deal & the cruise line charged $30 for a new one.
At each port-of-call, there were only one or two gangways available for =
leaving & reentering the ship. There were armed security guards at each =
gangway. All bags were x-rayed before being allowed onto the ship. =
Each returning passenger had to pass thru a metal detector arch.
At each port-of-call, as you left the ship, you stuck your blue card =
into a reader, which logged the time you left. When you came back =
aboard, after you had passed thru the metal detector & your bags had =
been x-rayed, you took off your glasses & hat, stuck your blue card into =
the reader, & another digital photo was taken of your face. This photo =
was instantly displayed side-by-side with the initial photo on a monitor =
in front of one of the security guards. This system allowed the cruise =
line to account for everyone on the cruise on a real time basis.
All passengers were also strongly cautioned not to go off on their own & =
to stick to the recommended merchants & the tours provided by the cruise =
company.
All-in-all, I thought they made a pretty reasonable effort at =
maintaining security without being too intrusive about it.
Roger Pihlaja
S/V Dynamic Equilibrium
=20
----- Original Message -----=20
From: Bill Effros=20
To: rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org=20
Sent: Thursday, August 15, 2002 2:06 PM
Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Cruise Ship Security
Roger,
Was there any security on your ship?
Cruise ships have been targeted in the past. Is anything being done =
to ensure it won't happen again?
Bill Effros
----- Original Message -----=20
From: Roger Pihlaja=20
To: rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org=20
Sent: Tuesday, August 13, 2002 11:25 AM
Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Roger & Deb's Excellent Caribbean Adventure
Hi Everybody,
Well, Deb & I are back from our Caribbean cruise to celebrate our 25th =
wedding anniversary. We sailed on Royal Caribbean's newest ship, the =
"Adventure of the Sea". The Adeventure of the Sea is 1020 feet LOA with =
a top speed of 22 knots. With 19 decks, an unbelievable variety of =
amenities, & a crew of about 1400 to serve about 2500 passengers, this =
type of vacation is all about getting spoiled! The Adventure of the Sea =
had 3 swimming pools, 2 children's wading pools, 6 hot tubs, a water =
slide, inline skating track, rock climbing wall, running track, =
shipshape exercise center, day spa, 3 huge formal dining rooms, a couple =
of "theme" restaurants, a couple of buffet or cafeteria style =
restuarants that served food 24/7, a library, a shopping mall, the =
"Casino Royale" gambling casino, a couple of theaters, and many bars. =
One of the theaters did Broadway quality musical &/or improv comedy =
shows almost every night. The musical shows had all the fantastic =
costumes, lighting, live orchestra, sound sytem, special effects, & =
elaborate quick-change stage sets that you see on Broadway. The other =
theater was set up to do an "Ice Capades" style figure skating show & =
also features fantastic costumes, lighting, sound system, elaborate =
special effects, & stage sets.
Our stateroom attendant was like some kind of ninja. We hardly ever =
saw her. But, nearly every time we returned to the room, no matter how =
briefly we'd been gone, she'd been in our room cleaning, changing the =
bed linen, delivering fresh towels, turning down the sheets & putting a =
chocolate on the pillows, etc. Every evening, returning to our =
stateroom after dinner, there would be some sort of new "sculpture" made =
from towels either on the bed or hanging from the ceiling - everything =
from towel swans & fish to little people wearing my sunglasses & Tilley =
hat! She was very creative.
The cruise itinerary went like this:
Aug 4th: Depart From San Juan, Puerto Rico @ 10:00 PM
Aug 5th: Port of Call, Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas
Aug 6th: Port of Call, Philipsburg, St. Maarten
Aug 7th: Port of Call, St. Johns, Antigua
Aug 8th: Port of Call, Castries, St. Lucia
Aug 8th: Port of Call, Bridgetown, Barbados
Aug 9th: At Sea
Aug 10th: Port of Call, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Aug 11th: Stayed an extra day ashore in San Juan, Puerto Rico
Aug 12th: Depart from San Juan, Puerto Rico at 3:10 PM & flew home
Deb & I toured some Ports of Call together & also did some things =
separately. I got my PADI SCUBA diving certification on this cruise. =
The cost to get SCUBA certified on the cruise was very competitive with =
the cost to get certified locally here in Michigan. Of course, the dive =
sites are simply incredible!
