USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG58)

In a rare event these days (the global economic crisis also reached the military institution worldwide, forcing the navies to spend less fuel), the USS Samuel B. Roberts, a naval unit from the US Navy, visited our port of Funchal during the present day.

An Oliver Hazard Perry class frigate, the USS Samuel B. Roberts suffered a mine attack in the Persian Gulf, in 1988, and, as a consequence of the damages she had to be carried for repairs, in the United States, with the help of a semi-submersible heavy-lifter ship from the Dutch operator Wijsmuller.

Like in (mostly) all the naval units, the crews are friendly and manoeuvres are a nightmare. The problem is that the people that designed these ships only think about warfare and manoeuvring capabilities on the high seas.

You bring them to restricted waters for a berthing manoeuvre at low speeds and almost all of them are lame, to say the least.

Those limitations normally forces the operations to be conducted with the direct aid of tugs to compensate for the deficient slow speed manoeuvring characteristics.

And since the naval architects and engineers (apparently) never heard of winches, all the ropes have to be heaved or slacked by hand.

So, it's always a bit strange to see twenty guys (or girls, by the way) doing their best in trying to hold fast a rope with their bare hands and, thus, managing to stop a four thousand tonnes vessel.

Thankfully, these Oliver Perry class frigates already have what they call APU's (or Auxiliary Propulsion Units). These are, basically, two retractable azipods, located on the ship's keel and right under the vessel's bridge, that do wonders in controlling the ship in more restricted spaces.

Anyway, it was a pleasure to see a woman in command: Captain Erica L. Hoffmann.

The USS Samuel B. Roberts arriving in Funchal, today morning, at 0800 (Local Time).

Ship's name: USS Samuel B. Roberts
Type: Guided missile frigate
Class: Oliver Hazard Perry
LOA: 138.10 mts
Beam: 13.60 mts
Max. displacement: 4200 tons
Draft on manoeuvre: 8.30 (declared)
Propulsion: Two gas turbines, single shaft, single CPP propeller
Propulsion power: 31MW
Rudder: One (conventional)
Manoeuvring aids: 2 APU's (350HP each)

Picture taken with Panasonic Lumix DMC-FT3 and post-processed in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, ver. 4.1

Morning glory

Back in my seafaring days, it was always a pleasure to me to see the sun rise and the dawn of a new day.

We can watch it hundreds of times in a seaman's lifetime, but each event is always a diferent and singular one. Maybe it's a particular cloud formation, or just the colour of the sky or a unique interaction between sea and sky. The fact is this astronomical phenomena is prone to endless variations.

So, I really miss my days as a Chief Mate, when, as a responsible Officer for the nautical watches between the 0400 and the 0800's of the morning, I had countless opportunities to see the sun rising over the ocean.

Now, as a Harbour Pilot, I still have plenty of those moments. Mostly during the cruise ships season, like now. When I have to wake up at 0400 in the morning a be in the port at 0500.

When the weather is perfect, with calm seas and gentle breezes, it's really a pleasure to work in this profession.

In the pictures:

The cruise ship Celebrity Eclipse (IMO nº 9404314) proceeding astern, for berthing on Pontinha's key nº2, on the past Friday and...

...the Aida Stella (IMO nº9601132) alongside the key nº3 of Pontinha breakwater, today, around 0730 LT.

Both pictures taken with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FT3 waterproof and shockproof compact digital camera. The upper picture with the camera resting over a bollard and the Aida's one using the small Manfrotto 709B Digi travel tripod. I find this camera quite useful to my professional life, particularly due to both characteristics written above. Although automatic, It can be, somehow, customizable to a certain level and, thus, allowing a minimum control over the exposure factors. The Auto ISO, used together with the Minimum Shutter Speed and the Image Stabilizer mode, allows for some sharp handheld pictures in less favourable conditions of light and weather, situations that I find quite often while at work.

Sadly, it doesn't allow for RAW files, leaving us to work with just JPEG's (although with a maximum resolution of 12Mp, in the 4:3 format - reduced to 10 Mp in the usual "academic" 3:2). Plenty of resolution, I guess, for detailed digital processing, if needed. 

Post-processing of the JPEG files with the Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, ver. 4.1.

NRP Cacine

The good, old, Portuguese-built, NRP Cacine, from the Portuguese Navy, entering the port of Funchal, a few minutes ago, after a routine surveillance mission on the waters of Madeira.

Picture taken with Panasonic Lumix DMC-FT3 and post-processed in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, ver. 4.1.

Old trawler

A very photogenic place, the city of Peniche, on the Portuguese West coast, was once the biggest fishing port in Portugal. But, like many traditional sectors in Portugal, the fishing industry suffered a strong impact from the European rules. Against all odds, weakened by modern times and "new" political visions, the millenarian town located 70 kms North of Lisboa struggled to survive.

Converted to tourism for many decades, it's one of the best places in the whole world for the surf addicts, receiving every year thousands of surfers, arriving from every place on Earth.

Supertubos beach is considered, itself, the cherry on the top of the cake of a vast coast line where any surfer can find the right waves suitable for his or hers experience level.

But, a thousand years after being born, Peniche still lives and remains true to her legacy, to herself. It's still a town of fishermen and seafarers. And beautiful to photograph.

Picture taken on the harbour area, near the shipyard, with a Nikon D40X and cheap Nikkor 55-200mm kit lens. Manfrotto 190XDB tripod and 490RC4 ball-head.

Post-processing in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, ver. 4.1.

Papa bear, mama bear and baby bear

The tugboats Barra de Viana, Leão dos Mares and Comenda (from left to right) in a picture taken, while alongside in Leixões, from the bridge wing of the M/V Apolo (IMO nº 9251509), during my seafaring years.

On the background the bascule bridge that allows the berthing, on the inner basin, of the big commercial vessels, namely container and bulk carriers.

At the time, the Comenda, with a bollard pull of 70 tons, was the most powerful oceanic salvage tug operating in Portugal.

She's now operated by an Italian company, located in Naples, who changed her name to Marechiaro.

Picture taken with Nikon F100 and Nikkor 28-105 AF lens. Kodak Ektachrome 100 VS scanned in Nikon Coolscan V ED and post-processed in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, ver. 4.1.

The end of Summer

The Autumn season has just started but the feeling is that the Summer's already long gone. Once again we sense that melancholic mood on the air, the changing colours on the trees and the nearly abrupt climate change, with the temperature decreasing rapidly and the more and more frequent appearance of the rain.

On Madeira's highest peaks the blue skies and clear atmosphere give their place more often to a claustrophobic misty drizzle, converting the hikes to these places into masochistic experiments.

However, even during those grey days we are able to find some magic in the high lands. Sometimes, just in the form of a mountain hut's open door and a warm coffee mug waiting for us inside.

In the picture: Chilli peppers over kitchen countertop on a rainy Autumn afternoon, in Pico Ruívo mountain hut.

Picture taken with Nikon D40X and cheap Nikkor 18-55mm kit lens. Post-processing in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, ver. 4.1

Achada do Teixeira

The Madeira's central ridge, as seen from Achada do Teixeira plateau. The starting point of many hikes to the island's highest point, at evening light, this past afternoon.

Picture taken with Panasonic DMC-GH2 and 14-42mm kit Panasonic lens. Post-processing in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, ver. 4.1 and Silkypix software, version 3.1