#Cape Town cruise

[savvytravelers]

Eco-friendly Africa Cruise

Cruise responsibly with Savvy Travelers on an Eco-friendly Africa Cruise, preserving the beauty of Africa's natural wonders for future generations!

[mailnews]

CRYSTAL CRUISES

CRUZEIROS pela ÁFRICA, com sua espetacular VIDA SELVAGEM - Cape Town, Seychelles, Ghana

http://images.mailnews.com.br/mail/CRYSTALCRUISES-02-JUL24/crystal-cruises-02-jul24.html

Caso não consiga visualizar o informativo, por favor acesse www.mailnews.com.br, e procure em INFORMATIVOS MAIS RECENTES, no canto esquerdo superior da página. Este informativo é publicado pela Mailnews e direcionado exclusivamente aos Agentes de Viagens.

[therealvinelle]

Do you think Heidi and the Volturi would look at the Titanic sinking and go "Hrm, a cruise ship disaster, that's a good way to get a lot of humans and make them disappear"?

Like maybe not regularly but if they had an emergency "we need 1500 people as fast as possible because I guess we're throwing a big feast idk"?

Oh god no.

The first rule to making 1500 people disappear is you don't make 1500 people disappear. You physically can't, at no point in history have 1500 people been able to disappear without people noticing. The reason we know so many painstaking details about the RMS Titanic, who was where when and exactly how the ship was built, is that a massive investigation was launched into how the ship sank. You'll remember the Malaysian Airline disaster a few years back, and you remember it because of the amount of attention and resources that were poured into uncovering what had happened.

In times past you might have been able to make away with a ship more easily and have it be noticed later, because the absence of wireless communication systems meant a ship not making it to port could simply mean they were delayed. Even then, though, people would notice and it would attract a lot of attention. The SS Waratah, which departed for Cape Town from Durban in July of 1909 and was expected to reach her destination on the 29th of July, had people looking for her on August 1st even if she wasn't reported officially missing until much later. An inquiry was launched the next year, with an emphasis on "Why haven't we found anything?". This was a 211 passenger casualty: imagine the inquiry, the search effort, for a 1500 passenger ship.

Even with the RMS Titanic many of the dead had worn life vests, several hundred people were recovered in the months after the disaster. There were bodies sighted around the place the SS Waratah had last been seen, though none were recovered. Point being, what's lost at sea is not always lost at sea. Heidi would have to create a record of her 1500 people having been aboard the ship she intends to sink, without them actually being on board or else she has to somehow ensure none of them will float to the surface after the fact.

You'll notice the ships on this wiki site generally have a few things in common: they had a lot of passengers and they were not expected to be lost. A fishing boat might be lost without attracting much surprise, this was something people knew to expect. During wartime, doubly so.

A ship containing any number of passengers, though, that wasn't expected to be lost, that will have people talking about it, investigating, trying to find out what happened even if we go back a few centuries. In the modern age, the search would be on every headline.

The Volturi would not be able to keep the secret for any amount of time if they attempted anything like this.

[beardedmrbean]

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — An aquarium in South Africa is stretched beyond capacity after more than 500 baby sea turtles were washed up on beaches by a rare and powerful storm and rescued by members of the public.

The little turtles are mostly endangered loggerheads and should be cruising the ocean. Most of them instead will spend the first few months of their lives in newly built plastic tanks at the Turtle Conservation Center at the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town. The aquarium is rehabilitating around 400 of the roughly 530 sick and injured turtles that were brought in, while sending the rest to two other aquariums to spread the load.

Baby turtles have to fend for themselves from the moment they hatch on beaches and make their way to the ocean.

In South Africa, loggerheads hatch on the northeast coast on the far side of the country from Cape Town. These turtles were likely sucked in by the warm Indian Ocean Agulhas Current, carried around the tip of South Africa and spat out in the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean near Cape Town.

That's fairly common, said Talitha Noble-Trull, the head of the Turtle Conservation Center. She's in charge of treating the new arrivals.

What isn't normal is the powerful storm that recently hit the Cape Town area, leaving hundreds of baby turtles needing help.

The conservation center usually receives a few to maybe 100 stranded young turtles in the three to four months after hatching season. It has a normal capacity of 150 turtles.

“What we haven’t seen before is over 500 turtles in two weeks, which is what the last little bit of time has brought us,” Noble-Trull said. “My budgeting plans for the year have really gone out the window.”

She estimated that each turtle will cost $500 to get back to full strength before being released into the warmer Indian Ocean in a few months. The Turtle Conservation Center has brought in a small army of volunteers to help the aquarium's full-time staff care for them.

The turtles are ranked according to how sick they are, with some needing intensive care due to injuries, malnutrition or infection. A number is written on each shell to identify them.

While the storm was a major shock to the turtles, who are vulnerable to extreme weather and climate change, it has given Noble-Trull and other conservationists a valuable insight into another increasingly common danger.

Many of the turtles had ingested small pieces of plastic, which exited their systems after they arrived at the aquarium. Noble-Trull has a tray of plastic pieces collected in just one day, some as big as a fingernail.

The conservation team normally wouldn't see that amount of evidence of plastic pollution in the ocean.

Turtles spend almost all their lives in the ocean, apart from when they're born and when females return to shore to lay eggs. Because of that, they're “ocean indicators,” Noble-Trull said.

