First Mast is Raised on Sea Cloud Cruises’ New Sea Cloud Spirit
The new 136-passenger “Sea Cloud Spirit” has reached another construction milestone. Polish shipbuilding company Choren has erected the sailing vessel’s 177-foot-tall aft mast during construction at Metalship Shipyard in Vigo, Spain.
One by one, the ship’s three masts, already fully equipped with shrouds and stays, are now being erected. Later they’ll carry/support a total sail area of about 44,132 square feet of canvas.
“As soon as the shrouds and stays are attached and the mast is aligned, we can start testing the engine,” explains Daniel Schafer, managing director of the Hamburg shipping company Sea Cloud Cruises. At the same time the shipyard is working on the interior fittings of the large sailing vessel.
The 136-passenger Sea Cloud Spirit will be the third ship in the Sea Cloud Cruises fleet, joining four-masted flagship Sea Cloud, built in 1931, and the Sea Cloud II, which entered service in 2001. The new ship will offer a diverse mix of itineraries from Europe, North and South America.
