As I write this log, we are about 50nm west of Guadeloupe, motoring towards Dominica. Most of the day was spent under sail, with the helmsman steering full and by, meaning to sail as close to the wind as possible while still keeping the sails full. To do this, the helmsman keeps an eye on […]
All hands mustered this morning, after some of the off-duty watch returned to the ship, to prepare to get underway and sail away from Anguilla. The crew seem to have enjoyed their stay in Anguilla, relaxing on beautiful beaches and taking in the annual Moonsplash reggae music festival. Lots of work was done on board
I arrived in Anguilla just in time to see Picton Castle sail into the anchorage at Road Bay. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the ship sail up to an anchorage from the shore perspective before, so it was interesting to see it from another angle. Once the ship was anchored, the skiff came in
It is often said around the Picton Castle that we only have a 300-ton barque in order to carry wonderful small boats around. This is only half a joke. Being competent at small boat handling is an essential component of being a good seaman therefore we have been on the lookout for a good place
The Picton Castle sailed into Hillsborough Bay, Carriacou – a part of Grenada in the Windward Islands – after a superb trade-wind passage from Brazil. We made landfall in the Caribbean at dawn with Petty Martinique, Carriacou and Union islands in sight ahead. Winds were strong, a steady force six and seas piling up as
This may be the first Captain’s Log written on board an airplane. While we’re breaking with tradition, I should explain that I’m not the Captain, either. I do, however, plan to write some Captain’s Logs over the next two weeks as I sail aboard Picton Castle in the Caribbean. My usual work location these days
Those of you who have followed the Captain’s Log for a while will remember Louie and Foxy, shipmates from the summer voyage in 2007. As the rest of the crew welcomed public visitors aboard for deck tours in Charleston, Norfolk, Newport and Halifax, these two roamed the decks as ambassadors, stopping for photo ops and
Picton Castle is looking for an Engineer for our Summer Voyage 2009. The Engineer is responsible for keeping all of the machinery and equipment in the engine room running smoothly, including our 690hp Burmeister & Wain Alpha diesel engine. We also have two Lister generators, a Sabb generator, a bank of gel batteries and a
We must be near land… Early this morning the Picton Castle has a few small birds flying near by. These little birds swoop and dart over the steep rolling peaks and troughs of the large seas rolling along with our ship as we make good time NW towards the Caribbean . These little guys do
Our day comes in fair and clear with a nice Force 4 trade-wind on the starboard beam of the Picton Castle . White caps are all around and they allude to the 15 or so knots of wind that is flowing over us and sending us along our way. The sky is a fulsome blue
A Stunningly Beautiful Day off the Coast of Surinam Read More »
