http://ports.co.za/cruisenews/article_2009_01_29_1317.html#one
The Bay of Biscay has long held a reputation for rough seas and big storms. Anyone who can remember the days of the Union-Castle ‘mailboats’ will also remember the tales, no-doubt sometimes exaggerated, sometimes real, of the crossing of this dreaded patch of water on what was virtually the last leg of a long voyage from the Cape to Southampton.
Somehow in those days it never seemed fashionable to talk about our very own Wild Coast, that ‘patch’ of water between Durban and East London which is notorious for freak waves that could and did swallow up a ship. Think only of the WARATAH, at the time one of the most modern liners in the world, which disappeared without trace somewhere between Port St Johns and East London. Think of more recent ships that also sank or disappeared, including in more recent times another passenger vessel the OCEANUS which sank within hours of sailing from East London – although we know for certain that sea conditions played only a contributory role in her going to the bottom.
These thoughts came to mind last week when news was received of the BALMORAL, Fred Olsen’s recent acquisition (the much-loved ex Crown Odyssey) which encountered horrific seas while negotiating the Bay of Biscay en route to the Canary Islands with a ship full of English passengers angling for a bit of sun and beach.
Instead of a pleasant voyage they ran into one of the worst storms to come that way in decades, with waves as high as 50 foot (roughly 15 metres) waves and winds gusting up to 60 mph.
Battered by the storm which blew in from the direction of the Azores, the ship headed for the northern Spanish port of La Coruna, hoping to find shelter from nature’s fury. Alas it didn’t prove to be quite plain sailing into port, as the pictures taken from local helicopters show. The large 43,500-ton ship was tossed about as though she were a rubber toy in a child’s bathtub, leaving several passengers to be thrown about and two Britons to be taken later to a local hospital for treatment to broken bones.
For the remainder of the passengers it was the end of the trip, as the cruise was cancelled and the ship’s owner and operator, Fred Olsen Cruises, arranged to fly everyone back home. The Balmoral suffered no lasting damage and was able to take up her next cruise, also from Dover this week to the Canaries with 1,400 passengers and 500 crew who appeared not in the least deterred by what had gone before.
Readers may recall that on entering service with Fred Olsen Cruises, the former NORWEGIAN CROWN / CROWN ODYSSEY underwent a stretching in which the ship was cut in half and lengthened by an additional 30 metres.
The author once enjoyed seven nights on board this delightful ship, during her brief spell with Orient Lines during which she had returned to the name Crown Odyssey. The voyage through the Mediterranean proved as peaceful and enjoyable as anyone could have wished, yet a fortnight or so later on a similar cruise the ship ran into freak weather conditions off the Italian coastline during which several large windows were shattered, furniture broken and a number of passengers injured.
Which goes to suggest that it doesn’t matter where you cruise, the sea although mostly well behaved always deserves the utmost respect.
