By Chelsea McBroom March 3rd, 2014 I knew it must be close to 6am aboard the Picton Castle. I had been on lookout on the bridge for an hour (while taking in sail) and had been at the helm now for a while. I was hoping the sun would come out soon. I was standing […]
By Chelsea McBroom March 1st, 2014 The Picton Castle‘s last couple days in Nuku Hiva I made sure to have lunch at the wharf’s café again – ceviche with coconut milk, fresh tomato, rice, a side of banana and bread fruit and a fresh grapefruit juice. When I’m travelling I tend to find importance in
By Maria Andersen, apprentice from Denmark February 26th, 2014 There you go, that was Nuku Hiva, we are leaving tomorrow, so we’re hoisting the boats this evening and saying goodbye to this lovely French Polynesian island. It is a weird feeling leaving an island and knowing that the chance of you coming back is relatively
By Maria Andersen, apprentice from Denmark February 25th, 2014 As the day went by the Picton Castle saw the big island of Nuku Hiva coming closer, and when we climbed the masts to stow the sails we were welcomed by dolphins jumping and playing in the water. We anchored in the afternoon and were excited
By Chelsea McBroom February 27th, 2014 The last couple days I’ve been stocking up on groceries with Donald and Maria to prepare the Picton Castle for the sail to Papeete. We took the skiff in this morning with some of the port watch going ashore for their day off. The port bumpers were put out
By Chelsea McBroom February 25th, 2014 Another beautiful day ashore with no sign of rain and I had a few options as to what I would do for the day. Starboard watch of the Picton Castle could have gone on a bus tour around the island, or Meg, Erin, and Nils, our Master Divers, had
By Chelsea McBroom February 25th, 2014 My 2am night watch aboard the Picton Castle went by quickly. Maria woke me up ten minutes before, telling me I might need a jacket, and I met her on the quarter deck in my pajamas, foulies in hand when I was ready. The stars and nearly full moon
By Chelsea McBroom February 23rd, 2014 Yesterday I went grocery shopping in Nuku Hiva with Donald and my new apprentice assistant Maria, crew of the Picton Castle. The day was cloudy but very humid. It’s a very green island like the last we’d visited but seems more populated, having more city lights at night. Scattered
By Peter Crawford, trainee from New Zealand February 22nd, 2014 Saturday 22nd of February started in pleasant fashion with a midnight disco serenade from a club on shore. The Polynesian/western fusion accompanied a half moon rising over the eastern edge of the crater we are anchored in. Rain had cleared the hatch of those trying
By Anne-Laure Barberis, watch officer apprentice from France February 21st, 2014 This morning, as I woke up, the Picton Castle (as it sailed to Nuku Hiva) was already buzzing with activity. There were people doing the routine tasks: dish washing, cleaning, sanding and varnishing, wire brushing and painting, without forgetting our auto-pilot which is the
