SAA II Delivery - Day 20 / 26 April 2012

Hello All

The swell period increased yesterday and we had the long even swells of the South Atlantic that we are used to. The vessel rode them out nicely so we were gently moving to the motion of the ocean.

Last night, for the first time since we left, we went UMS (Unmanned) in the engine room without any alarms during the night, quite an accomplishment, well done to the guys down below.

We are still unpacking spare parts and bits and pieces and have now started with giving the inside of the accommodation a shine after spending all the good weather days mostly outside washing, cleaning and securing.

We are now 420 miles to the west of the Kunene river mouth, the northern boarder between Namibia and Angola and edging closer to the home land on a course of 140°T.

Enjoy the rest of your day and see you soon!

SAAII Delivery - Day 19 / 25 April 2012

Hello All

Yesterday afternoon we used the extra time we have in hand to run the engines in different configurations and at different combinator settings to note the power changes for future reference. We managed to bring her down to run on two propellers on only one generator, but later found that it was not good for the shaft bearings since the jacking pumps then have to run continuously. There are still some ways around that which we will investigate in time. At least we have many options, as they say many ways to skin a cat :-)

Early this morning before sunrise we crossed over to the "right" side of the Greenwich meridian and were glad to see the sun rise at a more respectable time shortly after eight and it will probably also set tonight at a more reasonable time.

We have slowed our progress down a bit to keep within our arrival schedule.

Have a splendid mid week.

SAA II Delivery - Day 18 / 24 April 2012

Hello All

Another day on the big blue ocean for us, with no other vessel's in sight, quite blissful.

Yesterday afternoon the ocean surface was strangely rippling with sea life. We had shoals of fish breaking the surface, flying fish and flocks of birds all over, probably feeding off the fish.

The adverse current released its grip last night and our speed attested to that.

Today we have a clear, almost cloudless day with the predominant South Easter somewhat moderated from what it was yesterday.

The daily ambient and sea water temperatures are falling now by a degree to a degree and a half as we move further south.

Have a good day.

SAA II Delivery - Day 17 / 23 April 2012

Hello All

We have similar condition to what we had yesterday with a moderate head wind and an adverse current slowing us down slightly but we still managed over 13 knots for the day. We had one vessel on the radar yesterday and that was all in the way of traffic.

Another 10 days to go before seeing the blue mountain or in seaman's terms...only one more steak night!

This morning we made some time for a safety drill for all.

Have a good start to the week

SAA II Delivery - Day 16 / 22 April 2012

Hello All

Today opened clear, but the South Easterly wind is building. The adverse current we experienced slacked off a bit, but increased again shortly before lunch. This current knocked our average speed back by about 1.5 knots over the preceding 24 hours. We are still well ahead of schedule and have some buffer time if the weather came up.

Our ETA for Cape Town pilot station is 08:00LT on the 3rd of May 2012.

SAA II Delivery - Day 15 / 21 April 2012

Hello All

Yesterday was a very awkward day onboard with all the polliwogs very nervous for the initiation day.

There nervea proved to be justified when King Neptune's Royal Party visited the vessel today and gave the first time equator crossing sailors a proper initiation into the order of the deep. I must admit each one of them deserve credit for their brave efforts and endurance. Attached is a photo of King Neptune and his Royal Party and a group photo of all the sailors that were initiated.

We are in the doldrums and the vessel is sailing along quietly with no sea to talk of really and a gentle swell from ahead. We are now spotting more and more sea life with the flying fish, whales, dolphins, sharks and the odd

We have been picking up quite a strong adverse current since this morning after tea which is slowing our progress by 2 knots.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

All the best

SAA II Delivery - Day 14 / 20 April 2012

Hello All

Sjoe! the water temp shot up to 28°C with the outside temperature following....we do not mind.

Yesterday we saw many flying fish scattering over the water surface as we disturbed their ways. Today we have complete overcast skies and had a cloud break a short while ago. Finally that "free" wash we were hoping for.

We had word that Neptune will visit the vessel tomorrow to convert the "polliwogs" to "shellbacks" as we make our way over the 0 degree latitude line. Needless to say there are several worrying faces around.

Keep well and all the best

SAA II Delivery - Day 13 / 19 April 2012

Hello All

The humidity is increasing as we close the tropical zones, a nice change for some.

We maintained a good speed, but are faced with a SE'ly current that reduced our distance over the ground. We are slightly ahead of schedule, which is a good thing, since we might end up with a couple of days worth of adverse head weather once we are further south.

Yesterday we spotted a pod of whales in the distance, but were not close enough to identify them.

We were hoping to get a couple of rain showers to take the vessel for a "free" wash, but had no luck yet.

All the best.

SAA II Delivery - Day 12 / 18 April 2012

Hello All

How lucky are we to have this following weather all this way. We will probably get it al back once in the southern hemisphere, plus interest! Lets hope it will be smooth sailing. Attached is a photo from the CCTV system looking astern over the helideck and the wake of the vessel.

The cadets were introduced to "soogie" (ships term for soapy water to wash down) today and I am sure they will have some aching muscles after. It is such a repetitive task that has to be done regularly to get rid of all the salt deposits left behind from the sea spray. We are making almost 40 tons of fresh water per day and only really using around 10, so there are plenty to spare for washing down the vessel.

We are heading due south now and our next course alteration will point us directly in the direction of Cape Town... :-), at last.

The working atmosphere onboard is exciting and I would imagine somewhat like an ants nest. Most of the senior Officers onboard this vessel has sailed for many years on the old vessel and are fully aware what needs to be done to get everything in place. It is nice to know that we have so much depth in our team that we could run two Antarctic Supply vessels both at sea at the same time!

Enjoy the rest of your mid week.

SAA II Delivery - Day 11 17 April 2012

Hello All

We went a bit further offshore yesterday and almost feel deserted out here now with no traffic on the radar or AIS, maybe not a bad things for these parts.

We had to slow down during the morning hours to change converters due to some alarms, but this was quickly cleared up and we continued within a short while. The sea remains following all the way and even at our reduced setting we are managing more than 14 knots with the wind pushing us along. The current that has been against us the past 2 days has also now disappeared. It is quite confusing for us in the morning, since it only becomes light between 8 and 9. This is because we decided to remain on SA time. We are altering due south now and will be altering straight for SA when we hit the 10°N latitude at which point our days would start to normalise as we head east again. The time is flying by with our busy days and every day we are a step closer to home.

Other than some sea birds we have not seen much in way of sea animals. There has been 3 racing pigeons that hitched a ride for 2 days, but they are also gone now, probably only sat on deck to have a rest.

Good luck and enjoy the rest of your week