“Little bits of soft plastic, little bits of hard plastic are floating all along the oceans and turtles are eating them. So, for us it’s very important to be collecting and capturing this data. Because these turtles are coming at us with a message. They’re not telling us. They’re shouting it at us. That our oceans are not a safe place for turtles.”

[ltwilliammowett]

HMS Hydra at Cape Bagur, 7 August 1807, by British School, c. 1833

On a board on the back of the picture is the inscription; 'On August 6 the British 'Hydra' 38 guns, Captain George Mundy, cruising off Catalonia, chased into the Spanish harbour of Bagur an armed ship and two brigs. On the following morning these vessels were discovered lying under the protection of a battery. About 1 pm the 'Hydra' opened fire, which was quickly returned and followed by an hour's close action. A division of boats under Lieutenant E O'B Drury then left the British frigate and after a gallant attack captured the fort and in a short time the town. At 5.30 pm Lieutenant Drury gained entire possession of the vessels. The captured ships were the 'Principe', 'Eugenio', 'Bella Carolina' and 'Carmen del Rosario'. The British loss was one seaman killed and six wounded.'

[ruohteloiv]

Gay Gibson (16 June 1926 – 18 October 1947)

TW: True Crime, Death, Disturbing details.

"a beastly thing to do"

Re-coloured photo rendering of actress 'Gay Gibson' (Eileen Isabella Ronnie Gibson) - who went missing from the Durban Castle during a voyage between Cape Town, South Africa and Southampton, England in 1947.

The criminal case that followed was known as the Porthole Murder. Deck steward James Camb would later be convicted, after admitting to pushing Gay's body through her cabin porthole, discarding of the corpse 25 feet into the "shark infested" depths below.

Camb denied killing Gibson, claiming she had died of a "sudden illness" during consensual intercourse. He disposed of her body in a panic, fearing for his job, later describing this as "a beastly thing to do". Camb was sentenced to death, but a suspension of the death penalty meant he served just 11 years for the murder, though was later convicted of unrelated crimes - an additional 10 years.

It seems apparent through subsequent interviews with fellow shipmates and previous coworkers of Gay Gibson, that she did infact suffer with ongoing health issues, including an undisclosed heart problem and fainting spells. Evidence examined at the trial saw significant injuries to Camb's wrist, Gay's urine on her cabin bed and blood on her pillow. Gay was possibly pregnant at the time of her death.

Sources:

Death of an Actress - Antony M Brown

Death Cruise - cruiselinehistory.com

Wikipedia

[iridessa-sol]

it was iridessa sol’s birthday. which meant the levels of debauchery had no bounds for the day and the rhpd were likely in full tactical gear in preparation for whatever the hurricane that was iridessa was going to get up to. over the previous years her birthdays displayed antics such as: having a party that lasted three days by holding a bounce house shaped like kermit the frog hostage, single handedly causing half the rhpd to have a breakdown, life size tiny car mario cart, and who could forget somehow ending up in the flamingo enclosure at the zoo while dressed as a flamingo. yes, birthdays were good. this years one would be no different and it started off with her morning mimosa while she cruised around town in her tiny car with a queens cape and crown. let the birthday celebrations begin.

@happieststarters​

[pleasinglyforeboding]

My trip to see Michael Sheen play Salieri in Amadeus. CONTAINS SPOILERS.

Yesterday I traveled to Sydney from the small town I am currently living in to see Michael Sheen play Salieri in Amadeus, at the Sydney Opera House. I was super excited for this as I'm a huge Good Omens fan, and from there I have grown a deep appreciation of Michael Sheen's acting. I'm also a long term theatre buff but hadn't seen the play or film of Amadeus before.

I obviously couldn't record the show but I wanted to give any other Good Omens or Michael Sheen fans a taste of what it was like.

Firstly, I'd never seen a show in one of the bigger stages of the Sydney Opera House before. It is a breathtaking venue with soaring wooden and concrete beams and great sightlines. The waiting areas offer views across to the Sydney harbour bridge and whatever cruise ship is currently docked on one side, and a close up look at the tile work on the exterior of the opera house on the other.

The theater was packed, even for the Wednesday afternoon matinee. This didn't matter because the seats were raked and the sightlines were great.

The set was one giant staircase with 2 carved out flat circles containing a piano (this circle could rotate) and wheelchair (I don't recall this circle rotating but my wife does).

There was also a glass and metal screen that would be drawn open or closed to separate the back portion of the set. The musicians and opera singers would appear in the back portion to perform the musical parts with the main characters at the front. This had the effect of the music often appearing to be above and imposing over the characters, which suited the play's positioning of music as tied to the divine.

Speaking of divine, Michael Sheen was amazing! I know I am biased towards him but I have seen hundreds of plays and musicals in the past two decades and this would be among the best acting performances I have seen. He leapt effortlessly from a calm and diplomatic manipulator to troubled man, struggling with his faith, jealousy and, increasingly, his grip on reality. You could hate him one minute and then feel moved by his rapturous experience of Mozart's music. He also had an eerie ability to seem instantly unhinged using his eyes and eyebrows. So in summary if you are Australian and considering if it is worth the money to see Michael Sheen act. It 100% is.

