Guests enjoyed a special day of sailing, beginning with the setting of the spanker sail over the starboard rail in a maneuver that requires the assistance of all three mast teams. When Sea Cloud was revived in 1979, the spanker boom had to be raised, so this is not an easy or common maneuver. We then were able to put the ship’s Zodiacs down in the open Ionian Sea for the opportunity to ride around Sea Cloud under full sail to see and photograph her in all her glory! And to highlight a full day of sailing, Captain Komakin allowed a little bit of guest participation in the striking of the sails, which also proved to be a great spectator sport. We finished the day with a passionate talk on the history of the legendary ship.
10/3/2024
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Sea Cloud
Amalfi and Napoli, Italy
Anticipating rough weather, we woke early today to attempt a morning visit to the city of Amalfi. Unfortunately, the seas were already too rough to safely disembark, and we were compelled to make other plans. We instead spent a quiet morning at sea, including a presentation by National Geographic-Lindblad Historian Rebecca on shipwreck archaeology, a fitting topic for a ship prudently avoiding rough weather. Today’s lunch on the lido deck featured the famous Sea Cloud pasta wheel, a large wheel of Parmigiano-Reggiano in which a delectable pasta is prepared. We managed to dock in Napoli around midday, and interested guests accompanied Expedition Leader John on a walk around some of Napoli’s historic neighborhoods. Our leisurely walk took us past the medieval Castel Nuovo, through the soaring Galleria of Umberto I, and alongside the expansive Royal Palace of Napoli. Back aboard Sea Cloud this evening, we enjoyed the guest slide show during cocktail hour followed by one final, sumptuous dinner in the ship’s elegant dining room.