By Chelsea McBroom March 25th, 2014 Starboard watch had their day off ashore at the French Polynesian island of Huahine while port watch was aboard the Picton Castle loosing and drying sails. Our original plan for our day off was to rent kayaks for the day and paddle around the island, making a stop at […]
By Chelsea McBroom March 23rd, 2014 On Thursday March 20th we connected the Picton Castle‘s mooring lines to a small floating island made out of yellow plastic and a core trunk of metal with a giant shackle atop it. It took us a try or two before we decided on the best way to moor
By Chelsea McBroom March 21st, 2014 It was so hot aboard the Picton Castle I had to sneak out of the foc’sle to the cargo hatch amidships more than once to sleep. I was the only one who did, which probably had to do with the unbelievable gusts of wind that came through Cooks Bay
By Captain John Beebe-Center March 20th, 2014 Cruising through French Polynesia has been wonderful for viewing and experiencing of flora and fauna, amazing geographic formations and beautiful scenery. It has shown us crystal clear waters, excellent fishing and some great coral. Cooks Bay had its own wonders in store for us. Besides the rough-hewn peaks
By Chelsea McBroom March 19th, 2014 The Picton Castle arrived in Moorea in the early afternoon, just hours after sailing away from Papeete, and anchored in Cooks Bay. The water was brown with sediment and the current strong. Moorea is another very green lush island but with many peaks and the full sky of clouds
By Chelsea McBroom March 16th, 2014 On Thursday it began to pour in Papeete, where the Picton Castle was alongside. Even if the rain became lighter, it seemed to always be raining and for two days following. I know it’s just water but it seems to make everything more difficult; it ruins any plans to
By Chelsea McBroom March 14th, 2014 Grocery shopping in other parts of the world is not like grocery shopping in North America. The Picton Castle‘s agent here in Papeete drove me, our new cook Lily, Anne-Laure (apprentice and our French translator for the day) and Maria to the Carrefour – the biggest grocery store in
By Maria Andersen, apprentice from Denmark March 13th, 2014 I was woken up by a loud voice calling down to the batcave telling us that they needed all hands to harbour stow sails and getting the ship ready for port, so on deck we went with harness, shoes and a proper shirt so the people
By Chelsea McBroom March 12th, 2014 The Picton Castle starboard watch’s day off was very quiet, the streets were clear, being a Sunday. The shops were closed with their garage-like doors covered in graffiti. As we walked towards the town centre where the farmers market is, the streets became crowded and busy. I worried I’d
By Chelsea McBroom March 12th, 2014 It’s been a while since the Picton Castle pulled up alongside at a destination. We arrived in the port of Papeete at the island of Tahiti and the swell was high outside the harbour. It wasn’t until we moved in closer that the pilot boat could come alongside and
