Virtual Cruise Training Ship Golden Bear

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Virtual Cruise II

United States Training Ship Golden Bear

Status August 3, 2002

Departure Nuku Hiva, French Marquesas en-route to Los Angeles, California

Total Distance:

2,933.7 nm

Projected Time:

11 Days 9 Hours 30 Min. at 10.7 kts.

Comments:

Vessel Data

Time Zone:

+10 (10 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time)

Length of Day:

2 hours 42 min.

Local Time of Position:

2000

Latitude:

08°-39' S

Longitude:

139°-43' W

Total Distance Gone:

33.4 nm

Distance Gone Today:

33.4 nm

Distance to Go:

2900.3 nm

Current Speed:

14 kts

Course:

028°

Engine Setting:

Port and Starboard - 90 rpm.

Weather Data

Observations:

Forecast:

Air Temperature:

79° F

Humidity:

80%

Wind:

E 16 kts.

Clouds:

-

Seas:

E 6 ft.

Sea Temperature:

81° F

Water Depth:

M

Sunrise:

0532

Sunset:

1749

Aboard The T.S.G.B. Day 44:

Saturday, Aug 3 at first light, Taiohae Bay, Nuku Hiva appears like magic dead ahead. The ship is active early as much work must be done to get the ship anchored, the boats launched, the boat platform rigged and the gangway down.

Dropping the starboard anchor in 110 feet of water with 4 shots of anchor chain at the waters edge. A shot is comprised of 90 feet of anchor chain.

Launching the 40 foot liberty launch takes many students and staff. It is our main means of transportation from ship to shore when at anchor. When the ship is at anchor in the harbor, the motion seems to be very little until you hoist a 3 ton boat with a 50 foot crane and create a big swing.

However, with a little practice, the boat is in the water and crewed in about half an hour. By 0800 the boat is loaded with 50 eager passengers and heading ashore to another new adventure.

Nuku Hiva, an Island in the Marquesas, is about 800 miles west north west of Tahiti. It is part of the French Overseas Territory of the Pacific. The island group is very remote and mostly untouched by tourists. The opening scenes of the movie Jurassic Park were filmed on Nuku Hiva. Of notability, Paul Gauguin spent time in the Marquesas (Hiva Oa) and after jumping ship, Herman Melville wrote his novel Typee while staying on Nuku Hiva.

Our exploration stop will be short as most only get about 4 hours ashore, but it is one of the most remote places the Golden Bear has been. The boat lands at the small boat landing at the edge of the one street town. The entire population of the island is about 1700. While the island is quiet large, it is extremely rugged with huge volcanic peaks and valleys. Most roads on the island are made of dirt.

Ancient and not so ancient stone carvings could be seen all over the island. The Marquesan people are known throughout the Pacific for their ability to carve stone and wood figures. The significance of, and reverence for, of these carvings can be seen above where two figures that have lost their heads have had them replaced by a simple stone.

Modern versions in relatively un-weathered red volcanic rock.

The day ends for the lucky few that discovered the Keikahanui Pearl Lodge overlooking Taiohae Bay.

By 1600 (4 PM) the last boat is headed back to the ship and the work of the morning is reverse. The boats are hoisted, the gangway and anchor raised and the ship pointed North toward California.