Saga Ruby Captain's blog

A couple of years ago someone scheduled Saga Ruby to arrive at Mumbai today at low tide. With insufficient depth of water predicted to complete the journey to our berth I was left with no choice but to anchor Saga Ruby in Mumbai Roads and wait for the tide to come in. We arrived at 0700 and after my passengers and crew were unwillingly called before a bureaucratic panel of immigration officials they were finally ‘released’ to take the tender-boat ride to shore.

Mid morning, and with sufficient under-keel clearance I docked Saga Ruby at Mumbai’s cruise terminal. And very soon the remainder of my passengers went to join the 14 million locals that make this the second most populated place on earth.

There were the usual array of organised shore excursions, the city, the Gateway of India Arch, towers and statues, the Hanging Gardens, mosques, the UNESCO world heritage grand railway station Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, and my favourite, the Dhobi Ghats – Mumbai’s open air laundries. Some ventured by boat to another UNESCO site, the Elephant Caves, a series of man made caverns hewn out of the rock during the fifth to the eighth centuries.

Aboard ship we are fundraising for a couple of deserving charities in Mumbai - the Victoria School for the Blind, and the Sion Children’s Home. Today was an opportunity for my passengers to visit these charities and witness the wonderful work that they do. For some it will be the beginning of a long relationship, for others it began years ago.

By lunchtime I decided to visit Mumbai too. The only way to visit this city is to become a part of it, and with a few friends we set off on foot to find a local restaurant. Hassled and jostled, we met a thousand taxi drivers, beggars, wannabe guides, and street vendors. Eventually we found what we were looking for and joined a couple of hundred others in what is locally known as an ‘eating house’. A dozen or so different dishes were ordered between our group and we tucked-in to a variety of spicy seafood, meat, and chicken, with naan, rice, and condiments. Probably the best curry in the world!

Shopping followed, with a walk to Crawford Market. There, millions buy and sell everything for every day living. There’s a cacophony from the traffic, vibrant colours of textiles and shop signs, and smiles from the friendly locals. I loved it. With an Indian dressed theme night arranged I needed some authentic clothing, and there was plenty of choice there. Not wishing to be outdone by my passengers I splashed out a few hundred rupees on a Kurta Suit and some colourful shoes.

As with our arrival, it was necessary to wait for the next high tide for our departure which meant that our time in the fantastic city was extended by a few hours. We eventually sailed at 9pm, some three hours later than planned. Time though for another local show, dinner, a classical concert, and a showtime of Jazz before we were back up to full speed at sea, and leaving incredible India in our wake.

Known as the ‘Pearl of the East’, Goa is famous for its long stretches of sandy coast, coconut groves, and swaying palms, attracting tourists from the world over. Sadly the gateway to this idyllic sounding region is the port at Mormogoa. Dirty, dusty, noisy, and crowded, we docked between barges loading iron ore bound for China and a huge bulk carrier discharging coal. Definitely a disappointing start, I could only hope that the hinterland would delight.

There were tours to Old Goa with its cathedral and basilica surrounded by well manicured parkland. A chance too, to visit a spice plantation, to see the cultivation of ginger, peppercorns, vanilla, cloves, and cinnamon. For the independent traveller there were taxis aplenty. Many passengers and some of my crew bartered for a deal on the fare before leaving for the beach or a little shopping in Old Goa.

Aboard ship we continued with our test and inspection routines. Today it was a drill involving the testing of back up steering systems, and a practice of steering the ship with the helmsman located in the tiny confines of the steering gear compartment, manually operating the solenoids that control the powerful steering equipment. All was satisfactory although the high ambient temperature had my officers and cadets looking in need of a cold drink (and a shower!).

We let go the lines at 5pm and with tug assistance manoeuvred clear of the port and on our way to sea once more. It was a pleasure to leave the dirty harbour and enjoy clean sea air once more, and a chance to wash away the settled dust from Saga Ruby’s decks and taffrails.

It was a straightforward arrival as Saga Ruby cruised past the Chinese fishing nets and entered the port of Cochin. The dock was a cargo pier, well swept in anticipation of a cruise ship, but rather uninspiring.

