We woke this morning to fair winds and pleasant seas, a perfect morning for sailing. After breakfast, our captain gave us a detailed and enthralling sail description on the spanker deck, with a play by play of how the deckhands go aloft to set the sails. We learned all the names of the masts and a lot of the history surrounding the traditional art of sailing. The captain told us all about the process and even included some of the history of the Sea Cloud. This beautiful ship is as much the destination as the actual places we are seeing. Built in 1931, she still maintains much of the original art and construction. When you walk around deck, you are transported to a different time.
After a delicious lunch on deck, we had the pleasure of hearing our historian Tom Heffernan educate us on the inner workings of European life from the days of old and how it affects today. We also had an introduction to photography from our naturalist/photo instructor Jose Calvo, which set us up with the best way to capture the intriguing sculptures we’ll see in the adventure ahead.
Captain’s welcome cocktail party started off the evening, and he introduced us to his key staff who will be caring for us throughout the trip. He invited us all to the Sea Cloud family. A fabulous gala dinner was served with lively conversation, and everyone was giddy for the trip ahead.
A day at sea was the perfect way to start this journey, allowing everyone to walk the promenade deck and explore the many treasures to find.
