On January 4th, 2011 the Captain manoeuvred the Picton Castle into an astonishingly tight docking spot in Port Ouest, La Reunion Island. It was indeed a delicate procedure. The Captain gave helm orders to Nadja who responded with strong and controlled turns of the big teak wheel. Chris manned the engine controls, putting the engine …
By Chief Mate Michael Moreland After a near perfect Indian Ocean crossing, with steady, fresh trades on our port quarter nearly the whole time, we made landfall on Ile de Reunion as the sun was setting on another beautiful day of sailing. We sailed through the night around the northern side of the island with …
January 2, 2011 The Picton Castle sails ever westward here along about 21 south latitude, 067 east longitude, deep in the southern Indian Ocean. Her yards are almost square to the winds flowing over the port quarter. All her sails are set to the royals. Sailing and sea conditions can only be described as perfect …
Christmas Day on the Picton Castle was a happy affair from start to finish. And what a thrill to have Christmas at sea! The early morning sky was a baby blue. The sun seemed to reach its arms through puffy white clouds to cast its long shadows on the deck. The waves rocked us gently …
Barque Picton Castle – Friday December 24 – noon – latitude 20 degrees, 50 minutes south / longitude 076 degrees, 03 minutes east – southeast winds at force 4 or about 14 knots – steering west by south for French Reunion Island 1,140 miles away – Bali is about 2,400 miles astern. Christmas Eve We …
By John Masefield A wind is rustling ‘south and soft,’ Cooing a quiet country tune, The calm sea sighs, and far aloft The sails are ghostly in the moon. Unquiet ripples lisp and purr, A block there pipes and chirps i’ the sheave, The wheel-ropes jar, the reef-points stir Faintly – and it is Christmas …
No doubt about it, the holiday season has descended on the Picton Castle – and we are all the happier and the heavier because of it. A few weeks before we reached Bali, Jan approached me with a request. In Holland, where he hails from, the Dutch are visited on December 5th by a fatherly …
When the Picton Castle headed out of Benoa Harbour the humidity still hung in the air like wet woolly blankets hang on the clothes line – low and heavy. Within a few days and after some squally weather, the humidity had dissipated and we turned off the rumbling diesel engine and set all sails. We …
The crew also found inner balance during their stay – by exploring Bali, while exploring their own passions. Frankie went diving near Lembongan and discovered a reef still rich and teeming with life. Joh, Brad, Dave, Shawn and Siri continued their bargaining spree in Mas where they found sea chests and commissioned carvings and tools. …
When the Picton Castle crew described their stories to me they all expressed a similar awe that they were able to find peace in the midst of chaos. Kuta, for example, is absolute insanity. It is a mecca for tourists and partygoers and shopaholics and surfers. During the day the shops regurgitate their wares onto …
