Freewinds Timeline 2010-2011
In 2010 tracking Freewinds was enabled by her own published schedules of courses which appeared monthly, with dates and places, in the Freewinds Magazine (FWM). By the end of 2010 this source of information was no longer accessible but we now had access to more exact vessel-tracking such as the Live Ships Map and active contributors to the WWP thread, Tracking of the Freewinds.
She can also be seen IRL on the local web cam when docked at the Mathey Wharf, Willemstad (Curacao):
She may also be tracked both in port and when by-passing Curacao on her way to Bonaire by reference to the Live Ships Map (free site): URL for Willemstad:
http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/default.aspx?centerx=-68.928¢ery=12.1155&zoom=14#
When a ship moves west of Curacao it normally continues to broadcast its position but it is no longer tracked by this site. When Freewinds goes out of range to the west of Curacao we can assume that she is either in Aruba (Oranjestad) or Colombia (Cartagena or Santa Marta).
Passenger numbers stated by port authorities vary from 150 (Bonaire) to 360 (Curaçao, Cartagena) and Cartagena adds 280 crew. The glowing report on the renovation in March 2009 said she could accommodate 600. This presumably includes crew, SO, RPF and the maximum number of paying guests. Actual reports show occupancy figures below 80 per week. Photographs in late 2010 suggest a virtually empty vessel (maybe 20 passengers).
Advertised events for the early months of 2010 cover the same topics as in 2009: Postulates, Havingness and Expansion, Salesmanship, Marketing, OT Abilities. Italy Week, Music Convention, Vulture Ministry Convention, and Competence and Leadership.
Note on Cruise Ship Schedules
An unreliable but intriguing source of information is the port schedules published intermittently by the port authorities in Aruba, Curacao and Cartagena (Colombia). They predict the movement of cruise ships, not their actual movements. In most cases the two are identical but Freewinds is not a normal commercial ship. Reasons for departing from schedule are not always known but have included serious hull problems, sealing when blue asbestos was found on board, and missions to Colombia which now interfere almost monthly with her regular ABC cruise routine. The port schedules are shown in italics. They are very unreliable as a historical source and suggest considerable confusion on the part of Freewind’s management as plans change and often change again.
For example, schedules published in November 2009 show her as visiting Willemstad (Curaçao) on 05-07 January 2010, departing 17.00 on the 7th but on 7 January at 07.00 local time the web-cam showed her slot at the Mathey Wharf was filled by the Westerdam (a Holland America cruise ship).
However those taking courses normally fly to and depart from the nearest international airport (eg Curacao, Bogota). They have to arrange for leave of absence and make airline reservations. This implies that Freewinds works to a fixed forward schedule which has to be adhered to, at least when it is being used for courses. The missions to Colombia seem to be more improvised. As they seem to replace fixed advance schedules for normal ABC events, the missions to Cartagena are perhaps a face-saving way of filling an empty boat.
2010
JANUARY 2010
Aruba-Bonaire with one visit to Curacao; two others were cancelled.
29-02: Aruba eta 21.30, dep. 23.45 (confirmed by SW and FWM)
03-05: Bonaire (FWM); 03-04 stopped for 21 hours (confirmed)
05-09: Aruba eta 07.10, dep. 23.00 (confirmed). Stopped on 05 for 8 hours (confirmed).
09-11: Curacao (confirmed).
11-12: Aruba, eta 22.05, dep. 04.45 (confirmed).
12-13: Left port 04.40, returned 11.10 next day (30 hours): no information.
13-16: Aruba eta 11.10, dep. 22.45 (confirmed, FWM).
17-19: Bonaire (FWM).
19-23: Aruba eta 06.45 (or 21.30), dep. 23.00 (confirmed).
24-25: Bonaire: as scheduled.
25-26: Aruba, eta 07.00, dep. 04.40 (confirmed).
26-30: Aruba eta 19.15, dep. 23.00 (confirmed).
31-01: Bonaire eta 07.06, dep. 23.36 (confirmed).
Scheduled: 05-07: Curaçao eta 06.15, dep. 17.00.
Scheduled: 10-12: Bonaire (FWM)
Scheduled: 11-13: Curaçao eta 06.15, dep. 17.00.
Scheduled: 21-23: Aruba.
Scheduled: 24-25: Bonaire (FWM).
Scheduled: 25-27: Curaçao.
Scheduled: 31: Bonaire.
FEBRUARY 2010
Courses advertised: 11-18: International WISE Convention. 25 Feb -04 March International I Help Convention. Competence and Leadership 3-17 Feb., 17-03 March.
02-07: Aruba, eta 06.55, dep. 00.15
07-08: Bonaire, eta 08.33, dep. 15.18. As scheduled.
09-13: Aruba eta 06.51, dep.23.24.
14-16: Bonaire eta 06.26, dep. 13.00
16-21: Aruba, eta 19.45, dep. 23.31
21-22: Bonaire eta 07.15, dep. 22.12. As scheduled.
22-23: Curacao.
24-28: Aruba eta 22.10, dep. 23.46
28-01: Bonaire eta 06.35, dep. 0031.
MARCH 2010
In Lesser Antilles
Events and courses advertised in FWM on usual weekly basis through the month.”Future OT” Convention, aka Get Rid of the Kids for Easter, 31 March – 14 April. Move to Lesser Antilles and from various sources a Barbados-St Lucia shuttle.
02-03: Castries, St Lucia (confirmed)
03-07: Barbados (not confirmed by tracking site)
07-10: St Lucia
10-[14]: Barbados (not confirmed by tracking site).
14-17: St Lucia
18-21: Barbados
21-24: St Lucia
26: Barbados, brief visit
27-29: no information; perhaps still in Barbados.
Much of this information is not confirmed.
APRIL 2010
Lesser Antilles: Antigua, St Kitts; a regular tour repeated weekly over 4 weeks.
07-08: Antigua, eta 05.30, dep. 24.00 (not confirmed).
10-14: St Kitts (confirmed).
14-15: Antigua as above (not confirmed).
16-21: St Kitts (confirmed).
18: seen at St Kitts.
21-22: Antigua as above (not confirmed).
23-27: no information.
28-30: Antigua as above (confirmed).
30-02 May: St Kitts (confirmed).
MAY 2010
Still in the Lesser Antilles, probably a weekly Barbados-St Lucia shuttle using both Castries and Vieux Fort.
02-04: no information
04-06: St Lucia (confirmed)
06-09: no information
09-12: St Lucian (confirmed)
14[-16?]: Barbados
16-19: St Lucia
19-22: no information
22-23: Barbados (confirmed)
23-26: St Lucia (confirmed)
28-30: Barbados (confirmed)
30-02: St Lucia (confirmed)
JUNE 2010
Still in the Lesser Antilles. 22 June: photographed at Castries. 26 June: St Lucia carnival photographs. 27 June: Grenada. MVAE was 27 June to 3 July (Thank you, Pooks).
02-05: no information
05-06: Barbados (confirmed)
06-11: St Lucia (confirmed). From published schedule: 10: Antigua, eta 06.00, dep. 24.00
11-13: no information
13-16: St Lucia (confirmed)
17: Barbados (confirmed)
17-21: no information21-23: St Lucia, Castries (confirmed)23-25: St Lucia, Vieux Fort (confirmed)25-27: St Lucia, Castries (confirmed)27-02 July: no information.
27June-03 July: MVAE 2010. From independent sources we know she was in Grenada on 27 June and the OT Summit (Maiden Voyage Anniversary Event) 2010 took place 27 June to 03 July.
The three Public events (only three this year) were 1. A Global Alignment of OT Power. 2. Planetary Expansion Unleashed. 3. Dauntless, Defiant and Resolute.
The provisional schedules for July 2010 to February 2011 were compiled from published cruise schedules by Ron B DED, posted WWP 25 June 2010. Apart from August in Colombia, she went round and round the ABC circuit. Days not allocated may be Curacao.
JULY 2010
From St Lucia back to the ABC weekly routine from 9th.
02-06: St Lucia, Castries (confirmed)
06-08: St Lucia, Vieux Fort (confirmed)
09-11: Aruba (confirmed)
11-14: Bonaire (confirmed)
14-15: Curacao (confirmed)
16-18: Aruba (confirmed)
19-20: Bonaire
21-22: Curacao (confirmed)
23-25: Aruba (confirmed)
25-28: Bonaire (confirmed)
28-29: Curacao (confirmed)
30-01: Aruba
Provisional Schedule:
30-01: Aruba, 04-06: Bonaire, 07-10: Aruba, 11-13: Bonaire, 15-17: Aruba, 18-20: Bonaire
22-23: Aruba, 25-27: Bonaire, 28-29: seen at Curacao; 29-30: Aruba
AUGUST 2010
She cancelled five weekly calls in Bonaire from 1 August, and instead spent the whole month in Colombia. While in Colombia she probably shuttled once or twice between Santa Marta and Cartagena.
02: Santa Marta, Colombia.
03: Cartagena, Colombia. 13 August: she hosted YFHR conference in Cartagena.
20-30: Colombia (Cartagena); in port 220 hours (confirmed).
30: Santa Marta.
31-05 September: Aruba (Oranjestad): in port 105 hours (confirmed).
SEPTEMBER 2010
She fulfilled only two out of the four weekly calls booked for Bonaire.
05-08: Bonaire (Kralendijk): in port 64 hours (confirmed).
08-09: Curacao (Willemstad): in port 41 hours (confirmed).
10-12: Aruba (Oranjestad): in port 50 hours (confirmed).
12-14: Bonaire (Kralendijk): in port 39 hours (confirmed).
14-29: Curacao (Willemstad): in dry dock 379 hours or 16 days (confirmed).
29-03 October: not accounted for.
OCTOBER 2010
She fulfilled only one of her five projected calls in Bonaire.
01-02: no information.
03-07: Bonaire (Kralendijk): in port 88 hours (confirmed). Photographed there on 06 October.
07-10: Aruba (Oranjestad): in port 66 hours (confirmed).
10-12: Bonaire (Kralendijk): in port 42 hours (confirmed).
12-14: Aruba (Oranjestad): in port 57 hours (confirmed).
15-03 November: Colombia (Cartagena): confirmed by Freewinds own publicity. Noted by OTBT (WWP) that by 07 November Freewinds had been out of range (ie, in Aruba or Colombia) since 14 October. The booking schedules for October suggest that this visit was arranged at short notice.
3-12: Bonaire (Kralendijk): provisional booking (unreliable).
07-09: Aruba (Oranjestad): provisional booking (unreliable).
14-16: Aruba (Oranjestad): provisional booking (unreliable).
17-19: Bonaire (Kralendijk): provisional booking (unreliable).
21-23: Aruba (Oranjestad): provisional booking (unreliable)
24-26: Bonaire (Kralendijk): provisional booking (unreliable).
28-30: Aruba (Oranjestad): provisional booking.
31-02 Nov: Bonaire (Kralendijk): provisional booking (unreliable).
NOVEMBER 2010
Despite advance bookings in Bonaire she remained in Colombia until early November when she returned to Aruba, then to Curacao (Willemstad) early am on 11 November (MarineTraffic).
03-10: Aruba (Oranjestad): in port 156 hours (confirmed).
10-11: Curacao (Willemstad): in port 35 hours (confirmed).
12-14: Aruba (Oranjestad): in port 49 hours (confirmed). To Bonaire by-passing Curacao at midnight.
14-17: Bonaire (Kralendijk): in port 63 hours(confirmed).
17-19: Curacao (Willemstad): in port 51 hours (confirmed).
19-23: Aruba (Oranjestad): in port 90 hours (confirmed).
23-24: Bonaire (Kralendijk): in port 15 hours (confirmed).
24-25: Curacao (Willemstad): in port 43 hours (confirmed).
26-28: Aruba (Oranjestad): in port 64 hours (confirmed). 27: Curacao politician publishes friendly article.
28 November to 14 December (17 days): Colombia (Cartagena). This can be deduced since she was last tracked to Aruba and reappeared there several weeks later. In confirmation she was photographed at Cartagena on 7 December (WWP). Our spais are everywhere. And the Cartagena Tabla de Buques records a booking from 01 to 12 December 2010. She may have stopped off in Santa Marta en route coming and going. But why did SeaWeb did not locate her in Colombia?
http://albatros.puertocartagena.com/ then click on Cruceros, La Temporada and download pdf file.
21-22: Curacao (not confirmed).
23-24: Aruba (not confirmed).
25-27: Bonaire (not confirmed).
28-29: Curacao (not confirmed).
30-31: Aruba (not confirmed).
DECEMBER 2010
01-14: Colombia (Cartagena), as above. Photographed there on 7 December.
14-19: Aruba (Oranjestad): in port 106 hours (confirmed). Seen there 18 December.
19-21: Bonaire (Kralendijk): in port 60 hours (confirmed). Also Twitter.
22-23: Curacao (Willemstad): in port 42 hours (confirmed).
24-27: Aruba (Oranjestad): in port 75 hours (confirmed).
27-29: Bonaire (Kralendijk: in port 39 hours (confirmed).
29-30: Curacao (Willemstad): in port 44 hours (confirmed).
31-03 January: Aruba (Oranjestad): in port 78 hours (confirmed).
2011
JANUARY 2011
01-03: Aruba as above. 03: short stop at Outer Anchorage (confirmed).
03-05: Bonaire (Kralendijk): in port 37 hours (confirmed).
05-06: Curacao (Willemstad): in port 43 hours (confirmed).
07-09: Aruba (Outer Anchorage and Oranjestad): total of 70 hours in dock (confirmed).
12-23: Colombia (Cartagena): eta 0530, dep 2200 acc to the Cartagena port listing. Claiming 360 pax, 280 crew. In dock 252 hours. Twitter mention of Freewinds at Cartagena, 15 and 18 January (WWP) (he complains about being sec checked in Paris). http://twitter.com/#!/Hkleinveld Also photographs.
24-24: Colombia (Santa Marta): did not dock.
25-30: Aruba (Oranjestad): in dock for 105 hours (confirmed).
30-31: Bonaire (Kralendijk): 20 hours in port (confirmed).
31-03 February: Curacao (Willemstad): 84 hours in port (confirmed).
06-09: Aruba (Oranjestad); eta 2200, dep. 1500 acc to port schedule.
25-29: Aruba (Oranjestad); eta 1430, dep. 2300 acc to port schedule.
A pattern emerges of toilet stops at Bonaire, short stops at Curacao for shopping?, casino?, money laundering? to pick up paying passengers? and long stops at Aruba to prepare for the Colombia missions, recover from the Colombia missions, or carry out essential but minor maintenance. The advance bookings for Aruba are in fact close to reality.
FEBRUARY 2011
01-03: Curacao, as above (confirmed).
04-04: Aruba (Outer Anchorage): less than 2 hours (confirmed).
04-06: Aruba (Oranjestad): in port 50 hours (confirmed). According to another source she left Willemstad at midnight 05-06 February.
06: Bonaire from Curacao, dep. 0900.
06-08: Bonaire (Kralenkijk): in port 61 hours (confirmed).
06-08: Bonaire (Kralendijk) acc to cruise schedule.
09-10: Curacao (Willemstad): in port 41 hours (confirmed).
11-13: Aruba (Oranjestad): 52 hours (confirmed).
13-14: Bonaire (Kralendijk): in port 17 hours (confirmed).
13: Bonaire (Kralendijk): acc to cruise schedule: confirmed in this case.
14-15: Curacao (Willemstad): in port 38 hours (confirmed).
16-16: Aruba (Outer Anchorage): less than 2 hours (confirmed).
16-20: Aruba (Oranjestad): in port 99 hours (4 days) (confirmed). On 20 February she reappeared at 0800 UTC by-passing Curacao to the south-west on her way to Bonaire.
20-23: Bonaire (Kralendijk): in port 62 hours (confirmed).
23-24: Curacao (Willemstad): in port 37 hours (confirmed). Left 0623 for Aruba. On Wednesday 23 February at 8pm she hosted a concert by the Curacao Jazz Foundation and the Freewinds Band.
24-24: Aruba (Outer Anchorage): less than 2 hours (confirmed).
24-27: Aruba (Oranjestad): in port 52 hours (confirmed).
27-28: Bonaire (Kralendijk): in port 17 hours (confirmed).
27: Bonaire (Kralendijk): acc to cruise schedule.
28-02 March: Aruba (Oranjestad): in port 41 hours (confirmed). On 28 February she went several times up and down the west coast of Curacao but eventually continued to Aruba.
01-03: Curacao (Willemstad, as above.
03-05: Aruba (Oranjestad); eta 2200, dep. 2300 acc to port schedule (unreliable).
09-10: Curacao (Willemstad): did not appear. Her stance at Mathey Wharf was occupied by Zuiderdam, a Holland-Amerika cruise liner.
10-12: Aruba (Oranjestad); eta 2200, dep. 2300 acc to port schedule (unreliable).
14-15: Curacao (Willemstad): not seen
15-19: Aruba (Oranjestad); eta 2200, dep. 2300 acc to port schedule (unreliable).
20-22: Bonaire (Kralendijk): acc to cruise schedule.
23-24: Curacao (Willemstad).
24-26: Aruba (Oranjestad); eta 2200, dep. 2300 acc to port schedule (unreliable).
28-03 March: Curacao (Willemstad). Went past but did not dock at Curacao.
MARCH 2011
02-04: Curacao (Willemstad): in port 59 hours (confirmed).
