We awoke on course through the Grenadines, with Bequia to the east of us and Canouan off the port bow. We watched as the able-bodied seamen put up a dozen sails before breakfast. We then took engine room tours with the chief engineer and learned about the intricate workings of the mechanical aspects of the Sea Cloud.
On the Lido Deck, Tom Heffernan gave a talk on Caribbean languages and their Arawakan, African, and Indo-European roots.
Our destination, Carriacou, is part of the country of Grenada. We anchored in Tyrell Bay, where there was good swimming from the idyllic white sand of Paradise Beach. There was also the option of taking Zodiacs to snorkel at the newly declared National Park of Sandy Island.
R. Aaron Raymond started his career as an underwater photographer, which blossomed from his love for the ocean. He grew up on a sailboat diving for abalone off the coast of California. He loves to photograph landscapes, nature, and wildlife - anythin...
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As we arrived at Soufriere Harbor in Saint Lucia, we were greeted by the Sea Cloud off our port with a beautiful rainbow arcing over the ship, a good sign for the day to come. Our wonderful tour guides picked us up at the pier to shuttle us to the Volcano and Botanical Gardens. The Botanical Gardens featured an impressive range of plant and bird species. We were lucky to see purple-throated and green-throated caribs, as well as many lesser Antillean bullfinch. A pre-lunch snorkeled followed, allowing guests one last chance to swim in the Caribbean Sea and experience life beneath the surface before returning to the ship for a final lunch. With the sun shining upon the ship, our captain positioned the vessel for a final photo under the Pitons and for a toast to our wonderful journey. The Sea Cloud then sailed off towards Bridgetown for our morning departure. This week's journey took guests to rainforests, coral reefs, beautiful beaches, as well as warm welcomes from the local communities we visited.
What a way to celebrate Saint Valentine’s Day! What could be more romantic than sailing on board Sea Cloud , a 91-year-old, four-masted barque, the most beautiful sailing yacht ever built? We experienced winds from the north and northeast, perpendicular to our course. We were aiming for Bequia, the “island of the clouds,” or Becouya in the Arawak language. Captain John Svendsen took guests around the ship to show off every restoration detail. We are on a floating museum, a beauty that is kept alive thanks to the quality of her construction, the care and constant maintenance of her sailors, and because of our guests who keep exploring the world. If the morning was for sailing, the afternoon was for Bequia, which is seven square miles in area and part of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. After lunch, we dropped anchor in Admiralty Bay in front of Port Elizabeth. We visited the Sargeant Brothers Model Boat Shop. Here, artisans spend their days carving and building replicas of vessels in Port Elizabeth. They shape the wood with tools that have been utilized for decades, and they work with the same gumwood that the Caribs used to build the canoes that brought them from the Orinoco region into the Lesser Antilles centuries ago. Some of us walked a little farther to the boat museum where Mercy, the wife of the older Sargeant brother, explained the evolution of boat building in Bequia with tenderness and a big smile. The museum is alive because of Mercy’s dedication and passion. It is love that keeps things bright and thriving, as is the case with Sea Cloud . And today we celebrated love with all our senses. >We enjoyed rum punches and piña coladas from Jack’s Bar, where we gathered for swimming and relaxing. After this, we had a brief green flash experience. Hotel manager Simon surprised us twice today. He amazed us with an enormous, heart-shaped cake for lunch. At night, he amazed us again with roses while we enjoyed the local band “Kings of Strings.” And so the night went on with singing, dancing, and calypso rhythms played by four smiling musicians from a town that will stay in our hearts.
We woke to Caribbean skies and a fresh easterly breeze. As we finished breakfast, Captain John Svendsen met us on the spanker deck to give us a play-by-play of setting the sails, sprinkling some Sea Cloud history here and there. While watching the sailors “hit the rig” and scale up the tall masts, we were transported back to a simpler time. The captain even allowed willing guests to help with a few of the lines. The rest of the morning was spent soaking up the sun on deck. After lunch, our Lindblad Photo Instructor gave us tips on taking great photos with smart phones. Our evening started with the Captain’s Welcome Cocktail Party, where Captain Svendsen welcomed us all into the Sea Cloud family. Next, we enjoyed our first taste of the fine dining the Sea Cloud is known for. For a fabulous end to the evening, our pianist Mario played relaxing melodies as Expedition Leader Paula pointed out constellations in the sky.
