Saga Ruby Captain's blog

The passage from Marmaris was short and uneventful in pleasant weather conditions, just how Captains like it. However it doesn’t provide me with much to post in a blog! The approaches to the port of Heraklion are straight forward too, and the only point of note was the slight delay for the pilot due to the Aida Diva taking a little longer to tie up than expected. I continued at slow (very slow) speed towards the harbour as instructed by the pilot and was inside the sanctuary of the harbour walls before he made it to the bridge. The berth was 90 degrees to, and adjacent to the one occupied by the much larger Aida Diva, and with the weather conditions near perfect Saga Ruby turned and backed into position before being made fast and readied for our passengers to venture out into Heraklion and beyond.

Heraklion (or Iraklion) is the largest city and the administrative capital of the island of Crete, Greece. It is the 4th largest city in Greece. Heraklion is close to the ruins of the palace of Knossos, which in Minoan times was the largest centre of population on Crete. Though there is no archaeological evidence of it, Knossos may well have had a port at the site of Heraklion as long ago as 2000 BC.

The Minoans, the myth of King Minos, supposedly to have reigned from Knossos, and the story of the labyrinth with its Minotaur guardian are well known to most and are generally the stories and history we associate with Crete. However like most of this region, Crete’s history is a little more complicated than that.

The present city of Heraklion was founded in 824 AD by the Saracens who had taken over the island from the Eastern Roman Empire. The Saracens allowed the port to be used as a safe haven for pirates who operated against Imperial shipping and raided Imperial territory around the Aegean.

In 961 Imperial forces landed in Crete and attacked the city. After a prolonged siege, the city fell. The Saracen inhabitants were slaughtered, the city looted and burned to the ground. Soon rebuilt, the town of Chandax remained under Greek control for the next 243 years.

In 1204, the city was bought by the Republic of Venice as part of a complicated political deal which involved among other things, the Crusaders of the Fourth Crusade restoring the deposed Eastern Roman Emperor Isaac II Angelus to his throne. Chandax was renamed Candia and became the seat of the Duke of Candia, and the Venetian administrative district of Crete became known as "regno di Candia" (kingdom of Candia).
After the Venetians came the Ottoman Empire. During the Cretan War (1645–1669), the Ottomans besieged the city for 21 years, from 1648 to 1669, one of the longest sieges in history. During the Ottoman period, the harbour silted up, so most shipping shifted to Chania in the west of the island.

In 1898 the autonomous Cretan State was created, under Ottoman suzerainty, with Prince George of Greece as its High Commissioner and under international supervision. The island was partitioned into four quarters by the four main powers jostling for power at that time. The four quarters were divided between Italy, Russia, the United Kingdom, and France, who controlled Chania, Rethymnon, Candia, and Lasithi respectively. During this period of direct occupation of the island by the Great Powers (1898–1908), Candia, part of the British zone, was renamed "Heraklion" after the Roman port of Heracleum ("Heracles' city"), whose exact location is unknown. In 1913 with the rest of Crete, Heraklion was incorporated into the Kingdom of Greece after a brief period of autonomy under a provisional Cretan government.

The history of the island has made its people quite hardy and passionate about their identity, though they still remain welcoming and at times can be very generous. Cretan society is well known for notorious family and clan vendettas which remain on the island to date. Cretans also have a tradition of keeping firearms at home, a tradition lasting from the era of resistance against the Ottoman Empire. Nearly every rural household on Crete has at least one unregistered gun. Guns are subject to strict regulation from the Greek government, yet the authorities turn a blind eye, accepting gun possession as their tradition.

Whilst passengers proceeded ashore, the ship’s crew were exercised in one of their regular emergency drills, this time involving an evacuation to the quayside. Most of our drills generally focus on scenarios at sea, but being a passenger ship we do spend a significant time in port so it’s only prudent to cover such eventualities as well. With all of our crew lined up neatly in groups on the quay it reminded me a bit of the fire drills you used to have to do at school where you assembled in the playground.

We sailed at 5pm that afternoon leaving the Aida Diva in situ to provide a reference point for the fulcrum of the sharp turn to starboard needed to line up for the harbour’s entrance. Proceeding out to sea on another night of glorious, sunny weather, Saga Ruby slowly swung to port around the breakwater to make her way along the coast of Crete with the sun starting to descended slowly across the bow.

Last time I arrived in Marmaris all the navigation was conducted in darkness which includes a narrow cut to navigate through only about three ship lengths wide. This time arrival was during the light of day, which from a navigational perspective is much easier, but then navigation is always easier when you can see where you are going!

The Bay in which Marmaris is situated is almost totally enclosed with the Buyuk Bogaz (the name of the cut) the only safe route in and out. As you approach, the way through is masked by the 600 ft cliffs on either side and only when turning towards the cut about one mile south of the south-western tip of Vildiz (the mountain land mass that partly encloses the eastern part of the bay), do you start to see Marmaris through the gap in the sheer sided rock. Of course this makes for a more dramatic arrival and a spectacle for passengers to see. It also reminds me in many ways of Norway’s Fjords.

Once in the Bay of Marmaris having done the hard bit, the pilot joins to politely inform you of the obvious “head towards the berth on the quay that forms the outer harbour wall for the large yachting marina”.

Once Saga Ruby was moored alongside, I took time to reflect on the bay and town as it stirred from its slumber on this bright and sunny morning. The sea was like glass, though this wouldn’t last once the sun had warmed the land mass and given rise to the onshore breeze that is so common in such places. The yachts in the marina were all neatly moored in rows along the moorings, with only their sterns providing access to shore in order to maximise the available space. A row of large wooden gulet’s (type of boat indigenous to Turkish waters) lined the harbour just outside the marina, all well varnished allowing the rich colour of the wood beneath to shine through, ready to ply their trade to any who may wish to hire them.

Marmaris is located in Southwest Turkey in the Mulgla Province. Little is left of the sleepy fishing village that Marmaris was just a few decades before, with tourism being its main source of income. Amongst the shops and restaurants ashore, stands a small castle that has been under renovation since 1979. There has been a castle in Marmaris since 3000 BC according to the historian Herodoctus, but this latest rebuild was built in 1522 during the reign of Ottoman Sultan Sulyman the Magnificent.

