Ironically and yet seasonally appropriate, we spent the day hove to off the coast of Christmas Island, part of Australia! A slight detour in our passage as one of our crew members had to be transferred ashore due to a non-life threatening medical condition requiring shore-based medical attention. We hope to see him on board again come Reunion! As Christmas is slowly beginning to make an appearance on board Picton Castle, and being that we altered our course Friday evening to North, bound for Christmas Island, the festivities are gearing up! “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas” was sung throughout the ship. Every deck you ventured to, a shipmate was singing or humming out the tune. Even though Kimba, of Ontario, has been singing this tune since August most of the crew, an emphasis on most, are not tired of hearing it.
As we sailed off from Christmas Island around noon, once we got word that our shipmate was well taken care of ashore, we set up the midships awning to cool us down from the midday sun’s hot rays. The deck was cleaned up, lots and lots of birds came to greet us as we were drifting next to the island, leaving pleasant little droppings all over our deck, even a few crewmates received this gift. Yuck. Post lunch, calls came to set all sails! Always an exciting moment when one sail after another after another is called out from the bridge and the deckhands scurry about to haul on and cast off the correct lines in the proper order. Beautiful, yet slow sailing away from the island, back to our intended course, bound for Rodrigues. We want to shout out to all on Christmas Island who helped get our crew member ashore and onwards to best care! The pilot and all were wonderful.
From: Bali, Indonesia
Towards: Rodrigues
Date: Saturday December 15th, 2018
Noon Position: 10°25.8′ S x 105°35.6′
E Course + Speed: NW x W 1/2 W + 5.6 kts
Wind direction + Force: SW x S + 3-4
Swell Height + Direction: 1m + SxW
Weather: Hot, sunny
Day’s Run: 112.6 nm
Passage Log: 135.5 nm
Distance to Port: 2498 nm
Voyage: 14607.9 nm
Sails Set: All sails except spanker, gaff tops’l, mizzen stays’l