Picton Castle hove up anchor from Rose Bay this morning just before sunrise. Having left our berth in Lunenburg yesterday afternoon with all systems go, we are on our way to Bermuda. The crew spent the last few days bending on more sail to speed our passage along and enjoyed some unseasonably warm temperatures. It’s […]
First day of the Gulf voyage 2018! Started the day with sunshine, heaved up and got under way at 07:30, bound for Bermuda. Sailing southwest with clear skies, it’s beautiful but cold with icicles forming on the rails. Everyone is as bundled up as possible trying to stay warm, and consuming an extreme amount of
By: Purser Allison Steele With new crew on board, we began training them in basic seamanship techniques such as tying knots and how to handle lines. It can be very overwhelming at first when faced with over 180 lines on board, each serving a different purpose. Once you begin to understand the mechanics of square
SMALL BOAT EXTRAVAGANZA!! Once we were anchored and settled, the crew of PICTON CASTLE launched all of our small boats for a fantastic afternoon of sailing in the great anchorage. With Jane, Monomoy and Sea Never Dry flitting around the bay enjoying some perfect weather, the crew learned the finer points of small boat
By Purser Allison Steele With ship’s work continuing on, many of the crew are enjoying their new roles and adjusting to new challenges. The New Lead Seaman are leading their watches through line drills and practising stowing aloft. There are different methods to stowing sails and they need to be done quickly and efficiently
By Purser: Allison Steele We’ve always known Newfoundland is a beautiful, hospitable province but nothing could prepare us for the incredible welcome we received at Norris Point. The entire community threw open their hearts and hearths for the crew of PICTON CASTLE in true Newfoundlander fashion. From the huge turnout upon our arrival to the
By Purser Allison Steele We made some good distance today with a combination of sailing and motorsailing, taking advantage of the winds when we could. Through the Anticosti Chanel, the winds can be variable and switch often so it is a good opportunity to run sail handling drills. Practice makes perfect and the new crew
A voyage under sail around the world – setting out, the skippers view. Captain D.Moreland Next spring I plan to cast off in the Barque PICTON CASTLE, from her old wooden pier on Lunenburg’s historic working waterfront and set sail with a new gang outward bound on a grand voyage around the world in square-rig.
By Purser: Allison Steele After leaving the busy Port of Quebec at 0700 yesterday, participating in the Parade of Sail as we went, we began making our way down the St. Lawrence River towards our next port. The St. Lawrence has some very strong current so we often don’t make significant distance despite our speed
By Purser Allison Steele As we make our way up the St. Lawrence Canal towards Quebec, crew is enjoying somewhat warmer weather, sunshine and the ever present curious wildlife! With seals and whales, including the majestic white beluga, there is always something to see looking out over the water. Today the Captain held a workshop
