The “Sea Cloud” is the kind of windjammer you see in Errol Flynn movies; a tall, elegant sailing ship of the kind children dream of. A queen of the seven seas, its snow-white bow is gracefully adorned with a golden eagle as a glittering figure head. The “Sea Cloud” is the largest private sailing yacht ever built, and is some 110 metres long and 15 metres wide. Its main mast towers 54 metres into the sky, while the grande dame’s 30 sails, spanning a total of 3,000 square metres, ensures she turns heads wherever she goes.

This, of course, is exactly what the original owner had in mind when he ordered his plaything to be built in 1930. Paying 900,000 dollars, roughly equivalent to £20 million today, American financier Edward Hutton contracted the Germania shipyard in Kiel to construct the ultimate in yachts – as a small gift for his no less wealthy wife Marjorie. The interior of the dream ship was fitted according to her refined tastes, with moulded ceiling ornaments, gold-plated taps, and the finest Carrara marble for the bathrooms and fireplaces. She selected exquisite Venetian glass for the gigantic mirror, while her four-poster bed with gold-leaf trim was shipped in especially from France. Every cabin featured period furniture and Oriental rugs on her request, and passengers enjoyed such facilities as an onboard cinema, hair salon and smoking room. Finally, she had the uniforms for the 72 staff designed around those of the US navy.

Sufficiently luxurious, the “Hussar” (as it was known at the time) made its maiden voyage in April 1931, with its two proud owners on board. However, dark clouds were on the horizon for the seemingly happy couple, and when Marjorie later found out about her husband’s infidelity, she filed for divorce. As a consolation, she received the yacht whose name had since been changed to the „Sea Cloud“.

When the Second World War broke out, Marjorie leased the “Sea Cloud” to the American coastguard for the symbolic sum of one dollar, and it was used in the Atlantic as a weather ship. After the war, the yacht returned to its previous existence, and after a three million dollar refit, the legendary parties continued. Kings, queens and captains of industry took to the “Sea Cloud”, with guests including the Windsors, Vanderbilts and Astors, the Prince of Luxemburg, Gustav V of Sweden, and the Belgian royal family. Indeed, the “Sea Cloud” offered such a level of luxury that Norway’s Queen Maud was moved to comment, “My God, Marjorie, your lifestyle here is what one expects of kings and queens.”

In 1955, the multi-millionaire sold the “Sea Cloud” to Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo, who renamed the ship “Angelita” and presented it to his son Ramfis. The yacht then played host to countless more parties, with Ramfis' illustrious guest list including such names as Kim Novak and Zsa Zsa Gabor. Around this time, it was not uncommon for a Hollywood starlet sleeping onboard to discover the key to a luxury car under her pillow. When Trujillo senior was assassinated, his son took the decision to sail the coffin to Martinique – and with it, half of the Dominican state’s money. The “Angelita” then changed hands repeatedly, before spending several years rotting away in Panama. It was then discovered in 1978 by Hamburg captain Hartmut Paschburg. He gathered together a consortium of north German businessmen that acquired the “Sea Cloud” for a very low price, then invested huge sums in repairing it. The four-master was renovated in Kiel’s Howaldt shipyard, with one suite an exact replica of the original design. 28 additional cabins were also installed on the upper deck.

Today the “Sea Cloud” sails under the Maltese flag, spending winters in the Caribbean and summers in the Mediterranean. A staff of 60 looks after a maximum of 69 guests, ensuring a superior level of service, and anyone booking the “Orient Express of the Seas” can expect the last word in luxury. The food served in the mahogany-panelled dining room is light and innovative, the wine exquisite, and the atmosphere – despite the insistence on eveningwear – is more informal than on a conventional cruise ship. Prosperous holidaymakers with a sense of romance could certainly do a lot worse: a particularly unforgettable experience is lying on the upholstered promenade deck at night, looking up through the masts at the moon, as the gentle waves of the Mediterranean softly rock the boat from side to side. Seeing the crew clambering around the masts at breathtaking heights and setting the sails is another particularly impressive scene for sailing lovers. The “Sea Cloud” lightly tilts to the side and begins to move forward, its white sails fluttering in the breeze. A waiter passes with cocktails, while understated jazz music drifts across from the piano. The sea glistens in the sun. Life here is a dream.

Text: Michael Wolf

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