The sun has been shining on Lunenburg for the past two weeks, making ship’s work easier and turning our minds from winter to spring. Several big projects that have been ongoing throughout the winter are nearing completion, and we’re starting to get Picton Castle rigged up again. The final coats of paint and varnish have been applied to the t’gallant and royal yards, as well as deck boxes, veggie lockers, aloha deck benches, and assorted other pieces that were taken from the deck of the ship into the warehouse for an overhaul this winter.
On the rigging front, blocks are almost all overhauled, which has been a big project as there are hundreds of them to take apart, inspect, clean up and put back together again. In the past couple of weeks, attention has been turned to wire as the footropes for the t’gallant and royal yards have been overhauled, along with wire halyards, brace pennants and other bits of rigging.
The ship herself seems to be waking out of a winter’s sleep as the plastic panels which had been keeping snow out of the breezeways and aloha deck have been removed, the warm breeze free to flow around the superstructure once again. Just today the main and tops’l yards on the mainmast were uncocked, and braces rigged up.
Professional crew members are arriving in Lunenburg for training, orientation and preparation, and trainee crew members will be arriving three weeks from now. We’re excited to have everyone here in Lunenburg soon, to start working together as a crew, and to go sailing!
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