Monday Evening, Crooked Island Passage

Monday, November 8, mid day, at sea

Since the last report, the sun has be sighted, not consistently, but occasionally, we are now closer to the Bahamas, and the islands have been transformed from cold grey shapes to islands, with beaches, greenery, and the occasional building… you can feel it becoming tropical…

We have tucked behind the lee of Cat island, in Exuma Sound… Many experts believe Cat Island was the sight of Columbus’s first landing in the new world… of course many islands claim Columbus… as does Spain, Genoa Italy, and most Americans of Italian descent…

The ship is big, bigger than we are used to… It is easy to be removed from it being a ship… not from the sea that surrounds, but from the mechanics of being on a moving object, away from the life boats, and the bridge, and all the things that make it go… The captain noted that while the officer cadets on board still practice celestial navigation, there is a problem… they have an enclosed bridge, with enclosed wings, so now the cadets have to make their way up 5 decks to find a place where they can see the horizon and the stars at the same time to take their noon observations. Captain Mercer also suggested that we are close to abandoning paper charts for the convenience of computers and GPS… Currently they have much of the outdoor space, including the promenade and sports decks closed for our safety… So, we can stare at the ocean, but it is hard to feel an ocean breeze.

Now Sunset… Transiting the Crooked Island Passage, Bahamas - The sun is fading fast… nearly gone by 5:30… just peeking under the cloud layer. The skies are dark, there are rain squalls to starboard… It’s a bit too cool to be outside… not too cold, but too cool… and dark and foreboding… the Dark and Stormy Night of bad novels… As if to provide contrast, the cover over the pool area is closed, but there are still people lounging, still swimming, still drinking tropical drinks with umbrellas.… It’s still party time on the Neiuw Amsterdam… But it is also formal night, when the people who were sitting in the sun by the pool done long dressing and tuxedos… on their way to a formal dinner in a formal setting… I hope I don’t get shot for wearing my white dinner jacket after labor day…