Day 21 at Sea, October 16th 2008 and the Pollywogs on the Veendam sit in judgement by King Neptune and the Captain Albert Schoonderbeck Hotel Manger William Van de Pol and senior staff.
The King Neptune Ceremony
The ceremony of crossing the equator has been a tradition by both Navy and merchant Ships around the world for centuries. Originally a test for seasoned sailors to ensure the new shipmates were capable the rough long times at sea. The sailors who have already crossed the equator are nicknamed “Trusty Shellbacks” often referred to the sons of Neptune; those who have not crossed are called “Vile Pollywogs”. King Neptune and his court often include her Highness Amphitrite and dignitaries representing the highest ranking seamen. Once the ceremony is complete the Pollywogs receive their new certification.
At midnight October 17th we entered the mouth of the Amazon. At this point the river is 50km wide. There is a sand bank which is shallow at low tide. The ship has to wait for the tide to rise before entering. Out clearance on this day was only 2.5 ft. further up the channel the marker buoys were missing. The sip had to use sounding to find the channel. In this age of technology the crew reverted to simple techniques of navigation.
At noon October 17th we reached and crossed the equator.
Ryder Cup
Meanwhile the golf competition reached the end of the 8th tournament and I am still ranked first among about 100 competitors. Today we competed for the final round in a Ryder Cup format. I was captain of one team of 10 competing against a second team of 10. Unfortunately we lost today 49 to 47 points.
The King Neptune Ceremony
The ceremony of crossing the equator has been a tradition by both Navy and merchant Ships around the world for centuries. Originally a test for seasoned sailors to ensure the new shipmates were capable the rough long times at sea. The sailors who have already crossed the equator are nicknamed “Trusty Shellbacks” often referred to the sons of Neptune; those who have not crossed are called “Vile Pollywogs”. King Neptune and his court often include her Highness Amphitrite and dignitaries representing the highest ranking seamen. Once the ceremony is complete the Pollywogs receive their new certification.
At midnight October 17th we entered the mouth of the Amazon. At this point the river is 50km wide. There is a sand bank which is shallow at low tide. The ship has to wait for the tide to rise before entering. Out clearance on this day was only 2.5 ft. further up the channel the marker buoys were missing. The sip had to use sounding to find the channel. In this age of technology the crew reverted to simple techniques of navigation.
At noon October 17th we reached and crossed the equator.
Ryder Cup
Meanwhile the golf competition reached the end of the 8th tournament and I am still ranked first among about 100 competitors. Today we competed for the final round in a Ryder Cup format. I was captain of one team of 10 competing against a second team of 10. Unfortunately we lost today 49 to 47 points.
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