04-09: Bonaire (Kralendijk): in port 97 hours (4 days) (confirmed).
09-10: Curacao (Willemstad): in port 41 hours (confirmed). Claiming 360 pax.
11-15: Aruba (Oranjestad): in port 84 hours (confirmed).
15-16: Curacao (Willemstad: 16 hours in port (confirmed). Dep 0121 for Bonaire.
16-17: Bonaire (Kralendijk): 22 hours in port (confirmed).
17: Curacao (Willemstad): 12 hours in port (confirmed).
17: Aruba (Outer Anchorage): less than 2 hours.
19-21: Aruba (Oranjestad): 48 hours in port (confirmed).
21-23: Bonaire (Kralendijk): 37 hours in port.
23-24: Curacao (Willemstad): 25 hours in port (not a scheduled stop). Left 0613 for Aruba.
24: Aruba (Outer Anchorage): less than 2 hours.
24 to 03 April: Aruba (Oranjestad): in port for 234 hours (9 days 18 hours), an exceptionally long stopover.
05-08: Bonaire (Kralendijk): acc to cruise schedule.
09-10: Curacao (Willemstad): eta 0030, dep 1700 acc to port schedule.
10-12: Aruba (Oranjestad); eta 2200, dep. 1500 acc to port schedule (unreliable).
13: Bonaire (Kralendijk): acc to port schedule (did not happen).
14-15: Curacao (Willemstad), eta 0030, dep 1700 acc to port schedule (unreliable).
17-19: Aruba (Oranjestad); eta 2200, dep. 1500 acc to port schedule (unreliable).
20-22: Bonaire (Kralendijk): according to port schedule (unreliable).
24-26: Aruba (Oranjestad); eta 2200, dep. 1500 acc to port schedule (unreliable).
27: Bonaire (Kralendijk): acc to port schedule.
31-02 April: Aruba (Oranjestad); eta 2200, dep. 1500 acc to port schedule (unreliable).
INTERLUDE: MY Rasselas.
On 2 March Freewinds arrived at Willemstad, Curacao. On 4 March at 0700 she moved from her normal mooring at Mathey Wharf to a more remote mooring at Nieuwe Wharf. On 4 March at 0800 the superyacht Rasselas (second of the name, 62m by 10.7m, 1000 tons and worth an estimated half a billion dollars) moored at Mathey Wharf. On 4 March at 1530 Freewinds left Willemstad and turned south, heading for Bonaire where we know she spent the following five days (04-09 March). On 5 March at 1100 Rasselas left Willemstad on the same track. The owner of the superyacht is not certainly known but such vessels are generally available for charter. Was she delivering a special passenger for the delivery of special CoS courses? One link between Scientology, superrich celebrities and superyachts is Nabila Khashoggih, daughter of the super-arms dealer, whose yacht Nabila (crew of 48) was once the largest in the world. It cost $100M in 1980, the equivalent of $260M in 2009. And Nabila and her son are both reputed to be keen Scientologists.
APRIL 2011
03: back in range at 0840 bypassing Curacao to the south, on her way from Aruba to Bonaire.
03-06: Bonaire (Kralendijk): 62 hours
06-07: Curacao (Willemstad) at the Nieuw Wharf. eta 2230. In port 25 hours. Seen there on web cam 0600. dep. 23.59. From Live Map: left 0704 for Aruba, eta 0930. Scheduled and confirmed.
07: Aruba, Outer Anchorage, 2 hours.
07: Aruba (Oranjestad): length of stay unspecified (a few hours only).
08: Bonaire (Kralendijk). Length of stay unspecified (a few hours only).
08-10: Aruba (Oranjestad): 64 hours.
11-25: Colombia (Cartagena): 320 hours (13 days). Her presence confirmed by two local reports on 11 and 14 April which said she was in the port of Cartagena, distributing TWTH to the natives (WWP thread).
25: Colombia (Santa Marta): a few hours only.
MAY 2011
The ABC routine was re-established and continued into June.
03: from Colombia (probably by way of Santa Marta) to Oranjestad (Live Ships Map).
04-05: Curacao (Willemstad): for a few hours only.
05: left Curacao and soon out of range but heading NW in the direction of Aruba (Oranjestad).
08: back in range at 0549 bypassing Curacao to the south, on her way from Aruba (Oranjestad) to Bonaire (Live Ships Map).
The following information about advance bookings is from the Curacao schedule published on 5 April 2011. It requires to be confirmed by actual sightings or AIS readings.
03-04: Curacao (Willemstad), eta 2230, dep 2359, from port schedule (unreliable). In fact in Curacao very late 04 or early 05.
10-11: Curacao (Willemstad), eta 2230, dep 2359, from port schedule (unreliable).
17-18: Curacao (Willemstad), eta 2230, dep 2359, from port schedule (unreliable).
24-25: Curacao (Willemstad), eta 2230, dep 2359, from port schedule (unreliable).
31-06 June: Curacao (Willemstad), eta 2230, dep 2359, from port schedule (unreliable).
JUNE 2011
07-08: Curacao (Willemstad), eta 2230, dep 2359, from port schedule (unreliable).
14-15: Curacao (Willemstad), eta 2230, dep 2359, from port schedule (unreliable).
19-25: Curacao (Willemstad), eta 0515, dep 1800, from port schedule (unreliable).
JULY 2011
01-04: Curacao (Willemstad), eta 0515, dep 1800, from port schedule (unreliable).
SOURCES
Tracking of the Freewinds, WWP thread.
Port schedules for Curacao (Willemstad), Aruba (Oranjestad), Bonaire (Kralendijk) and Cartagena (Colombia)
MarineTraffic Live Ships Map. AIS tracking (only around Curacao).
Updated 23 April 2011
Corrections and further input welcomed. Please post to Tracking of the Freewinds on WWP if possible.
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Freewinds Summary 1998-2010
SUMMARY
This is a summary of the corrected and updated version of the Freewinds Timeline, now published in five parts. This replaces the draft published in 2009 as a WWP Wiki.
M/V Freewinds is sold to Scientologists as the only place on Earth where the higher levels of the con are delivered, in ideal conditions, as they cannot escape the pressure to pay for more courses. Freewinds is less well known as a floating gaol where forty or more prisoners undergo corrective punishment and work long hours under ferocious discipline to keep the ship functioning. They and members of the equally exploited Sea Org elite also do much of the regular renovation and repair work on board. From another point of view, Freewinds is where the IAS elite take their tax-deductible Caribbean cruises, while being encouraged to buy yet more expensive courses.
It is typical of Scientology’s capacity for deception that in 2007 and 2008 while she knowingly exposed her own workers to blue asbestos and continued to dump huge volumes of raw sewage on the small island of Bonaire, Freewinds hosted a series of on-board seminars promoting MARPOL, an anti-pollution initiative sponsored by IMO and UNEP.
Sources of information include the lists of advance bookings by cruise ships which are published by port authorities, shipping agencies, local press and tourist offices. Advance schedules are also published in the Freewinds magazines to inform potential customers. However this information seldom matches events. Freewinds quite often changes her plans, goes missing for several days, or does not turn up when and where expected. The information published here is a record of actual events and as reliable as possible.
Passenger numbers provided by port authorities vary from 150 to 220 (Bonaire) and 360 (Curaçao) but do not reflect actual numbers on board. Actual passengers have been as low as 46 (2008). News about blue asbestos has probably spread around.
Freewinds has two regular routine, round and round the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao) and a shuttle in the Lesser Antilles, generally involving Barbados and one other island. The political situation and national names of the ABC islands are currently fluid. For the sake of clarity this timeline continues to refer to Aruba (where she normally docks at Oranjestad), Bonaire (where she normally docks at the Town’s Pier, Kralendijk) and Curacao (also known as the Netherlands Antilles, where she normally docks at the Mathey Warf, St Anna Bay, in Otrabanda, Willemstad). From west to east: Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire.
Freewinds also hosts musical evenings, visits by schoolchildren, training in seamanship for local youth, and MARPOL seminars. From time to time she launches a mission, To Clear Santo Domingo, or To Bring Happiness to Colombia, which might keep her in port for a week or so.
Missing days may be spent at sea, a point that can be checked, given her cruising speed of 16 knots (or less). They may be due to quirks or errors in the record. Longer gaps may have been spent in dry dock, tied up for repairs, waiting for inspections and certification, or resolving other problems about which we have no information but which must recur on a regular basis. Some of her more erratic movements may simply reflect the need to pick up or deliver passengers to connect with their flights, to offload sewage, take on water and fuel, and the whims of the owner. But none of her passengers are likely to claim a refund.
The Freewinds Maiden Voyage Anniversary Event (MVAE), also known as the OT summit, is held on board every year in June/July and lasts one week. Meetings are chaired by David Miscavige in person and the entire ship is given over to this event. According to one OT, 250 people used to attend. In other contexts her capacity is variously claimed to be 360, 400 or even 500.
SUMMARY OF FREEWINDS TIMELINE, 1998-2010.
January 1998: New Year in St Lucia/Barbados. Then to Curacao and her regular ABC shuttle round the islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao. In 1998 she visited Aruba Tuesday-Friday, Curacao Friday-Sunday, and Bonaire Sunday-Tuesday. The route corresponds to advertised courses and to the arrival and departure of public by air.
February 1998: ABC as above
March 1998: ABC as above:
April 1998: Bahamas: alternating visits to Freeport and Nassau
May 1998: Bahamas shuttle as above. Not in operation 12-30: probably in dry dock.
June 1998: ABC shuttle as above, but irregular
July 1998: Barbados/St Lucia shuttle (MVAE at end of month in St Lucia?)
August 1998: regular ABC shuttle
September 1998: regular ABC shuttle except for visit 19-20 to Puerto Cabello, Venezuela.
October 1998: ABC shuttle all month
November 1998: ABC up to end of month; then to the Lesser Antilles.
December 1998: irregular weekly visits to St Kitts (Thurs-Sat), Antigua (Mon-Thurs) and some other destination
1999
January 1999: still cruising in the Lesser Antilles: St Kitts, Antigua, Dominica, St Lucia, Bequie (St Vincent & Grenadines), Barbados and St Lucia.
February 1999: as January. Visits to Barbados, St Lucia, Dominica, St Kitts, Antigua, St Barthelemy (Guadeloupe), and St Eustatius (a tiny island in the Netherlands Antilles).
March 1999: on 9 March back to ABC but no further information to 1 May. From IAS newsletter it appears she spent a lengthy spell – almost two months – in dry dock, probably in Curacao (cf May 1998)
May 1999: back to the Lesser Antilles: Guadeloupe, Antigua, St Kitts and probably Dominica.
June 1999: Antigua, Dominica, St Kitts, Guadeloupe, St Lucia, Barbados,
July 1999: as June, in the Lesser Antilles.
August 1999: back to a regular round of the ABCC islands: cheap holidays for the lower orders?
September 1999: as August.
October 1999: as August and September.
November 1999: three weeks ABC, then back to Barbados, Antigua and St Kitts.
December 1999: irregular visits to St Kitts, Antigua (one visit of two weeks and one visit of one week), St Barthelemy (Guadeloupe). New Year at St Kitts.
2000
January 2000: the whole month in the Less Antilles: Antigua, St Kitts, St Barthelemy,then to Dominica and Barbados.
February 2000: still in the Lesser Antilles: Barbados, St Lucia, St Vincent, then to Dominica and Antigua.
March 2000: in Lesser Antilles for first two weeks; then briefly back to ABC (14-25), then for three weeks up to 18 April in the Bahamas, probably in dry dock again?
April 2000: between 28 March and 18 April she also visited Charleston, USA. For the rest of April and all of May she went between Freeport and Nassau, both in the Bahamas.
May 2000: as above. 02-09: no information.
June 2000: in Freeport 1-13 June. Then to the Lesser Antilles: Antigua, Tortola (British Virgin Islands), St Kitts, St Martin (Guadeloupe). MVAW towards the end of the month.
July 2000: Lesser Antilles: Antigua, St Martin (Guadeloupe), St Kitts, St Eustachius (Netherlands Antilles), Gustavia (Guadeloupe).
August 2000: Back to the ABC weekly round: Curacao, Aruba, Bonaire and variations thereon.
September 2000: as August.
October 2000: as August.
November 2000: back to the Lesser Antilles: St Kitts, Antigua, Tortola (BVI), Virgin Gorda (BVI), spending 1-3 days in each place.
December 2000: as November. New Year in Antigua.
2001
January 2001: her usual unstructured Lesser Antilles cruises, this time to Tortola (BVI), St Kitts and Antigua, with a side visit to St Barthelemy (Guadeloupe), and ten days not accounted for (perhaps spent at sea) .
February 2001: as January, with side trips to St Barthelemy and to Nevis (St Kitts-Nevis) and eight days not accounted for. A trip of 230 miles could take two days at 16 knots.
March 2001: Tortola (BVI), St Kitts, Antigua, St Barthelemy (Guadeloupe). In last week back to Bonaire and Aruga.
April 2001: one week ABC; then to Bahamas and the Freeport/Nassau shuttle.
May 2001: The Freeport/Nassau weekly routine.
June 2001: Bahamas for first week; then Lesser Antilles – St Barthelemy (Guadeloupe), Basseterre, St Kitts, Antigua, Dominica, and St Eustatius.
July 2001: a fairly random round of St Lucia, Tortola (BVI), Antigua, Dominica (4 days missing), 11th: St Kitts (MVAE?), St Barthelemy (Guadeloupe), and at end of month back to Bonaire and Curacao.
August 2001: the ABC routine.
September 2001: the ABC routine.
October 2001: the ABC routine with a gap from 12 October to 03 November, probably for repairs in the dockyard or dry dock at Curacao.
November 2001: ABC as before.
December 2001: Still going round the ABC islands but no visits to Curacao are noted after 9 December.
2002
January 2002: regular ABC routine. Curacao: Tues-Thurs, Aruba Fri-Sat, Bonaire: Sun-Mon.
February 2002: Weekly all month to Aruba and Bonaire.
March 2002: first two weeks Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao; 8 days unaccounted for, then 10 days in Nassau, Bahamas.
April 2002: between Freeport and Nassau, Bahamas. 10-12 days not accounted for.
May 2002: as April. Two weeks not accounted for.
June 2002: As May.
July 2002: Lesser Antilles again: Tortola (BVI), St Kitts, St Eustatius (Netherlands Antilles), Angtigua. Several days not accounted for. At the end of the month to Dominica, St Vincent and Barbados.
August 2002: From the Lesser Antilles back to AB. She is avoiding Curacao, not for the first time.
September 2002: regularly weekly ABC again.
October 2002: regular weekly ABC still.
November 2002: back to the Lesser Antilles – St Vincent, Barbados, Dominica, round and round – with perhaps a week not accounted for.
December 2002: as November. New Year in Barbados.
2003
January 2003: St Vincent/Barbados all month.
February 2003: the same.
March 2003: the same. At the end of the month back to Bonaire.
April 2003: ABC for two weeks, then back to Dominica, St Vincent and Barbados.
May 2003: The St Vincent/Barbados shuttle all month.
June 2003: Back to ABC including a whole week at Curacao.
July 2003: Back to Barbados, Dominica, St Vincent, with the MVAE somewhere in there. By 22, back in Curacao.
August 2003: ABC
September 2003: ABC. Large gap at end of month (between 30 Sept and 23 Oct) suggests more dry dock work, in Curacao, or DIY in Bonaire.
October 2003: in last week she went from Bonaire to Aruba and back.
November 2003: From Aruba to Dominica, then St Vincent and Barbados
December 2003: St Vincent (5 days)/Barbados (2 days) all month. New Year in Barbados.
2004
January 2004: cruising in the Lesser Antilles. Ports visited: Dominica, St Vincent, Barbados, St Kitts, Basse Terre (Guadeloupe), Antigua, St Eustatius (Netherlands Antilles), Tortola (BVI). Gap from 14 to 19 January.
February 2004: St Kitts, Antigua, then St Vincent/Barbados to end of month and into March.
March 2004: Barbados/St Vincent with a side visit to Dominica (1 day).
April 2004: irregular ABC round.
May 2004: ABC for first two weeks; then Dominica, St Vincent, Barbados.
June 2004: Barbados/St Vincent, trips to St Martin (Guadeloupe) and Dominica. When and where was the MVAE?
July 2004: Dominica, St Vincent, Barbados, then back to ABC.
August 2004: ABC
September 2004: all ABC
October 2004: ABC
November 2004: ABC
December 2004: still ABC: New Year in Aruba.
2005
January 2005: ABC whole month
February 2005: some missing days but apparently all ABC.
March 2005: still faithful to Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao.
April 2005: finally on 2 April back to St Kitts, then Antigua, Dominica, St Lucia, Barbados.
May 2005: St Lucia and Barbados for first two weeks; then back to ABC.
June 2005: ABC; apparently docked at Aruba 7-13 and at Curacao 14-22.
July 2005: ABC. The MVAE must have been held in the ABC islands this year.
August 2005: a week in Aruba, followed by the usual ABC routine.
September 2005: ABC all month.
October 2005: ABC with big gap from 9 to 27 October; probably in Curacao for repairs.
November 2005: first two weeks in the ABC islands; then to Dominica, St Lucia and Barbados.
December 2005: St Lucia(2-3 days)/Barbados (4-5 days). New Year in Barbados.
