George's Sea Tale
We went on that first cruise only because The Lovely Bride found such
a good deal. Very affordable. Well, relatively affordable. A five
day cruise aboard the SS Sea Breeze with stops in Halifax NS, St. John
NB, and Portland ME. So we signed up. The clan was going to sea.
I loved the Sea Breeze on sight. She was an older ship and actually
looked like a ship, not like a hotel on a hull. Our cabins were
beyond small. Barely enough room to change your mind. Well, so what?
we had plenty of space n the common areas. Our first meal was great
(as would be all subsequent meals) and the service was impeccable.
Better yet, the family that shared our table spent had little children and
went to the buffet for most meals.
Our first day was listed in the itinerary as "at sea". When I woke
up, I sensed something was wrong. "Do you hear that?" "I don't hear
anything." "Me neither, not even the engine." Uh oh.
The boat was broken, something to do with a gasket. A gasket
that could not be repaired until the engine had cooled. We were now
cork, bobbing on the ocean. I went up to the deck and saw...grey.
Fog. Everywhere. Cool, damp, grey fog. So much for the view from
the bridge.
To compensate for the delay they served free rum punches at all the
bars on board. All the bars. I know. I checked. Often. The Lovely
Bride said that I walked a firm and steady straight line. But that
was only because the ship was rocking so much.
We were supposed to be in Halifax he next morning and stay for the
day. Instead, we got there around four in the afternoon and stayed
overnight. That meant we would skip St. John and go directly to
Portsmouth.
Younger son, ten at the time, wanted to swim in what they generously
called the pool. I thought it was too cold, but he finally wore me
out. So we donned our suits and ran shivering to the jacuzzi that was
near the pool. We warmed up and then got out and jumped in the pool.
WOO! After some vigorous thrashing about, we bolted for the jacuzzi.
We did one more jump in the pool and then stayed in the jacuzzi for
while. A long while.
The Sea Breeze was in the news about a week later. It seems the
owning company went bankrupt and the ship was seized in port in
Halifax. The passengers and crew had to find their own ways home.
Glad we missed THAT trip.
I did a Google search for the Sea Breeze and discovered that the sea
Breeze had been purchased and the new owers sent a crew to move her to
Charleston, SC.
According to the Flying Magazine website:
Quote:The Sea Breeze sailed out of Halifax in mid-December with her old
captain in charge of an inexperienced pickup crew of 33. The Atlantic
was one big gale from the Grand Banks to the Outer Banks, and the ship
was in trouble within hours. East of Boston, one of her two steam
turbines gave out, and the cooling condensers began taking on sea
water. The crew was undrilled in the procedures for securing
watertight doors. The Sea Breeze made it to a position some 230 nm
east of Norfolk before the skipper put out a distress call. The ship
was beyond saving. She was leaking, listing and rolling helplessly in
35-foot waves and 60-knot gusts. Evacuation via lifeboats would be out
of the question. A raft inflated by the crew had blown away like a
helium balloon.
The Coast Guard mounted a daring helicopter rescue of the crew, but
the poor old Sea Breeze went down.
