Storm delays

[twotravellersLondon]

7 minutes ago, Dermotsgirl said:

The messages I saw about this said she had engine problems - this was before the storm 

 We shall wait and see.

[Bin man]

We have 4 ships in Malaga today with a tui ship out in the bay.We are in our cabin at the moment all tied up tightly .Keep feeling the ship juddering not sure if it's the ropes keep tightening or what, but getting a bit gloomy out there .

[TigerB]

1 hour ago, Bin man said:

We have 4 ships in Malaga today with a tui ship out in the bay.We are in our cabin at the moment all tied up tightly .Keep feeling the ship juddering not sure if it's the ropes keep tightening or what, but getting a bit gloomy out there .

 

We're currently on deck 18 and can feel that juddering.

We were going to have another bimble this afternoon, but looking at the dark clouds, we'll give it a miss.  The accessible shuttles are a farce anyway, so just as well.

[Selbourne]

11 minutes ago, TigerB said:

 

We're currently on deck 18 and can feel that juddering.

We were going to have another bimble this afternoon, but looking at the dark clouds, we'll give it a miss.  The accessible shuttles are a farce anyway, so just as well.

How was your crossing of the Bay of Biscay? Probably a lot smoother than ours was on Ventura 😂 

[Red Leicester]

Not too bad considering.  High winds and they closed off the front quarter of Deck 8 but you could walk around the rest.  Could feel movement but had worse on Iona over the Bay. 

[TigerB]

1 hour ago, Selbourne said:

How was your crossing of the Bay of Biscay? Probably a lot smoother than ours was on Ventura 😂 

As it happens, contrary to popular belief, as the Deputy Captain announced, we didn't enter the Bay of Biscay; we sailed to the west of it. It was still a wee bit rough though.

[Adawn47]

3 hours ago, twotravellersLondon said:

 

About 10.30 this morning, the Balmoral published a course for Bilbao... about 300 nm off the original course. It seems a very long way to avoid a storm and so it may be that the Balmoral is hoping for some assistance from a ship repair yard or considering the option of flights to... ? 

 

One thing that's probably guaranteed is that the Balmoral will not be in Cadiz on 3 November.

We were in a similar situation as Balmoral on Adonia in 2015. We were caught in cyclone in the Med and it damaged the stabilisers. Managed to finally get them repaired in Lisbon. Perhaps that could explain her slow and erratic course diversion to Bilbao.

Avril

[twotravellersLondon]

10 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

We were in a similar situation as Balmoral on Adonia in 2015. We were caught in cyclone in the Med and it damaged the stabilisers. Managed to finally get them repaired in Lisbon. Perhaps that could explain her slow and erratic course diversion to Bilbao.

Avril

 

That would explain the situation yesterday evening between about 7.30 pm and 9.30 pm. Since then the Balmoral has been on a steady course towards Bilbao doing about 13 knots.

[ovccruiser]

Not quite as bad, but a few years ago on the Oceana crossing the Bay of Biscay we had a "port hole" blow in and a window both on deck 7 and that was only in a force 9/10. I would not like to be on the Balmoral.

[bobstheboy]

1 hour ago, TigerB said:

As it happens, contrary to popular belief, as the Deputy Captain announced, we didn't enter the Bay of Biscay; we sailed to the west of it. It was still a wee bit rough though.

Most believe you sail through the Bay, when of course you sail on the edge of it. In my years in the RN and cruising I found the English Channel and North Sea worse. Going around Cape Horn can be treacherous as well.

[jeanlyon]

2 minutes ago, bobstheboy said:

Most believe you sail through the Bay, when of course you sail on the edge of it. In my years in the RN and cruising I found the English Channel and North Sea worse. Going around Cape Horn can be treacherous as well.

Agree, drives me nuts.  You are never IN the Bay unless going to La Rochelle or somewhere on the North East coast of Spain.  I have actually done the Bay in a sailing boat quite a few times.  You sail inside the Island of Ushant, down the Raz de Seine.   I have found the Channel far worse.

[davecttr]

5 minutes ago, bobstheboy said:

Most believe you sail through the Bay, when of course you sail on the edge of it. In my years in the RN and cruising I found the English Channel and North Sea worse. Going around Cape Horn can be treacherous as well.

That's what did for the Cutty Sark, she sprained her masts doing a handbrake turn around Cape Horn.

[zap99]

52 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

Agree, drives me nuts.  You are never IN the Bay unless going to La Rochelle or somewhere on the North East coast of Spain.  I have actually done the Bay in a sailing boat quite a few times.  You sail inside the Island of Ushant, down the Raz de Seine.   I have found the Channel far worse.

Doesn't drive me nuts. When folk on here speak about the BoB we know exactly what they mean. It means they are sailing from the western aproaches, down towards cap finisterre. Technically not the BoB, but us landlubbers know. Most folk don't know where Fitzroy is.

Edited November 2, 2023 by zap99

[Selbourne]

12 minutes ago, zap99 said:

Doesn't drive me nuts. When folk on here speak about the BoB we know exactly what they mean. It means they are sailing from the western aproaches, down towards cap finisterre. Technically not the BoB, but us landlubbers know. Most folk don't know where Fitzroy is.

It’s a shame that our Captain has disembarked today, or I would have pointed out to him that his announcements that “the BoB was throwing it’s worst at us” were incorrect. I mean, if even he doesn’t know where he is, what hope do the rest of us have 😉 

[tring]

6 hours ago, twotravellersLondon said:

 

About 10.30 this morning, the Balmoral published a course for Bilbao... about 300 nm off the original course. It seems a very long way to avoid a storm and so it may be that the Balmoral is hoping for some assistance from a ship repair yard or considering the option of flights to... ? 

