Saga Ruby Captain's blog

The pilot was picked up on schedule at 6am on the 28th at Weser pilot station and Saga Ruby made her way along the estuary at good speed. Unfortunately then fate conspired against us in the form of a small coaster proceeding to transit the Weser at a speed of 8 knots. With no way of overtaking her due to the oncoming traffic we had to fall in behind the coaster and exercise patience. With a change of pilot the Saga Ruby proceeded, albeit at a slower speed, to the turning basin just beyond our intended destination before turning and berthing just ahead of another cruise ship, the Christopher Columbus.

I have always found this a strange name to call a ship if you think about it. When Christopher Columbus set off, he didn’t know where he was going; when he got there he didn’t know where he was; and when he got back he wasn’t sure where he’d been! I suppose it would be apt for mystery cruises though?

With the Saga Ruby now alongside, and having dried off from the traditional “docking shower” that decided test the absorbent qualities of my uniform trousers, I went to the gangway to see off some passengers who were off on one of the tall ships, “Mercedes” for one of the tours.

There were several groups over the two days alongside in Bremerhaven, who went off on a tall ship for a short trip up the Weser, whilst everyone else had the opportunity of admiring the tall ships moored up in the harbour.

At night there was a spectacular firework display put on for the Tall Ship Festival that was clearly visible from the Saga Ruby, enabling our passengers to enjoy some of the festivities without having to venture too far from the comfort of the ship.

The forecasting for departure indicated force 8 and 9 winds in the German Bight were waiting for us, which no doubt played a part in the reduced numbers of sailing vessels making for the open waters during the afternoon. Several of the more hardy sailors set sail regardless though including the Shabab, which we passed at around 11pm as we made our way back to Dover in less than clement August bank holiday weather.

After leaving Dover on the 24th in 40 knots of wind via the eastern entrance to the harbour the Saga Ruby had a reasonable journey north towards its Scottish destination. There was a swell in the afternoon emanating from the north, where Norway was getting a bit of a battering, but the sun was shining and the wind and rain was confined to the South and Western regions of the UK, leaving our passengers to enjoy the day.

Saga Ruby arrived in the Firth of Forth to pick up the pilot at 1:15am, again an unfortunate time for all of us involved in the operation, due to tidal restrictions. The night was calm and Mars was in clear view as a slightly reddish star in the Southwest sector of the sky. For those using binoculars both moons, Phobos and Deimos, were also visible to any would be star gazer.

Due to the presence of another cruise vessel in Leith, the Saga Ruby found it necessary to berth in the commercial part of the port on a berth normally reserved for Bulk Carriers and Offshore support vessels. This wasn’t as bad as it sounds however and afforded a more interesting aspect of Leith, uninterrupted by the shopping mall that normally makes for most of the view on the designated passenger berth.

Most of our passengers were off to the Tattoo in the evening, an experience I’d had the opportunity to enjoy on our previous visit to Leith less than two weeks ago. Once again the weather was being kind, with not a drop of rain in sight to dampen the spirits of our passengers as they returned for a party on the after deck. With a distinctly Scottish ambiance being created by the sound of the bagpipes and dances around the lido in full swing, the ship prepared to set off in search of some Tall Ships reported to have last been seen in German waters…

As the Sun started to rise the Saga Ruby made its way into Falmouth Bay, weaving its way through the numerous ships at anchor. The majority of these steel leviathans were waiting for cargo orders, a reminder of the impact of the recent financial troubles felt the world over. The morning mist still lingered over the headlands and downs that make up the topography of this part of the southern Cornish coastline, as the pilot launch made its way out to greet us.

Falmouth is one of the few ports we go to where it is necessary to anchor using both anchors in what is called a “running moor”. This is where one anchor is dropped whilst the vessel is making headway paying out twice as much chain as is to be finally used, before dropping a second anchor. The anchors are then balanced by heaving on the chain of the first and paying out chain on the second until both are matched in length.

This restricts the turning circle of the vessel at the change of tide in narrow channels but always has an added risk of putting a twist in the anchor chains resulting in them becoming fouled when you look to recover them. In fact, at both changes of tide during our stay the engines had to be employed to force the Saga Ruby to swing around in a direction to prevent this from happening due to the forecast westerly winds deciding not to make an appearance.