The city of Cochin was not too far away and my passengers were soon disembarking en-route to the bustle of southern India. St. Francis church, the vibrant Vasco da Gama fish market, spice and vegetable markets, Santa Cruz Basilica, Mattancherry Synagogue, the Dutch Palace were all within a short ride. Some chose to enjoy flora and fauna as they cruised the Alleppey backwaters, a network of serene waterways, aboard a motor launch to the Punnamada Resort Hotel for luncheon.

I donned civi clothes and joined a group of passengers who were embarking on one of our ‘Something Different’ tours to enjoy some Indian hospitality and traditional delicacies on a gourmet day out. We visited the home of Nimmy and Paul in the suburbs. Nimmy is a professional cookery instructor and we were shown how to cook and prepare some traditional Kerala region dishes. Local ingredients were used, including the heart of the banana flower and coconut.

A delicious multi-course taster lunch followed beneath a colourful awning. I shared my table with some of my passengers who decided to photograph each course. The food was so appealing however that they ate before remembering to photograph. They will go home with some super shots of crockery ready for washing up! My thanks go to Nimmy and Paul for their charming hospitality, and to my tablemates who were great company.

We enjoyed a local show of lively and colourful song and dance before departure at 7pm. Dinner was then served followed by our main show featuring cello diva Sarah Jessica Maer performing pieces from Bach to Bon Jovi.

We had three full days at sea as we crossed the Bay of Bengal towards Sri Lanka. A busy sea-lane kept my navigators on their toes, and my passengers busy playing I-Spy ships. This time of the year we enjoyed the last throws of the north-east monsoon, gentle winds and sunny skies making perfect cruising weather.

Colombo is a major port on the east-west Indian Ocean trade route and the commercial capital of Sri Lanka. With a population of around a million it is the country’s largest city.  Located on the west coast of the island, it is adjacent to the administrative capital, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.  Colombo is a busy and vibrant city with a mixture of modern life, colonial buildings and ruins.  It is home to the majority of the country's corporate offices and offers a huge variety of restaurants and entertainment.  Famous landmarks include the Galle Face Green, the Viharamahadevi Park, as well as the National Museum.

The cruise dock is tucked into the corner of the huge harbour. It was necessary to have the adjacent container crane booms lifted to permit our safe transit to the berth, I didn’t want to clip one of those massive structures and have it topple onto Saga Ruby. Once alongside the hustle and bustle was awaiting on the dock. Traders with stalls all came to shake my hand and welcome me to “Once British” Sri Lanka. Old George was still there, selling jewellery at very good prices. His scrap book of business cards is a Who’s Who of ships’ Captains together with the odd celebrity that has arrived by ship at his port.

Tours beyond the city seemed popular today. Some headed for the tea plantations to see where Britain’s favourite drink starts its long journey to our teacups. Others joined the tour to visit the Pinawella Elephant Orphanage. Always a highlight of any visit to Sri Lanka, my passengers enjoyed seeing the abandoned, or injured in the wild, elephants at play with each other and with the dedicated ‘mahouts’ who rear the mighty animals.

Prior to departure the Geethanjalee Dance academy presented classical Kathakali dance for my passengers in the Ballroom. No sooner were they finished and off the ship then I let go the lines and began sailing out. On the horizon I could see heavy clouds and a chance of rain, which was not good as on deck a feast was being prepared, and so speed was of the essence to get away. Thankfully we escaped the rain and my passengers feasted on a sumptuous barbecue dinner al fresco. The band played too, enticing my passengers to dance into the warm night.

Our overnight run through the Malacca Straits had been uneventful. A known pirate hotspot where smaller vessels have ‘disappeared’ and their crews thrown to the sharks had had my security team on alert with extra lookouts posted around the ship. By morning they had nothing to report, which is just the way I like it.

