Approximately 200 miles southwest of the Azores
As we sail across the Atlantic, we often find ourselves with a fair bit of free time here on board the vessel. Of course, that’s part of the allure of an ocean crossing. Still, the mind starts to wander as time slips by, and you begin to look at your immediate surroundings a little more closely. Perhaps, you take more notice of the library’s collection of books. Or maybe you spend some extra time on the bridge learning additional navigation tools or just watching the deck crew as they go about their routine. Then again, perhaps you look at the ship itself. Where does everyone live? What is the ship’s daily range? Where do they keep all the supplies? Who works where and when and for how long?
Hotel Manager Bob Houston took the time to answer some of those questions this afternoon by breaking down the ship’s ordering and provisioning for the hotel department. He explained the various behind the scenes happenings that make possible the excellent cuisine we have all grown accustomed to here on the National Geographic Endeavour. And while he was answering questions in the lounge, I thought I might also gather a few facts about another seldom-visited department, the engine room.
The National Geographic Endeavour’s two diesel engines combine to produce 3,200 horsepower of energy. Almost tireless, these powerhouses are running 24-7 for an average of 330 days per year. Of course, there are times when one might be shut down for maintenance while the other pulls the load alone, but even so, that’s a lot of annual usage hours for the ship’s muscle. The image seen here is basically the view from the engine control room, which could be considered the brains of the engine department. From this small room the engine crew keeps constant watch over their realm. And while the galley may be uncomfortable at times, the engine room can be downright hostile. Led by Chief Engineer Felino Andal, this 12-member team spends 8 or more hours a day monitoring, adjusting, maintaining, and cleaning various gaskets, valves and pistons. They do all this in an environment that routinely tops 40°C/104°F and approaches 50°C/122°F on occasion. The end results of all their efforts, however, are what we often take for granted here on the upper decks: clean water, on-demand electricity, and luxurious air conditioning. Without all these amenities, we would perhaps be a little less attracted to the idea of vacationing at sea, though we would certainly be more familiar with the conditions felt by the early maritime explorers of whom we’ve learned so much on this voyage.
As we sail across the Atlantic, we often find ourselves with a fair bit of free time here on board the vessel. Of course, that’s part of the allure of an ocean crossing. Still, the mind starts to wander as time slips by, and you begin to look at your immediate surroundings a little more closely. Perhaps, you take more notice of the library’s collection of books. Or maybe you spend some extra time on the bridge learning additional navigation tools or just watching the deck crew as they go about their routine. Then again, perhaps you look at the ship itself. Where does everyone live? What is the ship’s daily range? Where do they keep all the supplies? Who works where and when and for how long?
Hotel Manager Bob Houston took the time to answer some of those questions this afternoon by breaking down the ship’s ordering and provisioning for the hotel department. He explained the various behind the scenes happenings that make possible the excellent cuisine we have all grown accustomed to here on the National Geographic Endeavour. And while he was answering questions in the lounge, I thought I might also gather a few facts about another seldom-visited department, the engine room.
The National Geographic Endeavour’s two diesel engines combine to produce 3,200 horsepower of energy. Almost tireless, these powerhouses are running 24-7 for an average of 330 days per year. Of course, there are times when one might be shut down for maintenance while the other pulls the load alone, but even so, that’s a lot of annual usage hours for the ship’s muscle. The image seen here is basically the view from the engine control room, which could be considered the brains of the engine department. From this small room the engine crew keeps constant watch over their realm. And while the galley may be uncomfortable at times, the engine room can be downright hostile. Led by Chief Engineer Felino Andal, this 12-member team spends 8 or more hours a day monitoring, adjusting, maintaining, and cleaning various gaskets, valves and pistons. They do all this in an environment that routinely tops 40°C/104°F and approaches 50°C/122°F on occasion. The end results of all their efforts, however, are what we often take for granted here on the upper decks: clean water, on-demand electricity, and luxurious air conditioning. Without all these amenities, we would perhaps be a little less attracted to the idea of vacationing at sea, though we would certainly be more familiar with the conditions felt by the early maritime explorers of whom we’ve learned so much on this voyage.