The rest of the cast is also talented. Tony Schmitz, as the Emperor, had excellent comedic timing and got a lot of laughs out of relatively few lines. Rahel Romahn was fabulous as Mozart and deftly handled the character's maturation into a more sympathetic adult. Liz Balatincz was a standout as Mozart's wife, Constanze, and struck the prefect valence or fun and frivolous with a steely core underneath.

I also need to talk about the costumes because they were spectacular! I noticed a nice little motif where sheer fabric and ruffles represented how much someone was aligned with or controlled by Mozart and that was used cleverly throughout with little frilly cuffs and dramatic sheer and ruffled capes. Beautiful work.

In summary, go see it, if you can and you are in this end of the world.

[skippyv20]

Shame on "Grandads" who show this to kids!

Hi Skippy & Friends-Pilgrim here with a few thoughts on this perfect Sunday. Regarding that book for children called Grandad’s Pride by a Harry “Woodgate”…this author thinks we don’t know what “woody” stands for I presume…has created a book with childlike drawings but clearly shows questionable “diversity” while preaching everything is legal. I looked at its Amazon and Barnes & Noble listings online, showing 8 example pages, including one with 2 guys in black S & M type outfits. Really? Is this a beginner book for grooming little kids?

The drawings look just like driving into Provincetown (P-town), MA with the coastal road and houses that are right along the edge of the bay. This tiny hamlet, at the very tip of Cape Cod on a narrow spit of land situated in famous dunes, has the Atlantic Ocean on the east/right and Cape Cod Bay on the west/left. The local airport is busy with commuter flights in little planes to Boston and New York. During the summer the ferry from Boston offers a nice short cruise to come and go. The whale watching tours are great too.

This mini city is famous for being a gay safe haven and can be wild. Yes, during the summer there are many galleries and shops for strolling tourists while eyeballing the overt behaviors of diverse souls, but it really is an expensive, fantasy rainbow-land where anything goes. Every June they open the summer with a Gay Pride parade and this weekend it was their Carnival Parade event, backing up traffic for miles before even getting to town.

This 2023 book, published by Little Bee Books in New York City, distributed by Simon & Schuster claims it is good for a child one year or older. There is a companion book called Grandad’s Camper and another of his called Timid. The author who sounds British, claims to be a multi award-winning author and illustrator of children’s books but I could not find a real bio on him. Hmmmmm…as a former elementary school teacher for a few years…this product LOOKs safe but upon inspection is dangerous-definitely confusing, IMHO. I applaud all parents and librarians for ditching it, keeping their space safe for young children.

Thank you so much for doing research on this book…..parents and grandparents BEWARE!….❤️

[blurredblonde]

BUCKET LIST, including the strange, the wild, the weird, and the borderline undoable

Go to a nude beach

spread eagle naked towards the sun

use Pinterest business to do brand links and get any amount of $$ from that alone

go to a pole dancing class

try hot yoga

do a burlesque show in Melbourne

post an animation to youtube

start a webtoon

learn to sew

get an apartment by myself

get an apartment with friends

post a shitty homemade music video in a lana del rey way with the help of friends

get a perm

visit coney island

be 125 pounds

get a the dachshund tattoo

post a vlog like im famous

be a extra in a movie

act in a gay indie movie like norman reedus

go to a gorillaz concert

get a snake

get a record player

meet a sugar mommy

go to a jazz bar alone

get a dressed up like a old hollywood star and go have a night on the town

get my license

own a mustang

ride a motorcycle

go to a mosh pit

go to a rave

get black out drunk

go skinny dipping

publish a art book

own a beach house

get a red gingham bikini

take a slutty picture in a american flag bikini and post it to instagram

go diving with whale sharks

be a art director on a project

do a mural on a wall

complete a painting on an obnoxiously large canvas

make a pop song with no knowledge of music or mixing

work on a big animated film

Do a boudoir photoshoot

party in paris

do a full cosplay

pet a pigeon

get a scuba diving license

explore an abandoned building

kiss a stranger

get in a fist fight

flash my boobs at something

attend a figure drawing class

be the nude model at a figure drawing class

receive fanart of my own characters

create a reel showing school doodles

be the cinematographer for a project

take a history class

be a dive instructor

post a animation meme to a jack stauber song

go on vacation all by myself

have sex

be in a youtube video

go on the video side of omegle

visit japan

go to a film festival

jump off a pier

do a pin-up photoshoot

go to an acting interview

heh

open an online store

do artist alley at a convention

cross country roadtrip with friends

stargaze on top of a car

invest in stocks and real estate

go on a cruise to thailand and thrift there

go to the new york library

visit bora bora

learn to play guitar

draw on the sidewalk with chalk

nurture and take care of a plant

grow my own food

get chickens

join a club in uni

take a pottery class

work out in a gym

surf a barrel

buy a surfboard

meditate for 50 days in a row

travel in a van

fly first class

go on a blind date

buy and fill a photo album book

kiss in the rain

do a thirty-day photography challenge and post the whole thing

explore the woods by my house

go to a ball/masquerade party

host a dinner party

say yes to everything for a day

grow my hair past my ass

become mildly fluent in french

attend golbeins animation workshop

buy an obnoxiously large rug

smell the tomford cherry perfume

get a Brazilian wax

get henna done

go to Brisbane museum by myself

get my i.d

go wine tasting

visit Miami

Meet my online best friend

dine at the ritz

go on a gameshow

do tent camping

win a sweepstake

create a artist porfolio/website

be featured in a gallery

go to okinawa

learn to ballroom dance

ride a horse on a beach/ and or backwards

go to a country club

bake a pie

buy a tourist t-shirt

do a escape room

live in Santa Barbara

stay in cape cod

belly dancing class

get my art viral on tiktok

do a commision

buy a fancy wardrobe

have a room with a slanted roof

sleep in a pool in an inflatable pool

snuggle with nurse sharks

bayonetta mui mui glasses.