We cruised into Port Kelang, embarking the pilot at 0630, passing the huge container terminals that keep Malaysian export businesses booming, and drew up alongside the passenger terminal. We were definitely out of town - mangroves and swamp surrounded the terminal building and it appeared a long way from civilisation. Port Kelang, once Port Swettenham, opened in 1901 to serve central Malaysia. It closed two months later as malaria ravaged the local labourers. With the wars came new development and today it is a major container hub.

Of course, a commercial zone in a swamp was not our reason for being in Malaysia. A few miles inland lies the capital, Kuala Lumpur. KL, known as the Garden City of Lights, is home to some of the world’s tallest buildings including the KL Tower and the magnificent twin Petronas Towers that soar 88 stories high. There, the old and the new, the sacred and the secular, lie side by side… mosques and buddist temples, futuristic skyscrapers, bustling markets, colonial buildings, busy streets and lively bars. At every turn there’s evidence of various architectural styles and cultural influences. There are pockets of greenery, including Lake Gardens, and a wealth of museums, memorials, and art galleries.

With temperatures sweltering well into the 90s Fahrenheit my passengers returned from their full day tours looking somewhat jaded. An earlier than usual, easy listening show seemed enough, and so The Illuminati Wind Quartet played a ‘taste of the classics’ before bedtime.

I must confess that this blog should be all about Semarang on the island of Java, but things didn’t go to plan. It had been a fine morning as we had approached Semarang - the pilot boarded, we discussed the manoeuvring and characteristics of Saga Ruby, we entered the port, I turned her around, the tug pushed and….everything stopped.

With mud churning where deep water should be I shut down the engines. The chart said the port was deeper than our draft. The pilot said it was deeper than our draft. Reality showed that it wasn’t! Extra tugs were called and with a sigh of relief Saga Ruby slid off the mud and back into the deep water. The wet season, now nearing its end, had swollen the river, which had deposited silt where I needed to berth. With no alternative parking space available we forlornly headed to sea and proceeded on passage to Singapore.

With the sun at its vernal equinox, positioning it over the equator, we too crossed the line and into the northern hemisphere. King Neptune, his dainty Queen, some scantily clad mermaids, a chef and a barber, tough and ruthless pirates, and a rough and toothless engineer, all boarded to try the Pollywogs for the misdemeanour of entering their domain, together with one or two other dodgy offences. As they served their punishment of kissing the fish and having custard pies in their faces, King Nep proclaimed that they were now trusty Shellbacks and free to roam the seven seas henceforth.

So, we were soon in ‘Singers’, made fast to the cruise terminal situated in Cruise Bay, directly beneath the cable car that links Sentosa Island to Singapore Island. Known as the Lion City, Singapore is a modern metropolis and the world’s busiest port. It is situated to the south of the Malay Peninsular at one of Asia’s great crossroads between the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea. East meets west in Singapore.

It’s an eclectic and cosmopolitan city-state with many cultures and a thriving arts and entertainment scene. It possesses an intriguing fusion of traditional oriental charm and British colonial heritage dating back to the arrival of Sir Stamford Raffles in 1819. Raffles bought Singapore for the East India Company and made it the most strategically important colony in the Eastern Empire. His name lives on at the Raffles Hotel, the hub of high society in the 1800s. Ah those were the days!

Not surprisingly, tours included that famous hotel together with a glass of the well-known Singapore Sling. They also visited the ‘Singapore Flyer’ (an oriental London Eye) and toured the city, its temples, and gardens. Across the bay some passengers enjoyed the parks and fun fairs, cafes and bars, that make Sentosa island such an attraction. Others visited the Changi Chapel and Museum, a WWII prisoner of war camp.

Prior to departure, my passengers were entertained by ‘The Instant Asian Cultural Show’ featuring music, song, and dance from Singapore. And just when they thought it was all over I sounded the general alarm for a passenger lifeboat muster as some new passengers had joined us to replace those that had headed home for a rest. Then we sailed for Port Kelang, a couple of hundred miles north along the Malacca Strait.

It was a pleasure to be on the bridge as we arrived at dawn in the Lombok Strait. With clear skies and mirror calm seas, the green of the lush island of Bali reflected in the blue waters. Saga Ruby proceeded to the anchorage off Padang Bai and very soon had the tenders underway and ready to transfer my passengers to shore.

