Captain’s Log: Navigating with GPS

Eurodam’s bridge looks a lot closer to ready than it did the first time we saw it.

Today Captain Jeroen van Donselaar explains some of the finer points of nautical navigation:

GPS is short for “global positioning system.” It is a satellite-based navigation system that was commercially introduced in the early 1990s. It is based on the principle of measuring time differences between signals sent from three or more satellites that are “visible” at the location of the receiver. This receiver can be a built-in navigation system in a car, a ship or an airplane. These days there are even hand-held receivers.

Before GPS, other, much less accurate navigation systems were used such as NNSS (Navy Navigation Satellite System, the forerunner of GPS, only gave a “fix” every 90 minutes), Loran C, Omega, Decca and Consol. Other means of “position finding” are RDF (radio direction finding), visual/radar bearings in combination with radar distances.

The major difference between the older systems and GPS is that GPS provides a continuous and very accurate real-time position versus a somewhat accurate position every now and again. GPS works regardless of weather conditions, visibility and at any latitude, and is extremely reliable. I say latitude because most of the other systems were not available in the very northern or southern regions of the globe.

GPS has taken the guesswork out of navigation, so to speak. This is somewhat unappreciated sometimes by our younger deck officers who always have had the luxury of never having any doubt about the ship’s location. Myself and the chief officer are probably the only ones on board who started our careers before the advent of GPS, so we certainly appreciate the difference it has made!

In the early days GPS was just a box that would display latitude and longitude and course and speed over the ground. We would have to take this information and plot it on a paper chart in the same way we did with the other systems, only with much greater accuracy. During the first Gulf War the accuracy of GPS was further increased when the deliberate inaccuracy effect called “dithering” was turned off, supposedly for the benefit of guided missiles. These days I would say GPS is accurate to within 10 feet.

Nowadays our GPS receivers are more advanced and are at the heart of our integrated bridge systems. Although we still use paper charts as a backup, our primary navigation is now done via ECDIS, which means Electronic Chart Display Information System. The STN Atlas integrated bridge system on the Vista- and Signature-class ships takes it a step further and also superimposes a radar image including the AIS, or Automatic Identification System labels of other ships on the same screen.

In my office on the ship, which is located between the bridge and my quarters, I have a large flat-screen monitor that is basically a repeater of the main navigation display on the bridge. In this way while I am working at my desk I can keep an eye on things.

Rudi’s Recipe: Tamarind Cocktail

Blog Board member and consulting chef Rudi Sodamin has sent us his latest libation concoction from Eurodam’s pan-Asian Tamarind Restaurant, the Tamarind Cocktail. Try it at home!

We also just got our paws on the video rendering of Tamarind. Looks like a nice place to grab a bite.

Latest Galley Photo

Blog Board member Ed van Weijen sent us this recent photo of the galley. A lot of the equipment is installed and it looks like things are taking shape.

Rudi’s Recipe: Canaletto Tomato Salad

Blog Board member Chef Rudi Sodamin sent us this recipe for a salad he has created to be served in Canaletto, the alternative dinner-only Italian restaurant located in Eurodam’s Lido.

Canaletto Tomato Salad with Buffalo Mozzarella and Yellow Tomato Vinaigrette

Yields four servings.

Yellow Tomato Dressing:
2 very ripe yellow tomato, cored and roughly chopped

1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/4 cup sherry vinegar

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 pinch cayenne pepper

kosher salt to taste

In a blender, combine the tomato, mustard and vinegar. With the blender running, slowly add the olive oil in a steady stream. Season with cayenne pepper and salt. Set aside.

Basil Oil:
1 bunch basil, leaves picked, washed, and gently dried

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Place the basil leaves and salt in a blender. In a small saucepan, heat the oil just until very hot to the touch. Add the oil to the basil and blend until smooth. Set aside to cool.