2006
The schedule shows a focus on the Lesser Antilles for the first six months. There are a few notes of social events, part of her policy of patronising the natives. The Lions Club met on board. CoS boasted that in seven months in 2006, 8,000 Barbadians came on board for concerts. Why did she visit Dominica so regularly when the island was not on her regular schedules: 8 January, 22-23 January, 6 February, 12-13 March, 23 April, 7-8 May, 19 June, 01 July, 05 July?
January 2006: St Lucia, Barbados, Dominica.
February 2006: the same, then to St Kitts and Antigua. At St Kitts, 20 Feb: “Freewinds at Port Zante with 540 [sic] passengers”. One visit to Dominica on 6th.
March 2006: St Kitts/Antigua twice, then St Lucia, Barbados and one trip to Dominica 12-13th.
April 2006: St Lucia/Barbados, with one trip to Dominica on 23rd.
May 2006: as April: Barbados/St Lucia, with one trip to Dominica on 7-8th.
June 2006: St Lucia, Barbados, Dominica (19th), then 07-18 and again 23-30 in Barbados for repairs or refitting. She may have celebrated the 18th MVAE in Barbados. On 24 June Freewinds donated books and shoes to a YWCA fundraiser. On 25 June she organised a free concert.
July 2006: Dominica twice on 1st and 5th. 02-04: St Kitts, perhaps the MVAE. St Lucia, then to Bonaire and the ABC round.
August 2006: a regular ABC routine: Aruba Thursday to Sunday, Bonaire Sunday to Tuesday, Curacao Tuesday-Thursday.
September 2006: the same as August.
October 2006: the same as August.
November 2006: as August but Curacao information is not shown.
December 2006: still in the ABC islands but visits less regular.
2007
The Curaçao advance booking schedule for 2007 shows Freewinds regularly arriving on a Tuesday and departing on Thursday. The advance booking schedules match other information.
January 2007: a regular ABC circuit all month.
April 2007: still in ABC.
May 2007: still in ABC. In May Sean Paton’s first video about Freewind’s dumping raw sewage and waste water on Bonaire appeared (his campaign dates back to 2003). 20 May: Scientology sponsors a Jazz Festival in Bonaire.
June 2007: still in ABC. Pooks (WWP, 18 June 2008) said that in 2007 the week-long event was held at Flag, not on the Freewinds’. But there is no sign of any disruption in her 2007 schedule. From 26 June to 03 July there is no information and when she does appear again on 3 July she is in St Kitts.
July 2007: St Kitts twice (3rd and 10th), Antigua, Dominica once (8-9), St Lucia, Barbados, then to Curacao (as scheduled). Two other scheduled visits to Curacao on 1-12 and 17-19 did not take place. On 10th she hosted a Weekend Benefit Concert in St Kitts which featured the Dominican vocalist Michele Henderson and the Freewinds Band (sknvibes, 12 July 2007).
August 2007: ABC, some scheduled and some unscheduled visits to Curacao.
September 2007: ABC, almost all as scheduled except Curacao 2-3.
October 2007: ABC: but in Bonaire for ten days, 07-6; a scheduled visit 09-11 to Curaçao was cancelled; and 23-25 she was in Curacao instead of in Aruba as scheduled.
November 2007: her ABC commitments, including four scheduled visits to Curaçao on 06-08, 13-15, 20-22, and 27-29 were cancelled. Instead, from 11 to 22 November, she hosted five seminars on behalf of IMO and UNEP, relating to the MARPOL Annex V agreement on maritime pollution, on St Lucia, Dominica, St Kitts, Barbados and Antigua. The detailed itinerary is:
02-03: Bonaire; 03-04: no information; 05: Dominica; 06: St Lucia; 7-10: Barbados; 09-10: Dominica; 11-13 St Lucia; 14-15: Barbados; 16-17: Dominica; 19-20: St Kitts; 20-22: Antigua. 22-25: no information; 26 Dominica; 27: St Lucia; 28-01: Barbados.
December 2007: she cancelled four scheduled visits to Curaçao and stayed in the Lesser Antilles. St Lucia/Barbados shuttle with a single visit to Dominica on 27 and to St Kitts on 28.
She was involved in a training exercise for seamen in St Kitts, completed in December 2007
After 5 or 6 days in the Lesser Antilles, Freewinds reverted to the ABC islands but she made only four circuits in January and three in February. Then routine inspection discovered serious erosion in the hull structures, leading to immediate structural repairs in the dry dock at Curaçao. At the end of April blue asbestos leaked into the ventilation system and caused further disruption. Repairs and refitting lasted for most of the year and are alleged to have cost $30 million. It is not certain (some say, possible) that the asbestos problem has been resolved
January 2008: Arubabycruise reported four 4 calls with a total of 610 passengers, an average of 152. Her first tour of 2008 took in Dominica (02), St Lucia and Barbados; then from 8 January Freewinds was normally in Curaçao from Tuesday to Thursday, in Bonaire over Friday and Saturday nights, in Aruba on Sunday and back to Curaçao on Tuesday, as scheduled.
February 2008: Aruba port authorities report 3 calls (a total of 482 passengers, av.161) out of four booked. ABC according to schedule up to 21 February; from 23 in the CDM dry-dock at Curacao. Nordica Engineering, the main contractor, imported 240 Polish workers who worked and lived on board for ten weeks.
March 2008: In the CDM dry-dock in Curaçao for hull repairs and interior refurbishment.
April 2008: when blue asbestos was found in the ventilation system, Nordica removed its workforce and on 26 April the ship was sealed by Curaçao Port authorities. It was apparently tied up at Otrabando until 26 June. The progress of the abatement work is unclear.
26 April 2008: DNV, re Freewinds: Overdue CC 188 2008-04-26, SOLAS & Flag State Services 2008-05-05 Further to CC 187: Pitting holes observed in the ship side of Fresh water storage double bottom tank 3P(121-135), aft part. To be repaired before leaving dry dock.
May 2008: in Curacao in quarantine in the CDM dry dock. It is believed its crew, SO, RPF, and other Scientologists worked to remove or encapsulate the asbestos but there is ‘apparently still loose asbestos on board’. The International CCHR Convention, 08-15 May 2008, ‘aboard the newly renovated Freewinds’ was postponed to 17-24 July.
June 2008: MVAE (‘the live OT summit’) was planned for 28 June-05 July. On 25 June she left dock in Curacao for a short test cruise, presumably to run tests to allow the renewal of out-of-date certificates (issued on 27 June). On 29th to Bonaire, docked pm; dumped sewage and left early morning. A similar visit to Aruba, 30 June to 1 July. .
July 2008: On 01 July a group of ‘normal tourists’ was seen ashore during a visit made by Freewinds to Bonaire. Aruba port authorities report that she made a single call in Aruba with 41 passengers. This is her sole activity in several months. It is doubtful if she could sail anywhere legally with passengers on board. From 07 July to 22 October she was docked in Aruba waiting for the Curacao dry dock to have a free slot.
October 2008: on 21 October she got a new PSSC (Passenger Ship Safety Certificate). This allowed her to host a MARPOL seminar in Curaçao on 22 October. On 24 she left Curaçao for Aruba (seen on webcam).
November 2008: the only certain activity was Aruba, 04-18. Then she went back into dry-dock to finish the repair work.
December 2008: Aruba reports 2 calls with 77 passengers per trip. In Curacao 08-19. From 23 December to 11 January: no information. None of the scheduled calls bear any relation to known facts.
2009
Over 2009 the Freewinds Log repeatedly claims that ‘more public are arriving than at any other point in our history’. Aruba, standing in for the ABC islands, reported one call in May with 77 passengers; one in July with 89, and a third in August with 73 passengers. Her only visit to Bonaire between 11 March and 8 December 2009 was in July, to dump waste water. She may have visited Curacao twice in May. She visited Barbados six times: twice in January, twice in June and twice in July. St Kitts reported a single call in June with 64 passengers, probably the Maiden Voyage Anniversary Event. In fact she spent most of 2009 in Colombia undergoing yet another $4 million refit in Cartagena.
January 2009: from 24 Dec to 11 Jan in Curacao (further work?). The rest of the month, and February and March, in Cartagena, Columbia. Visits to Barbados were cancelled. But courses were advertised in Cartagena costing $2000 for 7 days and $2100 for 10 days over January and February. On 23 January the cult planned to hand out 2 million copies of TWTY at the Baranquilla Carnival.
February 2009: Docked in Cartagena except for one visit of ten-fifteen days to Curacao in c.w. certification. Certificate issued 17 January. Then back to Cartagena 18 Feb to 25 March for the refit.
March 2009: nearing the completion of a $4 million refit. First sign of movement 14 April.
April 2009 From 14 April she began to make occasional sorties from Cartagena. No other port is mentioned. She advertised a 5-week course (with shared accommodation, to cost $6720) in Cartagena.
May 2009: more sorties from Cartagena; on 20 June to Aruba. Aruba reported 1 call with 77 passengers.
June 2009: in Aruba for two weeks; then Barbados, St Lucia, St Kitts (16-20) where a local source reported one visit with 64 passengers. Was this the once-great MVAE, advertised as taking place 20-24 June? She also visited Antigua and Dominica and went into Barbados/St Lucia mode.
July 2009: Dominica, St Lucia, and Barbados (twice), then on 21st back to Aruba (one call with 89 passengers. 26: to Santa Marta, Colombia from Curacao. She made one unschedeuled call in Bonaire to discharge strongly alkaline waste water.
August 2009: she spent most of August shuttling between Cartagena and Santa Marta, Colombia, then 30-06 Sep in Aruba. Aruba reported one call with 73 passengers while the CoS claimed: “More public are arriving than at any other point in our history.” Among the advertised events, TWTH event at Santa Marta, 3-20 August.
September 2009: back to ABC. Aruba reported three calls (four were planned) with a total of 266 passengers – 89 per cruise or 25 per cent capacity. The advertised schedule (Freewinds Magazine 74) most often shows Bonaire Sunday to Tuesday, Curacao Wednesday to Thursday, and Aruba Friday-Saturday.
October 2009: Aruba scheduled 5 calls (150 passengers each) but in fact she made only 3 calls with a total of 217 passengers. Her PSSC expired 31 October.
November 2009: three calls in Aruba with a total of 233 passengers (average 73 per trip). She probably also visited Bonaire three times but several visits to Curaçao were cancelled. She spent the first two weeks in Cartagena, hosting a MARPOL seminar on 03-04 and an International Public Relations seminar 05-12.
December 2009: restricted to Aruba and Bonaire. Four calls in Curacao were cancelled.
From DNV: 14 December 2009. “It is correct that this ship’s PSSC issued by our Society expired 31 October 2009. We may inform that on the owners’ request the ship’s class with our Society has been withdrawn. Therefore all certificates issued by us are no longer valid.”
2010
January 2010: Aruba-Bonaire with one visit to Curacao; two others did not take place.
February 2010: Aruba-Bonaire with one visit to Curacao.
March 2010: Lesser Antilles: St Lucia-Barbados 4 times. then to St Kitts.
April 2010: Lesser Antilles: Antigua, St Kitts; a regular tour over 4 weeks.
May 2010: Lesser Antilles: probably a weekly Barbados-St Lucia shuttle.
June 2010: Lesser Antilles; on 10th in Antigua. 27: Grenada. MVAE was 27 June to 3 July (Pooks).
July 2010: St Lucia, then back to a regular ABC weekly routine from 9th.
August 2010: on 2 from Aruba to Santa Marta then Cartagena, Colombia: she cancelled five weekly calls in Bonaire from 1 August and instead spent most of the month in Cartagena, Colombia; on 31 back to Aruba.
[Most recent update starts here]
September 2010: Only two out of four weekly calls booked for Bonaire. Instead 6 days in Aruba, then to Bonaire, Curacao (N.A.), Aruba (3 days), Bonaire, then 14-29 Willmestad (Curacao) for dry dock.
October 2010: 3-4 days not accounted for; only one of five calls in Bonaire fulfilled. Then 03-07 in Bonaire (Kralendijk), 07-10 in Aruba, 10-12 in Bonaire, 12-14 in Aruba and from 15 October to 1 (or 3) November in Cartagena.
November 2010: Despite the advance booking of four weekly calls in Bonaire she seems to have remained in Colombia until 10 November when she returned to Aruba, going to Curacao (Willemstad) early am on 11 November (MarineTraffic). Occasional sightings: 10-11 in Curacao (Willemstad), 11 left midday, heading for Aruba; 14th, back from Aruba, bypassing Curacao at midnight direction Bonaire.
December 2010: advance booking, not confirmed: four weekly calls in Bonaire.
2011
January-February 2011: not confirmed: continued series of weekly cruises in ABC islands.
——————————————-
Last edited 13 October 2010
Lawrence Woodcraft: Freewinds and Blue Asbestos
M/V Freewinds Timeline Part 1: 1998-2000
M/V Freewinds Timeline 1998 to 2010 In Five Parts and Summary
This is a corrected and updated version of the original Timeline, which was published in draft towards the end of 2009 as a WWP Wiki. This version replaces the WWP Wiki. Any available information about courses, numbers attending, capacity of the ship, and dates of events has also been noted. It is typical of Scientology’s capacity for deception that in 2007 and 2008 while she knowingly exposed her own workers to blue asbestos and continued to dump huge volumes of raw sewage on the small island of Bonaire, Freewinds hosted a series of on-board seminars promoting MARPOL, an anti-pollution initiative sponsored by IMO and UNEP.
Freewinds is sold to members as the only place on planet Earth where certain services are delivered, in ideal conditions. It is less well known as a floating gaol where forty or more prisoners undergoing corrective punishment work to keep the ship functioning. They and members of the Sea Org or crew also do much of the regular renovation and repair work on board. From another point of view, Freewinds is where its elite take their tax-deductible Caribbean cruises, while being encouraged to buy yet more expensive courses.
The main sources of information are the lists of cruise ship bookings published in advance by port authorities, shipping agencies, local press and tourist offices. Advance schedules are also published in the Freewinds magazines to inform potential customers. However these advance bookings seldom correspond exactly to events. Freewinds is not a commercial cruise ship and is not bound by a fixed schedule. She quite often changes her plans completely, goes missing for several days, or does not turn up where expected.
For most of her time up to February 2008 Freewinds followed two routine, one centered on the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao) and the other visiting many of the Lesser Antilles, typically Barbados and St Vincent or St Lucia. The political situation and national names of the ABC islands are currently fluid. For the sake of clarity this timeline continues to refer to Aruba (where she normally docks at Oranjestad), Bonaire (where she normally docks at the Town’s Pier, Kralendijk) and Curacao (also known as the Netherlands Antilles, where she normally docks at the Mathey Warf, St Anna Bay, in Otrabanda, Willemstad). From west to east: Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire.
She has been visiting Barbados since 1988: “For fifteen years the MV Freewinds has helped local charities and exposed schoolchildren to the world of the sea [and to blue asbestos dust], and on Sunday, officials of the cruise liner will stage a boat parade and musical extravaganza near the Flour Mill, at 2 p.m.” The Assistant Marketing Manager of Barbados Port Inc., Freida Nicholls, says that the cruise liner Freewinds was part of the educational outreach program. According to Scientology sources, during 2003 the Freewinds was visited by approximately 1,000 school children to help educate them on life at sea. Tom Cruise got the red carpet treatment in Barbados in 2004 when his birthday was celebrated in a no-expenses-spared party on board, organised by COB, David Miscavige. He was born on 3 July 1962.
Freewinds also hosts local PR events such as musical evenings, visits by schoolchildren and training in seamanship for local youth, and has been known to host events for MARPOL and other international organisations. From time to time she launches a mission, To Clear Santo Domingo, or To Bring Happiness to Colombia, which might keep her in port for a week or longer.
Her schedule is most regular when she is busy with weekly courses. They tend to follow a regular sequence, beginning and ending on Thursdays in a place, like Willemstad, Curacao or Bridgetown, Barbados, which has a reliable air connection and shipyards.
Days for which there is no information are probably spent at sea – a point that can now be established. They may also be due to incomplete data collection, missing ports, or clerical error. Longer gaps may have been spent in dry dock, tied up for repairs, waiting for certification, or resolving other problems about which we have no information. Some of her more erratic movements may simply reflect the need to pick up or deliver important passengers to connecting flights, to offload sewage, take on water and fuel, and the whims of the owner. Some periods appear to be more random than others. At any rate, none of her passengers are likely to sue or demand a refund of their course fees.
When SeaWeb has “After a date-Before a date” the timeline shows square brackets: [range of dates].
M/V Freewinds Timeline Part 1: 1998 to 2000
January 1998
02-04: St Lucia (coming from Barbados)
05-07: Barbados (08: at sea?)
09-11: Curacao
11-13: Bonaire
13-16: Aruba
16-18: Curacao
18-20: Bonaire
20-23: Aruba
23-25: Curacao
25-27: Bonaire
[27-30: Aruba]?
