Captain's LogMy first vessel of any significance was the Brixham Trawler Ketch MAVERICK under Captain Jack Carstarphen. She was engaged as an island windjammer sailing in the British Virgin Islands. The year was 1972, I was 18 and keen to get back the Caribbean islands of my childhood and go to sea in island schooners of […]
Last week on Monday, students from Canada, the United States, Denmark, Ireland and Germany arrived in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada for the start of the summer session of Bosun School. Between them, they’ve sailed in vessels including Pelican of London, Lewis R. French, Appledore II, Friendship of Salem, Brian Boru, Maybe, Atyla, Alvei, Danmark, Spike […]
Lunenburg Harbour, Nova Scotia An ice free, hurricane hole, great refit port for PICTON CASTLE and others. And on the sea road to anywhere. Lunenburg needs to keep on drydocking ships, vessels and boats. In 1991 when I first set out […]
Thanks to a few generous Picton Castle and Bosun School alumni and other donors , we are now able to offer full scholarships to every qualifying student aged 35 and under attending Bosun School this summer! We are thrilled to make this hands-on marine technical training program available at no cost to young, up and […]
Today there are any number of lovely sailing vessels making wonderful trips under sail that most anyone can join. Schooners, brigantines and the like. Most of these trips are for a week or two, even up to a semester long if you are a student seeking accredited school time while also sailing at sea. Many […]
Spring in Lunenburg… Hunkered down in a darkening dusk here in Lunenburg in late spring a few days ago. Outside it was howling holy hooly, with rain smattering on the window tikity-tack, over my shoulder and battering at the shingles. Another South East gale. Yep. Its spring. Or so it’s what we call spring, hereabouts. […]
This just in – Bosun School will begin on Monday June 27th, 2022! What could be better than spending time in and around boats in the summer sun on the coast of Nova Scotia? Not much that we can think of, so that’s what we’ll be doing this summer in the seafaring port of […]
Join us at the Grand Banker Bar & Grill in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada on Friday April 1 at 9:00pm for a comedy show! Presenting live entertainment is not something we usually do, but when the opportunity came along to host a fundraiser in support of Picton Castle’s GoFundMe, how could we not? A former […]
Introduction to Sailmaking at Bosun School The day here on Lunenburg’s waterfront comes in cold, wet and snowy. The sky is gray and rivulets of water flow under the mushy slush in the gutters. A few boats in the harbour heave at their moorings in the raw buffeting southeasterly sea breezes coming in off the […]
Spend your summer in the beautiful seaport of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada, sharpening and building your marine skills! Bosun School was established and designed for people who already have some ship or boat experience and want to dive deeper into the skills you’ll need aboard a vessel. Whether you’ve sailed on a tall ship, a […]