The Wind Song was a unique cruise ship that sailed the waters of French Polynesia for many years.  When I received the news of her fate following the engine fire in December 2002, it felt like I had been told that a family member had been diagnosed with a terminal illness.

             The Wind Song was one of three sister ships, built in Le Havre, France, in 1987.  The other two ships are the Wind Star, built in 1986, and the Wind Spirit, built in 1988.  These ships were the first commercial sailing vessels built in 60 years.  The towering sails gave the feeling of a bygone era when explorers sailed the oceans in search of new, undiscovered lands.  The sleek lines and computerized controls were revolutionary in concept and design.

          The Wind Song was officially a masted-sailing-yacht (msy) and ship's registry was in the Bahamas.  The sails were capable of being unfurled in two minutes at the push of a button.  All ship functions were capable of control from the ship's bridge, many functions being computer-controlled.  The Wind Song had an unusual "open-bridge" policy, which allowed passengers to come onto the bridge at any time, observing the veteran captain and officers engaged in ship operation.  The other Windstar cruise ships continue this policy.  Few, if any, large cruise ships have such a policy.  Tours of areas, such as the engine room, were all part of the experience of being a passenger aboard the Wind Song.

          For those who prefer a less crowded cruising experience, the Wind Song met the challenge.  With its capacity of only 148 passengers, the experience was more like traveling on someone's private yacht than on a cruise ship.  The ship had 74 staterooms total, 73 deluxe ocean view staterooms and 1 deluxe owner's suite.  Some of the amenities available were closed circuit color television, videocassette and CD players, personal safe, refrigerator, mini-bar, international direct-dial phones, private bathrooms with shower toiletries, hair dryer, vanity and plush robes.  The public areas of the ship included the Skylight Main Lounge, the restaurant, pool bar, video/CD and book library, water sports platform, salt-water pool, hot tub, fitness center and sauna, casino, veranda and terrace.

          The Wind Song was very majestic and she commanded respect everywhere she sailed.  The outside passenger deck area on 4 decks was 10,200 square feet.  The ship had 6 triangular, self-furling, computer-operated sails with 21,500 square feet of Dacron surface area.    The 4 masts were 204 feet or 62 meters high.  The length of the ship was 440 feet or 134 meters from the tip of the bowsprit to the stern, and 360 feet (110 meters) in length at the water line.  The Wind Song had an unusually shallow draft (the draft being the distance from the water line to the bottom of the ship's hull).  The 14-foot draft (4.1 meters) allowed the Wind Song to go places that other cruise ships would never be able to go.  One such destination with limited access is the quay at Fare on Huahine.  The Wind Song had visited Huahine during its time in French Polynesia and the shallow draft of the ship allowed it to tie at the quay in Fare.

          The ship's propulsion system consisted of the computer-operated sails and an electric propulsion motor driving a constant-speed propeller.  The blades of the propeller were articulating, much like the propellers of airplanes with constant-speed propellers.  This allowed the ship to transition from forward thrust to reverse thrust rapidly without requiring the motor to stop and reverse.  There were 3 diesel engines, each powering electric generators.  One generating set was always utilized for ship's power, while the other 2 were used for ship's propulsion or held in reserve.  It was in this area of the engine room where the fire occurred.

          Cruise ships need stabilizers to minimize the pitching and rolling while at sea.  The Wind Song had 2 sets of ACH Engineering stabilizers, which were like fins that extended from the hull on either side.  The fins operated to counteract the pitching motion.  In addition to the computer-controlled sails, a computerized hydraulic water ballast system was capable of transferring 142,653 gallons of seawater around the ship to keep it upright.  Truly a magnificent sailing ship. 

          My first trip on the Wind Song was in November 1993, which was my first trip to Tahiti and the Society Islands.  It was a trip that I will never forget.  Since that first trip on the Wind Song, I have traveled many times to French Polynesia, including 3 additional trips on the Wind Song.  Although I have traveled on other cruise ships in other parts of the world, it is difficult to compare them to the Wind Song.  I remember one particularly unforgettable morning while the ship was anchored in Cook's Bay at Moorea.  Breakfast was served on the veranda, which included banana pancakes and fruit juices.  Very fitting for the tropical surroundings.

            Each of my trips was in the same stateroom, # 110, located on the lower deck.  The times the ship was sailing under only the power of the sails were very peaceful, even in my cabin.  With no noise from the electric propulsion motor and propeller, the only sound that was heard was the sound of water rushing along the hull.  On stormy days at sea, you could see the water wash over the portholes in the lower deck staterooms.

          On January 22, 2003, Windstar Cruises sank the Wind Song in the Sea of the Moon, between Tahiti and Moorea.  I feel privileged to have been a passenger on the Wind Song and that she was my introduction to French Polynesia.  I will miss her.

Chris Davis