Though we expected it to come on to blow during the night the wind remained moderate and gusty, making it seem as if it were about to pick up and then not.
As such we carried easy sail through the night, Topsails and Courses, and it was in the early morning light that the wind finally came. Up to Force 6 and in with the Mainsail, calling a few hands up from below to get the sail in hand and well stowed to the yard. As the day went on the wind force grew, by noon gusting well over Force 8. Under Topsails, Foresail and three Staysails PICTON CASTLE charged along up wind and with the sea still small the motion was easy allowing us to make 6 knots, 7 at times.
When the condition abated for a while in the late afternoon we made time for an abandon ship drill, got the ship hove to under Lower Topsails and carefully got out gear to the muster stations.
Not too long after we finished our drill the wind came back on again and shifted south east. And with that we charged off to the east north east for the night.
SHIP’S WORK: Rig safety gear, overhaul Outer Jib Sheet pennants, continue spare block maintenance, continue stitching Flying Jib tabling.
FROM: Lunenburg, NS, Canada
TOWARDS: La Rochelle, France
TIME ZONE: ZD 0, GMT, UTC, Zulu, etc.
NOON POSITION: 43°46.4’N / 015°22.6’W
DAYS RUN: 123nm
PASSAGE LOG: 2320nm
DISTANCE REMAINING: 625nm
COURSE AND SPEED: ENE, 6kts
WIND: SE, Force 6
WEATHER: Squally, air temp: 17°C, water temp: 14°C
SWELL HEIGHT & DIRECTION: 5 ft, S’rly
SAILS SET: Topsails, Foresail, Fore & Main Topmast and Mizzen Staysails