Almost all of us were up on the spanker deck when the sailors started bracing the yardarms “square,“ or perpendicular to the direction of the ship. At 0900 sharp the crew “Hit the Rig!” and 18 sailors scurried aloft to set the sails, while Chief Officer Aleksey Kupran gave a description of the sail activity. Engines were cut off as soon as the topsails were set, and we settled in for a fabulous sail northwest toward the island of Hvar. We had more wind than predicted, so we braced to a starboard tack and altered course just before lunch, and finally clewed up the square sails and hauled down the jibs after lunch.
We spent the afternoon in the attractive harbor town of Hvar, renowned for its lavender, jewelry, and historic architecture from its days as an important defense barrier for the Venetian Empire. Our guides Ianna and Dijanna introduced us to the surprising Franciscan monastery, with its art collection and peaceful setting, and we then walked pat the old arsenal and theater and into the main “pjaca.” Some of us hiked up to the citadel above for magnificent views of the harbor, others went shopping or even ventured in for a swim, and some of us just sat at the pjaca and enjoyed a glass of the renowned Croatian wines.
We were back on board by 1830 for the Captain’s Welcome Cocktail Party, which turned out to be the peak of excitement for the day. Just as Captain Komakin took the microphone to introduce the ship’s officers under the canvas of the lido deck, the skies opened and a walloping thunderstorm set in, dumping a deluge of water onto the canvas above while lightning flashed and thunder roared around us. The deck crew scrambled to the lido bar to push out the water that was weighing down the canvas, lest it collapse, and everyone started wondering what happens if lightning were to strike the masts of a tall ship. The expedition leader took the microphone to announce that this front would quickly pass in the next 15 minutes, and that we would stay in the shelter of the lido bar canvas and enjoy the rest of the cocktail party before venturing down to dinner. He also reassured us that with lightning rods on each of the hollow steel masts and a steel hull, there was no need to worry about lightning strikes.
CRRRACKKKK! The blinding flash of lightning came with the earthshaking thunder in what seemed like a message from the gods. What a lightning bolt, and what a sound! And then the wind and rain slowly abated and things became calmer, so we went into our welcome dinner full of excitement. It was only later that we learned that both the foremast and mainmast had been struck by the single lightning bolt, blowing the lights on the two masts and bursting the electrical junction boxes. We all now feel that we are part of something very special, struck by lightning on Sea Cloud, and we are ready for anything after an exciting start to the voyage!