go out in a pair of high heels

do a show at a convention

stay at the madonna inn

do lesbian handkerchief flagging in public

do a 'nude' photoshoot

own every sims 4 pack

complete a sims4 generations challenge

play subnautica

swim a motel pool at night

pick a girl from a bar

get a drinks bought for me

smoke a ciggrette

try mixology

get a hickey

have a friend or myself sew vintage patterns

wear a tailored suit

buy real cowgirl boots

bathe in a heart shaped tub

take a rose petal bath

stick a polaroid of myself somewhere public

use spray paint

do a vintage glamour competition

own a house with stain glass windows

go to a cathedral

get pink lace curtains

paint a room

milk a cow

replay Detriot become human

do a live stream

do a lesbian event like a cruise or smth

go to a pride parade

participate on a float in a parade

be a scare actor

act in a play

see a broadway show

shoot a gun

drive a convertible

see lana del rey in concert

do modelling work

do a commercial

buy a sewing machine

drive the road without directions

write a screenplay

submit a film for a competition

pitch an animated show

take a opportunity that scares me

do public karaoke

buy a shitty 2000s camera

get a boat license

buy a boat

go to a random diner

sell clothes on depop

play a drinking game with mates

stay in a hotel with mates

do a draw my life

do a drawing for each section of my Pinterest board

get my fortune told/ future read

buy some mega flare jeans

post a picture of myself to Pinterest/ start a 'me' board

buy some colorful tights

get blue streaks through my blonde hair like aquamarine

drop in on a skateboard

buy a castle

party at Hearst castle

post another fanfic to ao3

dress up in a slutty Halloween costume,its a rite of passage

bake and decorate a fancy cake for someone

[savvytravelers]

African Cruise Tours

Wilderness Odyssey: Exploring Africa's Majesty

Africa offers some of the most breathtaking wildlife viewing opportunities and picturesque landscapes, inspiring countless works of art. Combining a river cruise with a safari adventure opens doors to exploration, with five distinct itineraries to choose from. Discover iconic sites like Cape Town's Table Mountain and the historic home of Nelson Mandela with Savvy Travelers.

Wildlife / National Parks

Explore the wonders of the Greater Kruger, Tarangire, Lake Manyara, and Serengeti national parks, along with the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Witness Africa's majestic elephants swimming freely, graceful giraffes bending for a drink, and the powerful presence of rhinos resting nearby.

Cape Town

From the iconic Table Mountain to the dramatic coastal roads leading to the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Town offers a blend of natural beauty and cultural richness. Experience the thrill of whale watching or marvel at a colony of penguins at Boulders Beach.

Africa Safaris & Wildlife Cruises

Discover Africa

Embark on a journey through Cape Town's treasures, then venture into Namibia for a Chobe River safari cruise. Encounter Africa's wildlife wonders and conclude your adventure with the majestic Victoria Falls.

Rivers & Rails of Africa

Experience the luxury of the Rovos Rail after exploring Cape Town. Sail through the Chobe National Park, witness the mighty elephants, and journey through Zimbabwe to South Africa.

Wildlife and the Falls

Check off the "Big Five" with a thrilling wildlife adventure in Greater Kruger National Park and a visit to Victoria Falls, before exploring Johannesburg's rich heritage.

Stars of South Africa

From Cape Town to Johannesburg, embark on a journey filled with cultural immersion and wildlife encounters, culminating in the pristine wilderness of Greater Kruger National Park.

Golden Trails of Africa

Begin your adventure in Johannesburg or Cape Town, cruise the Chobe River, and explore the wonders of Tanzania's luxury lodges.

Included on Your Wildlife Cruise

Luxurious accommodations with air-conditioned balcony suites

Personalized service from trained Cruise Managers

Onboard dining featuring regional cuisine and traditional African dinner

Excursions include Chobe National Park safari and private boat safaris

Included on Your Africa Safari

Land packages featuring stays at luxurious hotels and lodges

Guided tours of iconic landmarks like Cape of Good Hope and Victoria Falls National Park

Exclusive experiences such as sundowner cruises and vintage steam train receptions

Authentic Experiences

Immerse yourself in Africa's diverse cultures and traditions, enhancing your journey with enriching encounters.

Sought-After Souvenirs

Support local artisans and villages with unique souvenirs from your African adventure.

The Distinctive Zambezi Queen

Experience wildlife up close aboard the Zambezi Queen, designed for eco-friendly cruising along Africa's legendary Chobe River.

Regional Cuisine

Savor a variety of flavorful dishes prepared by expert chefs aboard the Zambezi Queen, offering a blend of traditional African flavors and Western favorites.

Local Recipes

Take a piece of Africa home with you by trying out some delicious local recipes, including Oxtail Stew, Malva Pudding, and Lemon Meringue Pie.

