You couldn’t ask for a more perfect day to go sailing in the Mediterranean! The day began with dolphins playing in the bow wave. After breakfast in lively seas, the captain gave the order to hit the rigging, and the crew scrambled aloft to set the sails. A small squall blew in just after the sails were up to add some excitement. With the winds rising quickly and gusts of over 50 knots, the crew brought in some sail but still had us zipping along at 8 knots with the ship heeled to 12.5 degrees! With that thrill abated but still other squalls on the horizon, the captain talked us through the maneuver of “wearing the ship” to change our direction and chase some blue skies. We spent the rest of the day sailing gloriously with only seven sails set but still cruising along at 7 knots, riding the wind and waves towards Cagliari.
In the evening, we gathered on the lido deck for Expedition Leader John Frick’s lecture on the history of the Sea Cloud and her patrons, followed by a visit to the owners’ cabins.
A fabulous dinner in the dining room was followed by music on the lido deck as Sea Cloud continued sailing beneath the stars. It was the perfect end to a spectacular day at sea.
