Eclipse at Sea Photo by Robert Stephens

by Bill Kramer - It is interesting to think what eclipse chasers 100 years ago would have thought of the Paul Gauguin cruise ship. Sailing off to a set of coordinates in the South Pacific to watch a total solar eclipse seems simple enough - just book the right cruise. In reality there is a lot going on behind the scenes to run and maintain a ship as elegant as the Paul Gauguin sailing in French Polynesia.

This was not the first time the Paul Gauguin had been under the shadow of a total solar eclipse. Twice before it has sailed with a compliment of eclipse chasers eager to bask in the lunar umbra (2005 and 2009). Both times it achieved success despite the typical fast moving low clouds that are common in the tropics.

Sailing south of Tahiti the Paul Gauguin followed the maximum duration line to achieve a marvelous 4m and 0.5s of totality. The only negative was that second contact was hidden by clouds that quickly left after ruining the view. The remainder of the eclipse was under clear conditions with just a few wispy clouds passing by.

Stitched image by David Buchla

There were those on board - I will not name names, they know who they are - who stated that clouds enhance an eclipse of the sun by adding to the drama. They even went so far as to point out the iridescence that may be visible under such conditions. I must protest. This was my fourteenth total solar eclipse and I feel that makes me enough of an authority to state that clouds DO NOT enhance the experience one little bit. Maybe a few small clouds FAR AWAY from the eclipse add some beauty but anything that gets in the way of a diamond ring or the corona is simply not an enhancement visually or dramatically. The iridescence can be experienced frequently when the sun and clouds are at play in the tropics. Regarding the drama, it was only the mask of tragedy that I sensed as clouds blocked the diamond ring at second contact. I felt sad. As the clouds moved on I felt happy and so did the majority of the ship - listen to the hoots and howls during the eclipse in the video link below.

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Solar Eclipse Maestro running on the Macintosh took these pictures.

There were many eclipse chasing veterans on board as well as those about to experience the event for the first time. We enjoyed not only a great eclipse but the amazing service of the Paul Gauguin, a top rated cruise liner that mainly services French Polynesia. It lived up to its reputation with amazing food, an attentive staff, and luxurious surroundings.

Before seeing the eclipse the ship visited the islands of Raiatea, Taha'a, and Bora Bora. These tropical paradises offered snorkel and diving options, tours of the forests and gardens, and other delights. An over night stay allowed for calm star gazing from the upper decks which were darkened. The Milky Way stretched overhead and Venus seemed to dazzle.

By the way, I've heard pretty reliable rumors that the Paul Gauguin will sail to the 2012 eclipse south of New Caledonia.

Robert Stephens reports - "As for a story, the only one I have concerns the importance of being flexible. As you know, the Captain turned the ship into the sun with less than a minute before 2nd Contact. That blocked my view of the Sun for my telephoto lens which was sheltered from the wind. I abandoned Plan A (although it did later capture a single image of the sun) and raced across the deck where my video camera and wide angle lens was located. Since the ship swung more than 30 degrees, the sun also went out of frame for the video camera and the wide angle lens while I was enjoying looking through my binoculars. However, I had a point-and-shoot camera around my neck (Canon G10) and in mid-eclipse, composed a panorama using the stitch-assist feature. That turned out to be my best image. More important, I got extended observing of the eclipse using my image stabilized binoculars. "

all photographs by Denise and Bill Kramer unless otherwise noted.

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