Despite the obvious noise and trappings of this popular tourist resort its charm, coupled with the weather and scenery surrounding it, made Marmaris a popular port of call for many of our passengers, and those with an interest in sailing had an opportunity to marvel over numerous craft, some more expensive than others. With the evening prayers sounding out across the town from a minaret we set out back across the bay of Marmaris towards the Buyak Bogaz, weaving our way through a number of pleasure craft enjoying the perfect sailing conditions.

There were a number of cruise ships, four of us, all due to arrive at a similar time in the morning of the 28th. Naturally this meant an element of harassment required via VHF to ensure that the pilot would come out to us next. In fact by the time the pilot boarded I was only a couple of ship lengths from the berth that had changed designation a couple of times as we approached. Every available foot of each side of the two finger piers were to be used to accommodate the four of us as well as leaving room for another 3 smaller cruise ships due in the afternoon.

Saga Ruby was to share her side of one of the piers with a small cruise ship, Le Lavant, and by the time we were securely moored our bow was casting a shadow over her aft swimming pool!

The name Kusadasi comes from 'kuş' (bird) and 'ada' (island) as the peninsula has the shape of a bird's head (as seen from the sea and if you have a wild imagination). During Byzantine times, it was known as Ephesus Neopolis. Kusadasi was adopted in its place at the beginning of the 20th century. Today, citizens of Kusadasi often shorten the name to Ada.

The area has been a centre of art and culture since the earliest times and has been settled by many civilizations since being founded by the Leleges people in 3000 BC. Later settlers include the Aeolians in the 11th century BC and Ionians in the 9th century. Originally seamen and traders the Ionians built a number of settlements on this coast including on the site of what is now Kusadasi.

An outpost of Ephesus, in ancient Ionia, Kusadasi was known as Pygela. Kusadasi was a minor port frequented by vessels trading along the Aegean coast. In antiquity it was overshadowed by Ephesus until Ephesus' harbor silted up. From the 7th century BC onwards the coast was ruled by Lydians from their capital at Sardis, then from 546 BC the Persians, and from 334 BC along with all of Anatolia the coast was conquered by Alexander the Great.

Ephesus itself is better known as an ancient Greek city, and later a major Roman city. It was one of the twelve cities of the Ionian League during the Classical Greek era. In the Roman period, Ephesus had a population of more than 250,000 in the 1st century BC, which also made it one of the largest cities in the Mediterranean world.

The city was famed for the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Following the Edict of Thessalonica from emperor Theodosius I, the temple was destroyed in 401 AD by a mob. The city's importance as a commercial center declined as the harbor was slowly silted up by the Kayster River, and now it is just a site of ruins for tourists, archeologists and historians to muse over. In fact Ephesus has intrigued archaeologists for generations because for the Archaic Period there is no definite location for the settlement. There are numerous sites to suggest the movement of a settlement between the Bronze Age and the Roman period, but the silting up of the natural harbors as well as the movement of the Kayster River meant that the location never remained the same.

Ephesus was also one of the seven churches of Asia that are cited in the Book of Revelation. It is widely accepted that the Gospel of John was written here when John the apostle lived in the city with Mary, mother of Jesus, and Mary Magdalene.

With all back onboard at 17:00 we backed off of the berth turned through 180 degrees and headed off towards our next port of call, Marmaris.

As we arrived in at the idyllic Greek island of Patmos the conditions were perfectly tranquil, no choppy seas, no wind and no pilot! The sea was like glass as our anchor broke the surface in the relatively deep anchorage, 2 cables (2/10ths of a nautical mile) from Aspri point.

Patmos is a tender port for a vessel of our size and to put the island into perspective, they discourage vessels carrying more than 1800 passengers from visiting, as the local infrastructure cannot cope.

Once the anchoring was concluded, Richard the Staff Captain set off in a tender to set up the shore party and to reconnoitre the landing area in the harbour village of Skala. This was my second time visiting the island and once again we couldn’t have hoped for a better day.

Patmos is the smallest and most northern island in the Dodecanese archipelago being just 11 square miles in area. Most of the islands inhabitants live in the town of Khora, which is situated at the top of the hill in the south of the island some 600 ft above sea level. Khora Town has built up around the massive monastery dedicated to St. John, which for all intent and purpose, looks more like a fort strategically placed in order to gain view over the seas around the islands and obtain early warning of raiders. Nowadays it provides an excellent vantage point to give early warning for invading tourists on cruise ships.

Patmos was successfully settled by Dorians and Ionians but received scant mention by ancient writers. Under the Romans it was a place for exiles, the most noted of whom was St John the Apostle, author of the Fourth Gospel, who was said to have been sent there in 95 AD. It was here that in a cave he was said to have written or dictated the Book of Revelations. The Cave of the Apocalypse, as it has now been called, lays half way between Skala and Khora approximately 15 minutes walk from the tender landing.

During the Middle Ages Patmos was deserted, probably due to the Saracen raids. In 1088 the Byzantine Emperor, Alexius I Comnenus granted the island to an Abbot, who founded the monastery. The Autonomy of the monastery was confirmed under Venetian rule (1207-1537); during the Turkish occupation (1537-1912) annual tribute was required from the monks.

Our next port, Kusadasi, was not too far away, just 70 nautical miles. So as the weather was so fine we delayed sailing allowing for perfect conditions for the Food and Beverage team to organised a BBQ on deck for the evening, with the Cruise Department providing live music and the opportunity for dancing late into the night.

The sun set just before 8:30pm and I considered this a good time to raise the anchor and, at a leisurely speed Saga Ruby weaved her way through the islands in the evening twilight whilst our passengers enjoyed the entertainment and clement evening’s weather.

Last time I came to Piraeus the approaches were akin to something out of “Wacky Races” with ferry traffic speeding past one another in order to be first through the harbour entrance and slamming engines astern at the last minute in order to stop in time. This time however there was little evidence of the previous mania about the port. Of course since the last time I came here the Greek economy has been in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons and perhaps logical thinking would put this at the heart of the change?

Piraeus still however remains a busy port with the central port serving ferry routes to almost every island in the eastern portion of Greece, the island of Crete, the Cyclades, the Dodecanese, and much of the northern and the eastern Aegean Sea, while the western part of the port is used for cargo services.

