Imagine my delight!

I boarded the CMA CGM HYDRA two weeks ago today from Manzanillo Mexico with two other passengers, Isabelle and Daniel. We climbed the looooong gangway to the upper deck. Later that afternoon, we were joined by Heniz and Eva, for a total of 5 passengers. Heinz and Eva left the ship in Cartagena, Columbia and Isabelle and Daniel left the ship here in Kingston, Jamaica. I am writing to you from a cafe in Devon House. It's like a park/cafe-type complex, fancy. Tyrone, the port call officer that brought me here says it's the place you take a girl on a special date. He took a girl here once and they're still together. So there you go!
The reason Tyrone brought me is because the security people at the gate wouldn't let me go into Kingston alone on a Sunday--the guard said (add the Jamaican accent in your ear), "It's the way of the world now. Not just in Jamaica. God bless you, I am going to protect you. Your family wants you to be safe" She was very shocked when I told I got about Kingston by taxi yesterday. Anyway, she wouldn't let me go unless it was arranged by the port agent., so I waited for 2 and a half hours (one hour Jamaican time) for Tyrone to safely deposit me here so I could write to you!

The Ship

Don't mistakenly call it a boat--Captain says "it's a ship", and most of the officers and crew call it a vessel.

The vessel, CMA CGM HYDRA is huge. It carries up to 11,000 containers (like the kind you see travelling on trucks or trains. They are measured in feet. Some are 20 ft, some are 40. Some are empty I learned. In some countries, they don't have enough refrigerator containers so ships carry them to places to collect foodstuffs. We brought some empty refrigerator containers here to Kingston.Think of the mangos and bananas!

At each port, there is a fascinating and sophisticated marvel of mechanical engineering where we watch cars suspended from gigantic steel beams lift containers off the ship and onto trucks to be stored in the shipyard. Here in Kingston, there are not so many trucks, but big vehicles that lift and carry the container after it has come off the ship. I admire the organized effort of all the skilled shipyard workers. I have found this process so interesting. Sometimes I have watched for hours at a time. Each day, a new and interesting aspect of the shipping business is revealed. It's fascinating.

For my teacher colleagues, here's a math problem for you (four operations NS&N plus perimeter -measurement):

Ms. McNab is aboard a freight ship. It is 350 m long (starboard and portside) and 45 m wide (stern and bow). The U deck (upper deck) is the first deck above the water. Above the U deck are the A,B,C,D,E.F,G and Navigation decks. Ms. McNab's cabin is on the F deck. There are two sets of stairs between the decks which is approximately 3.5 m per deck. If Ms. McNab leaves her cabin on the F deck, goes down the stairs to the U deck and walks around the edge of the U-deck (wearing helmet and florescent vest of course!), how many times will she walk around to make a 5km walk? (You can include the stairs or not)

My first morning at sea I went for a walk around the U deck. I was on the starboard side and looking at the beautiful colour of blue the water had. Imagine my delight, when I saw dolphins leaping beside the ship. They evidently go faster than 17 knots! I couldn't stop smiling for hours.

We usually go about 18 knots. I knot = 1.852 km. When we go 22 knots (when there are delays, sometimes the ship tries to catch up), then the fuel consumption increases exponentially to twice as much cost! To save money, they try to be on time between ports and go 17 or 18 knots.

The navigation deck (the Bridge) is wonderful. It has two wings which are outside. We passengers have spent many hours enjoying the views from these two wings. We are up very high with a view of the ocean all around or the beautiful scene of a busy port city. When we were enjoying the trip through the Panama Canal, Eva remarked that we have the 'best seats in the theatre'! 

We passengers were privileged with a rare tour of the engine room with the Chief Engineer. Holy moly it's big! Imagine three Costcos on top of each other with 2 levels inbetween. We saw the giant pistons, giant water system (cooling) and giant propeller cylinder. I didn't understand any of it, because I don't understand the simple engine (more to learn!) but the Oiler and Chief were very proud of their very clean and well run work space. I forgot to take pictures, but Isabelle and Daniel will send me some, or will I be lucky enough to visit again?

The gigantic engine room takes up a portion about 2/3rds of the way to the back (stern of the ship). The front portion's hull holds up to 11 containers on top of each other. Above the U deck there are 8 containers on top of each other and 18 abreast. Imagine 18 tractor-trailers beside each other for a picture of the width.

My cabin is BIG. The other two passenger cabins (for two people) are BIGGER.
It's a very comfortable room with a desk and couch and plenty of storage space, a comfortable bed and two windows. 

The view from my windows is containers!! One of the containers has "Montreal" written on it, so I think that container's been to Canada. The F deck has a "recreation" room, where I have seen a couple of movies and played a solitaire game with cards. We have two lounge chairs outside for reading or sunbathing. On the D deck is a small gym with a treadmill and stairmaster plus weights. There is a small swimming pool that is filled with salt water when we are at sea (not in port or at anchor). Sometimes it is filled twice per day--the Captain says "Why not? It's free!"  There is also a sauna--a nice one. My accommodations are quite luxurious as you can tell! 

The Crew

Heinz and I agreed that the one word that defines the crew of 24 people is respect. Our captain says that it is absolutely necessary to treat each other with orderly respect, since we are together for months at a time. We passengers experience it as kindness and courtesy as well.
The Captain, Daniel, reminded me of my brother Keith right away because he accepts his heavy responsibility with integrity and cheerfulness, and has a very sarcastic sense of humour.

