With heavy hearts, the Picton Castle crew motored away from Pitcairn Island, our home away from home, with the island the near distance off port side. We motored as there is no useful wind for sailing. At 1300 the longboat was loaded with our bags, souvenirs and fruit, oh so much delicious fruit, at the …
Blue skies, trade wind clouds, blue seas, a few white caps. Wind has picked up enough today, averaging 3 – 4 knots. Weather is gorgeous, making it comfortable and enjoyable to work in. At 0630 the quarter-deck was filled with eager crew members sporting headlamps, watches, and sextants in order to take a morning star …
Wind has laid down and is almost aft. As the sun rose through the clouds this morning a handful of bright eyed and bushy tailed souls appeared on deck. In these moments they’re able to sip a cup of coffee or tea and have a moment to themselves while preparing for the day. Some may …
Picton Castle made great headway last night, averaging 7 knots, staying on a southwest course falling off when the wind picked up. The advantage of being the only vessel for 1000+ miles, we have ample ocean room to play with. This morning the rigging gang headed out into the head rig with tar buckets tied …
An absolutely beautiful South Pacific tradewind day. All sails set, sailing mile after mile, in the groove. Gorgeous blue sky filled with puffy cotton-like clouds surrounding the ship and sea. Sounds of rust busting steel rails on the foc’sle, scraping and sanding Fijian mahogany pinrails on the quarterdeck, brushing on varnish and paint and sawing …
Pitcairn Island is a pretty small spot on a very big ocean. First discovered by Europeans in 1767 and named for the midshipman who sighted it. They came close, looked about, recorded its location inaccurately due to not having sorted longitude quite yet. By the time Bounty sailed this had been solved. The island had …
Blue sky, seas laid down, a tropic bird passing over head, easy winds, ocean for as far as the eye can see on this clear South Pacific day. The wind has calmed down today, the ship is sailing at a speed of about 4-5 knots. Work on deck is in full swing, calmer seas allows …
Only 2,000 miles to go to Pitcairn Island. Misty rain squalls that leave us rolling in short calms and put a damper on paint projects as well as slow down the sailmaking. But all is good enough. We are headed the right direction with warm fair winds. Lots of rigging, sailmaking and small carpentry jobs …
The sound of scuffing sandpaper on mahogany and teak and the smell of varnish is abundant on deck on this beautiful sunny morning. The lee side of the galley house and the double doors of the salon received another coat of varnish – you can never have too many coats. The quarterdeck is covered with …
A blue whale swam by the ship this morning. The Picton Castle is sailing deeper and deeper into the South Pacific Ocean. After a few days of overcast and light squalls not far from the Equator we now are sailing along with a fresh beam breeze to port heeling the ship a little to starboard. …
