Followers

Saturday 6 October 2012

Sepia Saturday; 146; Ships;

The fate of the Galileo Galilei;

Is it not bad Karma to change a ships name?


Galileo Galilei; 1974
5 weeks from Genoa to Sydney, supposed to be its  last voyage to Australia.



At that time  there were 1000 passengers  plus the crew on the ship.


I, thinking about  "Sepia Saturday 146";



SS Galileo Galilei was launched on 2 July 1961. 
On 23 March 1963, the ship entered service for Lloyd Triestino, doing Mediterranean cruises before departing on its official maiden voyage from Genoa, Italy to Sydney, Australia on 22 April 1963.  Originally the ships traveled to Australia via the eastern route, passing through Suez Canal in both directions, but in the later years the return trip to Europe was via the Panama Canal. They also routed to Australia via the Cape of Good Hope in the late 1960s and early 1970s
The ships were very successful until the 1973 oil crisis, which, combined with the increasing prevalence of airliners, contributed to the decline of ocean liners. Galileo Galilei returned to Genoa and repaired after she stuck a reef off coast of West Africa on 13 January 1975. 
It was thought her last trip to Australia was in October 1974.
 She  continued  to operate as a cruise ship. 1977 she was withdrawn from service. 
 Shortly after in October 1977 she returned to her builders for a lengthy reconstruction.  On 24 March 1979 the Galileo Galilei started cruise service with Italia Crociere (owned by Italia Navigazione, who also owned Lloyd Triestino.)
However, already in September of the same year the Galileo Galilei was withdrawn from service and laid up again.
 In 1983, the vessel was purchased by the Chandris Group. The ship was again rebuilt, this time with additional cabins on her forward deck. Her name shortened to Galileo. 
In 1984 the Galileo began cruising on the Caribbean under Chandris' Fantasy Cruises brand. After the collapse of Home Lines in 1988 Chandris' executives decided to create a new upmarket brand to take over the market segment occupied by Home Lines. With this in mind the Galileo sent to a multi-million dollar refit at Lloyd Werft, Bremerhaven, Germany between October 1989 and February 1990. Most of her interiors were rebuilt, and externally her rear superstructure enlarged. On 1 March 1990 she emerged as the stylish SS Meridian, the first ship of the new Celebrity Cruises brand, cruising on the Caribbean and the Boston/New York–Bermuda service
In 1997, following Royal Caribbean International's acquisition of Celebrity Cruises, the ship was sold to Sun Cruises, which operated her as SS Sun Vista. On 20 May 1999, the vessel suffered an engine room fire, which cut all power and caused her to sink on 21 May 1999 at 0121 hrs. All 1,090 passengers and crew were safely evacuated

http://maritimematters.com/2010/02/a-cruise-to-remember-the-sinking-of-the-sun-vista

On the afternoon of May 20, 1999 the Luxury Cruise Ship the Sun Vista was returning to Singapore after a typical cruise to Phuket, Thailand when a malfunction in the engine room switchboard started a small fire. Due to factors yet explained, the fire could not be contained and spread throughout the ship. A distress call was finally sent about 6:30 PM. Meanwhile, the passengers were instructed to go up on deck and prepare to abandon ship. All 472 passengers and 672 crew managed to leave the ship. The Sun Vista slowly sank deeper and deeper by the stern for seven hours. Finally at 1:22 AM May 21, 1999 she died and sank about 60 nautical miles south of Penang Island and 50 nautical miles west of Port Weld in the Strait of Malacca in 200 feet of water. A passing freighter finally rescued the passengers after spending five to eight hours in the lifeboats. There were no fatalities and only minor injuries.


Links





Perhaps you are ready for a cruise,  follow the Link  Sepia Saturday 146; and enjoy!




©Photos Ts

Friday 5 October 2012

Thursday 4 October 2012

Tuesday 2 October 2012

Tuesday; "a weird mob";


©Photo/ my garden;



A long and true story;

GOD and Grass: 
Frank you know all about gardens and nature. What in the world is going on down there on the planet? What happened to the dandelions, violets, milkweeds and stuff I started eons ago? I had a perfect no-maintenance garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil withstand drought and multiply with abandon. The nectar from the long-lasting blossoms attracts butterflies honey bees and flocks of songbirds. I expected to see a vast garden of colours by now. But all I see are these green rectangles.
St. FRANCIS:
It's the tribes that settled there Lord.. The Suburbanites. They started calling your flowers 'weeds' and went to great lengths to kill them and replace them with grass.
GOD:
Grass? But it's so boring. It's not colourful. It doesn't attract butterflies birds and bees only grubs and sod worms. It's sensitive to temperatures. Do these Suburbanites really want all that grass growing there?
ST. FRANCIS:
Apparently so Lord. They go to great pains to grow it and keep it green. They begin each spring by fertilizing grass and poisoning any other plant that crops up in the lawn.     
GOD:
The spring rains and warm weather probably make grass grow really fast.  That must make the Suburbanites happy.     
ST.. FRANCIS:
Apparently not Lord. As soon as it grows a little they cut it, sometimes twice a week.     
GOD:
They cut it? Do they then bale it like hay?
ST. FRANCIS:
Not exactly Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in bags.     
GOD:
They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?     
ST. FRANCIS:
No Sir just the opposite. They pay to throw it away.     
GOD:
Now let me get this straight. They fertilize grass so it will grow.  And when it does grow they cut it off and pay to throw it away?
ST. FRANCIS:
Yes Sir.     
GOD:
These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back on the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a lot of work.     
ST. FRANCIS:
You aren't going to believe this Lord. When the grass stops growing so fast they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it so they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it.     
GOD:
What nonsense. At least they kept some of the trees. That was a sheer stroke of genius if I do say so myself. The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty and shade in the summer. In the autumn they fall to the ground and form a natural blanket to keep moisture in the soil and protect the trees and bushes. It's a natural cycle of life.     
ST. FRANCIS:
You better sit down Lord.. The Suburbanites have drawn a new circle. As soon as the leaves fall they rake them into great piles and pay to have them hauled away.     
GOD:
No!? What do they do to protect the shrub and tree roots in the winter to keep the soil moist and loose?     
ST. FRANCIS:
After throwing away the leaves they go out and buy something which they call mulch. They haul it home and spread it around in place of the leaves.    
GOD:
And where do they get this mulch?     
ST. FRANCIS:
They cut down trees and grind them up to make the mulch.     
GOD:
Enough! I don't want to think about this anymore.
St. Catherine you're in charge of the arts. What movie have you scheduled for us tonight     
ST. CATHERINE:
'Dumb and Dumber' Lord.. It's a story about....     
GOD:
Never mind I think I just heard the whole story from St. Francis.

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Monday 1 October 2012

Monday; pleasure;


© Photo/ this morning in my garden;  Roses are red...and my favourite poem...


Morning
♥  by: Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872-1906)

The mist has left the greening plain,
The dew-drops shine like fairy rain,
The coquette rose awakes again
Her lovely self adorning.

The wind is hiding in the trees,
A sighing, soothing, laughing tease,
Until the rose says "Kiss me, please,"
'Tis morning, 'tis morning.

With staff in hand and careless free,
The wanderer fares right jauntily,
For towns and houses are, thinks he,
For scorning, for scorning.

My soul is swift upon the wing,
And in its deeps a song I bring;
Come, Love, and we together sing,
"'Tis morning, 'tis morning."