Skagway

This is the furthest north we are going. After we leave here today, we are heading back to Seattle, with only one more stop.

We went to an interesting talk yesterday. It was about the mechanical systems onboard.

Actually very interesting.

No longer do they have propeller shafts on these things. The engines generate electricity, which drive the propeller pods. That means that the propellers can be turned 360 degrees, to face any direction. That, together with thrusters near the front of the boat, means that they can self-park at a wharf. No more work for the tugs in port.

Even more interesting is the water. They don’t carry their own potable water, they make it. They have their own desalination plant onboard. Cool.

But wait, there’s more.

All used water, grey and black, gets processed as well. By the time they are finished with it, the water from your toilet is almost drinkable.

Now we regard NZ as clean and green, but we have nothing on Alaska. They have very strict pollution laws here. First, no onboard announcements are permitted to be heard ashore. They need to turn the on-deck speakers off before they berth.

Next, that wastewater I was talking about. The reason they make it to almost drinking quality, is so that they are allowed to release it into the water up here. I guess the older ships that come up here just have to keep their legs crossed till they get out of Alaskan waters.

Impressive.

Just called Sarah to the window to see some seals bobbing past our window.

By the time she got there, they were gone. I think she is going to go the entire trip without seeing anything. I told her that if she wants to see a whale, just roll over in bed.

Went for a walk into Skagway. Another town kept authentic for the tourists. I have to wonder what the population actually is here when the ships are gone. Perhaps 23.

You know what? They could actually have a town like this, built or at least kept by the cruise company. Completely locked down for the off-season, and only open when the ships come in. In fact, as long as the people who open and run the shops are off the boats before the tourists, nobody would ever know.

By the way, we saw a Sarah Palin shop, selling hats and scarves to help fundraise for her next big thing. Tempting, tempting.