Melsea's Adventures of South America & Pacific Adventures Part 9

#1

Melsea's Adventures of South America & Pacific Adventures Part 9

Day 28. At sea. Started cool & cloudy.

4th February. Smart, Jacket required.

Started the day with a walk around the top deck.
Breakfast at glass house.
Went to reception to report the bruise I got on my arm due to the inept tender driver yesterday.
Lunch in medina.
Art exhibition
Photography competition
Sat outside for a while, not long in the sun but the rest of the time in the shade.

Now I hear you now thinking, what inept driver, the one I didn't mention in the previous report. That's because it wasn't originally written up in my diary but I had written what is above.
So it went like this. Coming back from the shore I'm sat by the window second seat up from the front, facing the front. As we were approaching the tender station, it was as though it was all in slow motion and I was trying to figure out how is what was happening was actually happening. We were heading at speed straight for the ship and wallop we were thrown about violently from side to side. Now, I am a tiny person and sitting next to me are two people whose whole weight came against me and the top of my arm pressed hard against the metal part of the frame of the window, ouch it hurt like hell.
Anyway there is more of this and so I shall tell you how my report went when the receptionist in the end said do you want a report form to fill in, this is after 15 mins of him trying to input the incident on his computer. I think he thought I wished I hadn't started this I'll give her the form and she can do it herself. With pleasure thank you.
My reasons for making a report was that 1. I had a hell of a bruise as a result, 2. No one said sorry.
My report went like this, fill in name, address, cabin num, occupation,
date of accident 3RD FEB 2015,
time of accident BETWEEN 4.45/5.20PM,
Exact Location of Accident - IN A TENDER OFF THE COAST OF PUERTO MONTT, CHILE IN BOAT NUMBER 7 IN THE SEA BY THE AURORA TENDER PONTOON STATION,
What were you doing at the time of the accident: I WAS SAT FACING THE FRONT ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE BOAT BY THE WINDOW 2ND ROW.
Describe the circumstances which led to your accident in as much detail as possible: AS WE APPROACHED THE PONTOON TENDER STATION THE CREWMAN STEERING THE BOAT SEEMED UNABLE TO GUIDE US ALONG THE PONTOON WHEN VERY QUICKLY HAVING MISSED THE PONTOON, THE BOW OF THE THE TENDER WAS HEADING STRAIGHT ON TOWARDS THE SHIP AND STRUCK IT, HITTING IT WITH GREAT FORCE THAT MEANT I AND EVERYONE ELSE ON THE BOAT TO BE SHAKEN VIOLENTLY IN ALL DIRECTIONS, WHEREBY MY RIGHT ARM WAS THROWN AGAINST THE METAL EDGING OF THE WINDOW. THE CREWMAN TRIED AT LEAST SIX TIMES TO GET TO THE PONTOON WHEREBY HE HAD HIT THE PONTOON THREE TIMES MORE AND AGAIN I WAS THROWN AGAINST THE METAL PART OF THE WINDOW. NEEDLESS TO SAY IT HURT VERY MUCH. THE NEXT DAY THERE WAS A BRUISE AND WHEN TOUCHED IT WAS SORE.
What if anything , could have prevented your accident? NOT BEING AN EXPERT ON STEERING A TENDER BOAT I CANNOT COMMENT IN THAT CAPACITY. I CAN ONLY GO ON MY EXPERIENCE OF THIS PARTICULAR TIME. I DO BELIEVE THAT AT THE POINT OF WHICH THE CREW TENDER DRIVER REALISED THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO HAVE COMPLETE 'CONTROL' OF THE BOAT AND WITH HAVING BEEN SLAMMED INTO EITHER THE SHIP OR PONTOON A FEW TIMES THAT HE WOULD REALISE HE NEEDED HELP AND THAT IT WOULD BE WISE NOT TO CONTINUE UNTIL SUCH TIME THAT THE 'HEALTH & SAFETY' OF ALL ON BOARD INCLUDING HIMSELF AND ANOTHER CREW MEMBER WERE CONSIDERED. HOW THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN ACHIEVED I CAN'T POSSIBLY COMMENT. SUFFICE TO SAY WHAT CONTINUED WAS NOT THE ANSWER AT THIS POINT.
The following person(s) were witness to my accident (please specify if none or identities unknown)
IDENTITIES UNKNOWN, AT LEAST 40 PLUS PEOPLE IN TENDER AT THE TIME.
I reported my accident to FRONT DESK AURORA, Time first reported MORNING, date first reported 4 FEB 2015.
This report was to be sent to head office as well as the relevant departments. Sometime later in the day I had a phone call but I was not in at the time, Bill took the call and they had said it was a very well written report. Later I got to take the call and they asked how I was and was I in need to see the on board doctor. Yes I was fine but a lovely bruise for the memory and no I do not need to see a doctor thank you.

I went to the photography presentation where they again talked us through some of the photos entered and a couple of mine were spoken of and it followed by winners being announced at the end. I had entered into the intermediate category. When they announce the winner of the intermediate category there was almost a hush in the room as I don't think anyone could believe it had won. I had to check later what the challenges were. I had completely forgotten what they were at this point, the winner won the challenge for the Lead-in lines. It was at this point I decided I was going to enter into the Advanced Level in the next sector. I wasn't the only one to have made this choice to do this.

Day 29. Valparaiso, Chile. 06.30am - 6pm.
Sunny & Warm 25 degrees.