30-01 Feb: Curacao (Willemstad)
February 1998
01-03: Bonaire
03-06: Aruba
06-09: Curacao
09-10: Bonaire
10-13: Aruba
13-15: Curacao
15-17: Bonaire (18-19: no information)
20-22: Curacao
22-24: Bonaire
26: Curacao
27-01 March: Aruba
March 1998
02-03: Bonaire
03: Curacao
[03-05]: Bonaire
05: Curacao
06-11: Aruba
11: Curacao
13-17: Aruba
18-19: Curacao
20-22: Aruba
22-23: Bonaire
24-26: Curacao
27-29: Aruba (29-31: no information)
April 1998
01-05: Bahamas (Freeport)
06-07: Bahamas (Nassau)
07-11: Bahamas (Freeport)
11-12: Bahamas (Nassau) (13: no information)
[14-18]: Bahamas (Freeport)
18-22: Bahamas (Nassau)
22-24: Bahamas (Freeport)
[24-28]: Bahamas (Nassau)
28-01 May: Bahamas (Freeport)
May 1998
02-05: Bahamas (Nassau)
05-08: Bahamas (Freeport)
08-12: Bahamas (Nassau)
[12-30]: Bahamas (Freeport) (not in operation, probably in dry dock, 14-30 May)
30-31: Aruba
June 1998
01: Curacao
[01-06]: Aruba
06: Curacao
07-09: Bonaire
10-12: Aruba
12: Curacao (13-15: no information)
16: Bonaire
16: Curacao (sic)
17-22: Aruba
22-23: Bonaire
[23-24]: Curacao
24-26: Aruba
26: Curacao (26 to 30: no information)
July 1998
01-05: Barbados
06-07: Castries, St Lucia
08-11: Barbados
12: St Lucia (13-14: no information)
15-18: Barbados
19-21: St Lucia
22-25: Barbados
26: St Lucia (MVAE?)
[27-28]: Bonaire
28-30: Barbados
August 1998
01-[02]: Curacao
03-05: Bonaire
05-08: Aruba
09-11: Bonaire
11[-12]: Curacao
13-15: Aruba
16-18: Bonaire
18[-20]: Curacao
21-22: Aruba
23-25: Bonaire
25-27: Curacao
28: Aruba
29-01 Sep: Bonaire
September 1998
01: Curacao (02: no information)
03: Curacao
04-05: Aruba
06-08: Bonaire (09: no information)
10: Curacao
[10]: Bonaire
10-12: Aruba
13-15: Bonaire
15: Curacao
[15-16]: Bonaire
16: Curacao
16: Aruba
19-20: Puerto Cabello, Venezuela
21: Bonaire (22-23: no information)
24: Curacao
25-26: Aruba
27-28: Bonaire
29: Curacao
[29-01]: Aruba
October 1998
01-03: Aruba
04-06: Bonaire
06: Curacao
[06-08]: Aruba
08: Curacao
09-10: Aruba
11-13: Bonaire
13: Curacao
[13-15]: Bonaire
15: Curacao
16-17: Aruba
18-20: Bonaire
20: Curacao
[20-25]: Aruba
25-27: Bonaire
27: Curacao
[27-28]: Bonaire
28: Curacao
30-01: Aruba
November 1998
01-03: Bonaire
03: Curacao
[03-05]: Bonaire
05: Curacao
06-08: Aruba
08-11: Bonaire
10: Curacao
13-15: Aruba
15-17: Bonaire
17: Curacao (18-19: no information)
20-22: Aruba
22-24: Bonaire
24: Curacao
[24-27]: Bonaire
27: Curacao
28-29: St Kitts
30-02: Antigua
December 1998
03-04: St Kitts (04-07: no information)
[07-10]: Antigua
10: St Kitts (11-13: no information)
14: Antigua (13-15: no information)
17-18: St Kitts (19-20: no information)
21-23: Antigua
24-26: St Kitts (27: no information)
[28-31]: Antigua
31-01: St Kitts
January 1999
31 Dec-01 Jan: St Kitts (02-06: no information)
06: Antigua (07-08: no information)
09-10: Dominica
10-12: St Lucia
13-16: Barbados
17-19: St Lucia
19-20: Bequia, St Vincent & Grenadines
20-23: Barbados
24-25: St Lucia
27-30: Barbados
31: St Lucia (Castries)
February 1999
02-03: Barbados (01: no information)
03-04: Castries, St Lucia
04-05: Vieux Fort, St Lucia
06: Barbados
07-08: Dominica
11-12: St Kitts
[13-18]: Antigua
18-19: St Kitts
[20-22]: St Barthelemy, Guadeloupe
22-25: Antigua
25-27: St Kitts
[28-01]: St Barthelemy, Guadeloupe
[28-01]: St Eustatius, Netherlands Antilles.
March 1999
01-03: Antigua
04-05: St Kitts (06-08: no information; at sea?)
09-09: Bonaire
10-11: Aruba
12: Curacao
[12-01] May: Aruba.
No information from 12 March to 01 May.
This suggests she spent a further lengthy spell in dry dock, probably in Curacao (cf May 1998)
May 1999
01: St Anna Bay, Curacao.
02: St Barthelemy, Guadeloupe
03-07: Antigua
10: St Kitts
11-14: Antigua
15: St Barthelemy, Guadeloupe
16: St Kitts
17-18: Antigua [gap in record]
24-25: St Kitts
25-27: Antigua
31-01: St Kitts
June 1999
01: Antigua (02-06: no information)
07: Dominica
08: St Kitts
09-10: St Barthelemy, Guadeloupe
11: Dominica
11-12: Vieux Fort, St Lucia
13-16: Barbados
16: Vieux Fort, St Lucia
17: St Kitts
18: Dominica
19-20: St Kitts
23-24: Antigua
25-26: St Kitts
27: St Barthelemy, Guadeloupe
27: Dominica
28-29: Vieux Fort, St Lucia (MVAE?)
30-04: Barbados
July 1999
04: St Lucia
05: Dominica (06-07: no information)
08: Antigua
08-09: St Kitts
11: Dominica
12-13: St Lucia
14-18: Barbados
19: Dominica
[19-20]: St Barthelemy, Guadeloupe
20-22: Antigua
22-23: St Kitts
25: Dominica
[28]: St Lucia
28-31: Barbados
August 1999 Are we back to cheap trips for lower orders?
02-05: Curacao
05-07: Aruba
08-10: Bonaire
10-12: Curacao
13-14: Aruba
15-17: Bonaire
17-19: Curacao
19-20: Aruba
21-24: Bonaire
24-26: Curacao
27-28: Aruba
28-31: Bonaire
September 1999 More cheap deals?
31-02: Curacao
03-04: Aruba
05-07: Bonaire
07-09: Curacao
09-11: Aruba
12-14: Bonaire
14-15: Curacao
15-18: Aruba
19-21: Bonaire
21-23: Curacao
24-25: Aruba
26-28: Bonaire
28-30: Curacao
October 1999
01-02: Aruba
03-05: Bonaire
05-07: Curacao
08-09: Aruba
10-12: Bonaire
12-14: Curacao
15-16: Aruba
17-19: Bonaire
19-21: Curacao
22-23: Aruba
24-26: Bonaire
26-28: Curacao
31-02: Bonaire
November 1999
02-04: Curacao
04-06: Aruba
07-09: Bonaire
09-11: Curacao
12-14: Aruba
14: Bonaire (pit stop?)
14-17: Curacao
19-22: Barbados
23-24: Antigua
25: St Kitts (26-28: no information)
29-01: Antigua
December 1999
02-03: St Kitts
[03-16]: Antigua (gap of some 10 days)
16-17: St Kitts
[17-23]: St Barthelemy, Guadeloupe
[17-23]: Antigua
23-24: St Kitts
[24-30]: St Barthelemy, Guadeloupe
[24-30]: Antigua (another apparent gap)
31: St Kitts
January 2000
03-06: Antigua
06-08: St Kitts
[08-10]: St Barthelemy, Guadeloupe
10-13: Antigua
13-15: St Kitts
[15-16]: St Barthelemy, Guadeloupe
16-18: St Kitts
18: Antigua
20-21: St Kitts
[21-21]: St Barthelemy, Guadeloupe
21-22: St Kitts
23-24: Dominica
24: St Lucia
26: Barbados (27-30: no information; probably Barbados)
31-01: St Lucia
February 2000
02-05: Barbados
06-08: St Lucia
08: St Vincent
09-12: Barbados
[12-13]: St Vincent
[13-15]: St Lucia
15: St Vincent
16-19: Barbados
20-22: St Lucia
[22-27]: Barbados
27-28: St Lucia
28: Dominica
29-01: Antigua
March 2000
02-04: St Kitts
[04-06]: St Barthelemy, Guadeloupe
06: Antigua
09-11: St Kitts (time at sea)
14-15: Curacao
[5-17]: Aruba
17-21: Bonaire
21-23: Curacao
24-25: Aruba
28-[11 April]: Freeport, Bahamas. In dry dock again?
[28-11 April]: Nassau, Bahamas
April 2000
11-[18]: Freeport, Bahamas
[28 March-18 April]: Charleston, USA
18-[25]: Freeport, Bahamas
[18-25]: Nassau, Bahamas
25-[02 May]: Freeport, Bahamas
May 2000
[25 April-02 May]: Nassau, Bahamas
02: Freeport, Bahamas (02-09: no information)
09-[16]: Nassau, Bahamas
16: Freeport, Bahamas
[16-23]: Nassau, Bahamas
23-[01 June]: Freeport, Bahamas
[23-01 June]: Nassau, Bahamas
June 2000
01-[13]: Freeport (A week or ten days without information)
13-18: Antigua
19-20: Tortola, British Virgin Islands
22-23: St Kitts
[23-25]: St Martin, Guadeloupe
25-26: Antigua
30-01 July: St Kitts
July 2000
04-07: Antigua
[06-09]: St Martin, Guadeloupe
09-10: St Kitts
11-[16]: Antigua
[11-16]: St Eustachius, Netherlands Antilles (a tiny island near St Kitts)
16-17: St Kitts
18-[23]: Antigua
[18-23]: Gustavia, Guadeloupe
23-24: St Kitts
25-27: Antigua
[27-01]: St Martin, Guadeloupe
August 2000
01-[03]: Curacao
03-05: Aruba
06-08: Bonaire
08-09: Curacao
[09-10]: Bonaire
10-12: Aruba
12-15: Bonaire
15-18: Curacao
[16-18]: Bonaire
18: Aruba
19-22: Bonaire
22-23: Curacao
27-29: Bonaire
31-02: Aruba
September 2000
03-05: Bonaire
05-07: Curacao
08-09: Aruba
10-12: Bonaire
12-14: Curacao
15-16: Aruba
17-19: Bonaire
19-20: Curacao
21-23: Aruba
24-26: Bonaire
26-27: Curacao
28-30: Aruba
October 2000
05-07: Aruba (01-04: no information; should be Bonaire, Curacao)
08-10: Bonaire
10-about 12: Curacao
12-14: Aruba
15-17: Bonaire
17-19: Curacao
[19-22]: Aruba
22-24: Bonaire
24-25: Curacao
25-30: Aruba
30: Bonaire
November 2000
01: St Kitts
01-03: Antigua
[03-08]: Tortola, British Virgin Islands
08: St Kitts
08-10: Antigua
[10-15]: Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands
15: St Kitts
15: Antigua (16-20: no information)
20-21: Tortola, British Virgin Islands.
22: St Kitts
[22-29]: Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands
29: St Kitts
29-01: Antigua
December 2000
06: St Kitts (02-06: no information)
06-08: Antigua (09-13: no information)
13: St Kitts
13-[20]: Antigua (15-20: no information)
[13-20]: Tortola, British Virgin Islands
20: St Kitts
20-22: Antigua (23-26: no information)
26-27: St Kitts
27-[02 Jan 2001]: Antigua
End of Part 1
04 August 2010
M/V Freewinds Timeline Part 2: 2001-2003
For introductory notes see Part 1
January 2001
02-03: Tortola, British Virgin Islands
05-06: St Kitts (2 days unaccounted for)
08-09: Tortola, BVI
10: St Kitts
10-[15]: Antigua (4 days unaccounted for)
15-16: Tortola, BVI
17: St Kitts
17-19: Antigua
[19-22]: St Kitts (2-3 days unaccounted for)
22-23: Tortola, BVI
24: Antigua
24: St Kitts
[24-28]: St Barthelemy, Guadeloupe. (2-3 days unaccounted for)
28: St Kitts
29: Tortola, BVI (7 days unaccounted for up to 05 February)
February 2001
05: Tortola BVI
06: St Kitts
06-07: Antigua (5 days unaccounted for)
12-13: Tortola, BVI
14: St Kitts
14-16: Antigua
[16-19]: St Barthelemy, Guadeloupe
19: Tortola, BVI
[19-21]: Nevis, St Kitts-Nevis
21: St Kitts
21-23: Antigua (2 days unaccounted for)
26-27: Tortola, BVI
28: St Kitts
28-[05 March]: Antigua (8 days unaccounted for)
March 2001
05-06: Tortola, BVI
07: St Kitts
07: Antigua
[07-12]: St Barthelemy, Guadeloupe
12-13: Tortola, BVI
14: St Kitts
14-[19]: Antigua
19-20: Tortola, BVI (several days unaccounted for)
21: St Kitts
21-23: Antigua (23-26 unaccounted for)
26-27: Bonaire
[27-30]: Aruba
30-31: Aruba
April 2001
01-03: Bonaire
03-04: Curacao
[04-06]: Aruba
06-07: Curacao (3 days unaccounted for)
10-13: Freeport, Bahamas
[13-17]: Nassau, Bahamas
17-19: Freeport, Bahamas
[19-24]: Nassau, Bahamas
24-[02]: Freeport, Bahamas
[24-02]: Nassau, Bahamas (one weekly cycle is missing)
May 2001 Weekly routine
02-04: Freeport, Bahamas
04-09: Nassau, Bahamas
09-[12]: Freeport, Bahamas
12-15: Nassau, Bahamas
15-[18]: Freeport, Bahamas (probably 16 May)
18: Nassau, Bahamas (4 days missing)
22-24: Freeport, Bahamas
25-29: Nassau, Bahamas
29-[01 June]: Freeport, Bahamas
June 2001
01-02: Freeport, Bahamas
[02-03]: Nassau, Bahamas
03-06: Freeport, Bahamas
[06-11]: St Barthelemy, Guadeloupe
11: Basseterre, St Kitts.
[11-18]: Antigua (up to a week missing)
18-19: Dominica
21-22: Tortola, BVI (2 days cruising? 230 miles = 260 nautical miles; speed 16 knots = 16 hrs.
24: Antigua
[24-27]: St Eustatius, Netherlands Antilles
27: Tortola, BVI
[27-02July]: Dominica
July 2001
02: Vieux Fort, St Lucia
02-03: Tortola, BVI
04-06: Antigua
06: Dominica (4 days missing)
11: St Kitts
11-13: Antigua
[13-16]: St Barthelemy, Guadeloupe
16-17: Tortola, BVI
18: St Kitts
18-20: Antigua (4 days missing)
25: St Kitts
25-27: Antigua (2 days missing, perhaps at sea)
30-31: Bonaire
31-02 August: Curacao
August 2001
03-05: Aruba
05-07: Bonaire
07-08: Curacao (1-2 days missing)
10: Aruba
11-12: Bonaire
13-16: Curacao (2-3 days missing)
19-20: Aruba
[20-23]: Curacao
24-25: Aruba
[29-30]: Curacao
31-01 Sept: Aruba
September 2001
02-04: Bonaire
04-05: Curacao (05-06: no information)
07-08: Aruba
09-11: Bonaire
11-13: Curacao
14-16: Aruba
16-18: Curacao (19-20, perhaps Bonaire?)
21-22: Aruba
23-26: Bonaire
27-29: Aruba
30-02: Bonaire
October 2001
02-04: Curacao
05-06: Aruba
07-09: Bonaire
09-12: Curacao (Major gap from 12 October to 03 November. More repairs?)
November 2001
03: Aruba
04-06: Bonaire
06-08: Curacao
[08-09]: Bonaire
09-10: Aruba
[10-15]: Bonaire (some days missing here)
15-18: Aruba
19-20: Curacao (2 days missing)
22-25: Aruba
26-27: Bonaire
[27-30]: Curacao
30-01: Aruba
December 2001
02-04: Bonaire (2 days missing)
06-08: Aruba
[08-09]: Curacao
09-11: Bonaire (2 days missing)
13-15: Aruba
16-18: Bonaire
[18-21]: Aruba
21-23: Bonaire
23-27: Aruba
28-30: Bonaire (31-02 not located)
January 2002
02-03: Curacao
03-05: Aruba
06-08: Bonaire
08-09: Curacao
10-12: Aruba
13-15: Bonaire
15-17: Curacao
17-20: Aruba
20-22: Bonaire
23-24: Curacao
24-26: Aruba
27-29: Bonaire
29-31: Curacao
February 2002
31-02: Aruba
03-05: Bonaire
07-10: Aruba
10-12: Bonaire
14-16: Aruba (1-2 days missing)
17-19: Bonaire (1-2 days missing)
21-[24]: Aruba
24-26: Bonaire
28-02: Aruba
March 2002
03-05: Bonaire (3-4 days missing)
08-09: Aruba
10-11: Bonaire
12-13: Curacao
13-14: Aruba (8 days missing)
22-26: Nassau, Bahamas (3 days missing)
29: Nassau, Bahamas (3 days missing)
April 2002
02-05: Freeport, Bahamas
05-09: Nassau, Bahamas
10: Freeport, Bahamas (1-2 days missing)
12-16: Nassau, Bahamas
16: Freeport, Bahamas (2-3 days missing)
19-23: Nassau, Bahamas
23-26: Freeport, Bahamas (3-4 days missing, perhaps in Nassau.)