As a Cornishman I insisted that the St. Piran’s Cross was flown from the mainmast alongside the red ensign during our stay. The black flag with its white cross is the national flag of Cornwall and is representative of the tin mining heritage of mainland Britain’s most westerly peninsular. The flag’s white is supposed to represent molten tin running over a fire blackened stone according to Saint Piran’s legend.

From our anchorage in Carrick Roads the ships tenders ferried our passengers ashore to explore Falmouth or venture further in to Cornwall to visit Truro, St. Ives, Penzance or the Eden Project amongst other locations, either independently or on one of the shore excursions.

With the evening came the onset of the latest weather front to interrupt the British Summer, so as the skies started to darken with cloud the protracted procedure of recovering the anchors was undertaken before the Saga Ruby proceeded out to sea between the Castle’s of Saint Mawes to port and Pendennis to Starboard.

The Pilot boarded at 6:30am and the Saga Ruby proceeded into Cork Harbour between Weaver’s Point and Roaches Point. The Pilotage in took us past Whitegate Marine Terminal and the Refinery that it services, a port of call that I used to frequent back in my days as a Cadet and Junior Officer aboard the m.v. British Tamar. Once the bend off of Spit Bank was successfully navigated the Saga Ruby made for the Quay at Cobh and moored against the provided pontoons.

It was once again a bright and sunny day with a strong wind, this time prevailing from the South to maximise the chances of people looking for a holiday tan to take home with them. Cobh is the perfect base from which to travel to the city of Cork, or venture off into the Kingdom of Kerry to explore its sites including the famous Blarney Castle with its Blarney Stone said to bestow the gift of eloquence on those who lean backward to kiss it.

Also nearby is the picturesque town of Kinsale, which every Deck Cadet and Deck Officer knows of from conducting chart work exercises on the Admiralty chart “Old Head of Kinsale to Tusker Rock”. Departing from Cobh was hampered by the tide and wind and resulted in a few moments of sideways, “crab like” movement during the turn in the basin near to the berth.

Once the swing was complete however the engine power was increased quickly and we made our escape from the last port visited by the Titanic. The evening’s entertainment included “An Audience with Terry Waite CBE”, and Magician Brett Sherwood performing his tricks in the Ballroom as the Saga Ruby headed out across the Celtic Sea towards Land’s End.

The morning arrival at Dublin Pilot Station at 6:00am was clear of rain and fog… finally, however the strong winds persisted so it was necessary to employ a local tug in order to complete the turn in the confined port area. The sun was shining for most of the day and if felt more like summer despite the force 5-6 winds that persisted throughout the day.

Dublin is a compact capital city, bisected by the river Liffey, and is home to two cathedrals, Dublin Castle and Trinity College, with its library housing amongst other manuscripts and tomes, the Book of Kells. Shoppers are well catered for in O’Connell St. and Grafton St., or if you prefer a more relaxed day there are plenty of pubs and restaurants around to offer up a pint of Guinness and local cuisine.

At 8pm with everyone back aboard the Saga Ruby slipped away from Dublin with the assistance of the westerly winds and headed down towards Cobh. The Passengers had an evening of entertainment ahead of them to keep them occupied as we proceeded south along the Irish coast, with the Gail Davies Production Cast performing “Big Top” and Louis and his team in the Galley opening up their doors for a tour.

The next port of call on our zigzag down the Irish Sea was the port of Holyhead on Anglesey Island or Ynes Mon in Welsh. Anglesey was known in the Middle Ages as Mam Cymru, Mother of Wales, because its fertile fields formed the breadbasket for North Wales. Holyhead is the largest town on the island, while the historic town of Beaumaris, on the other side, is the site of one of the castles built by Edward I after his defeat of the Welsh Princes.

It was a blustery morning when we arrived and swung to port off of the pier head before backing towards the berth. Our destination still featured a number of mechanical items that hinted of the jetty’s previous employment as a berth for bulk carriers to supply the local aluminium plant with raw materials.

