Just as the crew of the Picton Castle were finishing domestics and deck wash this morning, the first food delivery arrived. Purchasing enough food to feed the entire ship’s complement for most of a year is no small task. Donald, our awesome cook who sailed with us on the Caribbean voyage and the summer voyage […]
Picton Castle‘s Voyage of the Atlantic has begun. The excitement on the dock and aboard the ship is palpable as trainees have now joined the ship, leaving behind their old lives to embark on a new adventure. This morning was the official start of the voyage, with all hands mustering amidships at 0800. A muster
Picton Castle is back in the water again after a week in drydock. The ship was taken out of the water last Wednesday and went back into the water yesterday. Our beautiful barque was well cared for by the staff at Lunenburg Industrial Foundry and Engineering while she spent a week on dry land. Going
Picton Castle left her wharf for the first time since July 2007 today, being towed a few hundred metres away to the drydock at Lunenburg Industrial Foundry and Engineering. Instead of using her main engine, the ship was manoeuvred with the help of three tugboats. They pulled the ship away from the wharf, along the
As Picton Castle‘s sailing date draws closer, work continues aboard the ship to prepare for the Voyage of the Atlantic. Many of our professional crew members have already arrived, the rest will be here in the next couple of weeks. As we have more hands, we are able to accomplish more tasks. Many projects that
A week ago, the final instalment of the trainee fee was due for those trainees joining Picton Castle for the full year or Leg 1 of the Voyage of the Atlantic. Making that final payment represents a real commitment, and also a huge leap of faith. As a former trainee, I remember the combination of
Picton Castle has a temporary addition that makes her look quite different when walking down the dock. Because the ship’s stern is closest to the shore, it’s impossible to miss the cover over the quarterdeck. Made of plastic sheeting fastened over a wooden frame, this cover will help keep the quarterdeck dry and protected so
Lunenburg, Picton Castle‘s home port, is fairly quiet in the winter. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to do. One of the nice things about having the ship tied up for a while is that the crew can work regular, predictable hours, taking most evenings and weekends off. That much time off is a luxury
Much of Picton Castle‘s rigging has been sent down from aloft and brought into our warehouse for the winter. This helps protect it from the harsh Canadian winter weather, and it also allows us to work on it so that everything is in great shape when it goes back up in the spring. Kjetil and
Winter has really taken hold here in Lunenburg. It’s snowing outside my office window, the beginning of what is forecast to be five centimetres tonight. The wind is blowing from the southeast, causing whitecaps in the harbour and I can hardly see the golf course across the water through the snow and fog. Picton Castle
