2025 Volendam, Sydney, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada...

It was a bit wild out on the forward decks this morning when I went out to take photos.  The winds were best described as fierce!  I could stand out on the forward section because it was too difficult to stay up on my feet and take photos at the same time.  I worked out a strategy to find some wind protection while at the same time, preserving the opportunity to snap a few photos.  As we got closer to Sydney and turned into the bay, the winds moderated a great deal which was a relief.  There were 4 ships in today which exceeds Sydney’s docking capability so, once again, we were forced to tender to shore.  Once we arrived at our anchorage, there was quite a bit of time taken to assure tender operations could be conducted safely.  Holland America Line always puts Guest safety first…  one of the many reasons I loved sailing with them so much.  Anyway, once we had the go ahead, I was off to shoreside…  Today was something special, getting together with longtime friends who are on the Zuiderdam, one of the 4 ships visiting Sydney today.  The last couple of days have been extraordinary…  First of all, running into a friend on the tender a couple of days ago that I haven’t seen in over 55 years.  I had dinner last night in the Pinnacle Grill with my friend Joe Kupko and his lovely wife Diane.  Joe & I lived on the same street in my high school years, and we both went to the Air Force Academy.  He was a year ahead of me.  I figure that the last time I saw him was at his graduation in 1970.  It was a great evening.  There is a photo of us toward the end of the blog.  Today, my get together with my friends Ron Ernest & Debby Bacon who are sailing on the Zuiderdam was wonderful.  I haven’t seen them in 8 ½ years and the reunion was long overdue.  I sailed around the world with them on many occasions.  Debby, was an entertainer on the ships for many years, playing the piano, singing and a few other instruments along the way.  There are a couple of photos at the end of the blog of the three of us.  So, as you can imagine, the last few days have been a major highlight for my voyage!!!  Unbelievable!!!