From Holyhead our passengers were able to cross the Menai Strait onto the welsh mainland to ascend Snowdon summit by mountain railway or to march on Caernarfon Castle, the ruins of the once impregnable seat of England’s government in Wales before laying siege to its gift shop.

For those who simply wished to see Anglesey, they could ramble the Holy Island or visit the town of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. Good luck asking for directions for that one though!

The Saga Ruby left the shores of Wales at 11pm under cover of darkness in less than summery conditions to make her way back across the Irish Sea in near gale winds and driving rain.

I had barely left the bridge to get some rest before the phone was calling me back to pick up the pilot from Belfast; such is the short journey from the Clyde to Northern Ireland’s Capital. Weather wise it was quite pleasant if not a little cool for August, but then what do you expect at 6am?

The Westerdam had gone in an hour and a half before us and seemed to take an age to make fast! In fact she’d not long finished playing with her ropes before we were casting our lines out only 100ft in front of her on the Storemont Wharf.

Being in Belfast brought back memories of my first ever visit to the city back in August 1995, just a year after the ceasefire had come into force. I remember as a Cadet eating lunch on the grass in front of the Town Hall with lots of teenagers and student types in the sunshine. I remember how buoyant and relaxed everyone appeared to be, like a huge weight had been lifted off his or her shoulders.

The hall itself was always synonymous with the troubles to me, as this was often the image seen on the news as I was growing up after something had happened. But on this day I remember it for its Victorian architecture, oxide green dome reflecting the sunlight and the sense of change in the air, a memory that has stayed quite foremost in my mind over the last 15 years.

The City has moved forward since then though and has undergone a remarkable rejuvenation, you could almost forget the city’s turbulent past, walking around today…. Almost.

With the setting sun, came our time to depart, so we cast off and backed away from the Westerdam, along the wharf to the turning basin where the Saga Ruby performed a half pirouette and headed East towards the Welsh Coast and our next port of call, Holyhead.

Having raced down during the night and experienced some heavy rain at times, it was a pleasant surprise to be able to berth the vessel without getting wet! The sky was very grey and threatening and showers were forecast for the morning, but all in all the day turned out a little better than expected.

Greenock is situated on the southern shore of the Firth of Clyde and provides an ideal base from which to venture into Glasgow or explore the surrounding countryside, including Loch Eck, Loch Fine and of course Loch Lomond. The town’s most famous son is James Watt and the Memorial College that carries his name still serves as a college of further education. I wonder what he would have made of the Saga Ruby?

During the evening to take advantage of the now clear skies, the Cruise Director Jo, arranged a party on the open deck by the Lido. A piper was onboard to add a Scottish twist to the party, and apparently earlier in the day he’d been taking part in the Bag Pipe World Championships in Glasgow. He finished in eighth place by all accounts, and played a section from his competition piece to demonstrate his prowess.

Whilst all this was going on the Engineers were readying the engines and Staff Captain and OOW were running through the pre-departure checks. I was meanwhile engaged in a discussion with the pilot regarding the need for a tug to assist with un-berthing.

Once I’d finally persuaded the pilot that a tug wasn’t needed, and we were all ready to go, with the assistance of the Bridge Team I proceeded to demonstrate to the pilot the manoeuvring characteristics of the vessel and moved the vessel stern first out into the channel before swinging her around to face the way we came in.

I think the close proximity of the container vessel astern of us combined with the current was making him nervous, but as we moved off in what by modern standards would be considered an unorthodox manner and it became apparent that the Saga Ruby was more nimble than he expected the Pilot relaxed. Of course the Pilot, in his defence, was doing the right thing in expressing his concerns, and his knowledge of the ship was limited to just the one arrival that morning so his conscientious manner is only to be commended.

With the Pilot now conning the helm, the Saga Ruby set off to sea under a starlit sky with the now tranquil waters of the Firth of Clyde lapping at the bow. The party on the after deck had finished as well allowing the Saga Ruby to peacefully proceed under pilotage before dropping the pilot off just after half past midnight, and stealthily glide off into the night towards Belfast.

