Donald Church, cook on the Picton Castle, is from Grenada. He worked as chef on eight cruise ships over a 20-year period. We met him through the Captain’s mutual friends when we were looking to hire a cook in the beginning of January while the ship was in Grenada. Having a cook from the Caribbean …
Sailing around the Eastern Caribbean this winter has been an amazing experience for the crew of the Picton Castle, but now we’re looking ahead to the next exciting voyage. Starting in Martinique on May 1, with an island stop or two on the way, we will make a deep-sea passage to Charleston, South Carolina. In …
In this line of work, it is a fact that you can never really be sure where or when you’ll meet your former shipmates again. This winter’s Caribbean Voyage has apparently come at a particularly nostalgic time for Picton Castle alum because the sailors came back. They just couldn’t stay away! As of today, our …
The Sailors Came Back; They Just Couldn’t Stay Away! Read More »
A good duty day in port is one when work ends early enough for a swim call. The fore yard is braced slightly on a starboard tack so that the swing rope can be rigged, inflatable water toys are blown up, proper ladders or scramble nets are rigged over the side, and life rings are …
Watching the sun set from the decks or high up in the rigging as we sail Picton Castle in the tropics is nature’s television. Especially when we’re underway, the rails are lined with people as the sun heads toward the horizon after supper. Every trainee goes home with some beautiful photos of the glowing orb …
The “to do” list on the Picton Castle seems endless. There is always ship’s work that needs to be done and as crew, it’s our job to keep the ship in good shape. As a shipmate once said, “Rust never sleeps.” So keeping the steel of the ship’s hull and superstructure painted is a priority. …
“Good morning, this is your wake-up for breakfast!” comes the cheery voice from outside my curtain. It’s 0715 and time for the crew to be awakened for a day sail between islands. I slowly roll out of my bunk and put on my work clothes—shorts and a tank top that are already covered in paint …
Bequia is truly one of the most beautiful islands around, and the Picton Castle has had the pleasure of putting in there twice this winter. We sail into Admiralty Bay and head for our “usual parking spot,” which we have found empty and waiting for us on both visits. Several ferries run between Bequia and …
The Picton Castle got underway yesterday afternoon from Nevis by sailing off the hook. This means that the ship sailed away from being at anchor entirely under wind, sail and crew power, the engine was not used at all. It wasn’t even on. We had the fore yards braced on a starboard tack and the …
The Picton Castle‘s newly repaired skiff was launched last Friday morning. It was a grand occasion with all the crew onboard, hauling on tackles to lift it off the cargo hatch and over the rail into the water. The new and improved skiff is one in which we can be proud to pull up at …
