At 1100 the pilot came to the Picton Castle alongside West Quay in the inner Alfred Basin to take us back out to sea. We had spent three weeks here at Cape Town, surrounded by lovely wooden fishing boats, ships coming off the synchrolift and right next to the very posh hotel the Cape Grace. […]
By Pania Warren Being from Pitcairn Island is a pretty big thing on the ship. A day hasn’t gone by without a story or a shipmate’s recollection of their time there. DB (David Brown) features in most of these tales. Deebs, your shipmates love and miss you!! So when I was told by the Captain
Almost every year since 1790 on little Pitcairn Island at 25 south latitude and 130 west longitude deep in the South Pacific Ocean, the islanders have held a celebration on January 23. All the islanders gather down at the landing in Bounty Bay, a short cement jetty poured over the rocks that the Bounty crowd
By Bronwen Livingston and Captain Daniel Moreland (not much by me – DM) and others One of our steady crew in this world wandering square-rigger, the Barque Picton Castle is Ollie – a great shipmate, natural seaman, capable rigger, qualified helmsman, brace hauling fool and all around good sailor and seaman. Good man aloft at
By Chief Mate Michael Moreland After a near perfect Indian Ocean crossing, with steady, fresh trades on our port quarter nearly the whole time, we made landfall on Ile de Reunion as the sun was setting on another beautiful day of sailing. We sailed through the night around the northern side of the island with
January 2, 2011 The Picton Castle sails ever westward here along about 21 south latitude, 067 east longitude, deep in the southern Indian Ocean. Her yards are almost square to the winds flowing over the port quarter. All her sails are set to the royals. Sailing and sea conditions can only be described as perfect
Barque Picton Castle – Friday December 24 – noon – latitude 20 degrees, 50 minutes south / longitude 076 degrees, 03 minutes east – southeast winds at force 4 or about 14 knots – steering west by south for French Reunion Island 1,140 miles away – Bali is about 2,400 miles astern. Christmas Eve We
By John Masefield A wind is rustling ‘south and soft,’ Cooing a quiet country tune, The calm sea sighs, and far aloft The sails are ghostly in the moon. Unquiet ripples lisp and purr, A block there pipes and chirps i’ the sheave, The wheel-ropes jar, the reef-points stir Faintly – and it is Christmas
We sailed from Benoa, Bali December 5th in the Picton Castle bound for Reunion Island 3,500 miles away across the wide Indian Ocean. The new crew joining the ship in Bali had several days of orientation in this ship including our safety procedures. Once at sea we conducted fire, abandon ship and MOB drills including
We love sailing the Picton Castle to and visiting Bali with our crew for many reasons… For starters the approach to Bali from the sea is a bit mystical. Cones of volcanic mountains rise up from the opaque mists on the horizon like examples of ancient oriental art pained on silk. As the ship closes