Embark on an Africa river cruise expedition through Africa with Savvy Travelers, where every moment promises awe-inspiring encounters with nature's majesty. From the vibrant streets of Cape Town to the tranquil waters of the Chobe River, each destination offers a glimpse into Africa's rich tapestry of wildlife and culture. Join us on this unforgettable adventure and discover the true essence of the wild!

[whatthecrowtold]

#unhallowedarts - "Stick to the boat, is your true motto in whaling" - the Fate of the Whaler "Essex"

Robert Shore's take on "Moby Dick" (1962)

“But fortunately the special point I here seek can be established upon testimony entirely independent of my own. That point is this: The Sperm Whale is in some cases sufficiently powerful, knowing, and judiciously malicious, as with direct aforethought to stave in, utterly destroy, and sink a large ship; and what is more, the Sperm Whale has done it. First: In the year 1820 the ship Essex, Captain Pollard, of Nantucket, was cruising in the Pacific Ocean. One day she saw spouts, lowered her boats, and gave chase to a shoal of sperm whales. Ere long, several of the whales were wounded; when, suddenly, a very large whale escaping from the boats, issued from the shoal, and bore directly down upon the ship. Dashing his forehead against her hull, he so stove her in, that in less than "ten minutes" she settled down and fell over. Not a surviving plank of her has been seen since. After the severest exposure, part of the crew reached the land in their boats. Being returned home at last, Captain Pollard once more sailed for the Pacific in command of another ship, but the gods shipwrecked him again upon unknown rocks and breakers; for the second time his ship was utterly lost, and forthwith forswearing the sea, he has never tempted it since. At this day Captain Pollard is a resident of Nantucket. I have seen Owen Chace, who was chief mate of the Essex at the time of the tragedy; I have read his plain and faithful narrative; I have conversed with his son; and all this within a few miles of the scene of the catastrophe.“ (Herman Melville, “Moby Dick”)

There is a waxy substance found in the head cavities of sperm whales, the eponymic spermaceti, and nobody knows for certain what it is actually good for. Inside the head of a sperm whale, that is. Chandlers, soap makers, cosmeticians and other trades knew, though, what to do with it, as soon as it was outside of a whale’s head. Processing it into expensive candles and oils, for example. And there was sperm oil, something along the lines of liquid wax, likewise found in the head of sperm whales and, likewise, highly priced - as Melville put it: “what kind of oil is used at coronations? Certainly it cannot be olive oil, nor macassar oil, nor castor oil, nor bear's oil, nor train oil, nor cod-liver oil. What then can it possibly be, but sperm oil in its unmanufactured, unpolluted state, the sweetest of all oils?” Whale blubber, the adipose tissue, was boiled into whale or train oil, from the Dutch word “tear” or “drop”, and used for almost everything from lighting lamps to lubricants for machinery. Oil from a sperm whale’s blubber was known to have the highest viscosity and was thus the most expensive variant.

All kinds of sea mammals and cetaceans were hunted by humans for their oil since time immemorial, but it was as late as 1712 that a New England man, one Christopher Hussey, threw his lance for the first time against a sperm whale. A hundred years later, a downright whaling industry had developed in Hussey’s home town of Nantucket, Massachusetts, some 30 miles south of Cape Cod, hunting for sperm whales across the world. Nantucket’s whale oil barons, almost exclusively Quakers and most of them whaling veterans themselves, owned about 70 whalers and one of them was the old “Essex”, 87’ long and measuring 239 tons burthen, somewhat smaller than most New England whaleships “cruising for sperm” on the coast of Peru, in the Bay of Bengal, off Japan and New Zealand and, since overhunting already began to tell, farer and farer out in the Pacific. With George Pollard Jr. as her captain, then just 29 years old, the youngest skipper of a whaler yet, and a crew of 20, “Essex” left for the hunting grounds out there on August 12, 1819.

Unlike most other cetaceans, bull sperm whales take the fight to their tormentors to defend themselves. Whale boats, usually about 30’ long, were attacked on a regular basis, capsized or smashed to pieces with a “flourish of his tail”, dragged under when the whale suddenly broke off the “Nantucket Sleigh Ride” and dived or charged head on. Attacking the whaleships themselves was rare, but not unheard of. Especially when huge bull sperm whales were involved. Like the one that charged “Essex” on November 20, 1820. After a by and large unsuccessful cruise in the South Atlantic, around the Horn and off Peru, the Nantucket whaler hunted 2,000 miles west of Ecuador. First Mate Owen Chase (or Chace) was aboard ship with a few men, trying to repair a damaged whale boat, while Captain Pollard was pursuing a pod of probably female sperm whales with the two remaining boats. All of a sudden, the men aboard “Essex” saw a large bull sperm whale behaving strangely, a giant of a bull sperm whale, actually, 85’ long in contrast to the average 52’ length of a male and certainly weighing more than 60 tons. The leviathan lay motionless at the ocean’s surface, as if considering a plan of attack. Then he charged head on, gathering speed as he raced towards “Essex’s” broadside and rammed her at full tilt, dived under her, lay there for a moment, stunned, and swam away again to gain new momentum for his next assault.