Piraeus has a long history, which dates back to ancient Greece. The city was largely developed in the early 5th century BC, when it was selected to serve as the port city of Athens and was transformed into a prototype harbour, concentrating all the import and transit trade of Athens. Consequently, it became the chief harbour of ancient Greece but declined gradually after the 4th century AD, before it began to grow again in the 19th century following the declaration of Athens as the capital of Greece.

Of course, for passenger ships Piraeus is generally described as the “port for Athens” as that is for the most part what draws passengers here. Athens is the capital and largest city of Greece and dominates the Attica region. It is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state, a centre for the arts, learning and philosophy, home of Plato's Academy and Aristotle's Lyceum; it is widely referred to as the cradle of Western civilization and the birthplace of democracy.

I’d never made it any further ashore than the quayside before, with work duties taking precedence over any personal interest to see the ancient city. So this time I made more of a concerted effort to venture beyond the dock gates to see why people travel here. The 13:00 shuttle bus was a little boxed in but eventually got away from the port at 13:15 and in half an hour I was dropped off in Athens. First on my list of things to do, The Acropolis!

Although there are many other acropoleis in Greece, the significance of the Acropolis of Athens is such that it is commonly known as The Acropolis without qualification. At my best walking pace (I always get accused of walking too fast, so as a gauge I’d describe it as close to race-walking as you can get without the appearance of seriously needing the toilet!) I set off up the road and just before 14:00, I was at the entrance to The Acropolis. I was told that the attraction was to close at 14:30 but undeterred I paid my 12 Euros, to help boost the Greek economy, and clambered over the ancient site taking enough photos to put the most snap happy Japanese tourist to shame. By 14:25 I was back out and walking down the hill to my next ancient site “Temple of Olympian Zeus”.

The construction of the Temple of Olympian Zeus was begun around 520 BC by Hippias and Hipparchos. They sought to surpass two famous contemporary temples, the Heraion of Samos and the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, which was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. However the temple was not completed until the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century AD some 638 years after the project had begun (and I thought modern builders were bad!) and fell into disuse after being pillaged in a barbarian invasion in the 3rd century AD. Entrance to the site was included in the Acropolis ticket, which covers most of the Athenian archeological sites, and I’d just got through the entrance before it closed for the afternoon. I used the 15 minutes I had to good effect before leaving, then making my way to Syntagma Square through the park with just enough time to see the changing of the guard in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, before hoping back on the 15:00 shuttle bus. And that was Athens! At least I had time to catch my breath on the bus back to ship and who knows perhaps I’d invented a sporting event “Turbo Tourism”, that will one day feature in the Olympics……..perhaps not.

Leaving the port seemed particularly effortless given my afternoon exertion, and despite the impatient pilot Saga Ruby departed the Greek mainland without a hitch in the evening sunshine, bound for Patmos.

The strong westerly wind that had been running with us since we entered the Mediterranean finally dissipated on passage to Malta after transiting the Sicilian Straits.

Valletta is one of Europe’s more spectacular ports to arrive into, with its forts and walls built for defence in a time when the Mediterranean was a little more hostile to foreign visitors to its countries instead of welcoming them as a source of revenue. The Knights of St. John built Valletta, Malta’s capital city, in 1565 and named it after the French Grand Master of the Order, La Vallette.

Being located in the middle of the Mediterranean, Malta has had its fair share of occupation, being in a key location for both trade and strategic purposes. In fact looking at its history reads like the who’s who of Military power.

Archaeological remains of structures on Malta are assessed among the oldest in the Mediterranean region. Neolithic temples, dated between 4000 and 3000 BC have been found and there is evidence of bronze-age occupation. Malta was colonised by the Phoenicians in about 900 BC, and then in turn by the Greeks, Carthaginians, and Romans. The Arabs took control of the island in 870 AD and introduced Arabic.

Malta was joined, politically to Sicily and ruled by a succession of feudal lords between the 9th and early sixteenth century. In 1530, Emperor Charles V of Spain handed over the islands to the Knights of St John who fortified the islands, and ruled over them until 1798 when they were dispersed by Napoleon. The Maltese rebelled against the French, and the British blockaded the islands until they were seized in 1800. The Maltese people requested the protection of the British Crown in 1802 on condition that their rights and privileges were preserved. Malta’s status as a British Colony was recognised in the treaty of Paris in 1814.

Malta was again besieged during the Second World War, from June 1940 until its conclusion, gaining the George Cross in the process. Malta finally became independent in September 1964, and became a Republic within the Commonwealth in 1974.

There is lots of work currently going on in modern Valletta focused on the restoration of the historical buildings and fortifications, as well as a few new developments. Since my last visit here a small bridge spanning the western harbour entrance, which is no longer used, has been constructed, and the lift that will take pedestrians from the harbour up to the city level without the need to climb all the steps is near to completion too. It certainly appears that there is a lot of work for a stone mason and by all accounts the old skills have had to be re-learned to fill the skills vacuum in order to preserve the old walls and fortifications that give the port its character.

Malta always has a charm about it that passengers love, whether they just explore Valletta itself or go further afield to other historical places like Medina. One aspect that I will personally miss though is the old Bedford buses, painted bright blue, that were in use until recently. These have now been replaced by new, larger buses, and though I’m sure these are more reliable, I can’t help thinking that Malta has inadvertently lost a tourist experience and icon in its bid for progress.

The overnight passage north-east to the Balearic Islands saw the return of strong trailing winds and the chasing white horses as Saga Ruby made for Palma. In such seas the waves give the impression that the ship is going a lot slower than it really is as they try to match the vessel’s speed, and although you are aware that the seas are rough when you look out of the window, the slight movement could fool you into thinking that the sea is a lot calmer.

We arrived off the port limits in the morning at the same time as the Costa Atlantica, but the port wanted the larger ship in first forcing us to slow down in order to let her past. After waiting 15-20 minutes for her to complete her manoeuvre, we then followed her into the port and set about mooring. Though still a little windy the sun was shining and the weather forecast for the day looked good.

