Day 46 – Sail the Tasman Sea

Today was our second of three sea days as we make our way to Sydney, Australia. After a late breakfast, Tim and I wandered onto the Pool Deck to check out the Boat Building Competition. This competition is a tradition on world cruises and involves both creativity and engineering skills. Passengers typically form teams to construct a boat that must comply with several rules.

Boats must be constructed only from items found on the Viking Sky. Boats must then be able to sail from one end of the pool to the other, transporting a bottle of Aquavit as cargo. This year, there were eight entries.

Eight Boats Entered the Competition

The boats were presented for four of the senior officers, who served as judges, to review, and then the sea trials began. Two of our Viking Vocalists, Kyle and Barry, were in the pool to help with the wave action and nudge the boats toward the far end of the pool. It seemed that their main role, however, was to make sure the bottle of Aquavit arrived safely.

Captain Markus and Three Senior Officer Served as Judges

Kyle and Barry Tried to Help the Boats Along

For the most part, the boats proved to be seaworthy, but there could only be one winner. Drum roll, please! Viking Zephyr beat out all its competitors, won the gold trophy and blue ribbons, and earned bragging rights for this year.

The Bottle of Aquavit Survived Unscathed, The Judges Made Their Decision,
and Cruise Director Matt Announced the Winner

The Proud Crew of Viking Zephyr Celebrated Their Win with Matt

I had not expected to remain for the entire event, but it turned out to be a lot of fun, and both Tim and I enjoyed ourselves.

Following the competition, it was time to eat again. Does this sound like a theme? Another theme is certainly the never-ending special events that the culinary team treats us to. Today’s was a Lamb Station, with meat recently procured in New Zealand. The chefs prepared lamb curry and lamb chops, and I enjoyed both. By the time dinner arrived, I was still full and could only manage a Ceasar salad. I do try to limit my portions, with small samples of several items, and I am usually successful. But, it’s not always easy!

Sous Chef Sanwar and Chef de Partie Surya Manned the Lamb Station

Tim and I made our way to the Explorers’ Lounge for an after-dinner drink. I stuck with my Aperol Spritz, while Tim tried another non-alcoholic cocktail. I think Mike the bartender cringes a bit when Tim places his order, but it’s all in good fun. Viking has embraced non-alcoholic drinks, and we have been told that additional options will be onloaded in Sydney.

Bartender Mike Always Takes Good Care of Us