Setting Sail on a Fully-Rigged Ship

 

Under sail in the Adriatic!!

Monday, July 4 - Trip Day 5

We're sailing!  At 9:30 this morning, Captain John Svendsen invited us to watch the crew ready the ship and put the sails up as we continued on our northernly course in the Adriatic toward the port of Hvar.

He invited us to sit in the "blue lagoon" area in the stern and proceeded to tell us about the ship and how they set the sails.  We had a cheat sheet with all the names of the masts and sails listed to help us follow along.

Captain John provides the commentary from the spanker deck on how the sails are hoisted

Our guide to the sails and masts of the Sea Cloud

The Sea Cloud has 4 masts (fore, main, mizzen and spanker) and 30 sails.  The fore, main and mizzen mast each has a crew of six that manages the sails - unloosens their bindings, hauls the sails and sets the lines, and binds the sails back up when sailing is finished.  It takes about an hour to fully rig the ship.  Its average speed is about 10 knots, with a maximum speed of about 14 knots.

Captain John has been at the helm since 2021 - prior, he served as First Officer 

Crew on the rigging of the spanker and mizzen mast

There are three main phases to setting up the sails.  First, the ship is slowed and turned so that the wind's pull along the sail is minimized while the crews climb the rigging and loosen the bindings on the sails.  The have to climb all the way out on each yard (the spar perpendicular from which the sails are set.)  

The crew then hauls on the lines of each sail, in a particular order, to open the sails and fill them with wind.  The lines are then set.  The first sail to be set is one of the forward staysails (triangular shaped).  Then the lower topsail, upper topsail, topgallant, and finally the course or bottom large square sail on each mast.

Then the sails in the bow (jibs) and stern (spankers) are set.  And away you go!  It's so beautiful to see them all opened and filled with wind.  No engine noise, and you hardly feel the motion, as you are being carried by the wind.

Looking toward the bow, the forecourse sail is the lowest square sail 

From the top, the Royal, Topgallant, Upper Topsail, Lower Topsail and Course of the Foremast

It was fun to learn about the ship from Captain John

The spanker sail, next to be unfurled and hoisted - a very heavy chore

The lines for the sails each have their own name, which the crew must memorize

Setting the jib sails

Some of the last tasks for setting the rigging was to raise the three jib sails in  the bow.  We were invited forward to watch - the only time on the voyage that we were able to go that far forward (in part, for safety reasons, as the rails are not safety compliant for passengers).

We also toured the (very small) bridge and saw the captain and crew quarters locations.

The flying, outer and inner jib sails and the foretopmast staysail

I'm loving this - when can I climb?

Sea Cloud under sail - so majestic!