For our first night aboard Sea Cloud we sat out a strong southerly blow by staying in the capital Grand Harbour of Valletta overnight. By morning the winds had dropped, but we knew the residual swell would prohibit us from anchoring at our destination of Malta’s second island of Gozo, so we decided to take the full day sailing and arrange to come into Malta when the seas had settled.
The fortified limestone walls of Valletta’s Grand Harbour are a sight to behold, and many were on deck for our departure out into the Malta Channel. We were fortunate to pass the three-masted Russian sail-training ship Nederzda as we departed, and even more proud to show off a little bit as Sea Cloud’s crew went aloft to set the sails for the first time of our voyage. The winds had dropped a lot, so we set almost all square sails and most of the stay sails as the expedition leader gave us a play-by-play description of the sailing action. One shipmate commented “that was worth the price of admission right there!” as we gathered for the introduction of the expedition staff, and we hadn’t even had our first lunch onboard yet!
It’s always nice to have the first day on Sea Cloud at sea under sail, as everyone got a chance to get to know the ship and explore their favorite places. Our photographic instructor Jonathan Aguas introduced the art of photography, and historian and archaeologist Robyn Woodward gave us an introduction to the surprising pre-history of Malta and Gozo, with their megalithic temples that predate the pyramids and Stonehenge! To top it off, Captain Pushkarev introduced the officers of the ship during a caviar reception, and Chef d’Cuisine Daniel Ditloff impressed us with a delectable welcome dinner before pianist Gaynor Trammer tickled the keys of the ship’s Steinway piano during dessert. It’s nice to be back on the Sea Cloud…