Salad:
2 red radishes, trimmed and sliced as thinly as possible

1 small hot-house cucumber, peeled (if waxed) and diced or made into Parisienne balls (see note)

1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar or other mild white wine vinegar

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

12 fresh basil leaves, washed, dried and torn gently

1 red heirloom tomato, cored and cut into wedges

1 yellow heirloom tomato, cored and cut into wedges

1 ball buffalo mozzarella, cut into 8 pieces

1 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. In a small bowl, combine the radishes, cucumber and vinegar. Allow to marinate for two or three minutes.

2. To serve, ladle the reserved tomato dressing evenly over the bottom of four plates. Top the dressing with the red onion and torn basil. Arrange alternating red and yellow tomato wedges and mozzarella pieces on top of the onion and basil. With a slotted spoon, remove the radishes and cucumber from the vinegar and toss them in a small bowl with the chopped dill; spoon them randomly around the plate. Season the tomatoes with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

Drizzle with the basil oil and serve.

Note: Parisienne balls are made with a very small melon scoop, called a Parisienne scoop, which can be found in fine kitchenware shops or restaurant supply stores. The scoop creates garnishes that are easy, elegant, and even delightful — children just might eat their vegetables if they look like little multicolored confetti balls.

Captain’s Log: Getting to the Ship

Today we start a new feature, “Captain’s Log,” with regular updates from Eurodam’s master, Jeroen van Donselaar, who has just joined Eurodam in Marghera.

Greetings Eurodamnews.com readers!

After Blog Board Member Chief Engineer Frank de Vries’ contribution about my arrival at the yard in Marghera today, I would like to take this opportunity to personally say hello to you all! It will be my pleasure to update you on the Eurodam from my perspective and perhaps even to welcome you on board during the inaugural season!

Today, April 30th, has been the first day of a long but exciting assignment that will see me all the way through to October 1st.

After having been appointed the master-designate of the first Signature-class ship now more than a year ago, I have been looking forward to seeing the Eurodam myself and today is the day!

The last few days have been busy for me with packing and traveling. I left our new home on Long Island last Saturday and was dropped off at JFK Airport by my wife Pam, who will join me in a few weeks, to catch the late KLM flight to Amsterdam, arriving there at noon on Sunday.

While in The Netherlands on Sunday night I took the opportunity to have dinner with my parents whom I had not seen since February. On Monday morning I went to Rotterdam to get my annual physical done, which, next to having a certificate of competence or CoC as Master, is a requirement in order to take command of a ship. Although Holland America Line will not actually own the Eurodam until mid June and I will not take command until then, I will probably not have another opportunity to travel back to Holland and get this done.

On Monday afternoon I had meetings over at HAL’s office in Rotterdam with the directors of human resources and nautical operations to go over the upcoming events. I also met the harbormaster as well as some representatives of “Cruise Rotterdam,” which is an organization involved with the Eurodam’s visit to Rotterdam and the events that will take place there.

I was very relieved to learn that I will have to dock the Eurodam portside alongside the pier. Not only is this considered “good seamanship” to moor “bow out,” this was the “default” berthing side along this pier for the many years HAL ships regularly docked there. It also makes for a more graceful departure when we will be able to come off the berth and make headway rather than sternway.

The reason for Eurodam’s portside docking is that in this way the bow with the name of the ship will be better positioned for the christening ceremony, which will take place on a podium between the Rotterdam Port Control Centre building and the passenger terminal itself.

After having inspected the terminal at the Wilhelminakade and the dockside itself, I returned to my hotel at Schiphol Airport.

On Tuesday afternoon I once again boarded a KLM plane for a short flight to Venice. I had not been there since 1999/2000 when I was the supervising chief officer during construction of the Zaandam. Nevertheless, it was familiar ground.

I was greeted at the Venice airport by Eurodam’s Chief Officer Andre van Schoonhoven and First Officer Dan Wardle, both of whom I have worked with before and am very happy to have on the team.

As the ship is as of yet uninhabitable, all officers and crew are staying in local apartments or hotels until we are able to move on board. In my case a room was reserved at a nice downtown hotel in Mestre, adjacent to the yard in Marghera, until June 1, which is the tentative date for us to move on board. The company also supplies me with a car so I can move about freely.