A fresh trade wind sailing day. Winds picked up overnight. Studding sails taken in. Light rain squalls, not much. Steering for what I think is the narrowest part of the equatorial doldrums near the eastern bump of Brazil for a quick transit to the region of the equator. Make and mend Sunday. New gang working …
Day came in with low broken clouds and a beautiful sunrise. Winds had laid down overnight and a new swell had come from somewhere to the south to give us a roll. But deck wash down gets going anyway. Halyards and braces get a pull in the early morning light to renew the nip and …
Day came in with low broken clouds and a few light squalls. The cleared throughout the morning. “Land Ho” when we saw Ascension Island fine on starboard. Wore ship at noon to the port tack, about 5 and a half miles SE of Ascension Island. The gang barely looked up. Ascension Island was an important …
Day came in fair and partly cloudy. Classic trade wind sailing. Blue seas and skies everywhere. A couple of flying fish flew aboard last night to the delight of at least one cat. Nice varnish going on to various teak doors. Deyan is working up the main engine’s seventh cylinder air compressor. Dirk, Erin and …
Day came in partly cloudy and clearing. Wind picked up a bit. A beautiful trade winds day. The new royal yard almost done. New pin rails of Fijian tamanu wood getting varnished and are very pretty. Piles of canvas on the quarterdeck getting sewn together by Tyler and Katie under John’s oversight. Brahm and Aaron …
Day came in cloudy with small rain squalls. By noon had cleared with lovely blue skies. Sundry silly Aprils fools pranks about the ship. Wore ship again at mid-day. New Royal yard almost done, almost ready to send aloft and cross.. Shifting out the fore-upper topsail, send down for repairs. Has a couple small tears …
Day came in fair and partly cloudy. We are on the starboard tack to make some north-ing. We will wear around this afternoon to a more westerly course. Royal yard is almost shaped, awaiting yoke and ironwork. Sweet passage making today. Passage discussion to follow this afternoon. We have a long way to go but …
At noon today, the crew of the Picton Castle scrambled aloft, loosed all sail, hauled back the anchor and sailed away from this storied isle. Bound for the West Indies 3,700 miles away we are. Winds are fair, seas modest, weather is warm and clear, skies are blue with nice trade wind cumulus clouds. Fishing …
Day came in light overcast again, clearing some towards noon. Fair winds, small seas. St Helena about 90 nautical miles ahead. Back to work with spar-making, cooking, cleaning, working decks, sorting carrots, sailmaking, off watch reading, navigating, listening to Dawson sing the Popcorn song and see his dance routine. No fish today. Good sailing. Have …
Day came in light overcast again, clearing some towards noon. Fair winds, small seas. St Helena about 200 nautical miles ahead. Sunday at sea, make and mend day. Discussion on the charms of St Helena yesterday afternoon. A few crew have been before. All looking forward to it. Nice passage day today. From: Luderitz, Namibia …
