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 last year, has returned to work his magic in the galley again. Under Donald’s supervision, the crew created a giant chain to unload all the boxes, bags, tins and buckets from the food service truck at the end of the wharf and pass it down the dock to be stacked on the dock amidships. The food was stowed in the hold this afternoon and we’ve got room for more, so there will be a second delivery to top up our stores and bring what was left out of the first round.
After a thorough orientation tour yesterday morning, this morning’s training session focused on safety equipment. Everyone learned about the different kinds of life jackets and PFDs we have on board, what they’re used for and how to put them on correctly. After talking about them and seeing all the different types demonstrated, each person tried each one on to really get a feel for how they work. Trainees were checked by the professional crew to make sure all the straps and buckles were done up correctly and everyone tried their whistles and checked their lights on their life jacket. Chief Mate Mike then moved on to immersion suits, explaining why, when and how to use them and demonstrated how to get into them. Everyone then went to their bunk to grab their immersion suit and bring it up to the main deck to try it on. Before long, the deck was filled with people in puffy yellow suits with only their eyes and noses sticking out. Immersion suits were then taken off, put away in their carrying bags and re-stowed away in each bunk.
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