9/17/11: Neptune Day: Crossing the Equator

After crossing into the eastern hemisphere last night, today we crossed into the southern hemisphere, and the boys officially graduated from pollywog to shellback status. Huh, you say? Well, a longstanding tradition among seafarers dictates that a person’s first crossing of the equator is met with a dousing with fish guts followed by a swim, ending with having your head shaved after kissing King Neptune’s ring. Reade and Tate both went back for thirds, though they didn’t partake in the haircut. 

For those of you that noticed the “When will we cross the equator?” page on Reade and Tate’s website, the MV Explorer crossed into the southern hemisphere on 9/17/11 at 15:03 hours local time. Reade’s estimate made when we were back home in Golden was only 1 hour and 44 minutes off! Well done, Reade. Now, for my ‘million-dollar question’ to you all:

During the Fall ’11 Voyage, do you think that the MV Explorer will ever be at a location such that it had previously been on the exact opposite point on the earth?

Scratch those heads, and you can leave your guesses as comments below. For those more adventuresome types, you could be more precise with location and date info, if you even think it will occur.

 

One of the pollywogs is returned to the sea for another try, hopefully not displeasing the King.

Tate's not afraid of some Tilapia!

Reade, on the other hand, is not so fond of the fish.

After all the shellbacks had been through the process, there was a big party on the 7^th deck; people dancing, screaming, etc. Fun stuff! Heidi, being the spring chicken that she is, thought it a wonderful party in honor of her 28^th birthday. One of our favorite waiters in the Dining Hall, Vic, serenaded Heidi after we sang Happy Birthday. Vic won.

 

The Atlantic is still an icy blue color as we head south, though it is expected to change soon.

[PS: For those of you patiently waiting for posts, I have to apologize in advance for the erratic nature of my blog additions. Spending six days in Cape Town is not conducive to getting anything ‘productive’ done, so most posts will be relegated to the few days after we’ve left a port. Cheers!]