30-03: Freeport, Bahamas (3-4 days missing, perhaps in Nassau.)
May 2002
07: Freeport, Bahamas (03-07 not accounted for)
14: Freeport, Bahamas (07-14 not accounted for)
21: Freeport, Bahamas (previous week not accounted for)
28: Freeport, Bahamas (previous week not accounted for)
June 2002
07-10: Nassau, Bahamas (8 days missing)
18-19: Nassau, Bahamas (2 days missing)
21-22: Nassau, Bahamas (6 days missing)
28: Nassau, Bahamas
July 2002
01-02: Tortola, BVI
03: St Kitts
[03-03]: St Eustatius, Netherlands Antilles
03-[08]: Antigua (several days unaccounted for)
08: Tortola, BVI
09: St Kitts
09-11: Antigua (3-4 days not accounted for)
15: Tortola, BVI
16: St Kitts
16-18: Antigua (2-3 days missing)
21-22: Tortola, BVI
[22-23]: St Eustatius, Netherlands Antilles
23-24: St Kitts
24-25: Antigua (26th not accounted for)
27-28: Dominica
29-31: St Vincent, St Vincent & Grenadines
31-[03]: Barbados
August 2002
03-04: Dominica (04-10 not accounted for)
10-13: Bonaire
15-16: Aruba
17-20: Bonaire
22-24: Aruba
25-27: Bonaire
29-31: Aruba
September 2002
01-03: Bonaire
03-05: Curacao
05-07: Aruba (08-09 not accounted for)
10-12: Curacao
12-14: Aruba
15-19: Curacao
19-21: Aruba (22-23 not accounted for)
24-26: Curacao
26-28: Aruba
29-01: Bonaire
October 2002
01-03: Curacao
[03-06]: Aruba
06-08: Bonaire
08-10: Curacao
10-13: Aruba
13-15: Bonaire
15-17: Curacao
17-19: Aruba
20-22: Bonaire
25-26: Aruba
27-29: Bonaire
29-31: Curacao
November 2002
04: St Vincent (01-04 not accounted for)
06-10: Barbados
10: St Vincent (10-13 not accounted for)
13-15: Barbados, dep. 21.13.
16-17: Dominica (18-19 not accounted for)
19: St Vincent
20-23: Barbados. eta 05.30, dep. 21.36.
24-25: Dominica
26: St Vincent
27-29: Barbados eta 05.30, dep. 21.30.
30-01: Dominca
December 2002
02-03: St Vincent
04-07: Barbados, eta 5.25, dep. 21.40.
08-09: Dominica
10: St Vincent
11-15: Barbados, eta 05.30, dep. 00.20
15: St Vincent (16-18: no information)
18-22: Barbados, eta 05.30, dep. 00.15
22-23: St Vincent
24-27: Barbados, eta 05.30, dep. 02.10
27-28: St Vincent
31-05 Jan. 2003: Barbados, eta 05.45, dep. 00.06
January 2003
05: St Vincent (05-08: no information)
08-12: Barbados, eta 05.20, dep. 00.20
12-13: St Vincent (13-15: no information)
15-19: Barbados, eta 05.30, dep. 00.17
19: St Vincent (20-22: no information)
22-[27]: Barbados
27: St Vincent
29-02: Barbados, eta 05.30, dep. 00.20
February 2003
02-03: St Vincent (04: no information)
05-09: Barbados eta 05.20, dep. 02.20
09-11: St Vincent
12-16: Barbados, eta 05.30, dep. 00.15
16-17: St Vincent
19-23: Barbados, eta 05.30, dep. 07.00
23-25: St Vincent
26-02: Barbados, eta 05.30, dep. 00.20
March 2003
02-04: St Vincent
05-09: Barbados eta 05.20
09-10: St Vincent
12-16: Barbados, eta 05.00, dep. 00.15
17-18: St Vincent
19-24: Barbados, dep. 00.15
25: St Vincent (26-30: no information)
30-01: Bonaire
April 2003
01-03: Curacao
03-05: Aruba (06-08: no information)
08-10: Curacao (11-13: no information)
13-15: Bonaire
15-17: Curacao (18-19: no information)
19-20: Dominica
21-23: St Vincent
23-27: Barbados, eta 05.20, dep. 00.19
27-28: St Vincent
30-04: Barbados, eta 05.00, dep. 00.20
May 2003
04-05: St Vincent
07-11: Barbados, eta 05.00, dep. 00.15
11-14: St Vincent
14-18: Barbados, dep. 01.40
18-20: St Vincent
21-24: Barbados, dep. 23.59
25-27: St Vincent
28-[03 June]: Barbados
June 2003
03-05: Curacao
05-07: Aruba
08-10: Bonaire
09-15: Curacao (an unusually long stay; perhaps docked for repairs)
16-19: Bonaire
19-20: Aruba
21-22: Bonaire (22-24: no information, perhaps Aruba)
24-28: Bonaire
29-03: Curacao
July 2003
03-05: Barbados
06: Dominica
07-08: St Vincent
09-13: Barbados
[13]-13: St Vincent
15-17: Barbados (18-22: no information)
22-25: Curacao (16-29: no information, perhaps Aruba)
29-31: Curacao
August 2003
03-05: Bonaire (01-03: no information; probably Aruba)
05-07: Curacao
07-09: Aruba
10-12: Bonaire
12-14: Curacao
14-16: Aruba
17-19: Bonaire
19-21: Curacao
21-23: Aruba
24-26: Bonaire
26-29: Curacao
29-30: Aruba
31-02: Bonaire
September 2003
02-04: Curacao
04-06: Aruba
07-09: Bonaire
09-11: Curacao
11-13: Aruba
14-16: Bonaire
16-18: Curacao (19-21: no information; presumably Aruba)
21-23: Bonaire
23-25: Curacao
25-27: Aruba
28-30: Bonaire
30-[before 23 Oct]: Curacao (suggests further dry dock work)
October 2003
[30 Sep-23 Oct]: Bonaire (in other words, she was in Bonaire on 23 Oct.)
23-26: Aruba
27-30: Kralendijk, Bonaire
November 2003
01: Dominica (02-03: no information)
03-04: St Vincent
05-07: Barbados, eta 05.30, dep. 21.05
08-09: Dominica
10-11: St Vincent
12-16: Barbados, eta 05.30, dep. 00.15
16-18: St Vincent
19-23: Barbados, eta 05.30, dep. 00.15
24-25: St Vincent
26-[30]: Barbados
30-02: St Vincent
December 2003
03-07: Barbados, eta 05.30, dep. 00.20
07: St Vincent. (no information for 08-10)
10-14: Barbados, eta 05.30, dep. 00.23
14-16: St Vincent
17-21: Barbados, eta 05.30, dep. 00.45
21-26: St Vincent (probably 21-23)
24-26: Barbados
27-28: Dominica
28-30: St Vincent
31-[03 Dec 2004]: Barbados
End of Part 2.
5 August 2010
M/V Freewinds Timeline Part 3: 2004-2006
This is the third section of a definitive version of the original Timeline, which was published towards the end of 2009 as a WWP Wiki. The WWP wiki is now obsolete. The two earlier sections cover 1998-2000 and 2001-2003.
January 2004
03: Dominica
04-06: St Vincent
07-[12]: Barbados
12: Dominica
13: St Kitts
13: St Vincent (14-19: not accounted for)
[13-20]: Basse Terre, Guadeloupe
20-[24]: Antigua
[20-23]: St Eustatius, Netherlands Antilles
24-25: Tortola, BVI
27-[31]: Antigua
31-01: Tortola, BVI
February 2004
02-03: St Kitts
03: Antigua (04-06: no information)
06-07: St Kitts
09-11: St Vincent (1-2 days missing)
11-15: Barbados, eta. 05.30, dep. 00.15
15-18: St Vincent
18-22: Barbados, eta 04.30, dep. 1930
22-24: St Vincent
25-[29]: Barbados
29-03: St Vincent
March 2004
03-06: Barbados, eta 05.30, dep. 00.17
07-09: St Vincent
10-12: Barbados, eta 05.32, dep. 21.02
13: Dominica
15-17: St Vincent
17-20: Barbados, eta 05.30, dep. 00.22
21-23: St Vincent
24-[28]: Barbados
28-31: St Vincent (2-3 days not accounted for)
April 2004
03-06: Bonaire
06-08: Curacao
08-10: Aruba (2 days missing)
12-13: Bonaire
14-15: Aruba
16-19: Bonaire
20-22: Curacao
[22-25]: Aruba
25-27: Bonaire
27: Curacao
[27-02]: Aruba
May 2004
02-04: Bonaire
04-06: Curacao
[06-10]: Aruba
10-13: Bonaire
15-16: Dominica
17-18: St Vincent
19-22: Barbados, eta 04.30, dep. 19.30
23: Dominida
23-25: St Vincent
26-29: Barbados
30-03 June: St Vincent
June 2004
05-06: Barbados
06-08: St Vincent
09-13: Barbados, eta 04.30
13-15: St Vincent
15-[21]: Barbados
[15-21]: St Martin, Guadeloupe
21-22: Dominica
23-25: St Vincent
27-02: Barbados, eta 04.30
July 2004
04: Dominica
04-[05]: St Vincent
05-08: Barbados
[08]-11: St Vincent
11-13: Bonaire
13-15: Curacao
16-17: Aruba
18-21: Bonaire
21-23: Curacao
23-24: Aruba
25-28: Bonaire
28-30: Curacao
30-01: Aruba
August 2004
02-05: Curacao
05-07: Aruba
08-10: Bonaire
10-12: Curacao
12-13: Aruba
14-17: Bonaire
17-19: Curacao
19-21: Aruba
22-24: Bonaire
24-26: Curacao
26-28: Aruba
29-31: Bonaire
31-02: Curacao
September 2004
02-04: Aruba
05-07: Bonaire
07-12: Curacao
12-13: Bonaire
13-16: Curacao
17-19: Aruba
20-21: Bonaire
21-23: Curacao
23-25: Aruba
26-28: Bonaire
28-30: Curacao
30-02: Aruba
October 2004
03-05: Bonaire (06-07: probably Curacao)
07-09: Aruba
10-12: Bonaire
12-14: Curacao
14-16: Aruba
17-19: Bonaire
21-23: Aruba
24-26: Bonaire
26-28: Curacao
28-30: Aruba
31-02: Bonaire
November 2004
04-07: Curacao (03-04 not accounted for; probably Aruba)
07-09: Bonaire
09-11: Curacao (12-14 not accounted for; probably Aruba
14-16: Bonaire (17-18 not accounted for; probably Curacao)
18-20: Aruba
21-23: Bonaire
23-25: Curacao
25-29: Aruba
30-01: Bonaire
December 2004
01-02: Curacao (03-05: missing, probably Aruba)
05-07: Bonaire
07-09: Curacao (10-13: missing; probably Aruba)
13-14: Bonaire (15-16: not accounted for)
16-18: Curacao
19-21: Bonaire
21-23: Curacao
23-26: Aruba
27-28: Bonaire
28-30: Curacao
30-02: Aruba
January 2005
03-04: Bonaire
04-06: Curacao
06-08: Aruba
09-11: Bonaire
11-13: Curacao
13-15: Aruba
16-18: Kralendijk, Bonaire
18-20: Curacao
20-22: Aruba (23-25: not accounted for; perhaps in Bonaire)
25-27: Curacao
27-29: Aruba
30-01: Kralendijk, Bonaire
February 2005
06-08: Kralendijk, Bonaire (02-06: no information)
08-10: Curacao
13-15: Bonaire (11-13: no information)
15-17: Curacao
17-19: Aruba
20-23: Bonaire
24-26: Aruba
27-01: Bonaire
March 2005
01-03: Curacao
03-05: Aruba
06-08: Bonaire
08-10: Curacao (11-12: no information, probably Aruba)
13-15: Bonaire
15-17: Curacao (18-22: no information; perhaps Aruba and Bonaire)
22-24: Curacao
27-29: Bonaire
29-31: Curacao
[31-01]: Aruba
April 2005
01: Curacao
02-05: St Kitts
05-07: Antigua (08-12: no information)
12-14: Antigua
19: Antigua (15-19: no information)
23-24: Dominica
25-26: St Lucia
27-[01]: Barbados
May 2005
01-03: St Lucia
04-07: Barbados, eta 05.00, dep. 23.05
08: St Lucia (09-11: no information)
11-14: Barbados, eta 05.15, dep. 22.26 (15-16: no information)
16-17: Bonaire
17-19: Curacao
19-21: Aruba
22-24: Bonaire
24-25: Curacao
26-28: Aruba
29-31: Bonaire
31-02: Curacao
June 2005
02-04: Aruba
05-07: Bonaire
[07]: Curacao
07-13: Aruba
14: Curacao (15-20: no information; apparently docked 14-22 at Curacao)
20-22: Curacao
22-23: Bonaire
24-27: Aruba
28-30: Bonaire
30-02: Curacao
July 2005
03-05: Bonaire
05-08: Curacao
08-09: Aruba
10-13: Bonaire (14-17: no information; MVAE?)
17-19: Bonaire
21-23: Aruba (20-21: no information)
24-27: Bonaire
27-28: Curacao
28-30: Aruba
31: Bonaire
August 2005
01-07: Aruba (this is unusual)
08-09: Bonaire (10-11: no information)
11-15: Aruba
16: Bonaire (17-18: no information)
18-20: Aruba
21-23: Bonaire (24-25: no information)
25-26: Aruba
27-30: Bonaire
September 2005
01-03: Aruba
04-06: Bonaire (07-08: no information)
08-10: Aruba
11-13: Bonaire (14-15: no information)
15-17: Aruba
18-20: Bonaire (21-22: no information)
22-24: Aruba
25-27: Bonaire (28-29: no information)
29-01: Aruba
October 2005
02-04: Bonaire (05-06: no information)
06-08: Aruba (09-27: no information; probably in dry dock, Curacao)
27-29: Aruba
30-01: Bonaire
November 2005
03-05: Aruba (02-03: no information)
06-07: Bonaire
07-10: Curacao
11-12: Aruba
12: Dominica
13-14: Bonaire (15-19: no information)
19-20: Dominica
21-22: St Lucia (23-27: no information)
27-28: St Lucia
30-03: Barbados, eta 04.00, dep. 23.15
December 2005
04-06: St Lucia
07-10: Barbados, eta 05.00, dep. 21.45
12: St Lucia (11-12: no information)
13-17: Barbados, eta 05.00, dep. 23.03
21-26: Barbados, eta 05.30, dep. 22.35. (18-21: no information)
27-28: St Lucia
29-01: Barbados, eta 04.06, dep. 23.20
In 2006 the SeaWeb outline begins to overlap with other sources of information. The 2006 cruise schedule shows a regular weekly program visiting Barbados which continued from 2005 and ran over 16 weeks from January to May, the normal end of the cruising season in the Caribbean. There are a few notes of social events, part of her policy of patronising the natives. The Lions Club met on board. In seven months in 2006, 8,000 Barbadians came on board for concerts.
January 2006
02-03: St Lucia
04-07: Barbados, eta 05.30, dep. 23.00
08: Dominica (09-11: no information)
11-14: Barbados, eta 05.35, dep. 23.20
15-17: St Lucia
18-21: Barbados, eta 05.30, dep. 21.35
22-23: Dominica
23-26: St Lucia
27-28: Barbados, eta 05.00, dep. 23.20 (Original booking 25-28)
29-31: St Lucia
February 2006
01-04: Barbados, eta 05.00, dep. 23.15
05-06: St Lucia
06: Dominica
07: St Kitts
08-09: Antigua
10-14: St Kitts
15-16: Antigua
17-22: St Kitts: 20 Feb “Freewinds at Port Zante with 540 passengers”. ?
23: Antigua
24-28: St Kitts
March 2006
01-[03]: Antigua
03-07: St Kitts
08-[10]: Antigua
10: St Kitts (11-12: not accounted for; probably St Kitts)
12-13: Dominica
13-14: St Lucia
15-16: Barbados, eta 06.15, dep. 22.45 (17-18 perhaps also Barbados)
19: St Lucia
21-26: Barbados, eta 05.10, dep. 23.20 (27-29: not accounted for; probably St Lucia)
29-01: Barbados, eta 05.40, dep. 23.15
April 2006
02-03: St Lucia
04-08: Barbados, eta 05.15, dep. 22.43
09-11: St Lucia
12-15: Barbados, eta 05.15, dep. 22.50
16-[19]: St Lucia
19-22: Barbados, eta 05.00, dep. 20.40
23: Dominica
24-25: St Lucia
26-29: Barbados, eta 05.45, dep. 23.18
30: St Lucia
May 2006
03-06: Barbados, eta 05.45, dep. 20.50 (01-03: no information)
07-08: Dominica
08-09: St Lucia
10-12: Barbados, eta 05.45, dep. 22.50, or 13th dep. 23.59
13-16: St Lucia
17-20: Barbados, eta 06.00, dep. 23.30
21-22: St Lucia (23-24: no information)
24-27: Barbados, eta 06.15, dep. 23.30
28-30: St Lucia
31-[04]: Barbados
June 2006
04-06: St Lucia
07-18: Barbados, eta 06.00, dep. 17.56 (repairs? refitting?) She is believed to have celebrated her 18th MVAE in Barbados.