 “I turned around and saw him about one hundred rods [500 m or 550 yards] directly ahead of us, coming down with twice his ordinary speed of around 24 knots (44 km/h), and it appeared with tenfold fury and vengeance in his aspect. The surf flew in all directions about him with the continual violent thrashing of his tail. His head about half out of the water, and in that way he came upon us, and again struck the ship”, Owen Chase would write later in his “Narrative of the Most Extraordinary and Distressing Shipwreck of the Whale-Ship Essex, of Nantucket“.

Two days later, the battered “Essex” sank.

With everything that could be salvaged from the wrecked whaler, the castaways tried to make for the coast of Chile in their three whale boats. Four weeks later they reached one of the largely uncharted Pitcairn Islands, narrowly missing the surviving protagonists of one of the other tales from the South Seas, that of the “Bounty” mutiny on the main island. Three former crew members of the “Essex” decided to stay there on the almost uninhabitable speck of land, the rest moved on. And their ordeal began in earnest. By the end of January 1821, the three boats had lost contact. Four weeks later, Chase’s boat with three survivors was fished out by the British whaler “Indian” near the Juan Fernández Islands, Robinson Crusoe’s island, of all the places, west of Chile. Two men had died in Chase’s boat and when the third passed away, one Isaac Cole, Chase and the other two decided to eat his remains to survive and they did.

Pollard’s boat hardly fared any better and they drew lots when they were out of provisions, killed and ate the skipper’s cousin, 17-years-old Owen Coffin who had drawn the black spot and finally, Pollard and another member of his former crew, were found by another Nantucket whaler, the “Dauphin”, completely exhausted, mentally and physically, allegedly still gnawing on the bones of their former shipmate. The third boat was never seen again, but the three men that stayed behind on the Pitcairns were rescued. However, all eight survivors of the wreck of the “Essex” returned back home to Nantucket by the end of the year, Chase published his narrative and all of them went back to sea. Pollard commanded another whale ship, the “Two Brothers” and managed to loose her as well, on a reef off Hawaii in 1823. He was rescued again, but retired from whaling and sailing and lived out the rest of his life as a night watchmen in his native Nantucket. Allegedly Melville heard the tale of Chase and the “Essex” for the first time when he sailed the same waters on board the whaler “Acushnet” out of New Bedford. He met Chase’s son William when the “Acushnet” rendezvoused with the whale ship “Lima” of Nantucket who gave him his father’s narrative and Chase’s tale became the background for one of the mightiest tales in world literature.

All images above were nicked from the 1962 edition of Herman Melville's "Moby Dick", illustrated by Robert Sore and found on:

[randomvarious]

Today's compilation:

Fat Music, Volume 4: Life in the Fat Lane 1999 Punk Rock / Pop-Punk / Skate Punk / Hardcore Punk

Fuck, man. I don't listen to nearly as much punk rock as I used to when I first started this stupid blog, but this is a CD that really makes me want to go back to exploring it regularly again. Here we have a late 90s dispatch from the Fat Music sampler series, which was put out by the prolific Fat Wreck Chords, the label run by Fat Mike of NOFX and his then-wife, Erin.

Now, two of my favorite things in punk rock—especially mid-to-late 90s punk rock—are melodic anthems as well as the really speedy skate stuff that comes with rapid, always changing, and mashing drumbeats. And when those two things get combined, as happens somewhat often on this release, I am fully on board. Plus, I also don't know how many of these bands actually hail from the SoCal area, but the ones that do seem to kick the most ass out of all of them 🤘.

Lagwagon, from Goleta (a town just outside of Santa Barbara), open up this comp with "May 16," a song that hooks you right in with its power chords as the band's two guitarists lay down a thick bed of noise and vocalist Joey Cape soars above in his own satisfying high pitch; then the speediest demons from Simi Valley, Strung Out, cruise at 120 in the left lane across the unfortunately named Ronald Reagan Freeway in "The Exumation of Virginia Madison," which also includes a pretty gnarly solo in its second half; and then LA's own NOFX, themselves, deliver an exclusive called "The Plan," a song that ridicules the willfully politically ignorant and seems to serve as a possible precursor to their famed, 18-plus-minute opus, "The Decline," which begins with an iconic pair of questions that pick up from where "The Plan" left off: "Where are all the stupid people from? And how'd they get to be so dumb?"

Never actually dug into this Fat Music series before, but judging by the quality of a bunch of these tunes here, it looks like I might need to check more them out 🤔.

Highlights:

Lagwagon - "May 16" Frenzal Rhomb - "Do You Wanna Fight Me" Strung Out - "The Exumation of Virginia Madison" Avail - "Taken" NOFX - "The Plan" Snuff - "Keep the Beat" Me First and the Gimme Gimmes - "My Favorite Things"

[aroundtheworldin214days]

July 4, 2023 - Day 190

Hubbard’s Glacier, Alaska

In the comments section “easyasgoingtothedentist” asked the following question so I thought I would try and answer. My response is probably too long but I wanted to give it a go so here it is.

Question = “It’s hard to believe you have been on this journey for half a year now. With one month remaining, would you reflect on your favorite places and where you would return to? Any comments on the world atmosphere post-Covid which you have experienced? How about any interesting people you have met on the ship? Which ports did they embark? What nationality were they? It has been really fun to read of your escapades. Thank you. Oh- and could you please post a map of the rest of your ports-o-call?”