Another highlight of the trip for me was crewing aboard a 12 Meter, =
America's Cup sailing match race in St. Maarten. Up to this point, I'd =
never even seen an America's Cup boat up close, to say nothing of =
actually crewing aboard one during a match race! The boats were from =
the 1987 cup defense in Perth, Australia. Dennis Conner's crew aboard =
"Stars & Stripes" beat the Australians in four straight match races to =
bring the America's Cup back to the USA. But this time, the America's =
Cup went to San Diego, CA not New York. One of the boats racing that =
day was Stars & Stripes. The other boat was "KC-2" from Canada. We =
chose up teams on the dock, just like it was some sort of pick-up =
softball game in the park. I ended up on the KC-2. Each boat had a =
professional skipper & 2 other professional crew to call the trimming of =
the genoa. After the teams were choosen, crew positions aboard each =
boat were assigned based upon experience, physical size, & brawn. My =
20+ years of sailing experience landed me the job of mainsail trimmer, =
controlling the mainsheet. I had command of two really big guys manning =
the coffee grinder winch that provided the power for me to be able to =
trim the huge mainsail. The boats were rigged with 135% roller furling =
genoas & loose footed mainsails to simplify sail handling for =
inexperienced crews. In addition, there were no triradial spinnakers to =
fly on the downwind legs. But, all the other gear was as it was during =
the actual America's Cup races. The race course was a shortened =
windward/leeward type course with timed start. Each leg was 1 nm & =
there were five legs for a total of 5 nm. The starting & finishing legs =
were to windward. The weather was perfect for sailboat racing: partly =
cloudy, about 80 deg F, 20 knot winds, & 3 - 5 foot seas. KC-2 lost the =
start to Stars & Stripes by about a half a boat length. However, Stars =
& Stripes failed to cover us on the upwind tacking duel & choked on a =
couple of tacks as well. By the end of the 1st windward leg, KC-2 was =
about two boat lengths in the lead. At this point, we found out why =
Stars & Stripes took the America's Cup in four straight races. With a =
building sea breeze & an opposing tide, both wind & tidal current =
favored the nearshore route on the downwind leg. I couldn't believe it =
when Stars & Stripes didn't cover us & gibed onto the offshore route at =
the 1st windward mark! However, when we met again at the leeward mark, =
Stars & Stripes was about a half boat length in the lead. Stars & =
Stripes choked when when they rounded the leeward mark & KC-2 pulled =
ahead. The 3rd leg was another furious tacking duel. But, KC-2 managed =
to cover Stars & Stripes & we were about one boat length in the lead at =
the end of the 3rd leg. Both boats rounded the windward mark cleanly. =
But, this time, Stars & Stripes choose to cover us on the nearshore =
route on the downwind 4th leg. They simply rolled over the top of us & =
there was nothing we could do about it! By the end of the 4th leg, =
Stars & Stripes was about two boat lengths ahead. But, then their =
mainsail trimmer screwed up the gibe around the leeward mark. >From my =
station aboard KC-2, it looked & sounded (much cursing & swearing!) like =
their mainsail trimmer allowed an override to develop on the winch drum, =
it jammed the mainsheet, & they couldn't trim in the mainsail for the =
windward leg. KC-2 rounded cleanly & we were about two boat lengths =
ahead by the time Stars & Stripes got its act together. We tried to get =
Stars & Stripes into another upwind tacking duel, but they were having =
none of that. We split tacks, headed for the favored side of the =
course, & drag raced for the finish line. Stars & Stripes took us by =
about 1 foot at the finish line. Arggg! Stars & Stripes definitely had =
the boat speed on KC-2. The only reason the contest was even close was =
because we'd sailed a much better race, made better tactical decisions, =
& made many fewer sail handling mistakes aboard KC-2. After the race, =
the professional helmsman let me drive KC-2 back to the harbor under =
sail. Even with a steering wheel, the helm was responsive to the point =
of being squirrelly. Everything was very taut with absolutely no slop =
in the steering system. What fun! It was an experience I'll remember =
all my life.