Palma’s port is dominated by the presence of the famous Cathedral of Santa Maria of Palma, more commonly referred to as La Seu. A Gothic Roman Catholic cathedral, La Seu is built on the site of a pre-existing Arab mosque. It is 397 feet long, 180 feet wide and its nave is 144 feet tall. Designed in the Catalan Gothic style but with Northern European influences, it was begun by King James I of Aragon in 1229 but finished only in 1601. It sits within the old city of Palma atop the former citadel of an earlier Roman city, between the Royal Palace of La Almudaina and the Episcopal Palace.

In 1901, fifty years after a restoration of the cathedral had started; Antoni Gaudi was invited to take over the project. While some of his ideas were adopted, Gaudi abandoned his work in 1914 after an argument with the contractor. The planned changes were essentially cosmetic rather than structural, and the project was cancelled soon after.

The Old City, which lies behind the Cathedral, is a fascinating maze of streets clearly hinting towards an Arab past. With the exception of a few streets and squares which allow traffic and are more populated with tourists most of the time, the walkways of this city quarter are fairly narrow, quiet streets, surrounded by a diverse range of interesting buildings. The majority are private houses, but some are open to the public as discreet museums or galleries. The tall structures, characteristic window boxes, detailed metal carvings and overhanging eaves of these buildings make a stark contrast with the view of the bay that is obtained by stepping out of the shady alleyways next to the cathedral and onto the old city walls.

Time came around too quickly to say goodbye to the capital city of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands, and we left port in the afternoon sunshine with the fresh wind providing good conditions for numerous sailing vessel in the bay. With the usual salute on the ships whistle we set course for our next stop, Valletta.

The voyage from Ferrol down to the Gibraltar Straits was quite pleasant and we commenced the transit through this narrow and very busy stretch of water around lunchtime on our Sunday at sea.

The wind, as forecast, was quite strong from the west as we made our way into the Mediterranean Sea, but the visibility was very good allowing our passengers to clearly see the Moroccan and Spanish coastlines as well as the Pillars of Hercules as we passed through them. The winds remained strong, force 6 and sometimes force 7, as we made our way to Cartagena, but remained from the stern giving a comfortably low relative wind speed as a result.

By the morning of our arrival off of the historical Spanish port the wind had abated to nothing and the clear blue skies promised a sunny day. The swell was still evident from the previous night’s weather, crashing on the rocks at the harbours entrance, and making boarding the vessel all that bit more “interesting” for the pilot. Turning to port and then to starboard Saga Ruby navigated the chicane created by the overlapping harbour walls and moored just outside the Marina as we had on our previous visit two weeks earlier.

Cartagena is a Spanish city and a major naval station located in the Region of Murcia, by the Mediterranean coast, south-eastern Spain.

Cartagena has been inhabited for over two millennia, being founded around 227 BC as Qart Hadasht during the Phoenician conquest. The city lived its heyday during the Roman Empire, when it was known as Carthago Nova (the New Carthage) and Carthago Spartaria, capital of the province of Carthaginensis. It was one of the important cities during the Umayyad invasion of Hispania, under its Arabic name of Qartayannat al-Halfa.

Much of the historical weight of Cartagena goes to its coveted defensive port, one of the most important in the western Mediterranean. Cartagena has been the capital of the Spanish Navy's Maritime Department of the Mediterranean since the arrival of the Spanish Bourbons in the 18th century and as far back as the 16th century it was one of the most important naval ports in Spain, together with Ferrol in the North.

Cartagena has a number of landmarks such as the Roman Theatre, as well as Phoenician, Roman, Byzantine and Moorish remains blended with a plethora of Art Nouveau buildings making for an interesting city for architects and archeologists alike. Likewise with forts, keeps and castles a top almost every hill or mount surrounding the city, those with an interest in military history are well catered for too. But landmarks aside when simply walking around the city with its ample cafés and shops the first thing that strikes you about this ancient city is how clean it is.

By the afternoon the winds had returned in strength and by the time it was time to depart, tugs were needed to prize us away from the dock and assist us with turning through the wind before we proceeded back out to sea.

After Sailing from Southampton on the evening of the 16th our first port of call for this cruise was to be the same as the last port of call for the last cruise, Ferrol. I’d opted to use the Needles Channel west of the Isle of Wight for our departure which saves us about an hour on our passage to the west. This route is also a more scenic spectacle for our passengers, particularly given that the sun, low in the sky was bathing the distinct coastal features in a pale orange glow as we made our way into the English Channel having already dropped the Pilot off at the East Lepe Buoy near to Cowes.

The sea passage to Ferrol took us down the English Channel to the Western Approaches where we turned to port, rounding the Ile d’Ouessant and out across the Bay of Biscay. The seas around the French Isle and its adjacent peninsular were a little more frolicsome compared to the night passage down the Channel, which naturally laid low a few of our passengers still yet to find their sea legs. In truth it was not bad at all, just 7-8 ft of swell, which later died away to 4-5 ft, but the earliness of the motion in the cruise was enough to ensure that some passengers would be affected.

Arriving in the port of Ferrol was much the same as it was 4 days previously, similar weather and the same Pilot added to the feeling of déjà vu. Not wishing to repeat myself I thought that I’d concentrate the contents of this blog on the major tour destination for this port instead, Santiago de Compostela.

The area of Santiago de Compostela was a Roman cemetery by the 4th century, being occupied by the Suebi (a Germanic tribe) in the early 400s, during the initial collapse of the Roman Empire when they settled in Galicia and Portugal. In 585 the whole settlement together with the rest of Suebi Kingdom was annexed by Leovigild into the Visigothic kingdom of Spain as the sixth province of the realm.

Legend has it that the remains of the apostle James were brought to Galicia for burial. In 813, according to medieval legend, the light of a bright star guided a shepherd, who was watching his flock at night, to the burial site in what is now Santiago de Compostela. The shepherd quickly reported his discovery to the bishop of Iria. The bishop declared that the remains were those of the apostle James and immediately notified King Alfonso II in Oviedo. To honor St. James, the cathedral was built on the spot where his remains were said to have been found. The legend, which included numerous miraculous events, enabled the Catholic faithful to not only maintain their stronghold in northern Spain during the Christian crusades against the Moors, but also led to the growth and development of the city.

The Pope and Charlemagne would have had an important role in the discovery and acceptance of this find and around the place of the discovery emerged a new settlement and center of pilgrimage. The place was already called Compostela, which means field of the star, from at least the 10th century. Santiago is derived from the local Galician evolution of Sanctu Iacobu "Saint James".

