We started this voyage setting sails with zero wind, hanging all sails and making zero knots. We then had a good sail from Korcula that almost took us out of Croatian international waters, so Captain Pushkarev had to call the crew to “wear ship” (= jibe), which involved dropping the jibs and staysails and bracing all yardarms around while turning the ship. In southern Albania we sailed through the “funnel effect” of the Corfu channel from one direction to another, tracking in a circle for the pure joy of sailing a square-rigger. And in the home of the hero who most knows the fickle winds—Odysseus of Ithaka—we somehow managed a perfect 3-knot sail that enabled us to take the Zodiacs out in excellent soft light for an unforgettable Zodiac view of Sea Cloud under sail.

So it was only fitting that on our final full day of the voyage as we rounded the Peloponnesus, we set the sails with a moderate breeze freshening to a strong breeze by late morning, and then sailed from the docile Ionian Sea into the temperamental Aegean with a mighty sail of 11 knots. The following seas started to pile up after lunch and we began to see foamy crests of the waves, as Captain Pushkarev struck the royals down to keep Sea Cloud trim in increasing winds. At 8 knots you start to see big smiles on the bridge. At 9 knots the captain and officers are out on the bridge-wings, ready to talk about sail and speed with anyone chancing by. And at 10 knots the excitement is palpable as the expedition leader and staff run around the decks in excitement announcing the ship’s sailing speed. This is what we came for! In this day and age it is hard to imagine that you can sail on a square-rigged sailing ship, but 10 knots among whitecaps with some healthy heeling was something from a bygone era.

And then Captain Pushkarev called the expedition leader on the radio. “11.2 knots.”  No way! We were roaring into the Aegean Sea, with many of us on the bridge-wings, monkey deck, or aft on the blue lagoon just taking in the thrill of sailing. “It’s not always like this, but this is what we dream of, and here it is on our final full day at sea!” National Geographic Balkan expert Grace Fielder gave her final talk on food and culture in the Balkans, historian Tom Heffernan gave his final talk on the Plague and its effects on European societies, we all ate too much pasta from the unforgettable parmesan pasta wheel at lunch, and then we ate too much ice cream again from Baker Mark’s ice cream sundae stand, but it was the strong square-rig sailing that stole the day. It made it easy for Captain Pushkarev to host the farewell cocktail party and invite everyone for a return to Sea Cloud in the Caribbean or Greek Cycladic Islands. Who could ever forget a sailing day like this?!?!