The countdown to the start of the Atlantic Voyage is on. By this date one month from now, trainee crew members will have gathered in Lunenburg to begin orientation, training and preparation before setting sail for Bermuda. That’s exciting! It also means that we have a lot of things to do in the next month to prepare for the start of the voyage. With most of the professional crew arriving last week and this week, we’re really going to see progress happen quickly.
Last week we were also been joined by a group of students from Maine Maritime Academy, here in Nova Scotia on a reading week field trip that has involved some hands-on adventures with Picton Castle. Yesterday they joined with our professional crew to learn how to send down the mizzen topmast so it can be properly inspected and overhauled.
Winter has been generally quite mild here in Lunenburg, with today being almost spring-like at 12 degrees Celsius and sun shining brightly. Weather like this allows us to work on some of the projects that are easier and more comfortable in warmer weather, things like scraping, sanding and varnishing the jibboom, scraping down and greasing the t’gallant masts.
Of course, we’re also working with the crew, including those who are new to Picton Castle and those who are returning, on training and orientation. There’s the ship herself with which to become familiar, and also all of our standard operating procedures and policies, emergency drills, training outlines and more.
The anticipation is certainly building – we’re getting excited about the voyage!
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