Despite being located in the tropics, many of these islands are only =
green & lush near their coastlines. As soon as you head inland, they =
have a dry, semi-arid type of climate. Two notable exceptions are =
Puerto Rico & St. Lucia, which both get sufficient rainfall to have =
tropical rain forests covering their mountains. =20
On St. Lucia, Deb & I took a tour by boat & bus to a "dormant" volcano =
called Mount Soufrie're (Soo-Free: A French word meaning "sulfur air"). =
Apparently, at some point in the not too distant past, Mount Soufrie're =
exploded like Mount St. Helen, sending several cubic MILES of rock up =
into the atmosphere. Today, you can drive into the volcanic crater =
where there are bubbling sulfurous hot springs, steam vents, elemental =
sulfur deposits, & the air is foul with the smell of hydrogen sulfide =
gas (smells like rotten eggs!). We stood in the bottom of the volcanic =
crater & looked up at the rim of the crater towering 200 - 300 feet =
above us. Then, I looked to the west, where about 1/3 of the crater & =
mountain were simply "missing" & tried to imagine the immense explosion =
required to create this landscape!
In Puerto Rico, Deb & I rented a car & drove up into the Caribbean =
National Forest, known locally as the El Yunkee Rain Forest (Yung-Kay: =
Also the name of a 3494 foot elevation mountain top within the rain =
forest). The Caribbean National Forest is the only tropical rain forest =
in the US National Park system. The vegetation is dense almost beyond =
description. Walking around, we could typically hear perhaps a dozen or =
more different birds, insects, tree frogs, & other critters. By the =
volume of the sound, they had to be no more than 10 - 15 feet away. =
Yet, the plant growth was so dense that we never saw a single critter =
the entire time we were in the rain forest! I was surprised to see =
familier northern hardwood species of trees like oak & maple growing =
alongside of palm, banana, & bamboo trees. Everything was covered in =
vines & moss. It rained hard on the drive up into the park. We were =
lucky that it stopped raining for a little while when we were in the =
park. But, it was late in the afternoon, we didn't have the right =
equipment to go hiking on the steep, slippery, muddy foot trails, & it =
looked like it was going to start raining again any minute. So, we =
stuck to what we could see from the main paved roads, which was still =
pretty spectacular, especially the waterfalls!
Rummy take note - Bacardi Rum has its largest & newest rum distillery =
open for free guided tours near San Juan, Puerto Rico. They give FREE =
samples of all their products! As a chemical engineer, I enjoyed seeing =
the process of making various types of rum scaled up to an enormous =
world-scale size. =20
Puerto Rico & St. Thomas were the only two islands, we visited, which =
had any significant middle class. The other islands were very much 3rd =
world with the vast majority of poverty stricken "have-nots" living in =
the shadow of the opulent estates of the relatively few fabulously =
wealthy & politically powerful "haves". Everywhere we went on these =
islands, the natives tried to aggressively sell us their handicrafts, =
things like bead necklaces, conch shells, & carved wooden ships models. =
A lot of it made Deb & I feel pretty uncomfortable. It made us feel =
guilty of conspicuous consumption. We felt sorry for them, & yet we =
really didn't want to buy a bead necklace or conch shell. Despite all =
this, we didn't see anyone who was starving, homeless, obviously in dire =
need of medical care, & apparently the literacy rate on all of these =
islands is in the 95+% range. Everyone was basically pretty friendly. =
After 500+ years of colonial rule by the Spanish, French, Dutch, =
British, & the United States; the culture & architecture on each of =
these islands was an interesting mixture. Each was different from the =
others. Most of the island tours concentrated on the colonial history, =
most of which is very well preserved & on display.
