La Coruna
We sailed out of the famous port of La Coruna at 6:30pm into the Bay of Biscay. Situated on the headland of La Coruna is the last extant functioning Roman lighthouse. It is a magnificent piece of functional architecture. It is 36 feet square at the base constructed entirely of granite and rises approximately 190 feet. The Romans surrounded the edifice with a ramp on which they pulled donkey carts loaded with wood to burn at the top. We could see the intermittent pulse of the light from the Roman Light house miles out at sea. The Romans built such light houses to protect the considerable trade which they conducted up and down this Atlantic coast. They sailed as far as the tin mines of Cornwall in search of the tin to manufacture bronze. This easternmost arm of the Atlantic ocean surrounds the entire French coast from Normandy to the Spanish border and the entire northern coast of Spain.
As we entered the bay at the mouth of the La Coruna rio the wind picked up considerably and it was not long before we were feeling a force 6 wind of the Beaufort scale. The Sea Cloud II rode the waves precisely like the well-designed ship she is, nary a problem. We awoke to a gray sky and a long Atlantic fetch in the waves. The captain set sails later in the day and it was breathtaking to see the sailors climb aloft in some serious winds to set sail. The main mast on the Sea Cloud II is 18 stories above the deck. Tonight we were privileged to enjoy the famous Sea Cloud II deck barbecue. Grills were set up and we were able to enjoy a cornucopia of food grilled to our likening. The party went on into the wee hours and adjourned to the lounge, where a group assembled around Gaynor on the Steinway sang their hearts out. Off to bed at the conclusion of a wonderful day.
We sailed out of the famous port of La Coruna at 6:30pm into the Bay of Biscay. Situated on the headland of La Coruna is the last extant functioning Roman lighthouse. It is a magnificent piece of functional architecture. It is 36 feet square at the base constructed entirely of granite and rises approximately 190 feet. The Romans surrounded the edifice with a ramp on which they pulled donkey carts loaded with wood to burn at the top. We could see the intermittent pulse of the light from the Roman Light house miles out at sea. The Romans built such light houses to protect the considerable trade which they conducted up and down this Atlantic coast. They sailed as far as the tin mines of Cornwall in search of the tin to manufacture bronze. This easternmost arm of the Atlantic ocean surrounds the entire French coast from Normandy to the Spanish border and the entire northern coast of Spain.
As we entered the bay at the mouth of the La Coruna rio the wind picked up considerably and it was not long before we were feeling a force 6 wind of the Beaufort scale. The Sea Cloud II rode the waves precisely like the well-designed ship she is, nary a problem. We awoke to a gray sky and a long Atlantic fetch in the waves. The captain set sails later in the day and it was breathtaking to see the sailors climb aloft in some serious winds to set sail. The main mast on the Sea Cloud II is 18 stories above the deck. Tonight we were privileged to enjoy the famous Sea Cloud II deck barbecue. Grills were set up and we were able to enjoy a cornucopia of food grilled to our likening. The party went on into the wee hours and adjourned to the lounge, where a group assembled around Gaynor on the Steinway sang their hearts out. Off to bed at the conclusion of a wonderful day.
