We just passed the mouth of the Amazon and Para Rivers, which pump huge quantities of fresh water into the Atlantic here. A strong adverse current is slowing us down at the moment but in just a few miles it should come fair and give us a boost of nearly two knots most of the …
Sunday at sea and thoughts are turning to the Caribbean in our near future – maybe in just a week! The Captain gave us an introductory West Indies talk this afternoon to whet our appetites for small boat sailing and wonderful islands, with more in-depth orientation to follow over the next few days. SHIPS WORK: …
Steamed overnight from 1600 to 0800 as winds were light and variable and we want to push on to Grenada. If we’re taking in or setting all sail we tend to do it at the change of the watch so we’ve got twice as many bodies to help without having to call all hands. With …
An exciting day today! Firstly the new topmast studdingsail was finished so we bent it and set it for the first time – it looks great, especially for a sail completely made underway, from design and first layout all the way to hand finish work. Sadly the wind was gusting too strong to hold it, …
Another fine day of trade wind sailing and we’re getting back into our fair weather routines. Captain ran another splicing workshop this afternoon: mostly a refresher for most people, but with the aim of bringing everyone up to the same level. He ran through eye splice (with different tapers), with-the-lay sailmakers’ eye splice, short splice, …
We seem to be finally out of the wet and squally weather and back into trade winds and there was even enough sun to get a noon sight today for the first time in a week. Hurrah! The ship is bowling along nicely with almost everything set. Captain held a long splice workshop this afternoon. …
We’re used to a tropical, outdoors-lifestyle on PICTON CASTLE but the continuing rain showers are sending most projects down below: the bosun and riggers have turned the cargo hold into an impromptu workshop and there are bits of rope and wire stretched here and there being spliced or served or tarred. The sailmakers have set …
The winds continue light, so mid-morning the Captain told the engineers fired up the Burmeister & Wain Alpha seven-cylinder main engine and now we’re steaming through the doldrums, getting far enough north of the line to pick up the trade winds again. Age of Sail mariners would have been plenty jealous of our reliable Danish …
Sunday at sea. We were visited by plenty of sea birds today and what looked like hundreds of dolphins approaching broad side-to in a long line off to port. They got close enough to have a good look at us and then turned away to the southeast, still in formation. And a ‘Shellbacks Only’ marlinspike …
DATE: March 14th, 2015 REMARKS: We hove-to after lunch so Neptune’s Court could come aboard and complete the usual Line-Crossing ceremonies today. All went very well, and the new shellbacks are enjoying the coolness of their new haircuts. SHIPS WORK: No additional ship’s work today. BOUND FROM: James Bay, St Helena, South Atlantic Ocean TOWARDS: …