With me not working, Deb & I hestitated to spend the money on =
ourselves to take this cruise. In the end, we decided that the Dow =
Chemical Co. had virtually nothing to do with our 25 years together & we =
weren't going to let a stupid corporate decision to downsize me ruin =
this important occasion. Yes, it was expensive, but I'm glad we went!
Roger Pihlaja
S/V Dynamic Equilibrium
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Bill,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>When we initially checked in, we were =
required to=20
have two government issued pieces of ID. In Deb's & my case, =
we both=20
had our Michigan driver's license & US passport. The cruise =
ship then=20
issued us a "blue card", which was like a credit card with a magnetic =
strip down=20
the back. The blue card had our name, the ship's name, the cruise =
dates,=20
& our dining room table assignment embossed into the front, but not =
our=20
stateroom number. As we entered the ship for the 1st time, we had =
to stick=20
our blue card into a reader & get a digital picture taken. =
This=20
picture had to be taken without any glasses or hat. Losing your =
blue card=20
was a fairly big deal & the cruise line charged $30 for a new=20
one.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>At each port-of-call, there were only =
one or two=20
gangways available for leaving & reentering the ship. There =
were armed=20
security guards at each gangway. All bags were x-rayed before =
being=20
allowed onto the ship. Each returning passenger had to pass =
thru a=20
metal detector arch.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>At each port-of-call, as you left the =
ship, you=20
stuck your blue card into a reader, which logged the time you =
left. When=20
you came back aboard, after you had passed thru the metal detector & =
your=20
bags had been x-rayed, you took off your glasses & hat, stuck your =
blue card=20
into the reader, & another digital photo was taken of your =
face. =20
This photo was instantly displayed side-by-side with the initial photo =
on a=20
monitor in front of one of the security guards. This system =
allowed the=20
cruise line to account for everyone on the cruise on a real time=20
basis.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>All passengers were also strongly =
cautioned not to=20
go off on their own & to stick to the recommended merchants & =
the tours=20
provided by the cruise company.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>All-in-all, I thought they made a =
pretty reasonable=20
effort at maintaining security without being too intrusive about=20
it.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Roger Pihlaja</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>S/V Dynamic Equilibrium</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=3Dltr=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
<A title=3Dbill@effros.com href=3D"mailto:bill@effros.com">Bill =
Effros</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=3Drhodes22-list@rhodes22.org=20
=
href=3D"mailto:rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org">rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org</A>=
</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, August 15, 2002 =
2:06=20
PM</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [Rhodes22-list] Cruise =
Ship=20
Security</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>Roger,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>Was there any security on your =
ship?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>Cruise ships have been targeted in the =
past. Is=20
anything being done to ensure it won't happen again?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>Bill Effros</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message -----=20
<DIV style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A=20
title=3Dcen09402@centurytel.net =
href=3D"mailto:cen09402@centurytel.net">Roger=20
Pihlaja</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=3Drhodes22-list@rhodes22.org=20
=
href=3D"mailto:rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org">rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org</A>=
</DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, August 13, 2002 11:25 AM</DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> [Rhodes22-list] Roger & Deb's Excellent =
Caribbean=20
