With a pile of snow falling earlier this week, Picton Castle may actually experience a white Christmas this year, snugly tied to the dock in Lunenburg. The ship has spent many Christmases at sea in the tropics where the only white is the canvas of the sails overhead. At this time next year, Picton Castle and her crew will be sailing across the Indian Ocean, the little fake evergreen tree strapped to the cargo hatch, yummy smells of cookies and other baked goods wafting out of the galley and the crew going about the daily routine of watches in shorts and t-shirts, thinking of families and friends at home in cooler climates.
The holidays are also a time to reflect back on the past year. Picton Castle has had all sorts of adventures with a fine crew. After crossing the south Atlantic under sail alone, the crew had a great lumber-finding adventure in the forest of Grenada, took part in race week in Antigua and island-hopped in the Eastern Caribbean before sailing triumphantly into Lunenburg harbour in May. With a new gang aboard, Picton Castle sailed south at the end of June for Massachusetts to join up with the fleet of Tall Ships in Boston and Halifax. Picton Castle carried on through Atlantic Canada, first with a smaller group of ships and then on our own, exploring small ports in this breathtakingly beautiful and warmly hospitable part of the world. The Bosun School students were busy ashore this fall, learning everything from wire splicing to caulking, sailing small boats in Wednesday night Hump Cup races and taking field trips in the local area.
From all of us at Picton Castle, we wish you the warmest of holiday greetings and all the best for 2010.
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