The Sea Cloud, one of the world’s most luxurious sailing yachts, cruised into Thessaloniki harbor in northern Greece this morning at 8.00 am. The massive vessel is carrying 58 American passengers, mostly university lecturers. In its lifetime, the Sea Cloud has hosted tycoons, monarchs, artists, as well as famous politicians. Today it functions primarily as a cruise ship. Each passenger is outfitted with his own personal assistant. The passengers will visit Vergina before sightseeing in the city of Thessaloniki itself this afternoon. At approximately 7 pm the Sea Cloud sets sail for Piraeus. The ship measures 109 metres long and 15 metres high. Christened in Germany in 1931, the Sea Cloud has had a storied life, serving as a private yacht, diplomatic headquarters, weather station and luxury cruiser. In the Second World War it even earned American commendations for its wartime services, becoming the first weather patrol boat with a fully integrated crew in 1944. The Sea Cloud was later owned by the 1950s Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo, who used the boat for government functions. In the 1970s the Sea Cloud was purchased and renovated by Gremany’s Hartmut Paschburg. Since then, it has undergone numerous refurbishings and outfittings.
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