The Picton Castle has sailed from Bali bound for Reunion Island across the Indian Ocean. After 12 days at anchor in Benoa Habour with the crew spread out across the island exploring, no doubt there are some stories to tell about our times in Bali. Some of these stories will find their way onto our […]
Light winds has been the lot of the Barque Picton Castle of late. We have been motoring along here in the Timor Sea off the north side of Australia for seven days now, ever since Cape York, the top corner, hot too, 39c hot, that’s 100F. I cannot believe that we have been motoring almost
By Michael “Fred” Weiss We bros of the forepeak on board the Picton Castle, aka “brocave”, have been known to come up with some unique ideas. Actually that’s not true. In reality we’re just a bunch of dirty, stinky, sweaty, hard-working kinda guys trying to keep things simple. Well, we did hang up mini disco
By Bronwen Livingston and Doctor Victoria Adams It turns out that, somehow, amidst all this tropical splendour, ancient Pacific culture, way of life in an age of sail windjammer and stark Second World War history and its remains, our crew found a way to extract themselves from all these things and to engage in a
By Doctor Vicky Adams The Picton Castle had planned to carry out medical clinics on three islands in Vanuatu and we had some donated and purchased medical supplies with us to give out. On previous visits the ship had found people in real need of medical care and medications. On this occassion, happily, this no
By Chief Mate Michael Moreland The village of Bwatnapne, on the island of Pentecost in the Vanuatu Group, rests in a valley on a large swath of lush flatlands with dramatic but gentle tropical cliffs overhanging and a long crescent coral beach that the village overlooks out to sea on the lee side of the
As I write this our Picton Castle is under all plain sail to the royals, steering west in a modest easterly tradewind about 300 miles west of the island of Espritu Santo in Vanuatu – we have just sailed through a minor line squall which brought with it a wind shift of about 90 degrees.
An open letter to Sail Training International: We are now 1/3rd of the way and 10,000 miles along in this, Picton Castle‘s fifth voyage around the world. This really has been an excellent voyage thus far with truly a great gang, officers and trainees alike; set out in May south to the Caribbean no problems
By Chief Mate Michael Moreland “Danger Island” hove into sight in the early morning hours after five rough and wet days sailing from Palmerston. No sleeping on the hatch for our 13 passengers bound back to the island, otherwise known as Pukapuka, but we were able to make up comfortable accommodations throughout the ship. Now,
By Shawn Anderson The other day the Captain remarked ¨Beautiful day, calm sea, trade winds, sailing under full sail, including stuns’ls; this doesn’t get better.¨ Now usually I am inclined to agree with the Captain, but there is one more thing to add to this scenario: catching fish. Today we landed one of the largest
