A L O H A !
" It's easy to grin
When your ship comes in
And you've got the stock market beat.
But the man worthwhile,
Is the man who can smile,
When his shorts are too tight
in the seat."
Judge Smails,
'Caddy Shack'
" I quit my job,
and went ashore
to become a writer. "
Theodore Sturgeon
" Hug the shore;
let others try the deep. "
Virgil
=^.^=
The historic Japanese tsunami of March 11
set afloat massive islands of lumber
and other debris in the Pacific.
Last week, on September 11
(as seen above)
with 102 cadets aboard
the Russian three-masted sailing ship,
STS Pallada,
docked by the Aloha Tower pier
here in Honolulu
as part of a three and a half month
training voyage.
The young crew sailed from their home-port
of Vladivostok to Kodiak, Vancouver,
San Francisco & Los Angeles,
before arriving
here at our Honolulu.
On her homeward course, via Tokyo,
the ship will more than likely
pass through some of the tsunami debris.
The captain is seriously concerned
about it.
With translation by Natalia V. Borodina,
ship's information and education mate,
Captain Vasily Sviridenko, said
“The reason the huge commercial vessels
traveling the North Pacific
have not reported anything
is because they cut through such stuff
like through butter.”
For the Pallada,
however, the debris could be
very dangerous.
“She is especially vulnerable
as her hull is thin,”
Captain Sviridenko explained.
At 300-feet in length,
small by today’s maritime standards,
the fully-rigged three masted ship
is one of the largest and fastest
tall-ships in the world's oceans today.
Asked by University of Hawaii, Manoa
scientists to help track the flotsam,
the captain replied,
“Sure!
I will have our eager young cadets
be on the look-out for debris
24 hours a day.”
Of course, the safety of his crew
is his primary responsibility.
Безопасное путешествие друзья! -
Safe Voyage Friends!
Though the Pallada takes one back
to a bygone era as if by magic,
she is just 20 years old!
Back in the day,
whalers, lumber boats
taking isle sandalwood to China,
and packet ships,
filled Honolulu's skies
with masts and rigging.
This was like a visit
from a very old and dear friend!
Incidentally,
In the Hawaiian language,
Honolulu means "sheltered bay"
or "place of shelter"
based on our ideal, natural harbor.
So to say "Honolulu Harbor" is repetitive.
Some old timers remember
that our capitol city was routinely called
'Honolulu Town'
once upon a time.
And yes, Russian sailors
visited us
way back then
too!
One of Kauai's
historic sites is the
"Russian Fort"
more HERE.
Thanks for visiting today,
YOUR comments
are delightful! cloudia
