Model Boat Mayhem
Mess Deck: General Section => Full Scale Ships => Topic started by: Peter Fitness on June 01, 2016, 07:14:14 am
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We are currently in Sydney, at our son's house, waiting to go on a round Australia cruise on "Dawn Princess". I went into the city this morning to have a look at Dawn's sister ship, "Sun Princess", which, together with "Sea Princess" are virtually identical. There was a threat of rain, but fortunately the weather was kind, not raining until I arrived back home. The Dawn, Sun and Sea Princesses are quite small by modern cruise ship standards, at around 77,000 tons and 261 metres in length and, to my eye at least, don't look too bad. They still look like a ship rather than a floating apartment block, unlike some of their much larger cousins. However, in my view none of them, with the exception of Queen Mary 2, compare with the graceful liners of past years. Perhaps I should take my 11 year old grandson's advice when he said, "We're living in the 21st century, Grandad, deal with it" :-)
Below are a few photos I took of "Sun Princess" with some very recognisable Sydney landmarks in the background.
Peter.
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Hi Peter enjoy your trip nice photos, I was there 2 months ago and did not want to return. It is only when you sail under that bridge that you realise how big it is.
regards Roy
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Great shots Peter. I have an ambition to visit Sydney to watch an Ashes match at the SCG.
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Hi Peter enjoy your trip nice photos, I was there 2 months ago and did not want to return. . . .
regards Roy
Aww come on Roy , it wasn't that bad . . . . {-) but seriously folks , a good webcam of Sydney is this one ,
http://www.webcamsydney.com/
bear in mind the time diference .
I used to like the webcam in the ROCKS hotel, cant get it now for some reason . . .
Bill
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Yes Peter...our Sydney harbour is still beautiful on a grey day :-))
Than is an interesting first image......a bunker barge vessel on her port side, but what were they doing with the high lift Abby hoist?....fixing the port side engine exhaust pipe {-)
Enjoy you semi circumnavigation of OZ ....not sure about the train trip back on the Ghan :embarrassed:.....
Derek
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Enjoy your trip Peter, we like the 'smaller' vessels too. Those Princesses do look quite sleek compared with the apartment block on a barge appearance of the latest ships. Tell your Grandson that it wasn't all bad in the old days.
Colin
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Bill......I see you are still online.........the WEBCAM is operational at the moment...her is a snap of live footage just a few moments ago...... Derek
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HI Peter brings back memories from last year. Nice restaurants around the pier area.
Stan.
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Hi Peter
Calling into Hobart??
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Fascinating. :-))
Is the time difference 12 hours in front ?
ken
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Fascinating. :-))
Is the time difference 12 hours in front ?
ken
At the moment, with the UK being on daylight saving time, and us on Eastern Standard Time, we are 9 hours ahead of you That changes to 11 hours ahead when you go off DST and we go on to it
Peter
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Ah !! :-))
So it's 8.20 at the moment compared to my time on the top of this mail.
ken
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Yes Peter...our Sydney harbour is still beautiful on a grey day :-))
Than is an interesting first image......a bunker barge vessel on her port side, but what were they doing with the high lift Abby hoist?....fixing the port side engine exhaust pipe {-)
Enjoy you semi circumnavigation of OZ ....not sure about the train trip back on the Ghan :embarrassed: .....
Derek
I'm don't know what they were doing Derek, but I noticed that the forward three lifeboats on the port side were partially lowered. The Sun Princess left Sydney at 4 pm today heading for Airlie Beach. Our ship, the Dawn Princess, left Brisbane at 6 pm today and is due in Sydney at 7 am Friday. Our boarding time is 2.30 pm.
The trans continental train between Perth and Sydney is the Indian Pacific, the Ghan runs between Adelaide and Darwin. They are both quite similar and are operated by Great Southern Rail.
Canabus, we don't go to Hobart, we head to Brisbane, followed by Yorkeys Knob, near Cairns, Alotau (New Guinea), then Darwin, Broome, the Kimberley Coast, Geraldton, and ending in Fremantle. We spend 6 days in and around Perth, which includes a 2 day trip to the Margaret River and a full day trip across to Rottnest Island. We leave Perth on the Indian Pacific on Sunday 26th June at 10 am local time, arriving back in Sydney at 11.07 am Sydney time on Wednesday 29th June.
