Day 8 - Bird’s Eye View
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We are standing in a place that few other passengers ever get to see, looking out at a view of such storybook perfection that we joke the Canadian Tourist Board must have had a hand in arranging it. The entire Hinkel family and myself have been invited onto the Bridge to witness Captain Constantinos Fafalios and his crew steering the Norwegian Jewel out of St. John’s harbour in Newfoundland and back into the open ocean.
This is a once in a lifetime experience. Because this is the first time the Jewel has sailed into St. John’s there’s a great deal of fanfare associated with our departure. Earlier in the afternoon the ship and the city of St. John’s held a plaque exchange ceremony to commemorate their new connection. We were ashore at the time and didn’t get to witness this, though we did visit the Bridge viewing room where these plaques—acquired at each new port, including the Shetland Islands—are proudly displayed.
As we pull out of the dock the surrounding ships sound their horns in what is known as a Harbour Symphony. The horns of these merchant and fishing vessels have such a variety of tones that it’s a wonder no one has actually composed a symphony for them to play. It’s a moving experience. The crew steers the Jewel slowly through the harbour, waiting for the blaring horns to fall silent. When they finally do, the ship turns carefully and we make our way towards the sea.
The port of St. John’s is nestled snugly between two outcroppings of land. Called “the Narrows,” these projections—one of which is Signal Hill, known as the site where Guglielmo Marconi received the first transatlantic telegram—ensure that the harbour is naturally protected. They also provide dramatic framing for the spectacle we’re witnessing. As we sail into the narrow passage hundreds of white gulls swoop up from the rocks on either side of us. They fly and dive all around the ship, ushering us back into the open ocean. Once we pull beyond the mouth of the harbour we can see nothing besides the birds, the horizon and, far in the distance, a hazy rainbow. Ignacio, the assistant concierge on the Jewel, is misty eyed with emotion. Walter Hinkel, Kat and Jen’s grandfather, declares it the highlight of his entire holiday. As for me, I’m just grinning like an idiot and enjoying the well-rehearsed production unfolding around me.
In the days of masted sailing ships the crow’s nest provided the best view of the ocean. Captains relied on information provided by sailors stationed here in what was often no more than a barrel tied to a mast. Now the best observation point is the far more comfortable and high-tech Bridge. At the moment it is crowded with people, both from the crew and from our party, but it’s a bustling location even at the quietest of times. There are always at least two officers on duty at the controls. Though the navigational technology on board is so advanced that the ship can essentially steer herself, having more personnel available is crucial in case of an emergency. The oversight of colleagues also helps to prevent human error.
We had a chance to learn more about the Norwegian Jewel yesterday when we sat down with her Captain, Constantinos Fafalios. We had experienced some rough seas the previous night, so our initial questions were mostly to do with the ship’s seaworthiness. I suppose we came off as a bit frantic because the Captain was quick to reassure us that all the rocking and churning we had felt was typical of the North Atlantic. He also explained some of the features that serve to make the Jewel safe, pointing out propellers, motors, and watertight doors on a diagram hanging on one of the walls in the Bridge.
I’m no naval architect, so I confess that most of the information about diesel engines and spare anchors was lost on me. One term that stuck with me, however, was bow thruster. Bow thrusters are smaller propellers near the bow—this means “front”, if you are even less ship literate than I—that help make the docking process simple and safe. They allow the ship to go sideways with great precision: very useful for docking next to a pier. Tugboats used to help nudge large liners like the Norwegian Jewel into place, but bow thrusters have replaced them for this function. Tugs are still used as escort vehicles, something that we just witnessed while departing from Newfoundland.
After receiving a thorough overview of the ship’s physical makeup we asked the Captain some questions about himself. Captain Fafalios knew that he wanted to be a cruise ship captain since he was a young boy in Greece. He attended the Merchant Marine Academy, where he received the education necessary to pilot a large vessel like the Norwegian Jewel. Following graduation he gradually worked his way up from deck officer to captain, a process that took 20 years. After some time as a freighter captain he achieved his childhood dream. Now he stands at the helm of the Norwegian Jewel, where he is skilfully leading his team out of the port of St. John’s.
The scene unfolding on the Bridge is almost as magical as the view outside the windows that dominate this large room. Like the ship herself, the crew is a well-oiled machine. Officers move smoothly from task to task and station to station. Orders and alerts ring out in a variety of languages, but there is no confusion. These men know their jobs like they know the ocean. In the words of their captain, “We always have something in common. We are all sailors and we all love the sea.” The verity of this statement and the beauty of the view from the Bridge remind me of my favourite poem, Ulysses by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. This paean to travel and exploration strikes me as an apt reflection on Captain Fafalios and his crew, as well as sailors everywhere. They cannot rest from travel and they will drink life to the lees.
The lights begin to twinkle from the rocks;
The long day wanes; the slow moon climbs; the deep
Moans round with many voices. Come, my friends.
'Tis not too late to seek a newer world.
Push off, and sitting well in order smite
The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds
To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths
Of all the western stars, until I die.
We’re sailing into a rainbow.
View interactive map of the voyage
Back to Travel Diaries
Read the other articles:
Day 12 - Air vs Sea
Day 12 - Homecoming
Day 10 - Battle of the Brews
Day 10 - Halifax: Ghosts and Breweries
Day 9 - The Cultural CV
Day 8 - Bird's Eye View (you are here)
Day 8 – A Very Special Privilege
Day 8 – Quidi Vidi Brewery – Beer, with a side of history
Day 8 - Signal Hill and the Village of Quidi Vidi
Day 8 - North America's Far East
Day 8 - New Found Land
Day 8 – Land! Land! St. John’s, Newfoundland
Day 7 – You Have Permission to Enter the Bridge
A Peak at the Inner Workings of the Norwegian Jewel
How to Pour Champagne in a Moving Vehicle
Days 5-6 Shetlands to Iceland
Days 0-4 Dover to the Shetlands
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