19: Dominica (20-22: no information)
22-23: St Lucia
23-30: Barbados, eta 08.15, dep. 23.25 (more repairs? more refitting?) On 24 June Freewinds donated books and shoes to a YWCA fundraiser; they were to be sold, said the YWCA. On 25 June she organised a free concert.
July 2006
01: Dominica
02-04: St Kitts (her 18th MVAE?)
05: Dominica
06: St Lucia (07-08: no information; at sea)
08-09: Bonaire
10-12: Curacao (13-16: no information; probably Aruba)
16-18: Bonaire
18-20: Curacao
20-22: Aruba
23-25: Bonaire
25-27: Curacao
27-29: Aruba
30-01: Bonaire
August 2006
01-03: Curacao
03-05: Aruba
06-08: Bonaire
08-10: Curacao
10-11: Aruba
12-15: Bonaire
15-18: Curacao
[18]-19: Aruba
20-22: Bonaire
22-24: Curacao
24-26: Aruba
27-29: Bonaire
29-31: Curacao
[31]-31: Aruba
31-31: Bonaire
31-02: Aruba
September 2006
05-06: Curacao (03-05: no information)
07-09: Aruba
10-12: Bonaire
12-14: Curacao
14-16: Aruba
17-19: Bonaire
19-21: Curacao
21-23: Aruba
24-26: Bonaire
26-28: Curacao
28-30: Aruba
30-01: Curacao
October 2006
01-03: Bonaire
03-05: Curacao
05-07: Aruba
08-10: Bonaire
11-12: Curacao
12-14: Aruba
15-17: Bonaire
17-19: Curacao
19-21: Aruba
22-24: Bonaire (25-26: no information)
26-28: Aruba
29-31: Bonaire
November 2006 Curacao information appears to be missing
[02]-04: Aruba (01-02: no information)
[07-08]: Bonaire (05-07: no information)
09-11: Aruba
12-14: Bonaire (15-16: no information)
16-19: Aruba
20-21: Bonaire (22-34: no information)
23-25: Aruba
25-28: Bonaire
30-02: Aruba
December 2006
03-05: Bonaire
05-07: Curacao
07-09: Aruba
09-10: Bonaire (11-12: no information)
12-14: Curacao
14: Aruba (15-17: no information)
17-20: Bonaire
20-22: Curacao
22-26: Aruba
27-28: Curacao
28-30: Bonaire
30-03 January 2007: Aruba
End of Part 3, 2004-2006
M/V Freewinds Timeline Part 4: 2007-2008
This is Part 4 of a new version of the original Freewinds Timeline, which was published towards the end of 2009 as a WWP Wiki. Parts 1 to 3 cover 1998-2000, 2001-2003 and 2004-2006. Information in square brackets is unconfirmed or approximate.
2007
The Curaçao advance booking schedule for 2007 shows Freewinds regularly arriving on a Tuesday and departing on Thursday
January 2007 (Advance schedules confirmed by SeaWeb)
03: Curaçao [ eta 05.45, dep. 16.30. 06-08]
03-05: Bonaire
05-06: Aruba
07-09: Bonaire
09-11: Curaçao [eta 19.15, dep. 16.30]
11-13: Aruba
14-16: Bonaire
16-18: Curaçao [same times]
18-20: Aruba
21-23: Bonaire
23-25: Curaçao [same times]
26-27: Aruba
28-30: Bonaire
30-01: Curaçao [same times]
February 2007
01-03: Aruba
04-06: Bonaire
[06-08: Curaçao – same times]
08-10: Aruba
11-13: Bonaire
13-15: Curaçao [same times]
15-17: Aruba
18-20: Bonaire
20-22: Curaçao [same times]
22-24: Aruba
25-27: Bonaire
27-01: Curaçao [same times]
March 2007
01-02: Aruba
03-about 04: Bonaire (probably 03-05)
07-08: Curaçao [eta 17.15, dep. 17.00] (probably 06-08, as per schedule)
09-10: Aruba
11-13: Bonaire
13-15: Curaçao [eta 06.00, dep. 17.00]
15-17: Aruba
18-20: Bonaire
20-22: Curaçao [eta 17.15, dep. 17.00]
22-24: Aruba
25-27: Bonaire
27-29: Curaçao [eta 17.15, dep. 17.00]
29-31: Aruba
April 2007
01-03: Bonaire
03-05: Curaçao
05-06: Aruba
07-10: Bonaire
10-12: Curaçao
12-14: Aruba (15-16: probably Bonaire)
17-19: Curaçao
19-21: Aruba (22-24: probably Bonaire)
24-26: Curaçao
26-29: Aruba (30-01 May: probably Bonaire)
May 2007 Sean Paton’s first video about Freewind’s dumping raw sewage and waste water on Bonaire. His first letter on the topic dates back to 2003. 20 May: Scientology sponsors Jazz Festival in Bonaire
01-03: Curaçao
03-05: Aruba (05-08: probably Bonaire; cf 12-15)
08-10: Curaçao
10-12: Aruba
12-15: Bonaire
15-17: Curaçao
17-19: Aruba (19-22: probably Bonaire)
22-24: Curaçao
24-26: Aruba
27-29: Bonaire
29-31: Curaçao
31-03: Aruba
June 2007 The Freewinds Maiden Voyage Anniversary Event (MVAE), also known as the OT summit, is held on board every year in June/July and lasts one week. Meetings are chaired by David Miscavige in person and the entire ship is given over to this event. Places are much sought and according to one OT, 250 people attended. In other contexts her capacity is variously claimed to be 360, 400 or even 500. Pooks (WWP, 18 June 2008, ‘Maiden Voyage Anniversary Event kicks off’) said, ‘Last year (2007) the week-long event was held at Flag, not on the Freewinds’. There is no sign of any such disruption in 2007.
31-03: Aruba
04-05: Bonaire
05-07: Curaçao
07-09: Aruba
10-12: Bonaire
12-17: Curaçao
17-18: Bonaire
18-23: Aruba
24-25: Curaçao (26 June-03 July: no information – perhaps the elusive Event? On 03 July she was in St Kitts)
July 2007
On 3 July Freewinds was in St Kitts and apparently again on 10 July when she hosted a Weekend Benefit Concert for the natives which featured the Dominican vocalist Michele Henderson and the Freewinds Band. From the St Kitts Nevis news site sknvibes on 12 July 2007. Was this the Event?
03-04: St Kitts
04: Antigua
[04]-06: St Kitts
08-09: Dominica
10: St Lucia. Also reported to be at Basseterre, St Kitts (see above).
11-12: Barbados (13-14: nothing known) No sign of scheduled visit to Curaçao, 10-12.
14-15: Dominica (16-19: nothing known) No sign of scheduled visit to Curaçao, 17-19.
19-21: Aruba (22-24: nothing known)
24-26: Curaçao (as scheduled) [eta 15.15, dep. 17.30.
26-28: Aruba
31-02: Curaçao (as scheduled) [times as above]
August 2007
02-03: Aruba (04-07: no information)
07-09: Curaçao (as scheduled)
09-11: Aruba
12-14: Bonaire
14-16: Curaçao (as scheduled)
16-17: Aruba
18-20: Curaçao (unscheduled visit)
20-21: Bonaire
21-23: Curaçao (as scheduled)
23-24: Aruba
25-28: Bonaire
28-30: Curaçao (unscheduled visit in place of 30-02 Sep.)
30-01: Aruba
September 2007
02-03: Curaçao (unscheduled visit)
03-04: Bonaire
04-06: Curaçao (according to schedule)
06-09: Aruba
09-11: Bonaire
11-13: Curaçao (as scheduled)
13-15: Aruba
16-18: Bonaire
18-20: Curaçao (as scheduled)
20-22: Aruba
23-25: Bonaire
25-27: Curaçao (as scheduled) (28-30: no information, presumably Aruba)
30-01: Bonaire
October 2007 This clashes with an Aruba booking:
23: Aruba eta 22.00. 24: Aruba all day. 25: Aruba dep. 23.00 Source: S.E.L Maduro & Sons (Aruba) Inc.
02-04: Curaçao (as scheduled)
04-06: Aruba
07-16: Bonaire (10 days: an unusually long visit) No sign of scheduled visit 09-11 to Curaçao.
16-18: Curaçao (as scheduled)
18-20: Aruba
21-23: Bonaire
23-25: Curaçao (as scheduled) instead of 23-25: Aruba, eta 22.00, dep.23.00 (Maduro, Inc.)
25-27: Aruba. See 23-25 October.
28-30: Bonaire
30-02: Curaçao (scheduled 30-01)
November 2007 4 scheduled visits to Curaçao on 06-08, 13-15, 20-22, 27-29 were cancelled. Instead, from 12 to 22 November, a great publicity scoop for the cult. Freewinds hosted five seminars on behalf of IMO and UNEP, relating to the MARPOL Annex V agreement on maritime pollution, on five islands in the eastern Caribbean: St Lucia, Dominica, St Kitts, Barbados and Antigua. (She also hosted a later seminar in Curaçao in October 2008.) The dates are all confirmed by SeaWeb. Scheduled information is shown in italics.
http://www.sknvibes.com/Business/Newsdetails.cfm/3961
21 November 2007, Basseterre, St. Kitts: “The efforts to ensure that the local and regional marine environment remains in the best possible condition, with minimal incidents of pollution, remains an issue of top priority among regional administrative circles. This was evident during a two day conference on board the Freewinds cruise ship, while it berthed at Port Zante, on November 19th and 20th.”
02-03: Bonaire. As scheduled: 03: St Lucia eta 06.00, dep. 23.45 (400 passengers).
03-04: no information
05: Dominica. As scheduled: 05: Dominica eta 07.00, dep. 24.00 (300 passengers).
06: St Lucia. As scheduled: 06: St Lucia, dep. 21.00 (400 passengers).
07-10: Barbados, eta 05.30, dep. 22.30. As scheduled: 09-10: Dominica eta 07.00, dep. 24.00.
11: St Lucia. As scheduled: 11-13: St Lucia dep. 21.00. The first MARPOL seminar.
14-15: Barbados, eta 05.30, dep. 1938. As scheduled: 14-15: Barbados, for the second MARPOL seminar.
16: Dominica. As scheduled: 16-17: Dominica, dep. 23.00. Third MARPOL seminar.
18-20: St Kitts, eta 06.59, dep. 15.00. Scheduled: 19-20: St Kitts for the fourth MARPOL seminar (Monday/Tuesday). http://www.sknvibes.com/Business/Newsdetails.cfm/3961
20-22: Antigua. As scheduled: 21-22: Antigua: fifth MARPOL seminar. (22-25: no information)
26-27: St Lucia. As scheduled: 26: Dominica eta 07.00, dep. 24.00; 27: St Lucia eta, dep. 21.00 (400).
28-01: Barbados, eta 05.15, dep. 22.15.
December 2007 Four scheduled visits to Curaçao: 04-06, 11-13, 18-20, 25-27. None of them were fulfilled. Freewinds was involved in a training exercise for seamen in St Kitts. It was completed in December 2007 but Captain Mike Napier said she will return to St Kitts in June 2008 for the commencement of the second phase of the training.
http://www.sknvibes.com/News/NewsDetails.cfm/4968
02-03: St Lucia. SAs scheduled: 02-04: St Lucia dep. 21.00 (400 passengers). 04-05: no information
05-08: Barbados, eta 05.15, dep. 23.35
09: St Lucia. Scheduled: 09-11: St Lucia dep. 21.00.
12-15: Barbados, eta 05.00, dep. 22.10
16-[19]: St Lucia. Scheduled: 16-18: St Lucia dep. 21.00.
19-21: Barbados, eta 05.10, dep. 22.20
22: St Lucia. Scheduled: 22-23: St Lucia dep. 21.00. 24.
24-26: Barbados, eta 05.30, dep. 20.33
27 Dominica, as scheduled: 27: Dominica eta 07.00, dep. 24.00 (300 passengers).
28-01:St Kitts.
2008
In the first few weeks of 2008 Freewinds reverted to the ABC islands and continued with her normal pattern of weekly cruises. From Aruba sources, only seven cruises took place, four in January and three in February. Then routine inspection discovered the eroded hull structure, leading to immediate structural repairs in the dry dock at Curaçao (see Freewinds, Renovation). It was during this work that blue asbestos leaked into the ventilation system. An appearance of normal cruising, at a lower frequency and a much lower level of occupancy, is not found until November-December.
January 2008 Aruba port authorities reported Freewinds made 4 calls with a total of 610 passengers, average occupancy 152. From the Bonaire Blog, Freewinds was normally in Curaçao from Tuesday to Thursday every week (as we saw in 2007), in Bonaire over Friday and Saturday nights, sailing to Aruba on Sunday and back to Curaçao on Tuesday went back to Curaçao. It appears that her first tour of 2008 took in St Lucia and Barbados. Cancelled: 01-03: Curacao eta 17,15m dep. 17.00
02: Dominica. As scheduled: 02: Dominica eta 07.00, dep. 23.45 (300 passengers).
03: St Lucia. As scheduled: 03: St Lucia eta 06.00, dep. same day 23.45 (Thurs).
04-05: Barbados, eta 05.30, dep. 22.05. As scheduled: 04-05: Barbados eta 06.00, dep. 20.00.
06-08: no information
08-10: Curacao. As scheduled 05-07: Curaçao eta 17.15. dep. 17.00
10-12: Aruba. (13-15: no information)
15-17: Curacao. As scheduled: 15: Curaçao eta 17.15. dep. 17.00
17-19: Aruba (18-20: no information)
20-22: Bonaire.
22-24: Curacao. As scheduled: 22-24: Curaçao eta 17.15, dep. 17.00.
24-26: Aruba
27-29: Bonaire
29-31: Curacao. As scheduled: 29-31: Curaçao eta 17.15, dep. 17.00.
31-04: Aruba
February 2008 Aruba port authorities report 3 calls (a total of 482 passengers, av.161) out of four booked.
[04-07]: Bonaire.
07-10: Aruba. Unscheduled. Earlier booking for 05-07: Curaçao eta 17.15. dep. 17.00.
12-14: Curacao. As scheduled: 12-14: Curaçao eta 17.15, dep. 17.00.
14-16: Aruba. Unscheduled
17-21: Curacao. Schedule: 19-21: Curaçao eta 17.15. dep. 17.00
21-22: Aruba. Unscheduled.
23-28: Curaçao, in the CDM dry-dock for structural repairs to the hull. This appears to have been an urgent matter as the last cruise planned for February was cancelled. The contractor was Nordica Engineering, a Polish company with a branch in Miami, Florida, who imported 240 Polish workers from Gdansk.
March 2008
In the CDM dry-dock in Curaçao for hull repairs and interior refurbishment.
April 2008
The Poles worked and lived on board for ten weeks, until the end of April, unaware of the presence of blue asbestos. When it was detected in the ship’s ventilation system, Nordica immediately removed its workforce and on 26 April the ship was sealed by Curaçao Port authorities (Daily Herald, 28 April 2008). It appears to have remained tied up at a wharf at Otrabando up to 26 June 2008. The progress of work on the asbestos in the meantime is unclear, surprisingly so.
26 April 2008: DNV, re Freewinds.
— Class Conditions Status Condition Issued Due Postponed Until
— Overdue CC 188 2008-04-26, SOLAS & Flag State Services 2008-05-05
— Further to CC 187. Pitting holes observed in the ship side of Fresh water storage double bottom tank 3P(121-135), aft part. To be repaired before leaving dry dock.
(SOLAS: International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (1974).)
May 2008
During the whole of May the ship remained in Curacao in quarantine in the CDM dry dock and it is believed its crew and other Scientologists worked to remove or encapsulate the asbestos. Meanwhile events were advertised as being held on board:
— International CCHR Convention, 08-15 May 2008, “aboard the newly renovated Freewinds”. Postponed to 17-24 July.
— Artists Convention, 8 nights, 22-30 May, visiting Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao.
Local observers report that asbestos or contaminated materials were taken to the dump on Curaçao on 6 May (Dr Lilly v. Marcab, 13 May 2008, from Curaçao press sources.) From a posting by Astra Woodcraft seven tons of asbestos – a large container-full – was removed (some say by Sea Org members) and trucked off to be dumped in the Malpais land-fill site operated by Selikor, a Curaçao waste-management company. The rest may have been sprayed with some consolidating product but Astra says there is ‘apparently still loose asbestos on board’.
June 2008
The Freewinds Maiden Voyage Anniversary Event or OT Summit’ is held every year in June for one week, to hear what DM has to say. According to Pooks posting on WWP in 2008 this year it took place from 28 June to 05 July. SeenTheLight (18 June 2008) posting in ‘Maiden Voyage Anniversary Event kicks off 12 July’ said: ‘The live OT Summit will be held on the Freewinds from June 28th through the 5th of July’.
Captain Mike Napier said of a training exercise in St Kitts Nevis (December 2007, pre-asbestos) that the ship ‘will return to St Kitts in June for the second phase of the training’. This may have been planned to coincide with the OT Summit which generally visits St Kitts. But 2008 was not a normal year.
07: Still locked down after 6 weeks (forum.antilles.com).
25-26: Left dock in Curaçao for a short test cruise after two months in dock. (Source: Djokison, Curaçao, on WWP “Freewinds Refit News June 20 2008”.) The purpose of this was presumably to run tests to allow the renewal of out-of-date certificates.
