|
|
The 5,000 ton ship was built in 2000 and modeled after a legendary tall ship from the 1900s. Guests can climb the masts - (with safety harness provided) - to one of the passenger crow's-nests. From the stern of the ship, a marina platform lowers to sea level, giving passengers instant access to water sports activities.
The "Royal Clipper" has a one-of-a-kind "Captain Nemo Lounge," the ship's spa and health club. A three-deck atrium funnels sunlight into the elegant dining room.
A total of 42 sails are used to propel the ship: 26 squaresails, 11 staysails, four jibs and one gaff-rigged spanker. The sails are made of Dacron and tailored especially for the ship by Doyle Ploch Sailmakers of Clearwater, Florida.
All sail stitching is especially resistant to weakening caused by tropical sunshine, and a computer designed all but one sail. So much Dacron was needed, (the biggest sail order ever placed for a single ship), that the supply in the United States was exhausted and some Dacron had to be imported from Europe.
A sail maker is part of the ship’s crew. A special sewing machine always is available at sea ready for use when sails occasionally get ripped by the wind.
"Royal Clipper" is the first fully rigged square-rigger with five masts since her inspiration, "Preussen," in l902, and the ship approximates "Preussen" in all major measurements.
"Royal Clipper" does not use computers for sail handling. All sails are raised, lowered and positioned from the security of the deck by skilled sailors who use power winches and hand-controlled horizontal and vertical power furling.
There is a total of 19,375 square feet of handcrafted Burma teak on the Sun Deck and Main Deck.
The two tallest of the five masts are hinged so that mast tops can be easily cranked lower by 19 feet for clear passage under low bridges and power lines without interfering with the ship’s standing rigging.
"Royal Clipper" and her sister ships, "Star Flyer" and "Star Clipper," are the only major true sail ships ever built on which no seaman ever needs to climb the masts to handle sails.
A simple button lays the propeller blades almost flat against the hull when the vessel goes to sailing mode, largely eliminating resistance to the flow of water along the sleek sailboat hull.