Padang Bai, meaning Grassy Bay, is a collection of houses, market stalls, and cafes with trees to the west, and a white, fishing boat strewn, beach to the east. To the north lies Blue Lagoon, and to the south Secret Beach. I rode the tender to explore the locality.

As I left the tender jetty I was immediately set upon by hawkers keen to sell their wares. They weren’t the gentle Balinese that I’d expected. Thankfully they didn’t stray far from the jetty, and after 20 metres of jostling I was finally left alone to enjoy the village. A good walk was followed by a quick paddle in the sea to cool my feet.

As the temperature soared I found refuge in a beach-front restaurant, a cold drink and a plate of Nasi Goring, spicy Indonesian rice, made a great lunch. Id worked in Bali many years ago and I was keen to practice some Indonesian phrases, just my luck that the proprietor was British, but a charming hostess nevertheless!

Many of my passengers headed off to explore the island. The island’s capital Denpasar, its tourist beaches of Kuta and Nusa Dua, and the tranquil hillside retreat of local artisans at Ubud were visited, together with plenty of shrines and temples on this Hindu island.

It was with a touch of sadness that I instructed my bosun to aweigh the anchor and I turned saga Ruby around to head to sea once more. My visit had brought back fond memories of my younger days of diving and sailing in this part of Indonesia. It was hard to believe that it had been 12 years since I last came here, I hope I don’t have to wait another 12 before I return.

In the evening all thinks turned green, it was St. Patrick’s Day after all. There was a dinner of favourites from the Emerald Isle including mussels Kilpatrick, colcannon, and from the Safety Officer’s mother – Madeleine O’Shaughnessy’s own recipe Irish stew. The celebrations continued with dance and the occasional jig as Cruise Director Jo Boase had everyone moving to some Irish sounds played by the Saga Ruby Orchestra.

It had been a fine weather run through the Barrier Reef and Torres Strait, and across the Gulf of Carpentaria as we enjoyed calm seas and blue skies. However, as Saga Ruby approached Australia’s most northerly and least populated capital cities it was raining. Not the UK type rain, but a very heavy tropical downpour.

Visibility was near zero as we encountered the entrance buoys to Darwin harbour and it wasn’t until a couple of miles from the city that things dramatically changed. The sky cleared, the sun shone, and the heat and humidity hit. Oh boy, it was going to be a hot one today!

It would have been very hot aboard HMS Beagle when she arrived in 1839 for surveying the area. Her commander, John Clements Wickham, named the area Port Darwin after Charles Darwin who had been aboard for an earlier voyage. Darwin’s scientific achievements were still decades away, Wickham was simply naming locations after former shipmates.

Darwin has witnessed the Gold Rush and more recently devastation in a cyclone. The city is now modern and vibrant with world-class restaurants, trendy cafes, shopping centres and marinas. It is also claimed to be the world’s 4th most expensive city to live in. Today is Mothering Sunday however, and not surprisingly, the city was rather quiet.

Not deterred by the oppressive heat, my passengers ambled ashore to visit the city, the harbour, and the surrounding National Park. There was a cruise along the Adelaide River too, an opportunity to see the large saltwater crocodiles that make the wetlands their home. To cool off, a visit to Humpty Doo Pub is a must. It’s a typical Aussie bush pub serving ice-cold beer.

This was our final port on the Australian coast and so our show-time featured Australian vocalist Trevor Whittaker singing some Aussie favourites.

I can’t say I’d been looking forward to today as we were scheduled to anchor some distance off the shallow coastline and tender my passengers to shore. With a very fresh wind forecast and choppy waters I knew that things were going to be difficult and that the port stop may have to be cancelled.

Things were definitely lumpy and my morning announcement to passengers warned of difficulties in boarding the tender and risk of mal de mer en route to shore. I manoeuvred the ship throughout the day in order to provide shelter from the waves to aid safe boarding, and my crew worked hard assisting passengers on and off the tenders.

