Testimonials

 I am not even home yet and I want to go sailing again, really bad! I came into this internship with few expectations, not entirely sure if I would enjoy it, but I had a good hunch that I would. Sure enough, I think sailing on tall ships and being involved with the tall ships community is awesome! Before this internship, I knew that I wanted to see the world – and now I believe I have found that the best way to do that is through tall ships. It really makes a difference in how you feel about visiting a place when you have to journey there. Sleeping on a plane and waking up somewhere else is just weird by comparison.  Sailing takes longer sure, but you work hard and see some amazing things on the way which will make it all the more rewarding when you arrive. Best of all, you’ll have friends you made on ship to have fun with when you arrive at your destination.

The last six months have been a fantastic adventure. At times exhilarating, frightening, awe inspiring, boring, hot, cold, wet, head knocking, toe stubbing, arms aching, back breaking, calming, moving, hilarious, sad and any other adjective you could think of frankly.  We mustered midships and the Captain thanked us for our hard work and discussed the “Sea Time” documents that each of us received. These documents are legal documents that confirm the sea time and duties we had on board the ship during its voyage. Each day and portion of a day at sea is counted and recorded. Then came the tough part for me… Saying Good Bye!  To have to say good bye to such great shipmates, friends, mentors and companions in adventure was really tough.

This is the second time that I have left the ship; it was no easier the second time. It’s hard to imagine the bonds that you develop with fellow shipmates and the ship itself. Spending so much time with the same people is probably only experienced by folks in the military. I know a lot more about some of the people I have sailed with than I now about some of my own family. I know I will be back on the ship again someday. I also know that I have made some friends on this voyage that I will have for the rest of my life.

The voyage lasted 364 days from the time we left Lunenburg on May 24, 2008 to our return on May 23, 2009. We traveled nearly 18,000 nautical miles, visited 55 ports, 27 countries and 4 continents. It was quite an adventure to be sure.  At times it was difficult being away from home. Sharing this adventure with everyone on the Picton Castle was very special. I know I have made some friends that I will have for the rest of my life. I also know that I have changed a bit over the past year. It's impossible to explain or even attempt to. A voyage like this changes everyone; whether it is learning how to live with thirty or so roommates or challenging oneself with new tasks and being out of our normal comfort zone. It was an experience of a lifetime; but not the last one that I will have.

To say that this voyage feels over, three weeks after arriving back in Lunenburg, 14 months after the voyage began, would be a falsehood. To say that anyone who was crew during the 5th World Circumnavigation Voyage can yet explain what we saw, what we felt, what we experienced, would be untrue. The Captain warned us of this reality. He warned us it would take months before we can even begin to tell the stories that beg to be told; before we realize that nothing will ever be the same. Being somewhat of an authority on the subject, we believed him, of course. Yet to experience it for ourselves was something none of us could have prepared for… After the ship was secured, there were the inevitable tearful embraces. Even to write this brings back the raw emotions of that day … and yet, as I mentioned at the beginning of this note, my descriptive words are still missing. