Today, we took advantage of the magic that is Sea Cloud. This incredible ship, built to sail in the old style, in comfort, was used to its fullest. In the morning, we were sailing with the spectacular backdrop of St. Lucia. After lunch, we tucked in close to shore and anchored to explore this gorgeous island. Finally, at sunset, we drifted off the famous Pitons once again enjoying the comfort and luxury of Sea Cloud.
With favorable winds, this morning the crew set nearly all the sails. What a gorgeous sight to see! Shortly after breakfast, the crew went aloft, and soon thousands of square feet of sails were set and we were flying along at over 10 knots! Now this is sailing! Off to one side we had the high peaks of St. Lucia, open ocean to the other, and lots of sails above. What an exciting, and yet relaxing way to spend the morning. We made our way into the lee of the island and soon it was time to go ashore.
St. Lucia is a volcanic isle and we visited an active site near Soufriere. After a short ride up the hill, we walked back down alongside the boiling mud pots while steam billowed out. The smell of sulfur hung in the air but luckily the wind was blowing in a good direction. From there, we headed to the botanical gardens. This spot is spectacular for not only flowers and a waterfall, but for birds. With vibrant flowers lining the walk it was only a short time before we soon saw lots of hummingbirds. Three different species are found on St. Lucia, and today, the Purple-throated Carib was abundant. It was a great spot for photography as an incredible palette of colors welcomed us.
As the sun began to set, we went out on the back deck of the Sea Cloud and enjoyed a Piton beer in front of the Pitons. Such an iconic spot, it was a joy to enjoy it from one of the most beautiful ships in the world.