Cooktown is named after Captain James Cook who landed here in 1770 to repair his ship Endeavour. A statue of this great British explorer now stands in the harbour area. It is officially Australia’s oldest European settlement, things really coming to life with the Gold Rush of the late 19th century.

It soon grew to become one of Queensland’s largest settlements with an infamous reputation for taverns, brothels, and unsavoury characters. Those days are now long gone, and Cooktown is a peaceful place in tune with the Aboriginal culture.

By the early afternoon myself and my crew were all rather jaded, but a successful port stop in difficult conditions was achieved. It was with a sense of relief that we lifted the anchor and proceeded to sea, next stop Darwin in Australia’s Northern Territory.

The evening’s entertainment was a mystifying show performed by Moscow Magic followed by music for dancing by the Saga Ruby Orchestra.

The morning began with some intense concentration as I navigated Saga Ruby along the narrow entrance channel into Cairns harbour. There isn’t much room for error as the dredged channel is barely wide enough to fit. Not only did we dock safely, but we were alongside before the first of the rain showers deluged the ship. It is normal for the rain to fall whilst I’m outside manoeuvring the vessel and it is known in the ‘trade’ as a ‘docking shower’.

My passengers were soon off to see the splendours of tropical Queensland. The rainforest and aboriginal culture were on some agendas, others looked to the sea for their day with cruises out to the Great Barrier Reef and an opportunity to snorkel amongst the coral and fish in this warm water paradise. The independent souls wandered around Cairns or took the coach to quaint Port Douglas.

There was a good contingent abandoning ship for a few days as they jetted off to Alice Springs and Uluru (Ayres Rock) the spiritual centre of Aboriginal culture and world’s largest monolith. We’ll see them again in Darwin on the 14th.

For the ship’s crew it was time for our weekly emergency and abandon ship drills. At 10am the alarm was sounded and everyone went into action. In line with new guidance from the UK Maritime Coastguard Agency, we simulated a barbecue fire and put our teams to the test of dealing with exploding gas cylinders. It did seem appropriate that we would have a BBQ themed drill here in Australia.

Later I was back on my bicycle heading along the coastal cycleway that fronts the lovely town and forms a part of the well-manicured promenade park between traffic and the beach. Weather was hot and humid with some very heavy showers. A couple of times it was necessary to rest beneath a tree whilst the heavens opened.

Departure was delayed for around twenty minutes as we waited for good visibility to navigate the channel back to sea. Heavy rain meant that I couldn’t see the navigational marks and channel lead lights in order to safely proceed. Using the pilot’s laptop computer we used the internet to watch live weather radar pictures from the Cairns weather centre and were therefore able to see a weather window opening for our departure.

The Palm Court Orchestra presented an evening’s recital of works by Beethoven and Brahms before piano duo and comic team ‘Katzenjammer’ entertained with their usual mix of music and mayhem.

Progress was slow as we steamed towards Brisbane. The East Australian Current gave us its full 4 knots which, combined with a headwind, reduced our speed to only 15 knots. It wasn’t surprising that we arrived a couple of hours late into Brisbane but all was not lost as my passengers were able to enjoy our cruise up the Brisbane River to our berth in the morning sunshine. With tours rescheduled to the afternoon and a later sailing time organised my passengers would still be able to make the most of this idyllic part of the world.

Tours took my passengers into the city of Brisbane, as well as to the superb beaches of Queensland’s Gold Coast. The pier side was a modern complex of shops and cafes which was enough for some, whilst others took public transport into the city – a high speed catamaran with an all day ticket for only $5. I took an even cheaper option, getting astride my bicycle and following the riverside path passing Brisbane’s suburbs, parks, and marinas. It was a good ride on a lovely day and I rather enjoyed myself.

Some passengers had a chance to see some of Australia’s flora and fauna with guided tours in 4-wheel drive vehicles into the Aussie bush. ‘Roos, lizards, possums, and Koalas were all sighted on the adventure. Lunch was predictably a ‘barbie’ washed down with a ‘tinnie’ or two. And entertainment over lunch? Boomerang throwing lessons, of course!