Arrival into Portree was an unobtrusive event. I assume everyone ashore was still asleep by the lack of radio response from the harbour, but with no Pilot being required and clearance having already received this didn’t hold up operations in the slightest. In fact the most difficult thing was finding a space to anchor amongst the lobster pots!

Despite the harbour posting signs to the contrary it is common practice from my previous experience with the port to have to weave around the luminous pink marker buoys in order to find a space to drop the anchor. Once one was found and the vessel brought up to single anchor, the tenders were launched and service started, ferrying our passengers to the shore in order to explore “The Misty Island”.

Fortunately The Misty Island was not living up to its name and whilst there was a smattering of light showers and the sky overcast for most of the day, the weather was not as bad as forecast and certainly was better than last year.

That being said on the turn of tide the wind picked up and changed direction such that the vessel experienced a yawing motion that had the vessel dragging anchor briefly until more chain was laid out to change the period of the yaw and provide a little more purchase on the mud and sand bottom.

By 3pm everyone was back onboard and the Saga Ruby, having retraced her route through the lobster pots, was well under way by the time the heavens opened up in a deluge of rain. Passage to Greenock took us over Skye (not something that can often be said on a sea going ship) into the Little Minch and down through the Sea of Hebrides, before entering the northern part of the Irish Sea.

Saga Ruby arrived to pick up the pilot in timely fashion having had a comfortable journey north from Leith. The sky was lead grey and the temperature was a cool 59 degrees Fahrenheit, as the ship came alongside its berth. The berth was adorned with a prototype tide generator waiting to be relocated to its installation position, a testament to attempts to further harness nature in these remote islands situated north of the Scottish mainland.

In addition to the advertised tours and historical sites, there was some sort of motor show with various vehicles from cars to agricultural engines spaced out in field in view of the ship. There seemed to be a significant number of cars from the 1970’s to the point where parts of the field looked like a set for an episode from the Sweeney. Of course the local dialect would be a give away, as would the haircuts!

The Pilot had informed me of recent Orca activity in the area which would explain the nervous looking seals that we sighted both on the way in and on departure from the port. Despite the Bridge Team keeping an eye out for whales none were sighted, much to the relief of the seal population no doubt?

En-route to the Isle of Sky the Saga Ruby had to navigate the waters of the Pentland Firth with its strong tidal currents giving the vessel a seven knot boost of speed as she raced west over the bubbling waters, passing John O’Groats and heading for the forebodingly named Cape Wrath.

Saga Ruby arrived in the Firth of Forth to pick up the pilot at 2am. An ungodly hour for everyone involved but necessary due to tidal restrictions. With the assistance of tugs the Ruby squeezed into the locks before turning into the basin, and moored in the diminutive shadow of the former Royal Yacht, Britannia.

The seat of Scotland’s parliament, Edinburgh, is only a short distance from the port that serves it, so there is plenty to do and see in the area, particularly at this time of year with the Fringe Festival and Tattoo in full swing.

I was fortunate enough to be able to see the Tattoo myself and was quite impressed with the organisation involved. Even the weather, threatening as it was, stood to attention and dared not rain as military bands from all over the world took part in the Diamond Jubilee event, marking its 60th year. The Massed Pipes and Drums were for me the pick of the bunch but I was equally impressed by the Imps, who were aged between 5 and 16 yrs old, on their motorcycles as well as the representatives from New Zealand, who literally, jazzed up the image of Military Bands.

The second day in Leith provided our passengers with the opportunity to visit the Royal Yacht, which at 57 years old made the Saga Ruby with its classic lines appear like a modern usurper to its watery domain inside Leith Harbour.

At 4pm it was all aboard and once again the Saga Ruby had to negotiate Leith’s locks, hampered a little by a stiff Southwesterly breeze, before proceeding onward towards the Orkney Islands.

Having dropped off one of our pilots at Fedje, in the night, we picked up a pilot for Stavanger at 7am. The pilot that we carried with us actually performed the work, but as he needed this one last visit to the port of Stavanger to obtain his permit for the port we were obliged under Norwegian law to pick up a second pilot.