The city's Cathedral remains the destination today it has been throughout history, the important 9th century medieval pilgrimage route, the Way of St. James and is exceeded only by Rome and Jerusalem as a place of pan European peregrination.

The next stop on our Mediterranean Secrets cruise is Cartagena, so with all of our pilgrims back onboard and with the Galician Pipe Band to send us on our way once more, we set out to navigate between the defensive forts of El Ferrol, again under fire from soldiers in period dress armed with muskets.

The sail into, and of course out of, Ferrol (often called El Ferrol) is quite a dramatic and scenic one. The city is located on the Atlantic coast in Galicia, north-western Spain, and the port is enclosed by steep-sided cliffs with the exception of a narrow channel. Because of the position of Ferrol it was considered to be almost unassailable from the sea, and the difficulties of disembarking troops on its precipitous coast were made more difficult by a line of fortresses and castles.

Ferrol was also virtually impossible to blockade in the age of sail, as strong westerly winds would take any blockading force away along the treacherous north coast of Spain where they had no safe haven. The geography of Ferrol meant that an entire Spanish fleet could slip out on a single tide.

As such Ferrol was a perfect location for the Spanish Navy to call home and was made Capital of the Maritime Department of the North, formed under Ferdinand VI and Charles III for the defense of the Spanish Colonial Empire in America.

Ten years after the Spanish-American War of 1898, in which Spain lost Cuba and the Philippines, the Antonio Maura Government, in an attempt to restore the Spanish Navy and Spanish shipbuilding industry, hired the Spanish Society for Naval Construction, whose major investors were the British firms John Brown, Vickers and Armstrong.  For a period of sixteen years, all the technicians were exclusively British, and the situation was not altered until 1925 when the management was taken over by Spanish engineers.

The City of Ferrol is very welcoming, like most of Galicia in fact. As Spanish provinces go, in my opinion, Galicia is by far the friendliest and the extra effort and detail put into promoting tourism, in the city of Ferrol in particular, make visitors feel more valued. The city itself shows evidence of its time as a Naval City, with regimented streets and a more military approach to town planning than you would expect from such an old City. The harbour is dominated by the Naval Dock Yard, and on the morning sail-in a number of military personnel could be seen engaged in their daily PT schedule, running along the coastal pathways.

Ferrol is also an ideal location to use as a coastal base to venture into Santiago de Compostela, with tours from the ship available for our passengers if that was what they wished to do.

Before our departure a Galician Pipe Band assembled on the quayside to give us a warm send off and soldiers fired several volleys from muskets as we passed between two of the forts stationed in the channel. Each soldier was dressed in period dress to match the weapons they were wielding and they raised the Union Flag to honour our British Passengers just as we flew “la Rojigualda” (the Spanish flag) from our starboard outer halyard as a sign of courtesy.

The entrance to this port runs parallel with the coast and on days when a large Atlantic swell is rolling in can be quite tricky to navigate. However on this occasion there was very little swell and only light winds. This of course brought with it a Captains least favourite weather condition…..fog! Fortunately by the time we had reached the pilot boarding ground the visibility had improved to over a couple of miles with the morning sun gradually burning the fog away. Had we arrived an hour earlier the port would have been shut due to the lack of visibility so our timing was evidently perfect.

By the time we had made our lines fast most of the morning fog had lifted and the promise of the bright sunny day from the weather forecast was starting to manifest. Leixoes (pronounced like delicious but without the “de”), is undergoing construction of a new passenger ship terminal with the moorings completed and the terminal building in the early stages of construction. The work carried out so far looks good from a ship Captain’s perspective, and though the smaller berth we used is not the easiest to get to I’m sure that the new facility will be very welcoming for future passengers after its completion.

Of course it’s Oporto, Portugal’s second largest city that draws cruise ships and passengers to Leixoes. I tend to refer to the city by its more correct pronunciation 'Porto', more as a result of my interest in football as opposed to trying to be correct and the fact that I knew of the city through its famous team long before I ever came to sea. In Portuguese the name of the city is spelled with a definite article as 'o Porto'. Consequently, its English name evolved from a misinterpretation of the oral pronunciation and is referred to as 'Oporto' in modern literature and by many speakers.

Located along the Douro river estuary, Porto is one of the oldest European centres, and registered as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996. Its settlement dates back many centuries, when it was an outpost of the Roman Empire. Its Latin name, Portus Cale, has been referred to as the origin for the name 'Portugal' based on transliteration and oral evolution from Latin.

I’d been to Leixoes many times before but was always kept from exploring ashore by more pressing duties. On this occasion I was able to take advantage and check out Porto for myself and hop on the shuttle bus for the 25 minute into the city, camera in hand.

The architecture is quite stunning around the city and varies dramatically as centuries of different styles come together in the compact city centre and waterfront along the Douro River. The use of colourful ceramic tiles on the face of buildings both grand and small adds a splash of colour to many streets as does the terracotta roof tiles that you can’t miss from the various vantage points as the cities often narrow streets wind their way down the steep hill to the water’s edge. Evidence of celebration of Porto’s football team winning the Portuguese League this season could still be seen and a number of banners and flags in blue and white hung from the windows and balconies throughout the city.

I stopped for lunch at one of the many restaurants along the historic waterfront and could see on the other side of the river the cable car system that runs from the Mosteiro de Santa Marinha on the slopes of Monte da Penha, something to do on another visit I think? With the conclusion of my lunch I set out back towards the shuttle bus, cheating somewhat by using the funicular railway that runs from the waterfront up to near the Porto Cathedral where the shuttle bus drop off point was located.

We set off out to sea once again at 1630 with the fog banks visible in the distance, waiting to enshroud us once more as we set course for El Ferrol.

Arriving in the morning with barely a ripple on the sea giving it the resemblance of glass, and with 22 degrees celsius on the thermometer at 7am, it was going to be a hot day. The city looked to be in the process of some urban regeneration with blocks of apartments and offices under construction in the distance along the coast. The pilot also indicated plans to move the naval base to a separate new port and develop the existing area to accommodate passenger ships of all sizes in the near future.

