On an autumn Atlantic crossing, Hamburg-based Sea Cloud, sailed a record 2,300 nautical miles under sails only. The ship is a classically rigged ship with 30 sails set by hand. The northeast trade winds on the 32,000 square feet of sail provided speed of up to 20 knots for 17 days.
Captain Sergey Komakin didn’t need to start the engines until the ship neared its final port in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. For the 53 guests and 60 crew members on the Sea Cloud, the trip to the Caribbean developed into a unique experience over the two-week trip. “Day after day it got a little warmer, with ideal sailing conditions from the gentle Atlantic swell,” raved the Captain.
The zone between the Equator and 30 north longitude was once the preferred route for sailing merchant ships on their way from Europe to America, and now centuries later Sea Cloud Cruises still follows this legendary route.
Sea Cloud, built in 1931 as a private yacht, and its modern sister, Sea Cloud II, have sails set and the engines switched off as often as possible on all trips.
The demand for these decelerating and natural cruises is growing rapidly, and Sea Cloud Cruises will be launching a third ship this year. Sea Cloud Spirit’s maiden voyage is set for Aug. 29, and will follow the same sustainability criteria as its two sister ships.
