Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 29 October 2023

PatO: You are a very articulate, well-spoken, and interesting person. I don't think you needed the Blarney Stone. :-)

Diane: Re the Borealis, it looks like it's still moored in Cork (or more correctly Cobh). I think it's a given that if a vessel runs into really bad weather it will change its itinerary, including missing ports. . I'm not sure what the Fred Osen company's policy is re compensation in those circumstances... I saw that as of yesterday evening, another Olsen vessel - the Balmoral - ran into the storm in the Bay of Biscay, skipped the Canary Islands (on its itinerary) and suffered enough damage that it is now in port in Bilbao instead of Cadiz and will remain there until tomorrow "when the weather is expected to improve." The Bay of Biscay is notoriously bad for shipping, but The Azores are much farther west in the Atlantic, so no idea where the Borealis will head next. I can't imagine passengers looking forward to sunny destinations are thrilled being stuck in Cobh, where it's currently 42F and cloudy. I think we'll see more of this kind of thing what with storms generally being much stronger and less predictable (this one was predicted but but the Hurricane that hit Acapulco turned into a really bad one within hours with little indication of its potential).

Diane - That's very kind. But the more Blarney Stone kissing, the more articulate!

Annette - When I did my 'long' cruise in 2019 we hit the edge of the hurricane season and had to miss Tonga - which had been one of my hoped-for highlights. But they took us to a different place instead, which was magical. We also missed another island because we had to respond to an SOS from a stranded boat. That was exciting - I remember waking up in the morning and the sun was in the wrong place! I switched on my television and looked at the tracker and sure enough we had done a complete 360 and were heading back the way we came! It took several hours to get back to the stranded boat - but we were the nearest vessel and maritime rules say they must respond. Some people got really annoyed at missing out one stop, but I enjoyed watching the rescue.

We also had to miss one place on the east coast of Australia - but that was a real treat, as we had an extra day in Sydney! I had met a friend the first day and we spent a lovely time wandering around and getting to know each other - after meeting weekly online for fifteen years we had never met in person, so a day together was lovely. That night I went to sleep looking at the Anzac Bridge, quite a long way outside Sydney - and I woke up looking at the Sydney Opera House! I spent a wonderful and exhausting day rushing around and seeing all the sights I wasn't able to see the previous day.

Unfortunately it doesn't look as though Lindy will have the opportunity to do that sort of thing. I know she was really looking forward to The Azores - I do hope they get there.

ANNETTE and PAT: Thank you for the information! I feel sorry for LINDY. If I recall correctly, they also had to cut short a holiday due to covid. Annette, you're right that we can expect bigger and more unpredictable storms. I was amazed at the rapid intensification of the hurricane that hit Acapulco. Deeply unsettling. PatO: I wish I could have gone on your cruise with you.

RUSTY: I don't think you needed the Blarney Stone, either. You are also very articulate. And you clearly have a gazillion friends who adore you. I have always been shy and introverted, and I'm getting worse as I get older. :-o

I just corrected my mistake in placing the Azores east of the Canaries; they're quite a way west! Duh.

How kind Diane. I am very lucky with my friends and I appreciate them so much. Although I haven’t been out today due to the rain, I have been in communication with lots of friends by phone, email and texts. One friend who lives in the countryside rang me to say she had cows in her garden! I sympathised but there wasn’t a lot I could do!!!! She had rung the farmer. I have texted to enquire if the cows are back in their field. She hasn’t replied!!! Hope she and the farmer are not still out there running around chasing cows. Her garden (which is beautiful - her pride and joy) will be wrecked!