The area where we docked on this occasion was on the end of the new container port and involved an awkward manoeuvre to turn in the shallow water off of the berth before coming alongside.
When mentioning Casablanca, most people over the age of thirty will think of the famous 1942 film Casablanca when the name of this city is mentioned and many will attempt a bad impersonation of Humphrey Bogart’s character Rick Blaine misquoting the film with “play it again Sam”. Of course there is a Rick’s Place in modern Casablanca, there are probably several if you look for them. But these have been named for the fictitious establishment as a result of the film, though no doubt all will claim that they were the inspiration for the film’s setting.

Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. Casablanca is considered the economic and business center of Morocco, while the political capital city of Morocco is Rabat. The Port of Casablanca is one of the largest artificial ports in the world, and the largest port of North Africa. It is also the primary naval base for the Royal Moroccan Navy…. at least for now.

The area which is today Casablanca was settled by Berbers by at least the 7th century BC. It was used as a port by the Phoenicians and later the Romans. Referred to in ancient texts as Anfa, a great city which was founded by the Romans, Casablanca was believed to have been the most prosperous city on the Atlantic coast because of its fertile land. A small independent kingdom, in the area arose around the city in the late Roman period in response to Arab Muslim rule with its people rejecting Islam. The city continued to prosper until it was conquered by the Almoravids in 1068.

The medieval period brought about colonial rulers, first Portugal and then Spain before reverting back to Portuguese rule. Later the French conquered Morocco and the country became a protectorate of France until its independence in 1956.

Europeans formed almost half the population of the city during the 1940s and 1950s, and Casablanca was an important strategic port during World War II hosting the Casablanca Conference in 1943, in which Churchill and Roosevelt discussed the progress of the war. Casablanca was also the site of a large American air base, which was the staging area for all American aircraft for the European Theater of Operations during World War II.

The day turned out to be the hottest of the cruise so far with 32 degrees celsius recorded at the hottest part of the day. By the time it was time to sail the temperature had dropped to more comfortable degrees, though still warm, with the tide also dropping to near low water once again. Using the 'twist' of the engines to provide a torque to lift the stern of the vessel away from the quay is never very effective in shallow water. Thus a deal of patience was required in waiting for the Saga Ruby to move bodily sideways sufficiently in order to be able to make it through the cut into the outer harbour and eventually out to sea beyond. Leaving the last of our African ports

Transit of the Straits of Gibraltar were to commence in the early hours of the morning of our arrival, with strong force 6 winds funnelling through from the Mediterranean and trying to counter the adverse current as the Saga Ruby headed West. In order to get to Tangier, the Saga Ruby had to cut across the busy traffic lanes when a suitable “gap” was observed, boldly altering course 90 degrees to make the approaches to our intended destination. Once in the shelter of the land, about half a mile from the harbour, the effective wind strength was reduced enabling an easier time of berthing than I’d originally expected, in the relatively shallow port.

According to Berber mythology, the town was built by Sufax, son of Tinjis, the wife of the Berber hero Anti. The Greeks ascribed its foundation to the giant Antaios, whose tomb and skeleton are pointed out in the vicinity, calling Sufax the son of Hercules by the widow of Antaeus. The cave of Hercules, a few miles from the city, is believed to be one that Hercules slept in before attempting one of his twelve labours.

The sovereignty of Tangier has changed hands many times over history and was even English at one point. When the Portuguese started their expansion in Morocco, by taking Ceuta in 1415, Tangier was always a primary goal. They finally occupied the city in 1471. The Portuguese rule lasted until 1661, when it was given to Charles II of England as part of the dowry from the Portuguese Infanta Catherine of Braganza, becoming English Tangier. The English gave the city a garrison and a charter which made it equal to English towns. The English planned to improve the harbour by building a mole. With an improved harbour the town would have played the same role that Gibraltar later played in British naval strategy.

An attempt of Sultan Moulay Ismail of Morocco to seize the town in 1679 was unsuccessful; but a crippling blockade imposed by him ultimately forced the English to withdraw. The English destroyed the town and its port facilities prior to their departure in 1684. Under Moulay Ismail the city was reconstructed to some extent, but it gradually declined until, by 1810, the population was no more than 5,000.

The history of Tangier is very rich due to the historical presence of many civilizations and cultures starting from the 5th century BC. Between the period of being a Berber settlement and then a Phoenician town to the independence era around the 1950s, Tangier was a refuge for many cultures. In 1923, Tangier was considered as an international status by foreign colonial powers, and became a destination for many European and American diplomats, spies, writers and businessmen.

The city is currently undergoing rapid development and modernization. Projects include new 5-star hotels along the bay, a modern business district called Tangier City Center, a new airport terminal and a new soccer stadium. Tangier's economy is also set to benefit greatly from the new Tanger-Med port which will be able to accommodate even the largest of Cruise Ships.

At 14:00 it was time for us to depart. Unfortunately the wind had changed direction just enough to negate the previous shelter afforded us by the land so it was necessary to employ a tug to help us safely leave the port. Moving out stern first, the Saga Ruby turned just outside the harbour and proceeded out to sea. The wind waves gave the pilot vessel a torrid time until we were in safe enough waters to provide a more adequate lea for the pilot to safely disembark. Once the pilot was clear the engines accelerated us through the choppy waters and the Saga Ruby rounded Cape Spartel as she proceeded along the Moroccan coast towards Casablanca.

Arriving in the early morning just after sunrise getting hold of the pilot on VHF posed to be a little more difficult than you would normally expect. With a little persistence we eventually made contact with the pilot and arranged for a boarding time and position just off of the northern entrance to the harbour. Shortly afterward the pilot boarded, Saga Ruby continued inward, entering the harbour near our intended berth. Turning just inside the harbour and backing up to the berth Saga Ruby made fast in good time, and the gangway was run out ready for our passengers to proceed on tour..

Called El-Behdja or alternatively Alger la Blanche ('Algiers the White') for the glistening white of its buildings as seen rising up from the sea, Algiers is situated on the west side of a bay of the Mediterranean Sea. The city name itself is derived (via French Alger and Catalan Alguere) from the Arabic name al-Jaza’ir, which translates as 'The Islands', referring to the four islands which lay off the city's coast until becoming part of the mainland in 1525. The modern part of the city is built on the level ground by the seashore; the old part, the ancient city of the Deys, climbs the steep hill behind the modern town and is crowned by the typical Kasbah (called in this case specifically the Casbah) or citadel as is common of many North African towns, 400 ft above the sea.

