Pam sent us this photo of Captain Jeroen van Donselaar enjoying his time off. The couple are vacationing in Maine and are enjoying a variety of outdoor activities.

The figures are carved into three sections: work, bounty and grace. Work, on the right, shows the fishermen hard at their tasks. The middle section, bounty, celebrates the riches of the sea. And grace, the left section, features a guardian angel watching over a fisherman and his family.

This work of art was carved into the wall of granite by local artist William deGarthe. In 1977 at the age of 70, deGarthe picked up his chisels and power tools and set out to “release the figures sleeping in the rock for more than 10 million years.” The figures he carved formed a monument to the hard-working fishermen of Peggy’s Cove.

Granite is not an easy medium to work in — it is as hard as ordinary steel. After years of study and preparation and some basic sketches, deGarthe began the project in September 1977. The first figure he carved was a fisherman braving the harsh North Atlantic wind. People in the community also inspired many of the figures, and all were carved from memory. Over the next six years, he carved 30 figures in this granite outcrop, helped by Rene Barrette and Donald Crooks.

deGarthe died in 1983 before he completed his work.

Pam snapped this pretty photo on her drive back to the ship from Peggy’s Cove.

Aboard Eurodam with the Manhattan skyline in the background.

The New Jersey side of the Hudson from Eurodam’s aft.

A view of Eurodam anchored at Bar Harbor from the top of Cadillac Mountain.

The famous Hotel Frontenac in Quebec City.

0400 in the morning and the best laid plans sometimes go awry. The first part of it went as anticipated, the “E” arrived off the fjord at the time expected and the Officer of the Watch, (OOW), brought her in to the lee of the high land to the west, reduced speed and slowly steamed. It was extremely comfortable, whilst the wind was blowing around 35 knots, the sea itself was relatively calm.

What we (I) hadn’t bargained for was the wind increasing to 60-knot gusts and a regular 45-knot wind by 0430, the time I had asked for a call. I have “slaved” instruments in my cabin and a glance at them did not bode well, 60 knots of wind from the southwest. Armed with (vital) coffee, I went to the bridge, pitch dark at this time of the morning, the instrument lighting giving off a faint glow. One didn’t need an anemometer to know it was windy, the howl coming from the protrusions surrounding the bridge were sufficient in itself.

We had a pilot booked for 0530, however, I was not prepared to transit a long, narrow fjord, with little sea-room, (space to maneuver), in these conditions and in the pitch-dark with rain squalls to boot. Having discussed my reservations with the bridge team, I asked the OOW to call the pilot and tell him that we were going to wait until the light improved, sunrise was at 0710, however by 0630 there would be sufficient light to start the passage to the pilot station and the (optimistically) docking.

At 0630 we left our “holding” position, the faint outline of the surrounding mountains could be made out and more importantly, the sea state and wind direction could be judged with the naked eye (all these instruments are very useful, however nothing can beat the human eye, it can assimilate information so much faster). Having embarked the pilot, we steamed down the fjord, the wind, funneling down through the valleys tended to change direction and push the “E,” with her vast surface area (or “windage”) one way and then another; courses were adjusted to compensate.

Corner Brook looking north.

Our first glimpse of Corner Brook came as we made the last turn around a headland, although the wind was still beyond the Eurodam’s capabilities where we were, looking through binoculars, the steam rising from the paper mill chimneys, some five miles ahead of us, was not blowing horizontally, in fact there was a small vertical component to it, this was looking better than I had anticipated.

My ‘old’ home, the berth at the papermill.

As we closed the port, sure enough, the wind was funneling down the valley in which the town lay, however it was not at 90 degrees to the berth, in fact, it was almost “up and down” (in line) with it and had decreased due to the buildings. Berthing was an option, so having swung her to port, parallel to the quay, we bodily moved her sideways, using our bow thrusters and azipods to full effect to get her alongside. An explanation to the guests was necessary, to inform guests of the reasons for delay. In fact, many I spoke to during the day were surprised that we got in at all and no explanation was necessary.

Corner Brook looking west.

As this was our maiden call to Corner Brook, a plaque ceremony was held in the Crows Nest at 1030, local dignitaries attended, (mayor & wife, fire chief, port manager, local radio to name a few) and plaques were exchanged.

From left: Corner Brook Mayor Charles Pender, Captain Mercer and Hotel Manager Stan Kuppens.

I used my Internet to look at forecasts for the areas we would transit during our voyage to Charlottetown, whilst a strong gale is off the Newfoundland coast it appears that it decreases the farther south we steam, it’s looking (slowly) better, however when we leave here, we’re in for a bumpy ride.

My ‘old’ home, the berth at the papermill.