As my last passengers boarded in the evening we began casting off our lines. It takes 5 hours to escape the confines of the river and Moreton Bay and it wasn’t until 2330 that we were finally at sea once more. Next stop Cairns, 854 miles and two days at sea but still the same coastline of this state Queensland, so vast this country is.

Stepping from the aeroplane at Sydney’s Kingsford Smith airport was a great pleasure. Not only could I stretch my legs after what seemed like days of travelling, but the warm Australian summer air cosseted my weary frame. Already I found myself saying “G’day” instead of “Good Morning”, and I looked forward to an outside lifestyle wearing short sleeves and shorts.

I was soon whisked from Botany Bay into the centre of New South Wales’s capital. I arrived at Darling Harbour at 8am with an hour to wait until Saga Ruby was due to dock. Feeling invigorated I went for a walk around the bars and cafes of this harbour-side tourist district. Things were already coming to life as people sipped coffee whilst others jogged along the quayside in the morning sunshine.

I was back in time to see Saga Ruby’s lines being sent to shore as she tied up alongside. Soon I was back aboard my second home and meeting many familiar passengers with whom I have sailed with before. A couple of hours briefing from Captain Rentell was enough to have me up to speed with all things shipboard and ready for the next couple of months in command.

For my passengers (yes, they’re mine now) it was the start of a couple of days enjoying the sights and sounds of Sydney and it’s surrounds. There were city tours, harbour tours and even seaplane tours of the city and its magnificent natural harbour known as Port Jackson. Sydney Harbour Bridge, Darling Harbour, Circular Quay, The Rocks, Luna Park, Centre-Point Tower, Kings Cross, Chinatown, were all on people’s itineraries. Visits to the billowing sail-like Opera house included performances of Verdi’s La Traviata for those musically inclined. Some ventured farther to the beautiful beaches, including Bondi of course, and also to the magnificent Blue Mountains.

Sailing on a warm and still night we eased out of Darling Harbour, under the bridge, and past the Opera House. The city and sights were all illuminated making for a spectacular departure as we bid farewell to Sydney. With pilot disembarked we increased to full speed, 486 miles to run along Australia’s east coast to Brisbane in Queensland.

In fact the journey around the south of South Island was a little windy, but not too bad, and we took the opportunity to head into Dusky Sound and then Doubtful Sound before heading further north.

The morning weather had been rather overcast, with rain at times, but the clouds parted for us to see more than just a little blue as we headed into Milford Sound around mid afternoon. It was a pleasant interlude and had most folk on deck to see the towering cliffs reaching straight out of the water up to well over three thousand feet. After a suitable viewing interval we turned and headed out, despatching the pilot before we turned the last bend back to the Tasman.

The first of our two days crossing the Tasman Sea was fairly comfortable, with light winds and a somewhat confused swell. The second however, gave us a good taste of the ‘Tasman Devil’, and can best be described as the ‘Roaring Forties’ at their best. The great delight though, was the wandering Albatross that seemed quite unperturbed by the elements and continued to criss cross our track all day, sometimes with wingtip just millimetres above the waves.

Hobart was welcome, in more ways than one, and passengers were soon away on their tours and wandering into the city in pleasant sunshine. The old quarter, not so far from the ship, had a mix of bars and shops blended into old warehouses and contemporary buildings. Just up from the quays lovely bungalow houses, built in the early 1900’s with their typical covered porches and corrugated roofs were a reminder of perhaps busier times.

In fact the port, ship wise, was rather quiet. Even so, it had a greater security presence than many a port I have recently entered. I was advised that the increasing costs of security have actually resulted in some vessels abandoning Hobart completely. A great shame, I would suggest, as our passengers returned with glowing praise.

We sailed back into the great bay that shelters the city and headed first east, and then to the north around Tasman Island, just catching for a while the south westerly swell curling around Tasmanias’s southern cape. Sydney is next, many folks are leaving, including my wife and I. Captain Neil will be here to bring the ship home. We wish fair winds and a safe passage.