Heavy winds kept up through the night at speeds 8 to 9 knots. The weather on the whole has warmed up, much to the relief of all hands, however that didn’t stop a squall this morning from unloading hail on to us! We quickly got out the deck brushes to clear it off as the whole deck of the ship had become an ice-skating rink.
As the day went on the wind gradually eased ofF to about Force 6 and the seas started to lay down as well. This is a brief respite as another weather system is expected to start tomorrow morning.
PICTON CASTLE is by almost every measure a good sailing ship, one thing she is not however is fast. Dragging around a 6 ft diameter propeller holds her back from the full potential that her hull shape would have to offer. That is why getting a near 180nm mile run for a 24 hour period is quite a good one for us.
With the weather expected to remain in a favourable direction for days to come we are hoping for more good runs to speed us on to France.
SHIP’S WORK: Continue overhaul of Fish Tackle, seaming on new Main Topmast Staysail, lay up and install new sheet pennant for the Mizzen Staysail, make up temporary sheet pennants for the Inner Jib.
FROM: Lunenburg, NS, Canada
TOWARDS: La Rochelle, France
TIME ZONE: ZD+2
NOON POSITION: 43°30.5’N / 040°08.6’W
DAYS RUN: 178nm
PASSAGE LOG: 1123nm
DISTANCE REMAINING: 1675nm
COURSE AND SPEED: E x S, 7.5kts
WIND: WSW, Force 7
WEATHER: Overcast, air temp: 14°C, water temp: 17°C
SWELL HEIGHT & DIRECTION: 12 to 15 ft, W’rly
SAILS SET: Topsails, Foresail, Fore and Main Topmast Staysails