 

One thing that's probably guaranteed is that the Balmoral will not be in Cadiz on 3 November.

 

I have not been into the net much the last few days because of various commitments, but had been able to follow posts made from Balmoral elsewhere.  I have clarified and corrected some points you had made on the Fred board with the following:-

 

"Regards this one recent posting, I can correct some points.  Balmoral left Southampton on Monday and a minor engine issue arose during her journey, which means an engineer is to be despatched to the ship at a port which can be arranged.  The original plan was to head for Lorient yesterday, but that plan was changed to Leixoes as they would have then been stuck in port in Lorient.  Today the weather has been particularly bad in Lorient, so on reflection, I am thinking it now appears obvious why that plan was scuppered.  Midday yesterday the Captain announced that Leixoes was no longer possible because of the weather, so they were heading towards Gran Canaria, though with some uncertainty as the weather was due to worsen.

 

Soon after 8pm last night it was announced the ship could not continue, so they were to turn and seek shelter along the Spanish coast.  His gave strict instructions that everyone should be seated as the ship turned and certainly that seems to have been sound advice.  Soon after 8.30pm the Captain apparently announced that windows had been smashed, (they were not portholes), though he did not mention where. He did say not to worry about that though, as the crew were dealing with it.  Subsequent postings seem to have determined that they were in cabins on deck four, starboard, somewhere between the mid and rear lifts, though it is not known if it is just two cabins, or possibly more.  There had also been a couple of code alpha’s, after the Captain had mentioned the broken windows, though someone did say this morning that as far as they know, there were no serious injuries last night, hopefully that is the case.

 

The seas certainly had been rough before Balmoral turned with the odd bangs and clangs as well, but whilst still in stormy waters, it was reported it was far better onboard after they had turned.  The speed was restricted to 5 knots last night, but that has got quicker now.  The Captain announced this morning that they were heading to Bilbao, to arrive tonight.  Seems most people are keeping cheerful and making the most of what they can.  I am thinking though that some will be holing up in their cabins, which is where I may well have been!"

Edited November 2, 2023 by tring

[Selbourne]

Can the weather and shipping experts on here please provide some reassurance that we are well clear of all these storms down here in the Canaries? 
 

We don’t start heading back North until Sunday night. Is it likely to all be done and dusted by then? Thanks. 🤞

[jeanlyon]

6 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Can the weather and shipping experts on here please provide some reassurance that we are well clear of all these storms down here in the Canaries? 
 

We don’t start heading back North until Sunday night. Is it likely to all be done and dusted by then? Thanks. 🤞

This one will be but it's still giving gusty SW winds on Monday, Tuesday not too bad, but Wednesday doesn't look great going past the Bay and the Channel doesn't look good either.

 

https://www.windy.com/?2023110812,49.937,-5.156,5

 

 

 

Edited November 2, 2023 by jeanlyon

[Selbourne]

5 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

This one will be but it's still giving gusty SW winds on Monday, Tuesday not too bad, but Wednesday doesn't look great going past the Bay and the Channel doesn't look good either.

 

https://www.windy.com/?2023110812,49.937,-5.156,5

 

 

 

Thanks Jean. Our last stop is Lisbon next Wednesday, so hopefully we might be OK on the way back to Southampton then? 🤞

[jeanlyon]

12 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Thanks Jean. Our last stop is Lisbon next Wednesday, so hopefully we might be OK on the way back to Southampton then? 🤞

Friday looks better, but this is Thursday.  https://www.windy.com/?2023110906,49.937,-5.156,5

[tring]

20 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

This one will be but it's still giving gusty SW winds on Monday, Tuesday not too bad, but Wednesday doesn't look great going past the Bay and the Channel doesn't look good either.

 

https://www.windy.com/?2023110812,49.937,-5.156,5

 

 

 

 

Have popped that on favorites, very useful Jean, thank you.  We are setting sail on 15th of this month for a Caribbean round trip, so will be useful to see what is ahead - that is if viewing it does not make me decide to abandon the cruise before I even see the ship!!!

 

DH would still go and have a great time, no matter what the weather.

[Selbourne]

15 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

Friday looks better, but this is Thursday.  https://www.windy.com/?2023110906,49.937,-5.156,5

😱

[zap99]

1 hour ago, Selbourne said:

It’s a shame that our Captain has disembarked today, or I would have pointed out to him that his announcements that “the BoB was throwing it’s worst at us” were incorrect. I mean, if even he doesn’t know where he is, what hope do the rest of us have 😉 

If the Captain told the passengers that Fitzroy may be a little windy, I wonder what they would think.

[majortom10]

1 hour ago, GSPG said:

Just got to write we stayed at the Golden Sands for three nights in October 2012. A lovely hotel and we stayed in one of the balcony suites on the top floor. On our last night however, the wind got up a bit and we had to be moved elsewhere about 3am as there was a terrible noise from a loose whatever in the rafters.

Perhaps that roof has never been the same since 1987!

In 1997 Golden Sands had a flat roof which was badly damaged and I believe since then it has been replaced by a succession of pitched roofs.

[DS_Dean]

Here on Iona.. doesn't seem too windy from what I can tell. Just been for a night time hot tub! But this is my very unprofessional opinion. 😄

[Red Leicester]

Just been out on top on Iona and it’s breezy now compared to earlier.  Been okay all day, overcast, pockets of sun, walked down to Hard Rock Cafe for tea and did that comfortably in shorts and T-shirt.  Needed the addition of an optional hoody this evening to combat a little windchill.  Best day weather wise so far on this cruise. 

MSC and Costa both departed.  Not sure what the Marella is doing.