 If I was in doubt that he was like Keith, I had further evidence. He rescued my toast when it was stuck in the toaster:

When I asked him what he would do with his four months at home, he said he would go fishing! I missed Keith!

Daniel is leaving the ship when we get to the next port (Dominican Republic). Europeans are 4 months at sea, four months home. The new captain will come aboard there. According to Daniel, he's good, big and Polish. He then amended, "The nationality doesn't matter." For the Filipino people however, the contracts are for 7 to 9 months. The unfairness is awful eh? I have really admired  him and enjoyed him being the boss of me.

When Isabelle, Daniel and I boarded the ship two Sundays ago, we first met Chief Officer (1st mate) Vasily, who was at that time in charge of the ship. He is big, with a serious expression, a commanding attitude and has a very heavy Russian accent. One of the first things he said is that "this is not a passenger vessel, but a merchant vessel". We were a little intimidated! 

The next day, he and 3rd Officer John gave us our safety training, which we took very seriously of course! When he talked about the sauna (which he pronounced the Finnish way, "sow-na"), and it's procedures, he said, "The sauna is very important to me. Make sure you don't put too much water on the rocks, as it is a small element heating the rocks). I told him I loved a sauna too. He said, "Of course, you are Canadian and we have the same kind of geography." I adored him from that moment. I have become very fond of him. He's so sweet and gentle, a little bit shy and has a lovely sense of humour. He has a 5 year old son and a 5 month old son. I exclaimed that his baby wouldn't know him by the time he got home! He explained that this is the life of a seaman. He said he was used to not being known by his baby because of his first son. He told me that his first son thought every man with a beard was his papa! Vasily always says, "good appetite" in the mess room when we are having lunch or dinner. Needless to say, at the end of his 4 months at sea, he will spend 4 months with his family. He told me this with a look of joy on his face.

2nd Officer Ronald and 3rd Officer John

4th Officer Alina

These are the officers. There is also Chief Engineer, 2nd Engineer and 3rd Engineer. There are AB's (Able Bodied) who are also on the bridge as "watchers". There is always an officer on the bridge with a watcher. Ronald said, "you have a good basketball team, the Raptors!" John taught me how to make a latte on their coffee machine. Alina is in charge of passengers going ashore. She holds my passport! They are really wonderful young people and I enjoy watching them do their tasks when I'm enjoying the navigation deck. 

I am very fond of "Stewie" which is the nickname for "Steward". His real name is John Paul after the pope. He said his parents were hoping he would be a good boy. He is very sweet and very homesick. He speaks about his parents with love. He was very close to his grandmother who passed away while he was on the ship. I understand that his father has recently had a stroke and so of course, he's missing home.

Victor has a smile so big, it makes Donny and Marie ashamed. He is an AB training to be an officer. He is a martial artist and gives all the crew a program for working out in the gym when they are on the 35 days at sea section of this voyage.  After the next port, until Singapore, we are at sea. Apparently, the crew works out under Victor's leadership and there is a basketball tournament in a room I haven't seen yet (3 on 3). Stewie said they're picking teams to be fair. I understand that Alina is a desirable team member, good at basketball!

Vicente's title is Fitter I think. He's just a remarkably friendly man who makes a point of saying hello in a delighted fashion.

Diane can rest easy. The sailors are lovely people!

The passengers:

I am the only passenger now!

Isabelle and Daniel are from Geneva, Switzerland. Eva and Heinz are from about 90km ouside of Zurich, Switzerland. So we had French and German at our dining table, although mostly English. Such wonderful people. 

Eva and Heinz did a forest therapy walk with me on the ship! That was how we started the day into the Panama Canal. 

Daniel helped us keep track of all the details of our ship. Speed, distance, measurements and maps were Daniel's territory.

Isabelle is a teacher that just retired in June and isn't quite used to "not going to school". She has read the Clan of the Cave Bear books multiple times in both French and English! Daniel recommended "Sapiens" by Yuval Noah Harari which is a history of humankind on which the Clan books are based.

Eva and Heinz are on a 3 and a half week holiday to Columbia. They love Columbia and have traveled there often. Heinz reminded me that my long voyage is not just the outer journey, but the inner one as well.

We enjoyed visiting Balboa and Colon on either side of the Panama Canal. 

In Balboa, we enjoyed a lovely meal together in the old part of town which is under renovation to restore the ruins and colonial buildings. I found Colon quite sad, however. Poverty sucks. I found the people angry and depressed. Except for the children. There is a short window of time in a child's life where hope remains and joy exists. That is the window we need to concentrate on. I went into a school there and noticed that, as always, children are the same everywhere.

And yesterday, here in Kingston, I visited the Bob Marley Museum. He's the local hero of course and I enjoyed the tour immensely.  I didn't know that he was a really good soccer player. His philanthropic works were really awesome. He died at only 36 of cancer. He is celebrated in many places 30+ years after his death. 

I may or may not talk to you until 2020 since internet on the ship may be difficult to acquire. Please let me say Merry Christmas in advance, just in case.

I will be spending Christmas with my sailor friends. Shhh! I got them "socks" to be stockings and chocolate and candy canes to put in them. Maybe you'll look up that part in the Christmas Carol when the Ghost of Christmas Present takes Scrooge to the lighthouse and onto the ship, showing him that even in desolate places, the spirit of Christmas is in all of our hearts. You are in mine.