Status July 2, 2002
Arrival Suva, Fiji
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Total Distance:
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2,794 nm
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Time:
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9 Days 18 Hours
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First Line:
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0806
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Finished with Engines:
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0836
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Vessel Data
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Time Zone:
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-12 (12 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time)
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Length of Day:
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-
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Local Time of Position:
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-
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Latitude:
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18°-08.0'S
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Longitude:
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178°-25.0'W
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Total Distance Gone:
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2,794 nm
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24 Hr. Distance:
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-
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Distance to Go:
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-
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Current Speed:
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-
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Engine Speed:
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-
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Weather Data
Observations:
Raining.
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Air Temperature:
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80° F
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Humidity:
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95%
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Wind:
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Variable
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Clouds:
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Nimbostratus
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Seas:
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calm
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Sea Temperature:
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80° F
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Water Depth:
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-
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Sunrise:
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-
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Sunset:
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-
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Aboard The TSGB Day 9
Comments:
Our first activity upon approach to Suva was to test all of our primary and secondary navigation and propulsion equipment on the bridge and in the engine room. These tests are required by law and the
cadets performed the tests under the supervision of licensed officers. Some of the procedures included testing the emergency diesel generator, the astern propulsion, the primary and secondary
steering gear, radios, radar, lights and a host of other equipment.
Once all of the 'Pre-Arrival' gear tests were complete, we were ready to 'take Arrival'. Simply put, 'Arrival' is when our sea voyage ends and the harbor passage begins. Arrival may occur anywhere, as
it is an arbitrary point determined by the Captain, and is used more for administrative purposes than anything else. When we took Arrival, the vessel was then put into maneuvering mode, so the
engineers could answer bells in the engine room.
We used one tug to assist us as we docked alongside King's Wharf, the commercial dock in Suva. To our stern is a container ship, and ahead of us are several smaller long line fishing boats from China.
We can see Suva market and downtown which is only a few blocks away, and everyone is eager to disembark. After we finish tying up the ship, we shut down all of the equipment on the bridge, completed
our paperwork, and moved the watch to the quarterdeck, where the gangway is locate.
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Nathan Foss, the watch officer, assists the cadets in making the approach to Suva harbor. The rain caused visibility to come and go which made the approach to the harbor somewhat more of a
navigational exercise.
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Shortly after arrival, the pilot boarded the ship. We communicated with the pilot boat via radio, in order to determine which side of the vessel to put the pilot ladder, and how high above the water
the pilot wanted the ladder. The pilot is a sea captain, who has a great deal of local knowledge about the harbor. He is also skilled at docking and undocking ships.
When the pilot got to the bridge, he was greeted by the Captain, and the two had a 'Master-Pilot Conference', yet another activity that is required by international law. During the short conference,
the Captain described to the Pilot the maneuvering characteristics of the ship and explained how to use the radar and other equipment the Pilot may need to guide the vessel into port.
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 The journey from the pilot station into the harbor was only a few miles, but we had to
navigate a narrow channel that was only a quarter mile wide. On both sides of the channel, waves broke over reefs and the rusted hulk of an old shipwreck rested on the reef to our starboard side.
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The cadet division man the rail for the arrival in Suva.
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 The tug comes alongside and the deck cadets start the slow process
of securing the ship to the dock. A strong southern storm arrived in Fiji the day before we arrived and was causing some significant surge
in the harbor as the sea was coming over the reef.
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 During the trip to Suva, the deck students received instruction in line handling which they
were able to put into practice on arrival Fiji. The ship was required to hang over the end of the dock by about 8 meters which complicated the tie up on the bow. After the ship
tied up, it could be seen rolling about 3 degrees at the dock. Chaffing gear was placed on all of the lines.
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 The Fiji forces, await our arrival and secure the dock area as the ship hosted a luncheon for the
commissioner of police, the head of the military and the USA Ambassador shortly after arrival.
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