Peter.
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Ah !! :-))
So it's 8.20 at the moment compared to my time on the top of this mail.
ken
Spot on Ken O0
Peter.
PS: I'll tell you about the trip we have planned for next year at a later date, suffice to say it puts any we've done so far to shame :}
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I thought they weren't accepting bookings for Mars yet Peter....
Re the lifeboats it may simply be crew training or the port authorities undertaking safety checks. It's quite a common practice.
Colin
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PS: I'll tell you about the trip we have planned for next year at a later date, suffice to say it puts any we've done so far to shame :}
So we'll be seeing you at Wicksteed then. Jolly good :-))
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Sadly not, we are not going near the UK next trip. I would love to go, the last time we were in England was 2008, but we left before Wicksteed :((
Peter.
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Bill......I see you are still online.........the WEBCAM is operational at the moment...her is a snap of live footage just a few moments ago...... Derek
Yes , I'm frequently looking at this cam Derek , the ROCKS Hotel one (way back) was a three way cam , the cruise terminal / the bridge / and (my favourite) the rear exit of a club /pub by the terminal , the fights were tremendous at chucking out time %% & the constables rolled up mob handed <*< I think the best attendance by the police , was , 6 patrol cars & two paddy wagons to haul the combatants away .
Bill
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Is that "pier 19" or am I mistaken.
Jim.
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Is that "pier 19" or am I mistaken.
Jim.
No, it's the Overseas Passenger Terminal. Pier 19 is in Pirrama Road, Pyrmont, on the other side of the Harbour Bridge to the OPT.
Peter.
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thanks peter.
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For those interested in Sydney, you might like to visit the Vivid Sydney Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/vividsydney/?fref=nf
It certainly gives a different view of the Opera House and other sights.
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There are hundreds of good reasons why Sydney harbour has won the accolade as the most beautiful place on earth :-))......
But then again I maybe a little biased {-) .............. Derek
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Let's hope Peter has his sea legs and wet weather gear.
From our B.O.M. this morning. :D
"A massive storm is bearing down on Australia's east coast, with residents in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania being warned to prepare for strong winds and potential flooding over the weekend. Damaging winds with peak gusts of 90kmph are possible in coastal areas of Queensland and NSW, with rainfalls in excess of 250mm possible nearer to the coast."
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Brian,
Absolutely correct.
The rain set in last night and rain clouds abound.
Won't be any need to water the garden. O0 O0 {-) {-)
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Well, what a ride that was :o 10 metre waves, 110 kph winds across the decks but, we survived intact. Apparently over 1000 passengers visited the medical centre but both my wife and I were fine. Even some of the crew were reported to have been sick. When we left Sydney it was quite good, but as the first night wore on the seas progressively became worse as the low pressure system bore down on us. The captain took us further out to sea to try and escape the bigger waves close in, and slowed down slightly, but it was till quite rough even in a 77,000 ton ship, and walking around was a challenge. As we got closer to Brisbane the seas started to ease, and after leaving Brisbane the rest of the cruise was great.
We are now in Perth, Western Australia having arrived yesterday morning, where we will spend the next 5 days before boarding the Indian Pacific train for the 4352 km journey back to Sydney. I've had no internet since leaving Sydney on June 3rd, so I'm doing some catching up while I can, there'll be no internet on the train either.
Peter.
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Hi Peter
A trip to remember!!!!
Lucky you did not go the southern way!!!
My mate was on the Spirit and the cars were not tied down!!
His only had $2500 damage.
They only let two people down at a time to get to the car area!!!!
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Well we are glad you have your sea legs back Peter O0....I always found after just a few days at sea on a warship....the legs kept trying to compensate for normal walking >>:-(
So now from one extreme to the other & hope you don't get pins & needles under your feet on the Indian Pacific {-)........... Derek
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Welcome back to (almost) dry land.
Don't forget to visit the maritime museum in Fremantle if you have not been there before.
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Hi maritime museum Fremantle is a must. When I was there the wind blew so hard that I was walking at almost 45 degrees into wind, great museum Our own Greenwich Maritime museum could learn a lot from it.
regards Roy
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Unfortunately we didn't get to see the Fremantle Museum, there simply wasn't enough time - maybe next time (if there is one :-) )
Peter.