In addition to tours taking in the city of Algiers there was also a trip to the Dely Ibrahim, a site where 474 British servicemen were buried who gave their lives during service in WWII. For one of our passengers this was a very moving experience as she was visiting her father’s resting place for the first time, laying a wreath at the memorial on behalf of the ship, fittingly on the anniversary of VE day.

Passengers also had the chance to see Tipaza. Tipaza was an ancient Punic trading-post conquered by ancient Rome and turned into a military colony by the emperor Claudius for the conquest of the kingdoms of Mauretania. The subsequent Roman city was built on three small hills which overlooked the sea. Of the houses, most of which stood on the central hill, no traces remain; but there are ruins of three churches (the Great Basilica and the Basilica Alexander on the western hill, and the Basilica of St Salsa on the eastern hill), two cemeteries, the baths, theatre, amphitheatre and nymphaeum. The line of the ramparts can be distinctly traced and at the foot of the eastern hill the remains of the ancient harbour are evident.

As the day’s sun cooled with the encroaching evening Saga Ruby left the port of Algiers and set her course back towards the Pillars of Hercules and the port of Tangier just beyond, on Morocco’s Atlantic Coast.

We arrived at the historical port of Cartagena on a sunny cloudless morning with barely a breath of wind to give life to the flags flown from the mainmast. The pilot boarded in the charted boarding ground adjacent to both the old harbour and the newer industrial working port. We proceeded into the old harbour weaving around the chicane created by the two overlapping sea walls and docked by the marina within the shadows of the old cities defensive walls.

Cartagena has been inhabited for over two millennia, being founded around 227 BC as Qart Hadasht during the Phoenician conquest. The city lived its heyday during the Roman Empire, when it was known as Carthago Nova (the New Carthage) and Carthago Spartaria, capital of the province of Carthaginensis. It was one of the important cities during the Umayyad invasion of Hispania, under its Arabic name of Qartayannat al-Halfa.

Much of the historical weight of Cartagena in the past goes to its coveted defensive port, one of the most important in the western Mediterranean. Its military importance is evident in the number of forts, castles, keeps and defensive walls that have been systematically built by a number of occupying civilisations. Cartagena has been the capital of the Spanish Navy's Maritime Department of the Mediterranean since the arrival of the Spanish Bourbons in the 18th century. As far back as the 16th century it was one of the most important naval ports in Spain, together with Ferrol in the North where we will be visiting later in the cruise. It is still an important naval seaport, the main military haven of Spain, and there is a working naval shipyard which during our visit was being used more by super yachts than by military tonnage.

The confluence of civilizations as well as its strategic harbour, together the rise of the local mining industry is manifested by a unique artistic heritage, with a number of landmarks such as the Roman Theatre, the second largest of the Iberian Peninsula after the one from Mérida, a lot of Phoenician, Roman, Byzantine and Moorish remains and a plethora of Art Nouveau buildings, result of the bourgeoisie from the early 20th century. Cartagena is now established as a major cruiser destination in the Mediterranean and an emerging cultural focus.

I’d never been ashore before in this small yet atmospheric city, and found it to be quite charming. Climbing the largest of the 5 hills upon which the city was originally built, I visited an old 8th century keep which afforded 360 degree panoramic views over the city, coast and plains that stretched inland. The vantage point could even be accessed by a lift affording those less able bodied to ascend to its ramparts. Descending into the city via a series of terraced footpaths and stone steps you could admire some of the many archaeological sites that had been excavated in harmony with the cities newer buildings including the impressive amphitheatre mentioned above. The city streets were pedestrianised and pathed with smooth stone such as slate, travertine and marble depending on which street you were walking along, making for a pleasing visual effect as well as providing a smooth surface to walk upon.

The evening came and brought with it our time to depart Murcia’s charming port. The strong onshore breeze holding us against the quay ensured that the local tug company was going to be employed for our departure as we proceeded out to sea under a cloudless azure sky to head back towards North Africa.

We entered the Gibraltar Straights just after 5 am and made our way into the Mediterranean along the Moroccan side of the narrow waterway in the traffic separation scheme. Arriving in good time at the pilot station for Ceuta we were instructed to wait for 30 minutes due to the duty pilot being busy with another vessel. We maintained position outside the harbour fighting against the strong current and fresh breeze that was looking to encourage us further into the Mediterranean until the pilot could board us. Once onboard it was only a short passage, made a little awkward by the wind and shallow water at the exceptionally low tide, to the berth and Saga Ruby was made fast on an otherwise fine Sunday morning.

Ceuta is an enclave and an autonomous city of Spain despite being on the African continent. Its location has made it an important commercial trade and military way-point for many cultures, beginning with the Carthaginians in the 5th century BC, who called the city Abyla. It was not until the Romans took control of the region in AD 42 that the port city, then named Septa, assumed an almost exclusive military purpose. It changed hands again approximately 400 years later, when Vandal tribes ousted the Romans. It then fell into the hands of the Visigoths, and finally become an outpost of the Byzantine Empire.

Around 710, as Muslim armies approached the city, its Byzantine governor, Julian changed his allegiance, and exhorted the Muslims to invade the Iberian Peninsula. Under the leadership of Berber General, Tariq ibn Ziyad, the Muslims used Ceuta as a staging ground for an assault on Visigothic Iberian Peninsula. After Julian's death, the Berbers took direct control of the city, something that the indigenous Berber tribes resented and as a result they destroyed Ceuta during the Kharijite rebellion in 740 where it lay in ruins until it was resettled in the 9th century. Ceuta reverted to Moorish Andalusian rule in 927, along with Melilla, and later Tangier, in 951.

In 1415, the city was captured by the Portuguese during the reign of John I of Portugal. The King of Spain, Phillip II, seized the Portuguese throne in 1580 and held it for 60 years. During this time Ceuta gained many residents of Spanish origin. Thus Ceuta became the only city of the Portuguese Empire that sided with Spain when Portugal regained its independence in 1640 and war broke out between the two countries.

