1,000+ MILES FROM ANYWHERE –

ON THE WAY TO EASTER ISLAND! (1 of 2)

Saturday, January 18, 2025, At Sea, 5:30 AM, 68 Degrees, 74% Humidity, W-ESE 14.3 mph

We’re about halfway to Easter Island -1200 miles to go! During his daily Noon Report, the Captain said, if you wanted to be away from everyone and everything, this would be the place (away from everyone except 1,360 fellow passengers & crew that is!) He said we’re not in conventional shipping lanes and there are no other cruise ships or commercial vessels anywhere nearby. We haven’t seen any other ship since about two hours out of Callao, two and a half days ago. This is the most “removed” we’ll be from the rest of the World for the remainder of the cruise. After this, we’ll have consecutive days at sea but we’ll be closer to civilization.

We’ve left the turquoise blue/green waters off Peru and are now in the dark blue waters of the South Pacific Ocean. The Captain said the water is 30,500 ft. (5.7 miles) deep beneath the Zuiderdam’s keel. Being out here, with nothing visible as far as your eyes can see, makes you appreciate what it must have been like for the seamen who sailed the waters in the 1700’s and discovered the islands to which we are sailing now. We have modern navigation, satellites and computers. We can talk to friends back home for free using WhatsApp. Currently our TV is down. We had a variety of “live channels” until early evening yesterday. No one has said anything about what the problem is. There are usually three news channels (BBC, Fox and MSNBC – something for everyone), several Sports channels, HGTV, The Food and Travel Channels. There are also Music Channels with 8 choices that seem to still be working well. We have Movies on Demand as well – last year we watched The Barbie Movie! The Bow camera is still up so we can check out the Boobies. They seem to fly off and fish during the day but are back on their “perches” as night falls.

Back to the intrepid sailors of yore! Their charts were minimal and not too accurate. They had rudimentary navigation equipment, a compass and possibly a sextant to “shoot the stars” to determine their location. The sextant was invented around 1730. Of course, you needed a clear night when you could see the stars for that to work. John has a story about navigating a cross the Atlantic using a sextant. The early sailors were gone from home for months with no communication and were dependent upon the winds and currents. Food, water and supplies were limited – unlike today when trying not to gain too much weight is the biggest concern! They were brave and fearless men (probably not fearless, but they forged ahead anyway).

Another beautiful sunrise as we sat out on our Veranda (that’s what they call balconies on HAL). Before our TV went down, we heard a Polar Vortex was coming through the US and the inauguration events were being moved inside. So sorry for you cold people back home, it’s warm and balmy here in the South Seas!

JOHN’S STORY:

Yep, another, Sea Story, but this one will be brief.

The same ship, USS Suribachi AE-21. Four days before we deployed from Mayport, Florida, to the Med, we lost our experienced navigator due to unforeseen circumstances. Since the navigator worked for me, the Captain informed me in no uncertain terms, “John you are now the navigator.”

Our ship had one of the early test platforms for SAT-NAV, (early form of GPS). This gadget, the size of a small refrigerator, was unreliable and not accurate. It had been five years since I had had any training or use of a sextant. It was in Naval Orientation and for less than half an hour. I quickly hit the books, Dutton’s Navigation manual, written by Benjamin Dutton circa 1883.

We plotted our course to Rota, Spain based on the stars I shot twice each night. Just before daylight on the fifth day the Captain asked, “John, are we on track?”

I answered, “Yes sir.”

I do confess, when Rota, Spain appeared on the horizon on schedule, I was relieved and smiled to myself.