Thank you for your note. I appreciate that someone is actually looking at this. It is hard to answer your first question because there have been so many but let me give you a few statistics before I try.

On this trip we have visited 44 countries with 117 stops in different cities. I keep track of how far we go each day and the two screenshots below show my mileage markers. To date we have traveled 51,430 miles and have 7,195 miles to go for a total voyage of 58,625 miles. As far as the rest of the voyage we will be visiting Sitka, Ketchikan, Prince Rupert, Victoria, Astoria, San Francisco, Cabo San Lucas, Zihuatanejo, Puerto Quetzal, Puentarenas, Cartagena and Great Stirrup Bay in that order. We weren’t allowed to land in Peru or Myanmar because of political unrest and missed Kodiak Island and Hubbard’s Glacier because of weather. Because of CoVid we were the first cruise ship to return to many of the ports and there were extremely happy to see us. Bands, dancing and big welcome signs were common. Many of these places depend on the tourist business and there were many closed businesses and restaurants that didn’t survive.

The average age of people on the ship is 72, the oldest is 92 and the youngest is 23. Five people have died during the voyage, there was one helicopter evacuation because of a heart attack, there have been 8 people that have broken arms, legs and wrists because of falls and 2 couples have been kicked off the ship because of misbehavior. The ship doesn’t advertise these events so there may have been more but these are the ones I know about.

Three hundred and fifty of the Around The World passengers got on and will get off in San Francisco. Fifty seven got on and off in Miami and NewYork. Half the passengers are from the US, 25 % from Canada and the rest from other countries including Switzerland, Germany, UK, New Zealand, Australia, Holland, Israel, Mexico, Columbia, Turkey and two Ukrainians. The passengers are fairly affluent with representation from all races, colors and nationalities. Most are retired but some still working a little. The professions include medical Doctors, lawyers, engineers, book authors, a retired bus driver, a police detective, a tobacco factory owner, university professors, bed and breakfast owners, medical laboratory technicians, the owner of a Canadian lumber company, the chief architect for Home Depot, high school superintendents, a physiologist and many more that I don’t know.

The crew is even more diverse. The Captain is from Croatia and most of the officers from Eastern Europe. There are only about 8 of the crew that actually work for the cruise line the rest work through a contract company and are mostly Indian, Philippino and Indonesian. The chef and ship manager are French.

As far as places I would like to go back to there are many so let me just pick one or two from each continent. The highlight of the trip was Antartica. Amazing scenery, amazing animals and absolute desolation. In South America it would be Punta de Este, Uruguay followed by Puerto Monty, Chile and Recife, Brazil. In Africa it would be the Seychelles followed by Cape Town, South Africa and Walvus Bay, Namibia. In the Middle East it would be Muscat,Oman. Dubai, of course, is great but it is just a big international city. In South Asia it would be Columbo, Sri Lanka. In the Far East all of Japan was great but if I had to pick it would be Hakodate and Kobe, Japan followed by Ha Long Bay, Vietnam and Singapore.

Politically my biggest surprise was how strong the Chinese influence is in many of the countries especially West Africa. The situation in these countries is very sad. It is to much to discuss here but basically the vast majority of people live in extreme poverty with the few people in power selling off the resources of the country to China to enrich themselves. The Chinese then move their people in to gain land and resources at the expense of the local population.

Another surprise and disappointment was what I saw in San Diego and San Francisco. The downtown streets are lined with tents and cardboard boxes housing the homeless. There were many many more than I saw in even the poorest countries we visited. I am not going to get into the reasons I think this is happening but there is definitely something wrong in these cities and it needs to be fixed.

[seabreeze2022]

2023 Bahama Cruise, Part 28. May 12 Governors Harbor, Alabaster Beach, Eleuthera.

This is the chart blow up of Governors Harbor, to give you an idea of the area. Against advice on the chart and our friends who were here a couple of days earlier. We anchored inside the harbor. Our anchor dug in well, and we recklessly never dove it.

After a quick trip to the grocery store for a dozen eggs and another bottle of Coconut Rum. We walked around the harbor shore line. We visited the old cemetery near the water. It was well kept with some very old Grave Stones. Behind the cemetery was the St. Patrick’s Anglican Church, built in 1848.

Just around the corner from the church was this beautiful building. It is the “Haynes Library” built much later in 1897. Notice the huge concrete buttresses at the corners, facing 45 degrees from the building. The ones in the back go almost all the way up the second floor. This library was built to withstand a Hurricane. Hurricane Andrew came nearby in 1992 as a Category 3 Hurricane.

Cupid’s Cay makes the outer hook of the harbor. Not sure if it was a separate Cay originally or not as the name would suggest. But today it is connected to the mainland by a substantial causeway. Cupid’s Cay was the home of the first Bahama Parliament in 1736.

On Cupid’s Cay was the first U.S. Consulate to the Bahamas in 1789.

This is a hotel rental on the Cupid’s Cay. This reminds us of old Key West. We walked back to the dinghy and then moved to the boat for the night.

The next morning we did a quick walk through the better part of town. These were well kept up old houses that you can rent. Grounds were green with landscaping and well kept. Really reminds us of Old Key West.

This walk took us over the top of the ridge about 142 ft. high. The ends up going through a carved out are to keep it from being so steep. There was an cement cistern reservoir at the top to supply water pressure to the neighborhood.

