As the Atlantic Voyage 2012-2013 approaches, we’re pleased to announce an exciting change to the itinerary. The opportunity to sail with an international fleet of tall ships on the east coast of the United States and Canada in 2012 to celebrate the bicentennial of the war of 1812 is just too good to pass up! The changes will mostly affect Leg 1 – instead of sailing from Lunenburg directly for the Azores and Europe, we’ll spend the first part of Leg 1 sailing to Bermuda and then to the US east coast to meet up with the fleet. Shorter passages between ports on the eastern seaboard will build toward the culmination of Leg 1, the transatlantic crossing which will bring us to Baltimore, Ireland and to the UK, where Leg 1 will end and Leg 2 will begin.
The chance to be together with these other vessels is truly a thrill – not only do we get to sail amongst them from port to port, we also get to share our ship with crews from other vessels and the public, get to know hundreds of sailors from around the globe and be at the heart of festivities in cities and towns that love to welcome tall ships.
In early August we’ll set our own course across the Atlantic, parting with the fleet and picking up our own agenda. We’ll sail from Nova Scotia to Baltimore, Ireland, which Picton Castle first visited in 2008 and found to be one of the most charming ports in the world for its friendly people, lush green landscape and cozy pubs. The end date of Leg 1 remains the same – August 28, 2012 – but the ship will be in the UK rather than in Copenhagen as originally planned.
Leg 2 will begin with a trip through the Kiel Canal on the way to the Aaland Islands in the Baltic Sea. On the way back toward the Atlantic, the ship will visit Copenhagen and other ports in Denmark, then head for Spain and Portugal where we will pick up with the itinerary as planned.
We’re currently making arrangements with American and Canadian ports for our visits during the first couple of months of the Atlantic Voyage. Once we have confirmed our itinerary, we look forward to sharing it with you.
Spaces for trainee crew members are available for the full year-long voyage and for the full four months each of Legs 1, 2 and 3. There will be opportunities for trainee crew to join for as little as two weeks during Leg 1 as Picton Castle sails up the east coast of North America, and for the duration of the Atlantic crossing from Nova Scotia to the UK.
We’re excited to pack even more fun, more ports and more rich sailing opportunities into this Atlantic Voyage. Keep your eyes on our website for a full itinerary soon. If you have questions, please contact voyage coordinator Maggie Ostler.