The manoeuvre alongside was a little less straightforward than the previous ports as the turn was completed on arrival and then involved us backing up to the berth, but never the less was fairly straight forward. We berthed portside alongside overlooking the white clapboard houses of the old town. I say white, but one was painted blue, and stood out rebelliously amongst all the remaining 18th and 19th century dwellings. I’m not sure why, or if this has any significance at all? I will remember to ask the pilot next time I visit the port.

Stavanger is referred to as the “Petroleum Capital of Norway” and is Norway’s 3rd largest city. The revenue from the oil industry has however made it the most affluent in terms of financial wealth.

Our passengers had the opportunity to go on a boat trip across Lysfjord, which took in Pulpit Rock as well as visit Flor and Fjaere botanical gardens again by boat. Another tour to take in Pulpit Rock was the Pulpit Rock Express. This was in a Robinson 44 helicopter and swept over and along the fjords, providing spectacular aerial views of the city as well as the varied topography including the Rock itself, before sweeping back over the Saga Ruby on its return journey.

At 6pm everyone was all aboard so we set sail, bidding farewell to Norway and commenced our return journey into the North Sea, heading towards our destination of Dover.

We carried two pilots with us from Bergen so there was no need to slow down to pick anyone up before we entered Sognefjord, Norway’s longest fjord, at around midnight. The Fjord itself at its maximum depth reaches 1308 metres, which is 4291 ft.  The inner end of Sognefjord is southeast of a mountain range rising to about 6500 ft above sea level and is covered by Josteldalsbreen, continental Europe’s largest glacier.

The Saga Ruby traversed the fjord en-route to the first of two ports of call within its reaches under a moonlit sky. And would have been greeted by the sun a little after 5am were it not for the imposing mountains that contain it, reaching up towards the sky, like dark teeth trying to eat the morning twilight. Arriving off of the berth at Flam at 7am we had to wait 20 minutes for linesmen to arrive.

Evidently Flam’s linesmen, or longshoremen as they are sometimes called, are not morning people. Perhaps it had something to do with Friday night and the presence of Flam’s microbrewery within a stones throw of the berth, a possibility that I can only speculate upon?

Once secured alongside our passengers disembarked in a cool 55 degrees F with the promise of a warmer afternoon once the sun had ascended the sky enough to peer over the encompassing mountains.

Flam’s main attraction of course, is the railway which climes 2835 ft in less than 12.5 miles making it the steepest unassisted railway climb in the world.

The lack of available shoreside security after 7pm meant that everyone had to be back in time for Executive Chef, Louis Chalus’ Norwegian dinner. This gave me the opportunity to depart early so that our passengers would get to see Sognefjord and its inner most arm, Lustrafjord, in daylight hours so as not to miss out on the spectacular scenery.

Skjolden, which is situated at the end of Lustrafjord, was our destination. Arriving a little after 10pm the Saga Ruby moored alongside the new berth and took the opportunity of the still summer air to throw a deck party on the afterdeck. In competition with a local concert situated in the village to celebrate an annual event where athletes and enthusiasts traverse a 6500 ft local mountain in a biathlon of cycling and running, the Cruise Department entertained our passengers until 1am with music and dancing. I myself took full advantage of our overnight situation alongside, and went to bed for a full nights sleep!

The following day gave rise to the best day of weather of the cruise so far, and it truly felt like summer with temperatures nearing 80 degrees F. I’m sure that this made exploring the wonderful glacially carved landscape of the region all the more enjoyable, whether as part of a tour, or as an independent tourist.

It certainly made the sail away more resplendent with some of the village’s occupants on the shore to wave us off, and the throaty sound of the ships whistle reverberating around the fjord in salute as we started our journey of 123 nautical miles to find the open sea.

After “escaping” from Dover in somewhat blustery conditions, and being given the opportunity the following morning to find their “sea legs” as we sailed over the tail of Dogger Bank, our passengers, and indeed some of our more delicate crewmembers, must have been quite grateful for the tranquil waters of the fjords (Korsfjord followed by Raunefjord) as we proceeded under pilotage towards Bergen. To be honest, the weather on the crossing was not overly dramatic but the first 24 hrs for anyone not used to it can at times be less than fun.

