At Sea
Under sail with northeasterly winds and moderate seas, today was spent learning about the ship and how it operates. There was an opportunity to 'learn the ropes' as Expedition Leader Tom O'Brien led a stem to stern explanatory tour of the rigging. Clewlines were distinguished from buntlines, halyards from shrouds, pin rails from fife rails and jibs from staysails, to name but a few. For those aficionados of Patrick O'Brian all this was useful revision; for the remainder it was a wonderful introduction to the workings of a square-rigger.
Sea Cloud II was launched in Spain in 2001, a square-rigger for the twenty-first century and the engine tours later that morning impressed many with their cleanliness, relative quiet and extreme efficiency.
In the afternoon, our talented chef de cuisine answered a wide range of questions about the ship's galley. We also learned that sea air can shrink one's clothes remarkably quickly on a vessel of this caliber! Her presentation ended, appropriately enough, with a special tea featuring waffles and wild berry sauces, following which our ship's pianist, Gaynor Trammor, gave a wonderful concert in the lounge on the Steinway baby-grand.
So much for the program but a day at sea will always provide the unexpected. A few were lucky enough to sea a humpback whale breach near the ship. And, after dinner, a group gathered on the bridge for an extraordinary sighting of Comet Lulin. Discovered as recently as 2007, the vivid green comet was visible in the night sky close to Saturn with the aid of binoculars. Since it will not be this close to Earth again for a few more million years, those who had turned out after dinner to search the heavens certainly felt that it had been well worth the effort.
Under sail with northeasterly winds and moderate seas, today was spent learning about the ship and how it operates. There was an opportunity to 'learn the ropes' as Expedition Leader Tom O'Brien led a stem to stern explanatory tour of the rigging. Clewlines were distinguished from buntlines, halyards from shrouds, pin rails from fife rails and jibs from staysails, to name but a few. For those aficionados of Patrick O'Brian all this was useful revision; for the remainder it was a wonderful introduction to the workings of a square-rigger.
Sea Cloud II was launched in Spain in 2001, a square-rigger for the twenty-first century and the engine tours later that morning impressed many with their cleanliness, relative quiet and extreme efficiency.
In the afternoon, our talented chef de cuisine answered a wide range of questions about the ship's galley. We also learned that sea air can shrink one's clothes remarkably quickly on a vessel of this caliber! Her presentation ended, appropriately enough, with a special tea featuring waffles and wild berry sauces, following which our ship's pianist, Gaynor Trammor, gave a wonderful concert in the lounge on the Steinway baby-grand.
So much for the program but a day at sea will always provide the unexpected. A few were lucky enough to sea a humpback whale breach near the ship. And, after dinner, a group gathered on the bridge for an extraordinary sighting of Comet Lulin. Discovered as recently as 2007, the vivid green comet was visible in the night sky close to Saturn with the aid of binoculars. Since it will not be this close to Earth again for a few more million years, those who had turned out after dinner to search the heavens certainly felt that it had been well worth the effort.
