At 24-34S / 128-17W – east by north of Pitcairn Island 100 miles away – dead ahead – mid-day in the Picton Castle. Blowing hard from the SE – Force 6-7, seas large, 20-25 feet – plenty breaking white caps. Some sun and a little blue sky breaking through the low flying scudding clouds tearing […]
Sailed into a calm we did. And the Picton Castle went from 7 knots, 6 knots down to 3 knots – after awhile half a knot. Slowly as the breezes petered out to no winds at all. Can’t say a glassy calm because we had and still have this typical large Southern Ocean swell of 12
The Picton Castle sailed past the halfway mark between Galapagos and Pitcairn a couple nights ago. Southeast winds on the beam for many days and blowing pretty fresh at Force 5, gusting 6, have now faired and come in over the quarter and laid down at Force 3-4. Dense overcast at dawn, the ceiling kept
Picton Castle: AM position – Latitude 10 degrees – 03 minutes South, Longitude 104 degrees – 23 minutes West The islands of the Galapagos lay 1,000 miles astern, Pitcairn Island is ahead 1,700 miles. Between is nothing but the winds, sky and blue ocean of the South Pacific. The large seas and swell have laid
Pitcairn Island is a pretty small spot on a very big ocean. First discovered by Europeans in 1767 and named for the midshipman who sighted it. They came close, looked about, recorded its location inaccurately due to not having sorted longitude quite yet. By the time Bounty sailed this had been solved. The island had
A blue whale swam by the ship this morning. The Picton Castle is sailing deeper and deeper into the South Pacific Ocean. After a few days of overcast and light squalls not far from the Equator we now are sailing along with a fresh beam breeze to port heeling the ship a little to starboard.
The Picton Castle lay in the stream off the Balboa Yacht Club right next to the channel for the Panama Canal for some time as we prepared to head out for the South Pacific Ocean. Rain every day, often in torrents, sometimes with thunder and lightning. Drying sails was hard but had to be done
Bound from Panama towards the South Pacific Since we left Panama two days ago a flock of booby birds are hitching a ride on our yardarms. Resulting in white wet pellets falling from aloft onto a crew member passing underneath or coating the ship’s deck in white droplets beginning the war on the boobies. We
Once through the Panama Canal we moored the Picton Castle off the Balboa Yacht Club just as dark descended (as it does so swiftly in the tropics, almost like switching out a light) and torrential rains drenched us. Few went ashore that night, but some did after a short discussion on wisdom and personal safety.
The Panama Canal is a very big deal. Transiting through this techno marvel is even more so. Transiting this wonder of the man made world is a long hot day steaming through the tropical jungle of Panama 85’ above sea level. But what is one day compared to the alternatives? Say, the 9 or 10,000
