Picton Castle at anchor off Jamestown, St. Helena Island, 15 degrees south of the equator:
We got the hook down at a good spot off Jamestown, St. Helena. It was deep, 15 fathoms or 90 feet, about 1/2 mile SW of the boat landing past the large mooring field. Moored are mostly small local working craft, with some odd things mixed in. We have a big anchor and 4-5 shots of chain out. We anchor out of the winds that come hurtling down the V-shaped valley of Jamestown. The anchor is holding nicely. It was a beautiful day. We got cleared to go ashore with dispatch with help of Harbour Master Steve and the ever efficient behind the scenes efforts of Maggie back in Lunenburg. Launched the skiff and half the gang goes just before noon. We are on two watches here at St Helena.
Planning on some specific ship’s work here. We will be getting some of the sails we laid out in Cape Town seamed up and ready for roping and finishing. And our poor decks are begging to get oiled again. This we are committed to doing if weather stays dry. Of course the topsides will get a touch up and some minor shopping ashore.
The small boat landing is a nice set up, especially considering that the swell and surge can make for frisky boat handling and adventurous leaps for the nimble to get folks aboard or ashore safely. On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being mill pond and ten being terrifying or impossible, ours was mostly a 2 to 3 with maybe a 4 to 5 the last day as swells built up. But our gang got trained up in that and did very well.
What to do at St. Helena?
First a walk around town. High quality stone work everywhere. Much of the woodwork inside the buildings of teak imprted from the Far East hundreds of years ago as the first sort of “treated” lumber. Intresting old architecture, and it sure seems like an old 19th century garrison town. Massive cliffs overlook both the bay and the town. Chain link has been laid over much of this to reduce falling rocks hitting people or roofs.
No doubt most will visit Longwood, Napoleon’s last domicile after he was captured or surrendered after Waterloo and an attempt to recover power. 1815 to 1821 he and a retinue lived here. They refer to Napoleon quite respectfully on the island. Now it is French land. Napoleon died in 1821 of stomach cancer we are told. He was burried in a tomb in a lovely cool valley. Some 19 years later he was exhumed and brought to Paris.
Anne’s Place saw a lot of us . Just a short walk up from the moat and arch protecting the town. The Sims family place, run by Jane and Richard. Fresh fish that they have caught themselves frequently. Excellent family style cooking and a very welcoming atmosphere. And good internet. Today we must have this, no? Flags and teeshirts and posters from the many ships, sailing vessels, naval ships and passing yachts festoon the place overlooking the serene Castle Gardens.
The Consulate Hotel: A wonderfull old school establishment. Dark wood everywhere and the dining room is constructed of materials and masts of the British full-rigger Fairport which met her end here in James Bay in 1921. Peter and Hazel and their gracious staff make this well worth visiting. Pizza night was a hit here.
On the waterfront is a community pool that is excellent by anyone’s standards. 11-year old Dawson promoted a “pool party” there one day. Good time had by all. Some of the gang went camping in the hills and came back without mosquito bites. Tours about the island reveal a striking variety in landscapes and quite lush when you get away from the shore. The Governor’s Mansion also hosts three huge land tortoise from the Seychelle Islands. Jonathan being the senior tortoise at 190 years old. The hardware stores are well equipped and the place is clean and friendly.
For ship’s work we finally got the decks oiled and they gang got three sails all sewn up up now, ready for for the hand work of grommets, roping and cringles. Dustin dove on the propellor just to check on it. Good to do from time to time. Barnacles are making a showing but not at all bad yet.
A couple days before we sailed the lovely Dutch ketch Tecla dropped their hook astern of us . They are bound for the Netherlands directly, but decided to put in as the wind had gone to nothing. So they will wait for a good breeze. A long way to the English Channel.
With a waxing moon setting in the west, nights were serene as we listened to the surf boom on the shore, and the lapping at our waterline. Soon we sail.