Saturday brings another day of perfect sailing. We’re having a great passage north towards Bermuda with fair winds and clear skies. SHIP’S WORK: Shift fore lower topsail, fore topmast staysail. Paint skiff gunwales port side red and black. Repair inner jib, seaming on new sails. Work continues shaping the new jibboom. Captain called all hands …
Dominica to Petite Martinique Written by Purser Kate (B0b) Addison We got underway from Dominica on Monday 3rd March, bound for Bequia less than a hundred miles to the south. Funny how short an overnight sail seems when you’re used to crossing oceans. Not long ago I would have thought it quite the adventure to …
Another sunny day of excellent sailing. Gary finished the log line he’s been working on to find our speed through the water. Notices about the Palm Beach Exclusion Zone, and limiting water consumption to 2 cups of coffee each per day turned out to be April fools… SHIP’S WORK: Shift main upper topsail and fore …
Gorgeous day! It’s warm but not too hot with a steady force 5 breeze just abaft the starboard beam and we’re flying along. Switched out the fore t’gallant sail for a newer one today: getting a suit of strong sails on her ready to head north. We’re at the same latitude as the mainland USA …
The wind has eased off and faired a little so the Captain ordered more sail set: we rigged the studdingsail gear and set the topmast studdingsail, and then the sailmakers finished stitching making the new gaff topsail so we bent and set that too. It’s satisfying watching the genesis of a new sail from rolls …
Written by Purser Kate (Bob) Addison 23 March, 2016 The Caribbean feels like a sailor’s reward at the end of a long voyage. It is difficult not to love these islands, scattered in a chain curving down from Puerto Rico almost to Trinidad, with their pristine turquoise waters and palm-fringed white sand beaches baking in …
Captain’s Log – Caribbean Part I: Martinique to Dominica Read More »
Still sailing north in almost perfect weather – Donald says he brought the nice weather with him from the Caribbean and it’s going to stay with us the whole way, we hope so! SHIP’S WORK: Replace starboard main t’gallant brace and starboard gaff vang, scrape t’gallant st’ns’l boom ready for varnish. Sailmaking: roping new gaff topsail, seaming …
PICTON CASTLE sailed off the dock at St. Martin this morning. We hove-to just long enough to get the anchor on the rail and the skiff hoisted, and then set our course north towards Bermuda, sailing close to the easterly trade winds under bright blue skies. We’re homeward bound now, just one more island call …
Saw whales blow off the starboard bows this afternoon – we didn’t get close enough to identify them, but it seemed like there were more than one. We sailed between the islands of St Kitts and St Eustatius mid-afternoon, they looked very pretty all green in the sunshine. Donald is happy we’re close enough to …
The wind has been variable as we make our way between the islands, so there’s been heaps of sail handling, taking in and setting royals and upper staysail, even t’gallants and the mainsail at times as the wind built to a force 6. It was an excellent evening for taking star sight tonight: clear horizon …
