By: Purser Allison Steele
It was a wonderful visit to our home base in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia.
Although many of our crew have spent a significant amount of time in this lovely port, some others had only heard of this beautiful little town. The townspeople did not disappoint. A large gathering cheered us and the other tall ships in and the town was in full swing for our visit. Not only was it a Tall Ship Festival but it was also the annual Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival with music everywhere! Street corners, halls, parks and everywhere there could possibly be a gathering. The entire town seemed to step back into the Age of Sail as the small streets teemed with sailors, residents, tourists, artists, and vendors.
It’s always nice to come back to Lunenburg, and with both festivals in town over the weekend, everywhere you went people wanted to talk about the ships. We are always happy to accommodate as we are very proud of our ship and our connection with Lunenburg. Crew spent their days off biking around the area and neighbouring towns, taking in concerts and generally enjoying the sights and sounds this special weekend had to offer. Even the ship’s cat Fiji was happy to be back for a short time.
PICTON CASTLE and BLUENOSE II hosted an evening at the Dory Shop for crews of the Tall Ships, including EUROPA, WYLDE SWAN, FAIR JEANNE, ST. LAWRENCE II, LORD NELSON, SPIRIT OF BERMUDA, WHEN AND IF, BOWDOIN, and HMCS ORIOLE. Ralph Getson, a local historian, spoke of what life had been like in Lunenburg many years past when commercial sailing was at its peak.
Listening to fascinating stories about the old local ships and their travels while we sitting in one of the oldest dory building facilities in North America transported us back in time and made us thankful for those who have paved the way. PICTON CASTLE has always traveled the world with Lunenburg dories steeped in history and it is fascinating to see where it all started …and still continues to this day. 100 years of history is in the foundation of this tiny waterfront building …if only the walls could speak – oh, the stories it would tell.
One of our new crew in particular has been part of Lunenburg for as long as anyone can remember. Bob Higgins (and his lovely wife Rosanna) have been honorary parents for PICTON CASTLE crew that find themselves so far away from home. As former owners of Greybeard’s Bed and Breakfast, they have hosted Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, birthdays and other such occasions when we tend to miss our families the most. They have watched the PICTON CASTLE come and go for 20 years now and we are thrilled to bring Bob along as a crew member for this final leg of the summer. For the first time ever, Bob departed on the ship with his wife Rose waving from the pier. We promise to take good care of him!
The ships departed one by one after much too quick a visit, horns blared and hundreds of people waved and bid us safe voyage. This port seems to mark the beginning of the end of our summer and although some of us long for home, we are excited for our final ports, fair winds and more sailing.
Thank you to our gracious hosts, event organizers and sponsors and also to Adams & Knickle for the use of their wharf during our visit. We will see you all again in a few weeks.
Allison