Mug Shot — «Kiel - The Sea Cloud»

City: Kiel Country: Germany Edition: 2008 Icon Edition Belongs to: 574 users (43 trading, 103 seeking)

Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein. Situated approximately 90 kilometres north of Hamburg, due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the Baltic Sea, Kiel has become one of the major maritime centres of Germany. The city is known for a variety of international sailing events, including the annual Kiel Week, which is the biggest sailing event in the world. The Olympic sailing competitions of the 1936 and the 1972 Summer Olympics were held in Kiel. Kiel has also been one of the traditional homes of the German Navy's Baltic fleet, and continues to be a major high-tech shipbuilding centre. Located in Kiel is the Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences at the University of Kiel. Kiel is an important sea transport hub, thanks to its location at the Kiel Fjord and the busiest artificial waterway in the world, Kiel Canal. A number of passenger ferries to Sweden, Norway and other countries operate from here. Moreover, today Kiel harbour is an important port of call for cruise ships touring the Baltic Sea. Within Germany and parts of Europe, the city is known for its leading handball team, THW Kiel. The city is home to the University of Kiel, established in 1665.

The Sea Cloud is sailing cruise ship of the Sea Cloud Cruises line. Initially built as a private yacht, it subsequently served as a weather ship for the United States Coast Guard and United States Navy during World War II. The ship served as the first racially integrated warship in the United States Armed Forces since the American Civil War. Originally a private yacht, she was transferred to the Coast Guard and then to the Navy during World War II. Following the war, Sea Cloud was returned to private ownership, serving as a yacht for numerous people, including as presidential yacht of the ruler of the Dominican Republic. The ship currently sails in Europe and the Caribbean as part of a fleet of sail cruise ships operated by Sea Cloud Cruises GmbH of Hamburg, Germany. '
Sea Cloud was built in Kiel, Germany as a Barque for E. F. Hutton & Co. She was launched in 1931 as the Hussar II; at the time of her construction, she was the largest private yacht in the world. In 1935, United States Ambassador to the Soviet Union Joseph E. Davies obtained the ship after marrying Hutton's ex-wife Marjorie Merriweather. Davies renamed the ship Sea Cloud. As a man with political influence, Davies entertained many high profile people on the ship, including Queen Elisabeth of Belgium. The ship even served as an informal embassy, as Soviet and United States officials stayed and met on the vessel.

photo by lucky
edited by mobydick74

  Germany, Kiel

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