Saturday, 23 January 1999
As of 0800 this morning, the Empire State was moored at Bridgetown which is located in the south west quadrant of Barbados Island. The weather is wonderful. It is clear, a soft breeze is blowing out of the East @ 5 knots and the temperature is 78 degrees F. The water temperature is a very warm, 82 degrees F. Barometric pressure is 1020 millibars.
CAPTAIN'S LOG:
Let me briefly describe our entry, yesterday, into beautiful Bridgetown, Barbados. The arrival occurred precisely as scheduled but we waited as a French container vessel and a Greek passenger ship were piloted into port ahead of us. When our turn came we proceed quickly.
The "deckies" were presented with a rare learning opportunity. Our Harbor Pilot used the Empire State's anchor to assist in the docking evolution. With the ship a short distance out and maneuvering into the pier, he dropped the forward anchor, thereby controlling the motion of the bow. Then we used the power of the main engines and rudder action against the embedded anchor to slowly and precisely position the ship. When departing, we will heave in the anchor, called a "poor man's tug" when used this way, to pull the bow away from the pier and point us outbound. It is a clever maneuver and our cadets were fortunate to participate.
Then came the words all were awaiting, LIBERTY CALL! LIBERTY CALL! The cadets marched down the gangway and into their first real adventure in a foreign port. All went well last evening and every report this morning is positive.
Barbados is a 166 square mile island which was under British rule for 339 years before gaining independence in 1966. The Queen of Great Britain also serves as Queen of Barbados and the distinctive British influence is everywhere today. Tourism, off-shore banking, and manufacturing form the basis of the island's economy and we will do our best to support it to.
The cadets will surely experience the joy of the two cultures separated by a common language here. For example,"Bajans" speak English but the national dish is flying fish. The local people have afternoon tea, and play croquet; they enjoy cricket and polo so the cadets will have some adjusting to do. The cadets will undoubtedly enjoy Bridgetown's Broad Street. It is the main street, with banks, stores, and Parliament buildings. It is adjacent to a wonderful marina, the Careenage and Bridgetown boasts it's own Trafalagar Square, just like London.
I doubt that many will linger at Trafalagar Square because the entire island is truly a vacation paradise. Barbados is only 14 miles wide and 21 miles long but it is full of spectacular natural wonders and plentiful marine life. It is a far cry from what most New Englanders are used to. There are many, many, beaches and resorts for golf, horseback riding, snorkeling, and watersports; Brighton Beach, Paradise Beach, and Church Point, to name but a few. How often do we ride jet skis, go scuba diving, and ride glass bottom boats in January? I understand that one resort actually has a submarine with glass ports to explore the coral reefs. Folklore says that the sands here in Barbados, were once thought to possess magical healing powers. After seeing the sun burned, smiling faces of the cadets, I would bet that they do.