One day north of Anguilla
At midday June 25, 2024 the Picton Castle is one day (actually 22 hours) and 130 miles north of the lovely island of Anguilla where all hands had a grand time at our final West Indian island. Much thanks to Elvis, Laurie, Deb, Gabi, Brett, Charmain, and Bankie Banx for making it such a lovely visit. The ship is sailing along braced up on the starboard tack to the steady easterly tradewinds blowing in from Africa. Winds are a force 5 just aft the starboard beam. The ship is heeling just a little, rising up with the 5-to-8-foot beam seas, and slipping down the other side. Warm and humid, we are sailing along just fine under t’gallants. May set royals soon. Haze makes the sunshine seem brighter and more hot light scattered everywhere. All hands seem content to be back at sea. Some of these guys are pretty salty old tars by now. 30,000 miles at sea under square sail as crew in a classic sailing ship has that effect sometimes.
Donald is in his galley; Bosun Line is shifting out a couple blocks. Timmermand Dan is replacing some old tiles near the after head. Some spot painting going on. The old foresail is getting patched before we stow it below as a spare. The new duradon foresail is fitting and setting nicely. What else? Dawson is practicing his knots. Diane is painting the skiff. Off watch crew are scattered about reading and relaxing.
Today it feels like the ship is loping along, born to seas and winds.
The second day north of Anguilla in Picton Castle – 245 miles we have come so far. Wednesday June 26, 2024
Mid day. Hazy and cloudy, humid and hot. Small seas, but variable force fair winds. At noon, making 5 knots+ with winds on starboard beam. Lots of finish-up jobs under way. Looking to cross the Tropic of Cancer soon and be out of the tropics. A bit sad but it will be nice to cool off some. The sun will once again be between us and the equator. A low pressure system is spinning up off West Africa and headed towards Guyana and then perhaps northwesterly to pass over or through the Caribbean. It is that time of year. We will be long gone by the time it gets anywhere near here.
Steering north with all plain sail set. Today Sara will be starting a “Deck General” class in the myriad subjects that show up on marine license examinations. Things like “how do you take care of hawsers before stowing?” and “how should side light screens be painted?”, “how do you measure the diameter of a wire cable?” and a thousand other bits of minutiae. Some of these details we cover in the normal day to day life aboard this ship. But there is much we do not as we are not every ship. Details that might be more common on a tugboat or a steamship. All good to know or at least be aware of.
Our firehose boxes getting painted. Standing rigging seizings getting painted. Working to make new steel straps for some blocks, but our welding gear is down – me no-likee that. Old foresail getting work on up on the quarterdeck. Painting overhead in the passageway in the after cabins.
Early afternoon has some blue breaking through the clouds. Long streaks of Sargasso weed which seem to line up with the wind direction. Plenty of it though. Breeze making up a bit, sailing along fine with east winds abeam. Dawson, Benita, Liam playing some kind of board game on the hatch. All is well.
The third day north of Anguilla some 356 miles. June 27, 2024
Sailing along sweetly with fair force 3 winds on the starboard quarter giving the Picton Castle over 5 knots. Yards braced in some from sharp. We crossed over the Tropic of Capricorn early this morning, meaning that we are officially out of the tropics. You would not know it though, still hot with the sun overhead, plenty hot. This will change in due course, shockingly and suddenly. But later for that.
Lots of good work going on with a talented handy bunch of deepwater seafarers doing it all. A hole was spied in the fore t’gallant, the watch sent it down before breakfast and patched and up again before lunch. New main topmast staysail bent on. Amelia renewing some pilot ladder steps. Dan doing some deck planking on the quarterdeck, Sara leading a class in “Deck General.” A few of the gang planning to stay for upcoming Bosun School.
Kim getting good at the wheel. So is Pearce. Both fitting in just fine having joined in Grenada. Newbies making canvas tool ditty bags with Bosun Line. This is an exercise in sailmaking skills. A workshop in the mysteries of anchors and anchoring coming up. Anchors are amazing and are your friends. There is one green drinking coconut left that I have my eye on. Still steering directly for St George’s, Bermuda.
Admiralty pattern old fashioned anchors, navy stockless, CQR plow anchors, Danforth anchors, grapnels; chain vs rope rode, values of each and all, “scope” and how that works. Chain and why heavier is better most of the time. Coming to anchor under sail or power, with a fair tide or foul, stern-to in a med moor, Bahamian moor, using two anchors, stern anchor, getting out a kedge anchor. And so on…
Four days out of and 440 miles north of Anguilla, 413 to Bermuda Friday June 28, 2024
The day comes in with blue skies and fluffy clouds, smaller sparkling seas. Plenty sargasso matts drifting about. Lighter winds. Pretty day though. We could be headed into that famous ‘Bermuda High’ that tends to sit hereabouts often enough. High pressure means little or no wind but otherwise sunny and pleasant. Halfway to dear Bermuda. The water is maybe 3 degrees cooler than 4 days ago but still full-on summer with a hot sun high overhead. Heat rashes going down though which is nice. The Caribbean was HOT, HOT, HOT… I never had heat rashes in the Caribbean before this last 5-week visit.
A busy day aboard. Heaps of sailmaking on the quarterdeck, patching an old foresail, setting rings in grommets and roping of new jibs laid out in Tahiti. Liam renewing a wire seizing on a port t’gallant back stay. CL Julian painting seizings. Leo and Kim overhauling the skiff’s floorboards. Dan fitting a new quarterdeck plank. Dustin overseeing monthly safety surveys, with Zoe, checking flares, porthole gaskets and a zillion other things. Bosun Line overseeing everything. Clara making a serving mallet out of purpleheart. Curtis, aka “Fashion,” doing some laundry in our fine new and clean 20 litre buckets. More Deck General after lunch with Sara.
Might be some motoring in our near future if the wind fails us. But not yet.
She heard me maybe and picked up some speed, to 4 knots again. Better.
Halfway to Bermuda, not bad. I hope to get there Monday or Tuesday at the latest.
We will see. Man proposes, God disposes….