From the top we could see both coast of the island. Once we finished this short walk it was back to the boat and move anchorages. Governors Harbor left a good impression with us. Part of it was like most of the settlements. Parts were going high class rentals. Lots of history in this town.

As always the few people we met were very nice and friendly. Apparently there are no snakes on this Island. The chickens and rosters have run amuck. The crowing starts early and is continuous for hours before daybreak.

This is Alabaster Bay. It is 6 miles north of Governors Harbor.

On Monday 13th, we hike 3.7 miles round trip. First across the island to the abandoned US Navy Base. Right turn and a 1 mile plus hike down the beach. Lunch at “The Deck” then continuing clockwise out to the Queen’s Highway and home.

In 1950 this USNavy Base was started as an experimental SOSUS (Sound Surveillance System) having 6 hydrophones deployed off shore. Then in 1958 it became a missile tracking site for US missiles launched from Cape Canaveral. Typical of USNavy bases on islands, they concrete the sides of hills to catch the rain water at the bottom. See photo above, there were several of these. The base was closed in 1982. During its tenure, usually only the Base Commander was actually in the military. The other personnel worked either for Pan American Airways (Pan Am) or Radio Corporation of America (RCA).

In 1957 the base became the Eleuthera Auxiliary Air Force Base (AAFB).

Being a sailor I can’t help but drag a large clump of net and floats up to the high tide mark. It would be a nightmare if you fouled your prop in the open ocean with something like this.

This is “The Deck”. A bar and grill on the oceanside. It is owned by Mark Robert a descendent of the original settlers at Hope Town Abaco.

Bacon Cheese Burgers in Paradise. We learned a new trick. When flies are giving you a problem, light a can of sterno. Even after you put it out they stay away for several minutes.

This is all the treasure we collected on the beach. The most prized of the different sea beans, is the “Hamburger bean” (front left).

It was a slow hike back to the boat after the huge lunch. Nancy cut my hair and beard. After a short recovery time from the lunch. We pulled anchor and sailed north to Hatchet Bay. We tried to out run some storms coming up from the south. Didn’t work out so well.

Using Standard WaterTribe rules. We reefed early. If reefing even enters your mind, then you should go ahead and reef (pull in) your sails. Since we did, the gust from the storm never materialized.

This very well could be a hairy entrance., it is 80 ft. wide and has rock cliffs. Large amount of current to get in and out of this small cut. We had 2 ft. swells and 12-15 kt. winds.

We came into the bay and put out a “Security call” on VHF announcing our entry into the bay. The mailboats and car ferries never say when they are approaching or exiting the harbor. We assume they have a VHF, but they seldom ever answer.

We entered during the top of the flood tide, so no current was evident. We put our anchor down in the north end of the harbor. Only 8 cruisers here. Three left the next morning.

S/V Sea Breeze, Alabaster Bay, Eleuthera, Bahamas.

[navysealunsealed]

1.) This movie was based on Anne Rice's famous novel and had a stellar cast that included names like Brad Pitt, Antonio Banderas, and Tom Cruise. Which movie is this? Interview with the Vampire 

2.) The iconic movie The Silence of the Lambs introduced this iconic character who would go on to feature in countless TV shows and movies. Who is the character? Hannibal Lecter  3.) Which iconic scary movie features Quentin Tarantino and George Clooney as murderous brothers? From dusk till Dawn  4.) Which 90s movie features creepy crawlies taking over a small town in California? Arachnophobia  5.) Which horror movie was shot entirely on a video camera like a documentary? The blair witch project  6.) Which Martin Scorsese movie features Robert De Niro as a criminal madman? Cape fear  7.) What color palette does The Ring predominantly follow? Blues, grays, and greens 8.) Which horror movie featured Sarah Jessica Parker as a witch? Hocus pocus  9.) Where does the story of Scream 2 take place? University campus  10.) How many Nightmare On Elm Street movies have come out to date? Nine films 11.) Which Tim Burton movie features the headless horseman? Sleepy hollow 12.) Which children's movie released by Disney has been joked about bordering on existential horror? Pinocchio  13.) Which Tim Burton Disney movie features dogs as the main characters? Frankenweenie 14.) Which horror author has the most adaptations made from his bestselling books? Stephen king  15.) Which movie features Pennywise the Clown? IT 16.) Which actor plays the protagonist in the movie The Woman in Black? Daniel Radcliffe 17.) Which character portrayed by Johnny Depp is a barber who kills all his clients? Sweeney todd 18.) Which movie features a princess who has to go down a hole in the tree to find a disgusting creature with its eyes in his hands? Pan’s labyrinth  19.) What is the real name of the antagonist in A Nightmare on Elm Street? Freddy kreuger  20.) Who plays Hannibal Lecter in its first and most horrifying film depiction? Anthony Hopkins  21.) Which terrifying fish has inspired numerous monster flicks? The piranha 22.) Which movie features a child who can see dead people? The sixth sense 23.) What is the name of the scary clown from the Stephen King Franchise 'It'? Pennywise 24.) Which slasher flick character is terrified of water because he died by drowning? Jason voorhees  25.) This movie features a clergy member who turns over to the dark side. The nun 26.) Which flick was shot partly through CCTV cameras? Paranormal activity