Captain's Blog

Ternate is an island, like Ambon, in the Maluku Islands of Eastern Indonesia. It is located off the west coast of the larger island of Halmahera, the centre of the powerful former Sultanate of Ternate. Ternate is a visually dramatic cone-shaped island with a long history of bitter rivalry against the nearby islands. The island is dominated by the volcanic Mount Gamalama, which erupted as recently as last year. Before we reached Ternate we had a morning at sea to enjoy.

 At 8 o’clock I came up to the Bridge and announced the exact moment that we crossed the Equator. Some passengers felt the slight bump as we went over the line on the globe and continued into the northern hemisphere. Cassie presented a Port Briefing on tomorrow’s port, Bitung, before Dr Piers Brendon delivered an interesting talk titled, ‘Rulers and Rebels’ looking at the political history of the region.

 In the Yacht Club, Neil interviewed our cabaret act for this evening, Australian Tenor Jonathon Welch. Jonathon is well known throughout Australia for his inspiring work with the ‘Choir of Hard Knocks’ which involved him forming a choir from the homeless and disadvantaged people of Melbourne, leading them to eventually recording a gold album and performing a sold-out concert at the Sydney Opera House.

During lunch we arrived in Ternate. Originally the call was scheduled to be at anchor, but after the success of berthing in Banda Naira we repeated this feat and came alongside their pier. As with yesterday, I was soon being beckoned onto the quayside to receive a traditional welcome from the beautiful local dancers and being showered with garlands of flowers and some gifts. It is certainly a boost to one’s self-esteem to have such charming and delightful people being so happy to see you!

The passengers headed off on their tours having taken an early lunch and could choose from Ternate Orientation or Ternate Highlights. The terminal had a few facilities open and a sign was hung from the balcony welcoming our passengers ashore.

All aboard was set for 5.30pm and just as a passing tropical squall came over we sailed away, heading towards Bitung, Sulawesi.

The evening entertainment saw Jonathon Welch perform his second excellent show with the Spirit Quartet, with quite a number of passengers also enjoying the open-air cinema to watch ‘The King’s Speech’. Tomorrow is our last Indonesian port of call and it will be with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to this most welcoming of countries.

Ambon Island is part of the Maluku Islands of Indonesia. The island has an area of 299 square miles and is mountainous and fertile. It lies on the north side of the Banda Sea and is part of the volcanic islands that form a circle around it. We arrived quite early and we were greeted with the friendly welcoming ceremony that is such a charm of these areas. I wish the ship was ending its time in Worcestershire as I am having so many kind gifts bestowed upon me that I’ll never be able to fly them all home!

With the formalities completed we were ready for our passengers to head ashore. Two tours operated, but with very differing modes of transport. The ‘Legacy of Ambon’ trip took place using small coaches, while the ‘Ambon City Tour’ made use of dozens of Pedicabs. These are tricycles with two wheels at the front one at the back. The back wheel is powered by the cyclist, and a wide seat is located between to the two front wheels. It is definitely a very environmentally friendly way to get around the town! The tour was charmingly chaotic but the enthusiasm and dedication of the Pedicab drivers made it all worthwhile. The terminal building had clearly been polished before our arrival and the sub post office which had been set up did a roaring trade in postcards and stamps. Souvenir stalls lined the walls of the terminal and the locals were very friendly, no hassle or hard sell, just genuine enthusiasm for what they had to offer.

All aboard was at 1.30pm as we prepared to sail for Ternate. At 2pm we let the lines go and slipped away from the berth with many people waving goodbye from the quayside. Our next port of call, Ternate, is north of the Equator, whilst we are currently south of the Equator. This meant that I had to contact His Royal Highness King Neptune for permission to cross his line. We are not scheduled to cross until 8 o’clock tomorrow morning, but he is busy with another ship at that time so asked if we’d mind holding the ceremony this afternoon. Of course I, as a humble Captain, acquiesced to his request.

So it was that at 3.30pm, the passengers were summoned to the Verandah Pool area and HRH King Neptune arose from the deep to hold sway over his subjects. The passengers and crew were dealt with accordingly, after Dawn (Hotel Director), Kosta (Chief Engineer) and I had bowed before the King and kissed the fish. The fish, on this occasion, had been bought at the local market this morning by Chef George and was a very colourful Coral Trout. Neil had been counting and worked out that this was the 14th occasion that the ‘Spirit of Adventure’ had crossed the Equator and also the last occasion it will happen. I won’t go into any more detail, as it is always good to surprise those who’ve never done it before, but suffice to say I wouldn’t have recommended snorkelling in the pool after the ceremony was complete!

Sanity resumed at 5pm as Cassie delivered her Port Briefing on Ternate and then after dinner the Romanov Trio performed their fourth recital, titled, ‘Romantic Evening’ featuring works by Mozart, Mendelssohn and Tchaikovsky. Upstairs in the Yacht Club, Neil hosted the second of his Scattergories Quizzes and this was followed by Neil & Clive presenting a Late Night Cabaret including a memorable version of Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Boxer” performed by watercolour artist Ian Stevenson with enthusiastic backing by Clive on piano and Neil on drums. Those who were there will never forget it!