Adventure</DIV></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Hi Everybody,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Well, Deb & I are back from our =
Caribbean=20
cruise to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. We sailed on =
Royal=20
Caribbean's newest ship, the "Adventure of the Sea". The =
Adeventure of=20
the Sea is 1020 feet LOA with a top speed of 22 knots. With =
19=20
decks, an unbelievable variety of amenities, & a crew of =
about=20
1400 to serve about 2500 passengers, this type of vacation =
is all=20
about getting spoiled! The Adventure of the Sea had 3 swimming =
pools, 2=20
children's wading pools, 6 hot tubs, a water slide, inline skating =
track, rock=20
climbing wall, running track, shipshape exercise center, day spa, 3 =
huge=20
formal dining rooms, a couple of "theme" restaurants, a couple of =
buffet=20
or cafeteria style restuarants that served food 24/7, a library, a =
shopping=20
mall, the "Casino Royale" gambling casino, a couple of theaters, and =
many=20
bars. One of the theaters did Broadway quality musical=20
&/or improv comedy shows almost every night. The =
musical=20
shows had all the fantastic costumes, lighting, live orchestra, =
sound=20
sytem, special effects, & elaborate quick-change stage sets that =
you see=20
on Broadway. The other theater was set up to do an "Ice Capades" =
style=20
figure skating show & also features fantastic costumes, lighting, =
sound=20
system, elaborate special effects, & stage sets.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Our stateroom attendant was like some =
kind of=20
ninja. We hardly ever saw her. But, nearly every time we =
returned=20
to the room, no matter how briefly we'd been gone, she'd been in our =
room=20
cleaning, changing the bed linen, delivering fresh towels, turning =
down the=20
sheets & putting a chocolate on the pillows, etc. Every =
evening,=20
returning to our stateroom after dinner, there would be some sort of =
new=20
"sculpture" made from towels either on the bed or hanging from the =
ceiling -=20
everything from towel swans & fish to little people wearing my =
sunglasses=20
& Tilley hat! She was very creative.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The cruise itinerary went like =
this:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Aug 4th: Depart From San Juan, Puerto =
Rico @=20
10:00 PM</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Aug 5th: Port of Call, Charlotte =
Amalie, St.=20
Thomas</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Aug 6th: Port of Call, Philipsburg, =
St.=20
Maarten</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Aug 7th: Port of Call, St. Johns,=20
Antigua</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Aug 8th: Port of Call, Castries, St.=20
Lucia</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Aug 8th: Port of Call, Bridgetown,=20
Barbados</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Aug 9th: At Sea</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Aug 10th: Port of Call, San Juan, =
Puerto=20
Rico</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Aug 11th: Stayed an extra day ashore =
in San Juan,=20
Puerto Rico</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Aug 12th: Depart from San =
Juan, Puerto=20
Rico at 3:10 PM & flew home</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Deb & I toured some Ports of Call =
together=20
& also did some things separately. I got my PADI SCUBA =
diving=20
certification on this cruise. The cost to get SCUBA =
certified on=20
the cruise was very competitive with the cost to get certified locally =
here in=20
Michigan. Of course, the dive sites are simply =
incredible!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Another highlight of the trip for me =
was crewing=20
aboard a 12 Meter, America's Cup sailing match race in St.=20
Maarten. Up to this point, I'd never even seen an America's Cup =
boat up=20
close, to say nothing of actually crewing aboard one during a match=20
race! The boats were from the 1987 cup defense in Perth,=20
Australia. Dennis Conner's crew aboard "Stars & Stripes" =
beat the=20
Australians in four straight match races to bring the America's =
Cup back=20
to the USA. But this time, the America's Cup went to =
San=20
Diego, CA not New York. One of the boats racing that day was =
Stars &=20
Stripes. The other boat was "KC-2" from Canada. We chose =
up=20
teams on the dock, just like it was some sort of pick-up softball =
game in=20
the park. I ended up on the KC-2. Each boat had a =
