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The first mast has been installed on the Sea Cloud Spirit, a significant step in the ship’s construction, which has been delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Set to become Sea Cloud Cruises’ first new ship in nearly 20 years, the 136-passenger Sea Cloud Spirit was supposed to enter service on Aug. 29. The newest delivery date has not been set, but the line said the ship will be finished this year.

It will be the third ship in the fleet; the renowned flagship, the Sea Cloud, was built in 1931 for Post Cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post.

The Spirit’s 177-foot high aft mast, or mizzenmast, was erected at the the Metalships & Docks shipyard in Vigo, Spain. The three masts will eventually carry 44,132 square feet of sail. The mizzenmast carries sails and contains the exhaust system for ship’s engine.

The Spirit’s completion has long been delayed. The project launched in 2008, when the ship was under construction at another shipyard that went bankrupt.

Source: travelweekly.com