26-28: Curacao.
27: ‘Miami’ certificate issued. This does not imply a visit by Freewinds to Miami. See also October 2008.
26-28: Curacao
29: Bonaire, docked pm; dumped sewage (local blog).
30: Bonaire, left early am (local blog).
30-01: Aruba. Left early according to a local blog.
July 2008
Of the OT summit 28 June to 5 July there not much sign. She certainly did not go to St Kitts or anywhere other than the ABC islands for the remainder of the year. It is doubtful if she could sail anywhere legally with passengers on board. On 01 July a group of ‘normal tourists’ was seen ashore during a visit made by Freewinds to Bonaire (from a Bonaire blog). ‘Ordinarily the passengers do not leave the ship.’ Aruba port authorities report that she made a single call in Aruba with 41 passengers.
Four visits to Curaçao were scheduled to take place on 8-10, 15-17, 22-24, 29-31 July. None of them took place. As noted, she made a single call in Aruba with 41 passengers.
Several events were advertised but could not have taken place.
— 10-17 July: Ethics and Finance Convention.
— 17-24 July: Int. CCHR Convention.
— 24-31 July: Italy Summer Summit.
— 31-07 August: WISE Executive Summit.
01-02: Curacao
02-03: Bonaire. On 02 July two divers were seen working on hull.
04-05: Aruba
05-07: Curacao
[07 July-22 October]: tied up in Aruba
August 2008
Tied up in Aruba, waiting for the Curacao dry dock to have a free slot. Meanwhile the internal refit may have continued.
Four planned visits to Curaçao on 5-7, 12-14, 19-21, 26-28 did not take place.
Advertised events either did not take place, or took place on dry land at Flag:
— 07-14: Int. Artists Convention; Ethics and Finance
— 14-21: Affluence Attainment
— 21-28: Scientology Missions International Convention
— 28-4 September: Tech of Human Evolution Convention
September 2008
The website Arubabycruise confirmed that she was “still docked’ in Aruba.
Five visits to Curaçao were scheduled for September 2-4, 9-11, 16-18, 23-25 and 30-02. None of them took place.
October 2008
Four scheduled visits to Curaçao on 7-9, 14-16, 21-23, 28-30 (Tues to Thurs), eta 15.15, dep. 17.30 did not take place. Freewinds publicity (leaked on OCMB) states that “In the months of October, November & December [2008] the Freewinds is scheduled to sail from Curaçao to Aruba and Bonaire, two other islands in the Dutch (Netherlands) Antilles.” Maybe, but she did not have a valid Passenger Ship Safety Certificate until 21 October.
Once again, several conventions were advertised ‘on the newly-renovated Freewinds’:
— 04-11: Narconon; Tech of Establishment and Expansion; Salesmanship and Closing
— 11-18: Int. Fundraising; Expansion and Havingness
— 18-25: OT Abilities
— 25-02 October: Tech of Human Evolution
All these arrangements are fictitious. They no doubt serves the purpose of maintaining prestige while
09: The scheduled Curaçao dep. 17.30 was not visible to webcam or to human eye
17: DVN still shows an expired PSSC (Passenger Ship Safety Certificate).
21: A ‘Miami’ certificate miraculously appears to make her legal for the seminar on 22 October
22-23: Curacao. Freewinds hosted a MARPOL Annex 1 and V seminar on board in Curaçao on behalf of IMO and UNEP.
24-[4 Nov.]: she left Curaçao for Aruba. Observed on webcam.
November 2008
Four visits to Curaçao were planned for 4-6, 11-13, 18-20, 25-27 November: no further information.
04-06: Aruba, eta 23.15, dep. 15.50. Left 06 but went back.
[06]-18: Aruba. This second visit was reported in an article published on 18 November by David Clark Scott, a journalist on the Christian Science Monitor, who happened to meet the Freewinds’ local agent in the lobby of his hotel and was subjected to interrogation. Freewinds arrived the following day.
According to ‘contacts’ in Curaçao she was due back in dry-dock in November 2008 to complete the renovation work (Bins, WWP ‘Where is the Freewinds?’, 17 October 2008.
18: Curacao
December 2008
03-04: Curacao
04-06: Aruba
[06]: St Anna Bay, Curacao
06-08: Aruba
08-[19]: Curacao
19-24: Aruba
[24]: Curacao. (24-11 Jan 2009: no information)
Aruba reports 2 calls with a total of 154 passengers, an average per trip of 77.
Curaçao: visits were planned for 2-4, 9-11, 16-18, 23-25 and 30-01 January (all eta 15.15, dep. 17.30) but this schedule bears no relationship to actual facts.
End of Part 4, 2007-2008
———————————————-
M/V Freewinds Timeline Part 5: 2009-2010
This is Part 5 of a new version of the original Freewinds Timeline, which was published towards the end of 2009 as a WWP Wiki. Parts 1 to 4 cover 1998-2000, 2001-2003, 2004-2006 and 2007-2008, the Year of the Asbestos. Information in square brackets is unconfirmed or approximate.
2009
Through 2009, the Freewind Log repeatedly claimed that ‘more public are arriving than at any other point in our history’. This is not borne out by reliable facts. What we know of events in 2009 from reliable sources barely resembles the statement in Freewinds Log 29 (May 2009) that ‘after three months in our most recent port of Cartagena, Colombia, the Freewinds has returned home to the ABC islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao.’
— Aruba, representing the ABC circuit, reported one call in May with 77 passengers; one in July with 89, and a third in August with 73 passengers.
— Freewind’s only visit to Bonaire between 11 March 2009 and 8 December 2009 was one clandestine visit to dump waste water (Sean Paton’s third video, July 2009).
— There is evidence for two possible visits to Curacao in May; otherwise nothing found for 2009 or the early part of 2010.
— She visited Barbados six times: twice in January, twice in June and twice in July.
— St Kitts reported a single call in June with 64 passengers, probably the Maiden Voyage Anniversary Event. If so, it represents a catastrophic decline in numbers. The photograph of hundreds of smiling faces does not show hundreds of euphoric OTs.
— According to the Freewinds Log 29 (28 May 2009) she spent the first three months of 2009 in Cartagena but no visits to Cartagena are noted on the tablero de buques during that period. Her only involvement during that time was a $4 million refit in Cartagena in March.
January 2009
24 Dec-11 Jan: Curacao. The length of stay suggests further work was being done.
11-31: from Curacao to Cartagena, Columbia, eta 09.15 on 12th, dep. 13.54.
She seems to have been docked, awaiting or undergoing an internal refit in Cartagena through February and March 2009. This rules out one scheduled visit to Barbados between 07-10 January, since she was in Curacao until 11 January, and another on 14-17 January, and conflicts with a report in the Barbados newspaper, Nation News, of 11 January, which notes that she was expected to dock there on 16 January (Friday) with 500 passengers (Ann O’nymous, WWP, 12 January 2009).
Meanwhile, courses were advertised in Cartagena which cost $2000 for 7 days and $2100 (a bargain) for 10 days over January and February:
- Ethics & Finance 15-22 January
- Competence & Leadership 15-29 January
- OT Leadership Convention 22-29 January
- Expansion & Havingness 5-12 February
- Competence & Leadership 29 January-12 February
23: The cult also planned to hand out 2 million copies of TWTY at the Baranquilla Carnival.
February 2009 Mostly docked in Cartagena but one visit to Curacao in c.w. certification
02-[?]: Curacao (from Cartagena).
11: Buenaventura, Colombia, eta 03.20, dep. 11.00.
[unknown-before 17]: Curacao
17: ‘Miami’ certificate issued
18-25 March: Cartagena eta 08.36 from Curacao. 18 February to 25 March was probably the duration of the refit.
She advertised Expansion & Havingness in Cartagena, 5-12 February, but was probably in Curacao at the time (Freewinds Log 29, 28 May 2009) and may not have had a valid passenger certificate.
March 2009
18 Feb to 25 March: Cartagena. According to a newspaper report on 31 March she was nearing the completion of a comprehensive refit costing $4 million done in Cartagena, Colombia, under the supervision of the architect and hotel designer, Carlos Hernando Reyes. She does not seem to have gone anywhere until 14 April. Possibly, the refit took longer than planned
April 2009 From 14 April she began to make occasional sorties from Cartagena, no doubt to test new equipment. No other port is mentioned.
14-15: Cartagena, eta 11.55, dep. 00.34
15: Cartagena, eta 07.49, dep. 17 40
16: Cartagena, eta 07.10, dep. 15.07
18-28: Cartagena, eta 09.12, dep.09.44
She advertised a 5-week course (with shared accommodation, to cost $6720) in Cartagena.
Her publicity claimed that “After three months in our most recent port of Cartagena, Colombia, the Freewinds has returned home to the ABC islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao – the latter actually being our Home Port” (Freewinds Log 29). The Curacao cruise sites do not mention any planned visits. Later publicity mentions possible visits to ‘our ports’ of Aruba, Bonaire, Barbados, Santa Marta, Cartagena, St Kitts, and St Lucia but again no mention of Curaçao.
May 2009
01-01: Cartagena, eta 03.43, dep. 09.37
02-03: Cargagena, eta 11.28, dep. 00.30
07.-07: Cartagena, eta 13.53, dep. 22.14
11-11: Cartagena, eta 11.02, dep. 15.44
13-18: Cartagena, eta 12.07, dep. 19.22
20-05 June: Aruba, dep. 23.30
Aruba reported 1 call with 77 passengers.
Sponge (WWP) reported two trips between Curaçao and Aruba, perhaps 16 and 21 May.
The Freewinds Log advertised six Weekly Conventions, $1200 per week, based on shared accommodation (4 in an inside cabin), 30 April to 7 May, 7 May to 14 May, 14 May to 21 May, 21 May to 28 May, 28 May to 04 June, 04 June to 11 June. Plus-
— Competence and Leadership Convention from 6 May to 20 May.
— Competence and Leadership Convention from 20 May to 03 June.
— An undated 5-week Basics Package in Cartagena for $6720 (Freewinds Log 30).
— A Freewinds Experience package at $1200 to include 7 nights.
Customers are invited to fly direct from the US or Amsterdam.
June 2009 Barbados had two calls scheduled: both took place
05: Aruba dep. 23.30
06-07: Curacao
09-12: Barbados, eta 04.15, dep. 01.55. Scheduled: 09-10: Barbados eta 08.00 dep. 23.00.
12-13: St Lucia (Castries) (14-16: no information)
16-20: St Kitts, eta 09.40, dep. 18.00. A local source reports one visit with 64 passengers. Was this the great MVAE, which is traditionally located in St Kitts in June/July for one week? Which once packed the ship with OTs? The Freewinds website advertised it as taking place 20-24 June. A local paper in St Kitts on 19 June referred to the twentieth anniversary of this event having taken place a few days earlier. http://sknvibes.com/Business/NewsDetails.cfm/10177
21-21: Antigua
22-23: Dominica
24: St Lucia (Castries). 25: no information
26-30: Barbados, dep. 00.20. As scheduled: 26-29: Barbados eta 06.00, dep. 23.00.
30-01: St Lucia
Weekly conventions as in May, including 04-11: Tech of Human Evaluation.
July 2009 Aruba reported 1 call with 89 passengers. Two scheduled calls to Barbados.
01-03: Dominica
04-07: St Lucia
07-12: Barbados, eta 07.40, dep. 00.21. As scheduled: 07-11: Barbados eta 05.00, dep. 23.00.
12: St Lucia
14-18: Barbados eta 06.25, dep. 23.40. As scheduled: 14-18: Barbados eta 06.00, dep 23.00.
21-[23]: Curacao
23-26: Aruba, eta 22.40, dep. 14.55. Original booking: 19-25: Aruba.
26: dep.for Santa Marta.
27-[28]: Santa Marta, Colombia, eta 07.40. As scheduled: 27: Santa Marta eta 06.20 from Aruba.
28-02: Santa Marta, Colombia, eta 06.12, dep. 21.51. As scheduled: 28-01: Santa Marta.
No visit to Bonaire was scheduled but she made at least one call to discharge ‘strongly alkaline’ waste water, as reported on WWP 21 July 2009 and shown on YouTube – ‘Freewinds attacks Bonaire again’ (Sean Paton).
Among the advertised courses: Freewinds Convention 1-15 July, several Weekly Conventions as in April and May, several ten-day courses starting Wednesday and ending Sunday with a day off Thursday, and Competence and Leadership Convention, 27 July-12 August.
August 2009
There is some confusion but she certainly spent most of the month of August in Colombia
01-02: Santa Marta, dep. 21.45 for Cartagena. Voyage ref. 03/N.
03-06: Cartagena, eta 07.23 from SM, dep. 23.35 (or 23.00) for SM.
07-10: Santa Marta eta 07.24 from Cartagena (Ref 03/N), dep. 20.45 for Cartagena (04/N).
11-13: Cartagena eta 06.00 from Santa Marta (Ref 06/N), dep. 14.51.
13-27: Cartagena, eta 16.40, dep. 02.18. [Several side trips in this time, eg 18-20: Cartagena eta 06.00 (Ref 08/N) from Santa Marta. 21-23: from Cartagena to Santa Marta. 24: from Santa Marta to Cartagena. 25-27: Cartagena eta 06.00 from Santa Marta (Ref 10/N), dep. 23.50 for Santa Marta.]
28: no information
29-30: Santa Marta eta 06.00, dep. 21.00 (Ref 07/N).
30-06 Sep: Aruba, eta 04.35, dep. 23.45
According to the Cartagena Tablero de Buques for August 2009 she had 360 passengers and 280 crew which is likely to be the maximum she is allowed to carry, not the number actually on board.
Aruba reported 1 call in August with 73 passengers.
CoS publicity repeats that “More public are arriving than at any other point in our history.” Like most boasts made by CoS, this was the exact opposite of the truth.
Courses advertised:
— 23 July-12 Aug(?): 20-day Leadership Convention.
— 27 July-12 Aug: Tech of Competence and Leadership Convention (a 10-day course).
— 05-16 August: TWTH convention on board, 10 days, including ‘weekend event’ 08-09 August.
— 08-09 August: London Conference on Nuclear Radiation.
— 13 August: Excursion.
— 13-20 August: TWTH event at Santa Marta. 7 nights on board. Pay to be exploited. It appears that this event was moved to the weekend of 8-9 August, as the ship returned to Cartagena on 10 August. The only certain arrival from Aruba in the timeframe is on 27 July.
September 2009
This month saw a return to the ABC islands but with reduced numbers. Aruba cruise office reported three calls (four were planned) with a total of 266 passengers – 89 per cruise or 25 per cent capacity.
Freewinds Magazine 74 (September 2009) shows a regular weekly schedule visiting Aruba Thurs-Sat (eta 21.30, dep. 23.00), Curacao Sunday-Monday, and Bonaire Tuesday-Wednesday.
29-06: Aruba, eta 04.35, dep. 23.45. Scheduled: 01-05: Aruba.
07-10: Curacao. Scheduled: 06-08: Bonaire. 9-10: Curacao
10-13: Aruba, eta 22.05, dep. 00.25. Scheduled: 11-12: Aruba
13-15: no information, Scheduled 13-15: Bonaire
16-20: Aruba, eta 23.20, dep. 23.00. Scheduled: 16-17 Curacao. 18-19: Aruba.
21-24: no information. Scheduled: 20-22: Bonaire. 23-24: Curacao.
24-28: Aruba eta 22.15, dep. 22.20 Scheduled: 25-26: Aruba. 27-29: Bonaire.
29-30: no information. Scheduled: 30: Curaçao.
Advertised events include ‘Experience’ package 4-11 September, and a 14 day OT Debug course priced at $5630.
October 2009
The scheduled calls noted below come from the schedule of courses for September and October published in Freewinds magazine 74 (September 2009). If she adhered to this program she would spend Wed/Thurs in Curaçao, Fri/Sat in Aruba and Sun/Tues in Bonaire. Changeover appears to be Thursday (in Curaçao).
Aruba scheduled 5 calls (150 passengers each) but the summary for October (published 30 November) shows only 3 calls and a total of 217 passengers. However SeaWeb shows four calls to Aruba.
01-03: Aruba eta 23.10, dep. 22.45. As scheduled.
03-12: no information. Scheduled: 04-06: Bonaire. 07-08: Curaçao. 09-10: Aruba. 11-13: Bonaire.
12-17: Aruba, eta 07.45, dep. 23.20. Scheduled: 14-15: Curaçao. 16-17: Aruba.
18-20: no information. Scheduled: 18-20: Bonaire.
20-24: Aruba, eta 18.30, dep. 22.45 Scheduled: 21-22: Curacao. 23-24: Aruba.
24-28: no information. Scheduled: 25-27: Bonaire. 28-29: Curacao.
28-31: Aruba eta 00.05, dep. 15.10 Scheduled dep. 1700 or 23.00.
Advertised Detroit Convention 22-29 October.
November 2009
Three scheduled calls to Aruba on 16-17, 19-21 and 26-28 November were cancelled before the end of October but Freewinds actually did make 3 calls with a total of 233 passengers, presenting about 20 per cent capacity. She probably also visited Bonaire three times but there is no sign of her visiting Curaçao, despite being her ‘home port’.
