This was the day to learn how setting sails on a square-rigger like Sea Cloud actually works. The captain sent the crew aloft early in the morning while we were sitting on the spanker deck listening to our very knowledgeable expedition leader Tom O’Brien’s “play-by-play” explanations of the maneuvers. The process starts with bracing the yards depending on the wind direction, then clearing and preparing all necessary lines on deck before “hitting the rig.” For we observers, this is the most interesting part because of the crew members climbing up the masts to “loose” the gaskets in order to set the sails by hauling the lines prepared before on the deck. After setting the square sails, the crew goes to the fo’c’sle to set the jibs and staysails by hauling the halyards. Now all that’s left is to trim the sheets and set the spanker. Coiling the lines became a sailor’s tradition of maritime art, so it is a great pleasure to walk around the deck and take photos of all the flowers, towers, biscuits, and hearts made out of lines.
The island of Korcula was our constant companion and the destination for the afternoon and evening, and we anchored at the medieval town of the same name. After an orientation walk in the old town through alleys constructed on a herringbone plan, we all met at the medieval summer theater. The traditional “Moreska” sword dance—over 400 years old—was presented exclusively for us in the summer theater near the sea. It requires a lot of strength and precision from the male dancers as the swords are really heavy and dangerous. The evening was beautiful with an amazing reddish sun setting down into the sea while on the other side the full moon was rising up from behind the hill of the Peljesac Peninsula. After dinner many of us came back to the port to have a late evening stroll along the charming little promenade at the seafront lined with a lot of small cafes and restaurants. At 23:00, we left this beautiful island in our wake, looking at the lights and awaiting the next day of our journey.