5th February

At 01.38 we were woken up by a very loud alarm followed by a message from the bridge 'assessment party to deck 4, fire'. Suffice to say it made me jump out of my skin as was in a deep sleep. Bill as it turned out was awake. At this point I am now trying to sleep and thinking okay we are roughly 6 hours away from our next port and I'm thinking where are my warm clothes, don't need medication and oh yes our life jackets are in our wardrobe and I mustn't put jacket on until we're told to.. Counting lifejackets to go back to sleep. No sooner had the announcement been made, it's the bridge again, 'stand down assessment party'. Phew back to sleep then, thanks..

I got the ship just after 10am. From where we were docked we had to take a shuttle bus to the actual terminal. Then go through a check point to make sure you were not bringing in any food. Once through I managed to get a map. To get to the main road you have to cross a rail crossing and the station is literally a few steps away. Having been here before I seem to remember there was a shopping centre type of place across the road and I was hoping to find a place to buy another art paper book as I was rapidly running out of paper. As soon I got I close to the place I recognised it and in fact its huge place that sells not just food but appliances, clothing a bit like an Asda or a Sainsburys. Downstairs there is another store that is like B&Q or Ikea. Anyway I looked around the store but found art suppliers but nothing for watercolours. So I started to ask someone who then gestured to her friend who spoke a little England and with me trying to speak in my Spanish she half got what I wanted but then passed me onto a senior member of staff a man who realised what I was asking. They didn't have what I wanted but there was place along the way where there were a few independent shops. I had a look round and found an art pad which I bought. I left there and made my way into the town which incidentally was in the direction of the ship. Came across a number of homeless people who were sleeping on mats on the grass that is part of an island park with a traffic either side. I eventually crossed over where there a promenade walkway that is adjacent to the railway line that leads into town to the end of the line. When I arrived at one of the stations I decided I might as well get a train into town and I was wanting a ticket but the lady said no trains. I could not understand why she said this as a train was coming in. A lot of people got off including many passenegers and none other than James Gray our art teacher. He told me that there was an incident up the line where I started and they had to get off and walk he rest. Which is why I couldn't get a train as none were coming from that direction. So off I trotted the rest of the way. Eventually I got there and found the place where you can get a good view of the ship. There was a little market there and lots of locals taking pictures of themselves with our ship in the background. The reason you cannot be dropped of here because there is no where to drop people off and it forms part of the commercial shipping so no walking around it.
When we were here last time Bill and I had walked up some steps and found our way to a good lookout and a little cafe somewhere. I was a little hazy to where the cafe was but I knew roughly where the steps were. Valparaiso is on many hills and so there a number of funiculars you can go up but not all are running or working. I eventually found the very same one we saw last time and there were a few people standing at the bottom having their photo taken as the steps are very steep and a lot of them. Before I went to go up them a lady told me to be careful as I had a small backpack on my back. I said thank you but that I am okay. There wasn't anything of value in it, that was in a over the shoulder bag. So on I went up the steps, it quite a trek and when I got to the top I could see the ship from here. There were a couple of people who were about to go down. I walked on to see if I could go to the look out place of last time but it seems to have a closed gate and it had only just closed up. A bit disappointed but I thought I could still get round to the other side but no. I then started to walk away from here and go up a street that was devoid of cars, when I got to the end I noticed I did not know where I was going and nothing looked familiar. As I turned round to make my way back to go down three people who were outside a small shop I think it was were gesturing me to come back. Their demeanour showed to me that they were beckoning me is a hurried way. They said to me don't go up there not safe. I may feel confident at times and brave but I am not stupid and I didn't need telling twice so heeding their warning I retraced my steps and went back down the steps I came up. I walked a little further, walking where there was plenty of traffic around. I came across another funicular and this one was definitely on the tourist track as the queue to get to the top was long and it looked a lot nicer ride up too. You can this one from the ship. I looked at the time and thought I don't have the time to queue to go up look around and walk back to the terminal as I couldn't rely on the train being up and running. So I made my way back, I did go into the station but it was clear I may have to a little while even though there were people waiting for the train. I didn't have the luxury of time on my side. So off I made my start of my walk. I made a note of how long I took going into town so I knew I have enough time to walk it. As I got closer to where I started I soon saw what the problem was, the two carriage train had derailed at the station by the terminal and they were still working on it. I could see people still crossing the crossing. I still had ample time to go back to look into another store that was a clothing store and bumped into a few staff here. I bought a couple of things in there and I then finally made my way back to go to the ship. Not so fast. When I was wanting to cross the crossing they had closed it. So the shuttle buses then had to pick us up on the we were on to take us to the terminal. This took a little while as we were on a one way system just to get to a place that's just literally behind us. Eventually I got back to the ship.
We set sail onwards to the vast Ocean that is the Pacific for our sail of 10 days at sea..

#2

Wow! an eventful couple of days!

looking forward to hearing the rest of the 'arm story'

#3

Sounds very painful, I hope it settled quickly. The 10 days at sea is exactly to my taste - I love sea days best of all.

#4

We must have had the same tender pilot in 2013. It took him 4 or 5 attempts to get the tender in and on one occasion we hit the Aurora head on. I was sitting opposite my son and I was thrown forward onto him.It must have been in Vietnam or Thailand as my son was holding one of those conical hats he'd bought as a souvenir. Unfortunately I flattened the end in my fall.

I did hear about a similar incident on this cruise it must have been your tender.

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