Of course, Bergen being Bergen, our arrival was punctuated by the odd rain shower. In fact at one stage both the Staff Captain and myself got caught out by the suddenness of a passing shower to the extent where we were both looking for an over eager Seaman engaged in washing down to berate.

Having parked the ship and gone out on a limb by telling everyone the weather would brighten up in the afternoon, and whilst the passengers took in the delights of Bergen, the crew settled down to what we used call the “Board of Trade Sports Day”, in other words an emergency drill.

I was pleased to receive good feedback from the tours as the passengers returned back to the ship. In particular the “Bergen City Highlights”, which incorporated the Hanseatic Wharf, known as the Bryggen amongst other sites, and “A Taste of Hardanger”, which sounds more like a Viking home brew in need of therapy than the worlds third largest fjord, received good praise.

Fortunately, the afternoon’s forecast had been correct so on departure; the city of Bergen’s buildings could be seen in “full Technicolor” as the Saga Ruby proceeded out to sea via Hjeltefjord.

So finally we came to Bergen, and on a pleasant partly sunny day with no rain forecast. For my wife and I there was time to take a short stroll into the charming old town where the clapperboard buildings near the old fish quay, leaning every which way, have been preserved.

Needless to say most of them are now retail outlets and the shop we found most fascinating was the one that sold only animal skins. Reindeer, arctic fox, seal, and polar bear were available in one form or another, I assume quite legitimately. The £5000 plus for a polar bear rug, complete with head and rather frightening exposed teeth, did seem somewhat extravagant though.

We departed as soon as the last tour had returned, a tad after two others cruise ships had left, and ended up sailing under the first bridge in tandem with the traditional and equally gracefully ageing Princess Daphne. We must have looked a marvellous sight to the Norwegian chap who takes a photograph of every ship that leaves the port. What a keen fellow he must be.

The final cocktail party was held in good spirits and, at the inevitable speech, I reminded everyone of what was probably the highlight of the cruise, by reading out my polar ice barrier blog. It was well received, particularly as I reminded the folks that in a few years time there would be very few of these stunning places that the larger vessels such as ours will be allowed to travel to.

Only in relatively recent times have cruise tourists been able see and experience these wonderful sights, but now the authorities are closing them down to all but a few ‘environmentally friendly’ ships and passengers, who will have to pay a very large premium for the pleasure. 

Steve Angove takes over in Dover on Wednesday, we wish him well with his first permanent command. All things being equal I shall return later in October.

Anticipating just a little sea swell on the bow, we elected to pass through the inshore route as we continued to the south. Initially the following morning there were grey skies and rain, but even this somehow added to the atmosphere as we passed the low grey barren islands, changing course constantly to follow the outer fjord coastal route. Gradually, once we had passed the Arctic Circle, the weather picked up, the fresh southwesterly breeze eased a little and we passed Rorvik just before dinner.

The next morning however, was a different picture. Instead of a fantastic view to the east over the Romsdal ‘Alps’, more leaden skies meant we could only see the smaller islands nearby and the ‘foundations’ of the big stuff behind. Typical Norwegian weather, but we set off none the less, an all day drive, on ferries, through tunnels and over bridges, to see what we could see, and taking in the slightly scary eleven hair pin road that descends from Trollstigen towards Andalsness.

We were in cloud before we reached the summit near Gudsbrandsjuvet, the scene of a racing river and impressive water falls. Lunch a little later was still in less than promising weather, but then it started to clear, and just about on time, a touch of blue sky peaked out above. Enough at least for a few photographs, and then the drive down, one that had us cringing just a tad, but more for the camper vans coming up than for our very competent driver, who seemed to just wave them nonchalantly to the side.

We took a detour and a ten-minute stop at the bottom of Trollveggen, and spent time looking up at the sheer face of the Troll Wall, almost 2000 meters high. In the past some, perhaps foolhardy, adrenaline seekers have jumped off with only a parachute to prevent them becoming anything more than mush when reaching the bottom. Banned there now, but surprisingly allowed elsewhere in these mountains.

After another ferry ride and yet more tunnels, we eventually returned on board, a most interesting day and a tour to be recommended.