CS: Sunday 1st February 2009. We finally eased out of Masan on Saturday evening about 4pm. The weather had been pleasant all day allowing the last of the loading, including two huge pipe devices on the deck as well as much loose equipment stowed below the deck sheets, and of course more of the ubiquitous pipes that come in all sizes, lengths and colours and which we seem to collect and dispatch from port to port. Leaving Masan was welcome given that the two lots of unexpected delays (Chinese New Year holiday and bad weather thereafter) kept us there for nearly [View Full Entry]

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PP: Saturday 24th January. Our second day in Masan - a very pretty port and town, which is nestled around the long inlet from the sea. High mountains around means that the city hugs the shore and we are parked (berthed) over the inlet from the city. It is the best view and outlook of any we have had since our voyage started. Yesterday we went into Masan city and found it very neat and tidy. Not much English spoken anywhere, but bits seemed to happen enough to keep us out of trouble. We walked a tidy amount of the business [View Full Entry]

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CS: Thursday 23rd January. Having left Xingang to return to Shanghai we were told we would anchor off till Tuesday because our sister ship Rickmers Shanghai would make it to the jetty before us. It seemed a tad incredible no one knew that yesterday, and a bit frustrating for we passengers as we could have used the extra time in Beijing, but we accepted unconditionally when we signed up that cargo first; passengers last is the pecking order. Why not watch Napoleon on the DVD till late. (Seems the little corporal never did have a horse called Marengo, and do we [View Full Entry]

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CS: PP filled you in a bit about our last sojourn, I was chuffed that something like negotiating our way into and out of the city of Shanghai which could have resulted in numerous unhappy dilemmas in fact proved seamless. Me flagging down a police car on the wharf started the ever effective process of communication consisting of smiles, handshakes, poking at maps, hand signals, lots more smiling and finally handing over cab fare that achieved our aim of arriving at the Bund (via taxi number 2) and negotiating our way back again later in the day by reconnecting with taxi [View Full Entry]

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Hong Kong to Shanghai: Sunday 11th January 2009. CS: Our day in Hong Kong was a delight. We travelled on the pilot boat to Central at about 8.30am and waited awhile to get immigration clearance. Daniel and Maria accepted our advice that a trip to the Peak would appeal to them, so we walked to the terminus and left them there. I had found a reference to our Tea House on the map so we proceeded to Flagstaff Gardens to confirm it is indeed the same little spot we enjoyed so much on our last visit 4 years earlier. Booked for [View Full Entry]

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CS: We have been on board more than 2 weeks now and have settled into as much of a routine as one can in these circumstances. So what is it like? Firstly every day is different and even while at sea the view from the cabin windows is ever varying. The other clear and unsurprising distinction is that between port time and sea time, mainly in terms of the activities of the crew and others around the vessel. The day begins with the first major decision: to breakfast or not (breakfast starts at 7.30am). Unless I feel inclined to retest the [View Full Entry]

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PP: 2nd January 2009. We left the dock at Jurong Port at 2200 hours New Years Eve - the crew was therefore too busy to celebrate the arrival of 2009. So there was a celebratory lunch on The Day at 1300 hours. Everybody knows us now, so there was a lot more general chat with officers and crew. Sailed through oil fields during the day - lots of oil drilling rigs and associated support vessels. Davey Jones decided to send us something different from the smooth seas we had been experiencing - so last night and today we have been pitching [View Full Entry]

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CS: Seas settled but it seemed interminable to make Haiphong largely because all the ETAs had been so far out and ever stretching, but when we finally approached land on the afternoon of Sunday the view was spectacular. The pictures do not do justice to the scenery because there is a deep pall of smoke clouding the atmosphere but the scattering of ‘dragon’s teeth’ - a myriad of small and not so small rocky outcrops - throughout the bay gives the sensation of a never ending maze. We were warned that we would not berth here but we were able to [View Full Entry]

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New Year’s Eve 2008: PP: Well we’ve had the trip you have before the trip starts - now we are at the (original) beginning of the cruise, all shipshape and ready to go. Batten down the hatches!! Raise the anchor!! Set the Jib!! ……Or something like that - buggered if I know - something similarly nautical anyway???!!! We should leave Singapore sometime this afternoon/evening for Haiphong Roads in North Vietnam. Singapore has been a good stop for us: recovered the lost sea chest, stocked up on rum (and other wines etc. - Cruisin’ Susan doesn’t drink rum [View Full Entry]

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The arrival in Singapore was spectacular (in a low key sort of a way). Never having arrived here by sea both PP and CS were amazed at the extent and complexity of this port area. For over three hours after sun set we observed (from the observation deck, of course) the coastline brighten with millions of lights on all sides and when we suddenly stopped steaming and seemed to stop dead in the water we confirmed that the pilot was coming aboard, shimming up his rope ladder in accordance with protocol and shortly thereafter we were powering again. We got closer [View Full Entry]

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