The Eurodam departed Quebec slightly late yesterday. However, this did not affect our arrival time at Saguenay because we had a slow steam to the port. Several combined factors were the reason for delay. First and foremost, there were late-arriving guests from Quebec Airport whose flight had been delayed and I opted to wait for them — rather than have them experience the long and arduous trip to Saguenay or, heaven forbid, Cornerbrook.

Also, shipping movements within the port and the need for use of a tug which was “otherwise engaged” on another vessel delayed our departure. The combination of wind on the starboard beam, gusting 20 knots, and a flood tide that was running at 2.5 knots meant that without tug assistance, the Eurodam wasn’t going anywhere. Both wind and current were literally “pinning” us to the pier.

From left: 1st Officer Daniel Wardle, Captain Mercer and Chief Officer Bas van Dreumel on the port bridge wing waiting for the delayed guests to arrive.

The 5,500-hp ‘Z’ drive tug assisted by pulling on the starboard bow.

A view from the starboard bridge wing looking upriver. There are two of the cross-river passenger ferries in the foreground and a ‘Laker’ inward bound for the Welland Canal. The Great Lakes are in the far background.

The view from the port bridge wing, showing the gangway and walkway arrangement. The Canadian Coast Guard cutter Tracy is in the background and the famous Hotel Fontenac is on the hill.

Quebec is celebrating its 400th anniversary this year. The theme for the festivities is “The Encounter,” highlighting Quebec City’s time-honored role as a meeting place for people and cultures.

Rue Sous-Le-Fort. Look at the bicycles on the buildings on the left.

View of Eurodam from Upper Town.

There are 12 exhibits, and most of them are very interactive and teach so much. My favorite was “Urbanopolis.” This exhibit depicted the major challenges of the 21st century with more people living in cities than in suburbs, the country, etc. Many solutions were explored to solve overcrowding in terms of housing — check out one in particular called Arcosanti.

My other favorite exhibit was “The People of Quebec … Then and Now.” It depicts the history of Quebec from New France to today. The exhibit illustrates the relations with the Amerindians when the French arrived, the successes and failures of colonization and much more.

No pictures could be taken inside the exhibits, only in the main hall and outside the building.

The Musee de la Civilisation is across the street from the pier where Eurodam is docked.

The museum is known for its innovative and daring architecture, and it defines itself as a seat of knowledge and ideas, a museum endowed with valuable collections, an education center and a living memory.

“The Visionaires Garden” by Franco Dragone. This new project was created by Dragone and developed with Québec City artists using water, light and plants as installation materials to create a gathering place for visitors.

Global Pilotage
Most ports in the world require pilotage, the practice where a pilot comes on board near the entrance of the port and then assists the ship’s captain with bringing the ship into port, and docking or anchoring in the designated anchorage. The pilot also helps provide safe passage when the ship departs.

The role of a pilot is that of an adviser. Contrary to common belief, the pilot does not take over command of the ship from the captain. The captain stays in command and is ultimately responsible for the ship. A pilot may assume the conduct of the ship, but only with permission of the master. As both the harbor pilot and captain have the same goal — the safety of the ship — the relationship is mutually courteous and professional.

Pilots are usually licensed master mariners and have years of experience in guiding ships in and out of a specific port. They have a wealth of knowledge about the local currents, piers and docks, water depths, communication procedures and regulations, and local users of the waterway. As no two ports in the world are the same, this knowledge can be indispensable for a ship’s captain who may be visiting a port for the first time or under adverse weather conditions.

The Pilot Ladder
On arrival at the breakwaters or fairway buoy, the ship is met by a pilot boat. The speed of the ship is adjusted to 8 to 15 knots, depending on the capabilities of the pilot boat. Often, a course alteration also is necessary to provide the best possible lee against wind and seas to ensure a safe and efficient pilot transfer from the pilot boat to the ship.

The pilot boat will match the speed of the ship and come alongside near the pilot ladder which is connected to an opening in the hull called a shell door. In port, Eurodam uses these same doors to allow guests and crew to go ashore by means of a gangway. But when the pilot transfers from the boat to the ship, it’s by means of a rope ladder suspended from a shell door.

The pilot is met at the top of the pilot ladder by a licensed deck officer who is in radio communication with the bridge. After the pilot’s ID has been checked he is then escorted to the bridge by the officer. Upon arrival on the bridge the pilot is introduced to the captain and, usually over a cup of coffee, the two discuss the ship’s arrival plan.

Upon departure the same happens, but in reverse.

Pilot David Smith from Bar Harbor, Maine, leaves Eurodam cautiously down the ladder to the pilot boat as both the Eurodam and the boat sail side by side at a speed of 8 knots.