“Hit the Rigg!“ came the call from the Captain, and those of us gathered on the spanker deck for the play-by-play explanation of the sailing activities suddenly dropped back in awe as the sailors on the three square-rigged masts began climbing up the windward shrouds in quite strong 22-knot winds. “When they climb the ratlines, the sailors are free-climbing with no safety lines, but when they go out on the yardarms and footropes they clip into a safety line that runs along the yard,” I explained to those watching. We looked on in wonder as the three mast teams prepared their sails for setting, then returned to the decks to stand-by the rails the lines.
“Sails in order!” called the captain, echoed by the bosom relaying the command to the three mast captains. Sheets were hauled, clew and bunt lines slacked, halyards hoisted yards, and yardarms were braced in a complex but coordinated flurry of action. At first I was surprised that Captain Komakin was going to set the higher topgallant sails with the wind so strong, but Sea Cloud is about the true square-rigged sailing experience and we all felt the thrust of power and the heeling of the ship when the topgallants were set. Seven and a half knots was the speed as we all moved forward for the setting of the jibs and the forecourse. This is what we came for! By late morning we were sailing at a roaring 9.5 knots, with the south end of Martinique passing to our starboard side.
Lindblad Expeditions historian Tom Heffernan told a fascinating story about the 600-foot Diamond Rock on our starboard side, which had actually been commissioned as a naval ship for the British Admiralty during the Napoleonic Wars. It was hard to imagine that cannons could have been hauled up the rock to effectively shut off the French access to Martinique.
The personality of Sea Cloud shines with the 30-year veteran hotel manager Simon Kwinta, whose service ethic and entertaining personality have come to define the Sea Cloud. Simon shone on the Lido Deck for lunch, and seemed to be everywhere for the Promenade Deck afternoon tea and Captain Komakin’s Welcome Dinner. No wonder the Captain introduces him as “His Majesty” . . . but the Sea Cloud officers and crew are a tight-knit team that is dedicated to the privileged experience of the legendary Sea Cloud.