professional=20
skipper & 2 other professional crew to call the =
trimming of the=20
genoa. After the teams were choosen, crew positions aboard each =
boat=20
were assigned based upon experience, physical size, & brawn. =
My 20+=20
years of sailing experience landed me the job of mainsail =
trimmer,=20
controlling the mainsheet. I had command of two really big guys =
manning=20
the coffee grinder winch that provided the power for me to be able=20
to trim the huge mainsail. The boats were rigged =
with 135%=20
roller furling genoas & loose footed mainsails to simplify sail =
handling=20
for inexperienced crews. In addition, there were no triradial =
spinnakers=20
to fly on the downwind legs. But, all the other gear was as =
it was=20
during the actual America's Cup races. The race course =
was a=20
shortened windward/leeward type course with timed start. Each =
leg was 1=20
nm & there were five legs for a total of 5 nm. The =
starting=20
& finishing legs were to windward. The weather was perfect =
for=20
sailboat racing: partly cloudy, about 80 deg F, 20 knot winds, & 3 =
- 5=20
foot seas. KC-2 lost the start to Stars & =
Stripes by about=20
a half a boat length. However, Stars & Stripes failed to =
cover us on=20
the upwind tacking duel & choked on a couple of tacks as =
well. =20
By the end of the 1st windward leg, KC-2 was about two boat =
lengths=20
in the lead. At this point, we found out why Stars & Stripes =
took=20
the America's Cup in four straight races. With a building =
sea=20
breeze & an opposing tide, both wind & tidal current =
favored the=20
nearshore route on the downwind leg. I couldn't =
believe it=20
when Stars & Stripes didn't cover us & gibed onto the offshore =
route=20
at the 1st windward mark! However, when we met again at the =
leeward=20
mark, Stars & Stripes was about a half boat length in the =
lead. =20
Stars & Stripes choked when when they rounded the =
leeward mark=20
& KC-2 pulled ahead. The 3rd leg was another furious=20
tacking duel. But, KC-2 managed to cover Stars & =
Stripes=20
& we were about one boat length in the lead at the end of the =
3rd=20
leg. Both boats rounded the windward mark cleanly. =
But, this=20
time, Stars & Stripes choose to cover us on =
the nearshore=20
route on the downwind 4th leg. They simply rolled over the =
top of=20
us & there was nothing we could do about it! By the =
end of the=20
4th leg, Stars & Stripes was about two boat lengths =
ahead. But,=20
then their mainsail trimmer screwed up the gibe around the =
leeward=20
mark. >From my station aboard KC-2, it looked & =
sounded=20
(much cursing & swearing!) like their mainsail =
trimmer allowed=20
an override to develop on the winch drum, it jammed the =
mainsheet, &=20
they couldn't trim in the mainsail for the windward leg. KC-2 =
rounded=20
cleanly & we were about two boat lengths ahead by the time =
Stars=20
& Stripes got its act together. We tried to get Stars =
&=20
Stripes into another upwind tacking duel, but they were having none of =
that. We split tacks, headed for the favored side of the course, =
&=20
drag raced for the finish line. Stars & Stripes took =
us by=20
about 1 foot at the finish line. Arggg! Stars & =
Stripes=20
definitely had the boat speed on KC-2. The only=20
reason the contest was even close was because we'd =
sailed a=20
much better race, made better tactical decisions, & made many =
fewer=20
sail handling mistakes aboard KC-2. After the race, =
the=20
professional helmsman let me drive KC-2 back to the harbor under =
sail. =20
Even with a steering wheel, the helm was responsive to the point of =
being=20
squirrelly. Everything was very taut with absolutely =
no slop=20
in the steering system. What fun! It was an experience =
I'll=20
remember all my life.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Despite being located in the =
tropics, many=20
of these islands are only green & lush near their =
coastlines. As=20
soon as you head inland, they have a dry, semi-arid type of =
climate. Two=20
notable exceptions are Puerto Rico & St. Lucia, which both get =
sufficient=20
rainfall to have tropical rain forests covering their mountains. =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>On St. Lucia, Deb & I took a tour =
by boat=20
& bus to a "dormant" volcano called Mount Soufrie're =
(Soo-Free:=20
A French word meaning "sulfur air"). Apparently, at some point =
in the=20
not too distant past, Mount Soufrie're exploded like Mount St. Helen, =