MARPOL reported that ‘Colombia agreed to have its [waste-management] seminar hosted on board M/V Freewinds during its port visit in Cartagena’. Perhaps MARPOL does not know that Freewinds made a special visit to Colombia to be able to do this, that she has not the slightest interest in controlling pollution, that her own waste-management has been the cause of serious pollution in Bonaire since at least 2003, and that she did not have a valid PSSC at that time.
http://cep.unep.org/racrempeitc/activities/activites_2008-2009/final-report-marpol-seminar-cartagena-colombia/view
01: from Aruba to Cartagena.
01-13: Cartagena, eta 14.04, dep.23.05 (SW). Not in the Cartagena Tablero de Buques. Perhaps docked for work.
14-15: no information.
15-16: Curaçao, eta 06.30, dep. 17.30 (360 passengers). As scheduled, except for the passengers.
16-[25]: Aruba eta 22.35 [or perhaps 17.30] (Mon), dep. 22.55 (Tues). Scheduled 16-17: Aruba, 19-21: Aruba eta 21.30 (Thurs), dep. 23.00 (Sat). 22-24: Bonaire (220 passengers) 24-26: Visit to Curaçao eta 15.00, dep. 17.00
25-28: Aruba, etc 22.55, dep. 22.15.
29: Kralendijk, Bonaire for 15 hours (to pump sewage?).
30-05: Aruba. Scheduled: 30-02: Curaçao.
Advertised events:
— 05-12 November: International Public Relations seminar in Colombia, with TWTH Convention and Salesmanship; including 03-04: MARPOL seminar in Cartagena. Freewinds apparently used Mighty Miami (which has Hispanic members) for PR work.
— 05-19: Competence & Leadership;
— 12-19: Power of Postulates, Havingness & Expansion;
— 19-26: OT Abilities, Salesmanship;
— 19-03 December: Competence & Leadership;
— 26-03 December: Mexico Week; SMI Expansion, Summit for Hungary, Salesmanship; Power of Postulates.
The Mighty Miami Newsletter for November 2009 reports that Freewinds (the sales team, not the ship) visited Miami for a weekend in October. “Over 110 attendees had an uplifting, high-toned and theta weekend when the Freewinds came to Miami! And now, who’s going to Freewinds? WE ARE! Twenty-five Tone 40 public decided to go onboard and many will arrive for the Rehabilitation of Havingness Convention, Creating an Ideal Org in Miami, November 5-12.”
Freewinds’ Passenger Ship Safety Certificate (PSSC; see DNV Exchange) expired 31 October. On 11 November she left DNV in a classic example of class-hopping. It is not yet known who is currently responsible for her certificates. (August 2010: said to be Lloyds.)
December 2009
Ref: Freewinds Magazine, 75, December 2009 (FWM). Aruba calls confirmed by SeaWeb (SW). The two sources complement each other pretty well. Four calls in Curacao were apparently cancelled. Her December schedule was restricted to Aruba and Bonaire.
30-05: Aruba, eta 21.30 (Tues), dep. 22.50 (Sat). (SW)
06-08: Bonaire (FWM)
08-12: Aruba eta 22.15 dep.22.45 (SW) Scheduled: 08-10: Curaçao eta 15.00, dep. 17.00.
13-15: Bonaire (FWM)
15-19: Aruba, eta 06.10, dep. 22.45 (SW).
20-22: Bonaire (FWM)
22-27: Aruba, eta 21.35 (Tues), dep. 00.20 (Sun.) (SW) Scheduled: 23-26: Aruba eta 22.00.
27-29: Bonaire (FWM)
29-02: Aruba eta 22.00, dep. 23.45 for Bonaire (SW) Scheduled: 29-30: Curaçao eta 15.00, dep. 17.00.
Weekly conventions as November: Salesmanship, Marketing, Postulates, Havingness & Expansion, Competence & Leadership, Music, OT Abilities. New courses start every Thursday.
3-17 and 17-31: two-week Competence and Leadership convention.
Future OT Convention – a brainwashing experience for your teenagers (aged 10-22) and a Sea Org recruitment ploy. Originally 18 Dec to 02 January; then 09-23 December and 16 to 30 December. Still only $3,750 but now parents can also come for 2 weeks for $6,252.50, and get a special A-Deck Double for two!! (FWM 75, December 2009).
2010 Main Sources SeaWeb (SW), Freewinds Magazine (FWM) and various threads on WWP
January 2010
Passenger numbers provided by port authorities vary from 150 (Bonaire) to 360 (Curaçao). The report on the renovation in March 2009 said she had six decks and could accommodate 600. That presumably includes crew, SO, and RPF. Actual reports show figures below 80 per week. Recent photographs show a virtually empty vessel (maybe 20 passengers)
According to schedules published in November 2009 she was to visit Curaçao 05-07 January 2010, leaving 17.00 on the 7th but on 7 January at 07.00 local time the web-cam showed the Westerdam (Holland America Line), not Freewinds, docking at the Mathey Wharf.
Advertised events cover the same topics as in November and December 2009: Postulates, Havingness and Expansion, Salesmanship, Marketing, OT Abilities. Italy Week: 21-28 January. Music Convention 21-28 Jan. Vulture Ministry Convention on board 28 Jan to 4 Feb, 2010. 7-21 and 21-04 Feb: Competence and Leadership.
29-02: Aruba eta 21.30, dep. 23.45 (SW, FWM)
03-05: Bonaire (FWM); 03-04 stopped for 21 hours (to discharge waste?) (SW)
05-09: Aruba eta 07.10, dep. 23.00 (SW). Stopped on 05 for 8 hours (SW). SW also says: 06-10: Aruba. Scheduled: 05-07: Curaçao eta 06.15, dep. 17.00.
09-11: Curacao (SW). Scheduled: 10-12: Bonaire (FWM)
11-12: Aruba, eta 22.05, dep. 04.45 (SW) Scheduled: 11-13: Curaçao eta 06.15, dep. 17.00.
12-13: Left port 04.40, returned 11.10 next day (30 hours): no information.
13-16: Aruba eta 11.10, dep. 22.45 (SW, FWM)
17-19: Bonaire (FWM)
19-23: Aruba eta 06.45 (or 21.30), dep. 23.00 (SW) Scheduled: 21-23: Aruba.
24-25: Bonaire (FWM). As scheduled.
25-26: Aruba, eta 07.00, dep. 04.40 (SW)
26-30: Aruba eta 19.15, dep. 23.00 (SW) Scheduled: 25-27: Curaçao. 31: Bonaire.
31-01: Bonaire eta 07.06, dep. 23.36 (SW)
February 2010
Courses advertised: 11-18: International WISE Convention. 25 Feb -04 March International I Help Convention. Competence and Leadership 3-17 Feb., 17-03 March.
02-07: Aruba, eta 06.55, dep. 00.15
07-08: Bonaire, eta 08.33, dep. 15.18. As scheduled.
09-13: Aruba eta 06.51, dep.23.24.
14-16: Bonaire eta 06.26, dep. 13.00
16-21: Aruba, eta 19.45, dep. 23.31
21-22: Bonaire eta 07.15, dep. 22.12. As scheduled.
22-23: Curacao.
24-28: Aruba eta 22.10, dep. 23.46
28-01: Bonaire eta 06.35, dep. 0031.
March 2010
Courses (conventions) advertised on usual weekly basis through the month. Future OT Convention, aka Get Rid of the Kids for Easter, 31 March – 14 April. Move to Lesser Antilles and from various sources a Barbados-St Lucia shuttle.
02-03: Castries, St Lucia (SW)
03-07: Barbados (not in SW)
07-10: St Lucia
10-[14]: Barbados (not in SW)
14-17: St Lucia
18-21: Barbados
21-24: St Lucia
26: Barbados, brief visit [27-29: no information; perhaps still Barbados]
30-07 April: St Kitts
April 2010
07-08: Antigua, eta 05.30, dep. 24.00 (not in SW)
10-14: St Kitts (SW)
14-15: Antigua as above (not in SW)
16-21: St Kitts (SW): 18: seen at St Kitts
21-22: Antigua as above (not in SW) [23-27: no information]
28-30: Antigua as above (SW)
30-02 May: St Kitts (SW)
May 2010 Still in the Lesser Antilles, probably a weekly Barbados-St Lucia shuttle.
[02-04: no information]
04-06: St Lucia )SW) [06-09: no information]
09-12: St Lucian (SW)
14: Barbados, brief visit [14-16: no information, perhaps still in Barbados]
16-19: St Lucia [19-22: no information]
22-23: Barbados (SW)
23-26: St Lucia (SW)
28-30: Barbados (SW)
30-02: St Lucia (SW)
June 2010 Still in the Lesser Antilles
[02-05: no information]
05-06: Barbados (SW)
06-11: St Lucia (SW). From published schedule: 10: Antigua, eta 06.00, dep. 24.00
[11-13: no information]
13-16: St Lucia (SW)
17: Barbados (SW) [17-21: no information]
21-23: St Lucia, Castries (SW)
23-25: St Lucia, Vieux Fort (SW)
25-27: St Lucia, Castries (SW)
27-02 July: no information (SW).
27-03 July: MVAE 2010. We know she was in Grenada on 27 June and the OT Summit (Maiden Voyage Anniversary Event) 2010 took place 27 June to 03 July.
The three Public events (only three this year) were 1. A Global Alignment of OT Power. 2. Planetary Expansion Unleashed. 3. Dauntless, Defiant and Resolute.
The provisional schedules for July 2010 to February 2011 were compiled from published cruise schedules by Ron B DED, posted WWP 25 June 2010. Apart from August in Colombia, she went round and round the ABC circuit. Days not allocated may be Curacao.
July 2010
Provisional Schedule:
30-01: Aruba, 04-06: Bonaire, 07-10: Aruba, 11-13: Bonaire, 15-17: Aruba, 18-20: Bonaire
22-23: Aruba, 25-27: Bonaire, 28-29: seen at Curacao; 29-30: Aruba
Actual schedule:
02-06: St Lucia, Castries (SW)
06-08: St Lucia, Vieux Fort (SW)
09-11: Aruba (SW)
11-14: Bonaire (SW)
14-15: Curacao (SW)
16-18: Aruba (SW)
19-20: Bonaire
21-22: Curacao (SW)
23-25: Aruba (SW)
25-28: Bonaire (SW)
28-29: Curacao (SW)
30-01: Aruba
August 2010
Provisional Schedule: 1-3: Bonaire. 5-7: Aruba, 8-10: Bonaire, 12-14: Aruba, 15-17: Bonaire. 19-21: Aruba, 22-24: Bonaire. 26-28: Aruba, 29-31: Bonaire
Actual Schedule:
02: from Aruba to Santa Marta, Colombia. (Not confirmed)
03-29: Cartagena, Colombia. (Not confirmed)
20-30: Cartagena, Colombia (SW)
30: Santa Marta, Colombia
31: Aruba, eta 14.00
September 2010
Provisional Schedule:02-04: Aruba; 05-07: Bonaire; 09 -11: Aruba; 12-14: Bonaire; 16-18: Aruba; 19-21: Bonaire; 23-25: Aruba; 26-28: Bonaire.
Actual Schedule:
31-05: Aruba
05-08: Bonaire
08-09: Curacao
10-12: Aruba
12-14: Bonaire
14-29: Willemstad, Curacao, dry dock. Advertised as 16-28: Curaçao dry dock; holidays on board.
October 2010
3-4 days missing
03-07: Bonaire (Kralendijk)
07-10: Aruba
10-12: Bonaire (Kralendijk)
12-14: Aruba
15-03 November: Cartagena From Freewinds publicity: 15 October to 1 November: Cartagena, Columbia.
Provisional schedule for October was 03-12: Bonaire [perhaps DIY work to finish inside]; [earlier: 07-09: Aruba presumably cancelled]; 14-16: Aruba; 17-19: Bonaire; 21-23: Aruba; 24-26: Bonaire; 28-30: Aruba; 31-02 Nov: Bonaire.
November 2010
01-09 or thereabouts: Cartagena, Columbia
09-10 or thereabotus: from Colombia to Aruba.
11: from Aruba to Curacao (Willemstad) (MarineTraffic)
Provisional schedule:04-06: Aruba, 07-09: Bonaire, 11-13: Aruba, 14-16: Bonaire, 18-20: Aruba, 21-[23]: Bonaire, 25-27: Aruba, 28-30: Bonaire.
December 2010
Provisional schedule:02-04: Aruba, 05-[07]: Bonaire, 09-11: Aruba, 12-14: Bonaire, 16-18: Aruba, 19-21: Bonaire, 23-26: Aruba, 26-28: Bonaire, 30-Jan 2: Aruba
2011
The Bonaire bookings suggest a continued series of weekly cruises in the ABC islands.
January 2011
02-04: Bonaire, 09-11: Bonaire, 16-[18]: Bonaire, 23-25: Bonaire, 30-[01]:Bonaire
February 2011
07-08: Bonaire, 13-[?]: Bonaire, 20-22: Bonaire, 27-[?]: Bonaire
Nothing further in the Bonaire schedule up to 6 April 2012 when it ends.
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SOURCES. Update needed.
General: http://www.cruiseclues.com/portschedules.htm
— Antigua: http://www.brysonsantigua.com/march09.html
— Aruba: up to end 2009 Arubabycruise supplied useful monthly analyses. F/W fulfilled 3 of 4 visits planned for September 2009 (total pax 266), 3 of the 5 calls planned for October 2009 (total pax 217), and all of the 3 visits planned for November (233 pax). Total pax for 3 months: 716, average 80 per cruise, or 22% capacity.
http://www.arubabycruise.com/stats/index.html info@arubabycruise.com
http://www.selmaduro.com/cruise-ship-arrival-schedule.html
— Barbados: In 2004 Captain Mike Napier said that Freewinds had visited Barbados for 7 months every year for 16 years.
http://www.barbadosport.com/2008/Cruise_2010/Cruise_index.htm
http://www.barbadosport.com/2008/Cruise_2009/Cruise_index.htm
http://www.barbadosport.com/2008/Cruise_2008/Cruise_index.htm
— Bonaire: http://infobonaire.com/cruises.html
— Cartagena: Freewinds is listed in Cartagena 4 times between 03 August 2009 and the end of June 2010: 03-06 August, 11-13 August, 18-20 August, and 25-27 August. For the rest of 2009 and up to June 2010 she is not listed. A later schedule shows her in Colombia for a single visit, 11-27 August, coming from and going to Santa Marta. There is no mention of Freewinds in any later schedules for Cartagena or Santa Marta. And yet she was there in November 2009.
http://www.altamaragency.com/Altamar_ing/tablaCartagena.jsp (updated 05 October 2009).
http://www.altamaragency.com/Altamar_esp/index_esp.htm
http://albatros.puertocartagena.com/opadmco.nsf/vstRefLinkDoc/7777491FE8463A91052573C5004CD507
— Curaçao: Google Archive has schedules for 2008 and 2009. Bookings made for November-December 2009 were apparently cancelled.
http://www.madurosons.com/page.asp?pag_id=1389&lan_id=3&Cruise+Ships maduroship@madurosons.com
http://www.liveinCuraçao.com/index.php?p=37
This site has the web-cam covering Freewind’s normal docking place in Curaçao at Mathey Wharf.
http://www.caribbean-on-line.com/islands/cr/Curaçao-cruise-ship-schedule.shtml For Curaçao 2007.
— Dominica: The schedules cover 2007-2008 and 2008-2009. Freewinds made 8 calls in the 2008-2009 season, claiming 300 passengers each time. She was at the same time calling in at Santa Lucia and claiming 400 passengers each time.
http://www.dominica.dm/site/cruise.efm [Link broken]
— St Kitts (St Christopher & Nevis):
http://www/stkittstourism.kn/DiscoverStKitts/cruise_itinerary.asp [link does not work]
http://www.portzante.com/cruise-schedule.asp No sign of Freewinds in Jan-Feb 2010; not listed as a visiting cruise ship.
— Santa Lucia: Published by SLAPSA for 2007-2008, 2008-2009, 2009-2010, the last updated 28 September 2009. The gap in the SLAPSA schedules from October 2008 to March 2009 is covered by other lists which show no visits.
http://www.slaspa.com/s_schedules.php
— Santa Marta: A search for Freewinds’ shows her visiting Santa Marta three times: 27 July-02 August (from Aruba, to Cartagena);07-10 August (from and to Cartagena); 29-30 August (from and to Cartagena).
http://www.altamaragency.com/Altamar_esp/index_esp.htm
— Sint Maarten: Freewinds is not listed between June 2009 and April 2010, the only records so far found.
http://201.220.14.17/sxmonline/VesselScheduleCruis.aspx
— Virgin Islands (St John): No visits since 2007.
http://www.vinow.com/general_usvi/cruiseship/ship_schedule.php
— Advertised events: Freewinds publicity emails leaked by Pooks on ESMB and WWP.
— Freewinds Magazines 74 (September 2009), 75 (December? 2009) leaked by Pooks on ESMB and WWP.
— Bonaire pollution issues: http://www.forumantilles.com/latestnews.html, also reported on WWP 21 July 2009: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLFLdip3-ds
— DNV former class agency: http://exchange.dnv.com/exchange/ma…vesselid=13706
— http://seaarrrgh.com/c/freewinds/
— http://newsblaze.com/story/20080501044835tsop.nb/topstory.html
Sources require update
Updated 08 September 2010 from latest SW information (up to 30 August 2010).