Captain's LogWhat a change! Yesterday afternoon came with our much anticipated crossing of the Gulf Stream. Even when you have crossed in and out of this current before it is always a surprise just how quickly the world around you can change. Very suddenly the water temp shot up to 24°C and the air turned warm […]
We had our wind shift overnight as expected and early this morning got the ship turned to the South with a fresh West wind. The crew did a good job in the early morning hours getting sail back on to speed us along in our passage and steady out the ship’s motion. Though the sun […]
The Picton Castle and crew are having one awesome seagoing day! A big blue sunny day, shiny seas, sunny skies, we are sailing along braced sharp on the port tack making easting across the Gulf Stream about 50 miles south of Cape Hatteras. The Stream is giving us about a 20 degree lift in the […]
“It feels like I belong here, like this is home” one of our gang aboard said the other day. Over the past three months, the crew have come to know the ship and each other well, increasingly becoming more than friends or coworkers as we all depend on each other and on the ship to […]
Wednesday June 9, 2010 All hands worked yesterday to prepare the ship for transit through the Panama Canal. We were at anchor in Anchorage Area B, at the northwest corner of the harbour. We came through the giant breakwater on Monday afternoon to anchor, surrounded by lots of ships, some many times our size. In […]
Sunday June 6, 2010 Late last week, a mysterious posting appeared on the door to the salon, something about the 512th annual seamanship competition. All hands were warned to study up on their knots, steering, ship nomenclature and general seamanship skills in anticipation. Watches held secret meetings and study sessions, planning not only their compass […]
Friday June 4, 2010 A power shower, followed by part two of the splicing workshop, was the highlight of the afternoon for most of the crew. It’s really hot, hotter than usual at 33 degrees Celsius all day in the shade, and we’re all a bit on the sweaty side, so a power shower late […]
Wednesday June 2, 2010 As forecast, we had fresh easterly winds this morning, classic trade-winds, perfect for sailing the Picton Castle off the dock. As the Captain and I made our rounds of Customs and Immigration to get our outward clearance, the rest of the crew prepared to get underway. Sails up to t’gallants were […]
Sunday May 30, 2010 We’ve been motoring since we left Anguilla, making our way south through the Caribbean Sea before turning west toward Panama. The Captain says that this is ridiculous. Normally this would be a passage done almost entirely under sail – the trade winds in the Caribbean Sea are usually so consistent at […]
Saturday May 22, 2010 The crew are really embracing this sailmaking project. We’re working on a mainsail for the Carriacou sloop Mermaid, owned for the past 33 years by John Smith. The Mermaid is currently in Panama, so our intention is to have the sail done in time to hand it over to John there. […]