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, …
By Kate “Bob” Addison For Picton Castle and some of her crew, it’s already been a voyage of two and a half years. We set sail from Lunenburg late in 2012 in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, bound around the world and with a couple of bonus loops of the South Pacific and months of …
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 …
The crew of Picton Castle were shocked and saddened by the news of the vast destruction reportedly caused by Severe Tropical Cyclone Pam to the tiny and beautiful island nation of Vanuatu. It wasn’t so long ago that we were last there, trading clothes, knives and pots and pans for fresh fruit, handmade baskets and …
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: …
DATE: March 13th, 2015 REMARKS: Another squally day and lumpy cross seas coming with some of the larger squalls. SHIPS WORK: Hard to get ship’s work done on deck in squally, wet weather. The bosun has set up a workshop in the cargo hold to work on various wire splices and seizings, under the shade …
Crossed the equator at twenty past midnight and longitude 029° 31.4’W. PICTON CASTLE is back in the Northern Hemisphere for the fist time since Panama in November 2012. Neptune’s Court is delayed due to squally weather, but expected any day now. SHIPS WORK: Rainy day projects: cleaning breezeway and aloha deck overhead, organize hold, splice …