sending=20
several cubic MILES of rock up into the atmosphere. Today, =
you can=20
drive into the volcanic crater where there are bubbling sulfurous hot =
springs,=20
steam vents, elemental sulfur deposits, & the air is foul =
with the=20
smell of hydrogen sulfide gas (smells like rotten =
eggs!). We stood=20
in the bottom of the volcanic crater & looked up at the rim of the =
crater=20
towering 200 - 300 feet above us. Then, I looked to the west, =
where=20
about 1/3 of the crater & mountain were simply "missing" & =
tried to=20
imagine the immense explosion required to create this =
landscape!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>In Puerto Rico, Deb & I rented a =
car &=20
drove up into the Caribbean National Forest, known locally as the El =
Yunkee=20
Rain Forest (Yung-Kay: Also the name of a 3494 foot elevation mountain =
top=20
within the rain forest). The Caribbean National Forest is the =
only=20
tropical rain forest in the US National Park system. The =
vegetation is=20
dense almost beyond description. Walking around, we =
could=20
typically hear perhaps a dozen or more different birds, insects, =
tree=20
frogs, & other critters. By the volume of the sound, they =
had to=20
be no more than 10 - 15 feet away. Yet, the plant =
growth was=20
so dense that we never saw a single critter the entire time we were in =
the=20
rain forest! I was surprised to see familier northern hardwood =
species=20
of trees like oak & maple growing alongside of palm, banana, & =
bamboo=20
trees. Everything was covered in vines & moss. It =
rained hard=20
on the drive up into the park. We were lucky that it stopped =
raining for=20
a little while when we were in the park. But, it was late =
in the=20
afternoon, we didn't have the right equipment to go hiking on the =
steep,=20
slippery, muddy foot trails, & it looked like it was going to =
start=20
raining again any minute. So, we stuck to what we could see from =
the=20
main paved roads, which was still pretty spectacular, especially=20
the waterfalls!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Rummy take note - Bacardi Rum =
has its=20
largest & newest rum distillery open for free guided tours =
near San=20
Juan, Puerto Rico. They give FREE samples of all their =
products! =20
As a chemical engineer, I enjoyed seeing the process of making various =
types=20
of rum scaled up to an enormous =
world-scale size. =20
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Puerto Rico & St. =
Thomas were the only=20
two islands, we visited, which had any significant middle=20
class. The other islands were very much 3rd world =
with the=20
vast majority of poverty stricken "have-nots" living in the =
shadow=20
of the opulent estates of the relatively few fabulously wealthy &=20
politically powerful "haves". Everywhere we went on =
these=20
islands, the natives tried to aggressively sell us their =
handicrafts,=20
things like bead necklaces, conch shells, & carved wooden ships=20
models. A lot of it made Deb & I feel pretty =
uncomfortable. It=20
made us feel guilty of conspicuous consumption. We felt =
sorry for=20
them, & yet we really didn't want to buy a bead necklace or =
conch=20
shell. Despite all this, we didn't see anyone who was starving,=20
homeless, obviously in dire need of medical care, & =
apparently the=20
literacy rate on all of these islands is in the 95+% range. =
Everyone was=20
basically pretty friendly. After 500+ years of =
colonial rule by the=20
Spanish, French, Dutch, British, & the United States; the culture =
&=20
architecture on each of these islands was an interesting =
mixture. =20
Each was different from the others. Most of the island =
tours=20
concentrated on the colonial history, most of which is very well =
preserved=20
& on display.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>With me not working, Deb & I =
hestitated to=20
spend the money on ourselves to take this cruise. In the end, we =
decided=20
that the Dow Chemical Co. had virtually nothing to do with our 25 =
years=20
together & we weren't going to let a stupid corporate decision to =
downsize=20
me ruin this important occasion. Yes, it was expensive, but I'm =
glad we=20
went!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Roger Pihlaja</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>S/V Dynamic=20
Equilibrium</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>
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