1/1/2024 0 Comments Sailing magic carpetInstead of the usual unpleasant task that passengers must endure on some cruise ships to board a small tender boat to go ashore when the ship must anchor off shore, the Magic Carpet makes getting on and getting off a tender boat a fun and comfortable experience. When it’s down close to sea level on deck 2, that’s when the structure shows its real magical function. When it is on deck 14, it serves as a late-night bar. When it’s up on deck 5, the Magic Carpet is a restaurant offering unforgettable al fresco dining as the ship glides over the glistening water below. The apparatus moves up and down the exterior of the ship to reach heights of 13 stories above sea level. Positioned on the side of the ship, the brightly colored structure about the size of a tennis court is one of the world’s first cantilevered floating platforms. “It can move up and down to be used for different things.” “It’s called The Magic Carpet,” the security guard answered. I listened for the answer, although I already knew what it was. “What is that strange device on the side of your ship?” We could sail again.Overheard: Heading ashore in Cozumel from my Celebrity Apex cruise ship, I heard a passenger from the Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas docked nearby ask a question of our security guard. The Mediterranean blue peeked out from behind the sparse greenery. The river widened and slowed and the air became salty. It only took about five days of leisurely travel to make it to the sea. The pleasure craft we did see were mostly other sailors, masts laid horizontally on deck, on a quest to reach the Mediterranean. There weren’t many other pleasure craft, since most prefer to traverse the considerably calmer inland canals. We spent our evenings tied up to public quays in riverside towns –– a considerably different atmosphere than seaside towns. The fastest speed we hit was 11 knots –– a considerable speed, since our cruising speed under engine is only about four. We passed by nuclear plants and gas refiners one moment, and then through ancient storybook towns the next. We steered through forests that dipped down to the water’s edge, as if the branches wanted to sip the fresh flowing water. We swept by pastoral farmland, complete with old crooked barns that overlook vineyards on some far away hill. Our 21hp Yanmar could run at a relaxed pace –– just enough to allow us steerage to pass safely through the occasional whirlpool. It was an extremely fuel efficient way to travel. The Rhone River picked up our small boat in Lyon and carried us proudly downstream. We had just emerged from the calm and picturesque Rhine-Rhone canal, where we had been treated to idyllic French vistas and lots of good food. My husband, myself, and two friends were attempting to voyage from Switzerland to the sea via France’s inland canals and rivers. It was this river which would carry us and our 28 foot sailboat down to the Mediterranean. There was no hope of dragging them back upstream. If the barges made it to the Mediterranean, they were broken up and used for scrap. The Rhone was a swirling, frothing, dangerous river. They would affix a cross to the front of the barge in the hopes of divine protection during this perilous journey. In ancient times, brave Roman river sailors would construct vast barges to transport freight downriver. The Rhone River in France is a large river that flows through the city of Lyon, cascading downwards towards the Mediterranean Sea. You can follow their adventures at /SailingMagicCarpet Maya and Aladino Rovegno travel Europe on board their boat Magic Carpet.
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