25 May, 2016 by Juan Carlos Díaz Lorenzo

"Sea Cloud II" in Vigo. The Legend Continues

Since February 2001, the veteran "Sea Cloud" has had a companion on its voyages called "Sea Cloud II". It is a ship of distinctly Spanish design, projected by the company SENER, founded in the late 1950s by the prestigious naval engineer Enrique de Sendagorta Aramburu and built at Astilleros Gondán (Asturias).

This morning, this beautiful ship arrived at the port of Vigo from Leixoes on its way to La Coruña, on a stopover lasting just five hours. On board, there are 87 passengers and 63 crew members. The cruise passengers departed in three buses to visit Bayona la Real and Mondariz, reports Alfredo Campos Brandón, the author of the accompanying photos. The consignment was handled by the delegation of Pérez y Cía.

This is a ship with a gross tonnage of 3,849 tons and measures 117 meters in overall length including the bowsprit - 81.50 m in length between perpendiculars - 16 m in beam, 9.5 m in depth, and 5.70 m in maximum draft. Rigged as a three-masted barque, it deploys 24 sails with a sail area of 3,400 square meters. In addition to the hull, the masts of this sailing ship are made of high-strength naval steel. The height of the main mast measures 61 meters.

With the rig deployed, it reaches a normal speed of seven knots, although with steady winds and under certain sea conditions, it can reach 16 knots. When the winds are not favorable, it has two Mak engines, with a power of 3,372 horsepower, allowing it to reach a maximum speed of 14.7 knots. It has capacity for 96 passengers in different categories of cabins, all of very high standard, and a crew of 63 people. In its conception and design, the owners followed the line of the historic "Sea Cloud" and invested 40 million dollars in its construction.