Threading a Needle

The fog surrounds us like a blanket. When Scenic Eclpse II had to leave the port at Matsuyama a half hour ago there were half a dozen ships anchored in the harbor, a ferry boat was coming in, two smaller boats were crossing our path, a small inboard was headed straight toward us and an airport nearby required that we miss the end of the runway by a mile. And, oh yes, our ship had to pirouette around the end of a long breakwater to get on course for our next stop at Uwajima. All in the fog.

Earlier today Captain Erwan LeRouzic invited me to join him and the crew on the navigation bridge for the sail-out from Matsuyama. It was remarkable to see how the crew threaded that needle as they left the harbor.

Glenda said she felt nothing unusual as we left the port. That is amazing because the crew were constantly making course corrections as we altered our direction from due north to southwest to clear a breakwater and then to pass through a cluster of anchored ships.

We finally cleared all of the obstacles and set a steady course to the southwest. Thick fog prevented me from seeing more than fifty yards in front of the ship, but the radar scope in front of the helmsman showed nothing between our ship and another 7.5 miles ahead.

So we sit here cozy and comfy in our stateroom oblivious to the excellent work being done up on the navigation bridge to keep us in peaceful luxury.

I love cruising. ⛴️Read more