After a good, sometimes boisterous, passage from Tahiti we sailed up into the lee of Palmerston Atoll in the Cook Islands for an unplanned visit. We are halfway from Tahiti to Vava’u, Tonga. When we were in Tahiti we had gotten an email from the island administration asking what was the ship’s ETA at Palmerston […]
We have been having quite the ride the last couple days aboard the Picton Castle in the South Pacific. The day came in partly cloudy with large seas and strong winds on the port quarter. We are under a modest sail plan and sailing along just fine. Stars overhead faded out as the sky brightened
Sailing from: Tahiti Bound towards: Tonga Noon position: 17°16.1’S 159°38.6’W Course: WxS 1/2 S Speed: 5.6 knots Wind force and direction: Force 6 SExS Seas/swell: 6m SE Barometer: 1019 steady Sky: 5/8 cu, stcu Water temperature: 78.3°F Distance made good in 24 hours: 136nm Passage log: 584nm Voyage log: 9690nm Distance to next port: 830nm
Here as dawn approaches, the Picton Castle is sailing along in fresh southeast winds on the quarter. Blowing force 6, 7 in the gusts. Sail is reduced to upper topsails , inner jib & fore topmast staysail, foresail, and main topmast staysail. The ship is balanced well so steering is not hard. Seas running around
Sailing from: Tahiti Bound towards: Tonga Noon position: 17°13.5’S 157°18.2’W Course: WxN Speed: 6.2 knots Wind force and direction: Force 5/6, 7 in gusts SE Seas/swell: 5m SE Barometer: 1019 Steady Sky: 5/8 cu, stcu Water temperature: 78°F Distance made good in 24 hours: 150nm Passage log: 448.5nm Voyage log: 9554nm Distance to next port:
Sailing from: Tahiti Bound towards: Tonga Noon position: 17°59.95’S 154°51.6’W Course: W1/2S Speed: 4.6 knots Wind force and direction: Force 5 S Seas/swell: 4m southerly Barometer: 1018 rising Sky: 8/8 st Distance made good in 24 hours: 111.5nm Passage log: 298nm Sails set: Outer jib, Inner jib, Fore topmast staysail, Fore T’gallant, Fore Upper topsail,
After a grand sailaway from Tahiti, north around Moorea, even could see the mountains of Raitea off to starboard the next day many miles away, Picton Castle is under all plain sail sailing westward bound for Tonga. Whew, a long sentence! No seasickness, kittens getting used to their new world, all hands sailing the ship
After a grand sailaway from Tahiti, north around Moorea, even could see the mountains of Raitea off to starboard the next day many miles away, Picton Castle is under all plain sail sailing westward bound for Tonga. Whew, a long sentence! No seasickness, kittens getting used to their new world, all hands sailing the ship
Written by: Dirk Lorenzo Sailing our barque around the world one could easily think that attending to the ship and her current voyage would be just about enough to keep one busy. But think again; in Picton Castle, one voyage is not just that; one voyage. It is also the leadup to the next voyage.
Yesterday we sailed away from Papeete, Tahiti in the Barque Picton Castle. Our days had been full in Papeete. Crew had run around all over the place, checking out waterfalls, surfing, shopping. Good friends from Pitcairn, Dennis Christian and Sue O’Keefe, showed up so we went to Matavai Bay, the other half of the Bounty
