At Sea
For many, Sea Cloud II is as much the destination on this voyage as the places visited. The chance to sail aboard a hand-sailed square-rigger comes rarely and every moment under sail is to be savored. It is no accident, therefore, that this itinerary has been planned with entire days at sea, days intended for sailing and our first day did not disappoint in this respect.
We awoke off the eastern coast of St Lucia, the collapsed caldera of Soufriere and its two guardian Pitons clearly visible to port. At around 0900 hours, after a leisurely breakfast, we were able to watch the crew hit the rig and begin to set sail in brisk northeasterly winds. Our Expedition Leader was on the Lido Deck to provide highly informative commentary for a range of activities that take close to an hour to complete, the Captain having opted to set a large area of sail. With sail diagrams in hand, we were beginning to 'learn the ropes', or at least the names of the sails. In the course of a day's sailing, the ship reached a creditable 10 knots under sail.
In the afternoon, we had the first presentation from the ship's historian on 'The Peopling of the Caribbean' followed by a very special Valentine's Day Tea. As the sails were doused and darkness fell, a notably Caribbean atmosphere had set in, with champagne and lively conversation on deck at the Captain's Welcome Cocktail Party at which some of the ship's officers were presented, representing a crew drawn from over a dozen nationalities.
The day closed with an elegant Welcome Dinner, the chef de cuisine having already drawn a warm round of applause on the basis of her first breakfast and lunch!
For many, Sea Cloud II is as much the destination on this voyage as the places visited. The chance to sail aboard a hand-sailed square-rigger comes rarely and every moment under sail is to be savored. It is no accident, therefore, that this itinerary has been planned with entire days at sea, days intended for sailing and our first day did not disappoint in this respect.
We awoke off the eastern coast of St Lucia, the collapsed caldera of Soufriere and its two guardian Pitons clearly visible to port. At around 0900 hours, after a leisurely breakfast, we were able to watch the crew hit the rig and begin to set sail in brisk northeasterly winds. Our Expedition Leader was on the Lido Deck to provide highly informative commentary for a range of activities that take close to an hour to complete, the Captain having opted to set a large area of sail. With sail diagrams in hand, we were beginning to 'learn the ropes', or at least the names of the sails. In the course of a day's sailing, the ship reached a creditable 10 knots under sail.
In the afternoon, we had the first presentation from the ship's historian on 'The Peopling of the Caribbean' followed by a very special Valentine's Day Tea. As the sails were doused and darkness fell, a notably Caribbean atmosphere had set in, with champagne and lively conversation on deck at the Captain's Welcome Cocktail Party at which some of the ship's officers were presented, representing a crew drawn from over a dozen nationalities.
The day closed with an elegant Welcome Dinner, the chef de cuisine having already drawn a warm round of applause on the basis of her first breakfast and lunch!