The formal allegiance of Ceuta to Spain was recognized by the Treaty of Lisbon by which, on January 1, 1668, King Afonso VI of Portugal formally ceded Ceuta to Carlos II of Spain. However, the originally Portuguese flag and coat of arms of Ceuta remained unchanged and the modern-day Ceuta flag features the configuration of the Portuguese shield. The flag's background is also the same as that of the flag of Lisbon.

Our departure in the afternoon came all too quickly with the sunshine and clear skies making it possible to see both the mountains claiming the identity of the southern Pillar, of the mythical Pillars of Hercules; Monte Hacho close by in Ceuta itself and Jebel Musa over the border in Morocco, as well as the Rock of Gibraltar across the expanse of busy shipping lane which is regarded as the northern Pillar. Saga Ruby cast off her moorings and manoeuvred off of the berth, making a tight turn in order to proceed beyond the harbour walls and out into the Mediterranean Sea beyond, headed for the Spanish mainland.

The Bay of Biscay crossing did turn out to be clement with slight seas and just a moderate breeze as we made our way south to Lisbon. After Cape Finistere the swell picked up by a couple of feet and the wind increased in strength to a force 5 as we ran down the west coast of the Iberian Peninsula with the sea state becoming 'Moderate'. The night before our arrival there was some dramatic thunder storms with fork lightning lighting as the sky reminded us that perhaps we were not going to get it all our own way with regards to the weather, though this passed by in the small hours of the morning as did Saga Pearl II and Saga Sapphire as they headed north following the storm.

The City of Lisbon has been Portugal’s capital since the 13th century and is set on seven hills overlooking the banks of the River Tagus. In 1755 Lisbon was devastated by a massive earthquake, with the subsequent fires and tidal waves destroying much of the city. The Marques de Pombal rebuilt Lisbon, creating the wide boulevards and riverfront square, Praca do Comercio, which still provide the elegance and character to Portugal’s thriving capital.

Saga Ruby was to dock at the new passenger terminal just 5-10 minutes walk from the city centre, once the waters of the Tagus had been navigated successfully. The passage into Lisbon provides passengers with the opportunity admire some of the waterside landmarks of this most ancient of western European cities, such as the 'Belem Tower', built in 1496 during the reign of King Manuel I and 'The Monument to the Discoveries', with Henry the Navigator on the prow keeping vigil over the Tagus. Both of these are sited close together on the northern bank of the river before the river continues under the 25th April Bridge. Just beyond on the southern bank of the Tagus is the large statue of Christ with outstretched arms as if to calm the waters along the shores of the rivers banks.

Despite not being able to share the day with Saga Sapphire and Saga Pearl II as intended, the day looked to be a special one nonetheless. Whilst Executive Chef, John McCerey was conducting his talented team in the galley as they prepared the food for a wonderful gala dinner, two decks up the Ballroom was being prepared for the evening entertainment. Lesley Garret, who had performed for the other two ships the day before had been very understanding of our situation and had agreed to come onboard and perform for our passengers in the more intimate environment that our ballroom provided. One of Britain’s most respected and accomplished sopranos took to the stage at 21:15 and managed to charm our passengers with her personality as well as wowing them with her amazing voice and vocal dexterity.

To round the evening off three barges that had been put into place in the afternoon, just a couple of ship lengths to seaward of Saga Ruby, fired volley after volley of fireworks into the clear night sky lighting up the waters of the Tagus in a myriad of greens, reds, oranges, and blues. As the smoke from the last of the fireworks dissipated, Saga Ruby cast off her moorings and moved off of the quay. Turning bow towards the mooring that we’d just vacated, with the strong flood tide being utilised to affect a more efficient manoeuvre, Saga Ruby completed the 180 degrees and proceeded out to sea with the city lights providing a fitting backdrop to what turned out to be a magnificent evening onboard.

Saga Ruby finally returned to UK waters on the 30th April after 114 nights away on the World Cruise. I walked up the gangway as I rejoined the ship, greeted with the hustle and bustle of the ship’s crew engaged industriously in the logistics of a large turn around after so long away. Naturally each crew member was wearing a smile like it was part of their uniform as they went about their duties.

Saga Ruby was also to be inspected on this day, as prearranged, by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency in a combined Port State Control inspection and annual Foreign Vessel Inspection for passenger ships carrying UK citizens. This included a drill with our crew to put them through their paces and ensure that we are properly prepared to respond should an emergency situation ever arise as well as checking the vessel thoroughly to ensure that everything is “ship shape and Bristol fashion”. Once the inspection was satisfactorily completed Saga Ruby was given the all clear by the attending surveyors.

With the ships supplies replenished and the new guests settled in, Saga Ruby made ready to sail in the evening. As with every departure, a series of tests are conducted. It was during these preparations that one of the two steering motors was found to be not performing adequately to operate the rudder as quickly as it should, even though only hours before it had been working perfectly when tested as part of our external inspections. I would not depart without both motors being 100% even though as a duplex system one of the steering motors was operating correctly.

Our engineers worked tirelessly, going through a detailed process of elimination to identify the cause which incorporated electrical, hydraulic and mechanical trouble shooting skills. My frequent walks between the bridge and steering flat served only to reduce the working life of the floor coverings between them, and at times I felt like pulling my hair out……if I’d had any to begin with that is! In the end once the problem had been identified it was quickly fixed and I was keen for us to get underway.

We carefully considered the impact of the delay on the first part of our cruise and unfortunately Saga Ruby will not make Lisbon for Thursday and our rendezvous with Saga Sapphire and Saga Pearl II.

We will now arrive on Friday 4 May. We will still celebrate when we get there and I still intend to make our call very special so we are looking into various entertainment options to make this a truly memorable event.

After Lisbon we intend to follow our planned itinerary arriving a day later into Ceuta, Cartagena and Algiers. We shall get back onto our original itinerary from Tangiers on Thursday 12 May, through to our return to Southampton on Wednesday 16 May. This does however mean that we will no longer call at Melilla on Wednesday 9th May.

As we turn into the Bay of Biscay with the sun shining and calm seas before us, in stark contrast to the reputation of this part of the Atlantic Ocean, I can’t help thinking that perhaps our fortune has changed after all and despite the early disappointment I am really looking forward to what promises to be an unforgettable call to Lisbon and a fascinating cruise to North Africa.