A Day at Sea
A day at sea. A day to sail; a day to pass as you please. The Aegean morning began as promised: a warm, orange sun climbed above the horizon, unveiling a scattering of islands. A few were near and sharp, others distant and hazy. Some were sprinkled with white cube-shaped structures, others were uninhibited, but all were treeless rocks littered in the sea.
Sea Cloud came to life as young sailors took to the rigging to orchestrate a ritual as old as man's quest to explore the oceans: the setting of sail, carefully choreographed, not for show, but rather for safety. Each line must be taken in or payed out in a precise sequence to "square up" the yards (cross-pieces). The rectangular sails are unfurled by releasing the clew lines. Then the crew scrambles aloft to release more furling lines for the sails to billow out with the wind. A good "sail set" requires precision, rhythm, and timing. Sea Cloud's crew knew their jobs well, allowing all sails to set properly. Immediately, the ship's motion changed, as though released from chains. Gracefully, the bow rose on each swell and the ship ceased to yaw from side to side.
Although the Aegean breeze proved fickle, we slowly left the Island of Amorgos astern. Speed was of little concern to the guests stretched to catch a few rays, to read or snooze. Photographers snapped endless pictures, hoping to capture that perfect, but elusive, photo.
During the morning Gil Grosvenor spoke of the early 20th-century years at National Geographic: how photographs became the staple of the magazine, membership, early exploration, mission programs, and the challenges and opportunities of the Internet era.
The afternoon "seminar" belonged to Robyn Woodward's wonderful account: "101 Fun Things to do in a
Wetsuit." Illustrated with superb photos, Robyn highlighted her life's work in underwater archeology, particularly working with George Bass on the glass wreck off Bodrum, which whetted our appetite for tomorrow's visit there. She showed how she painstakingly put together glass objects from scores of fragments. Other glass vessels required weeks of cleaning with dental tools to clear away centuries of marine growth.
Robyn spoke with great passion and knowledge of a second-century Hellenistic wreck in Serce Liman, Turkey and a Viking ship burial. We viewed ancient tools, weapons, lead weights, and more. With illustrations she explained the importance of recording on a site plan the precise placement and vertical position of each artifact before anything was touched. Bring on Bodrum's museums; we were ready!
When late evening shadows darkened the water, land masses merged into the night, with only navigation beacons to guide Sea Cloud. Thus, June 9th, 2012 drew to a close. Passing the islands of Ios, Irakkis, and Keros to port and Kinaros to starboard, we were Bodrum bound.
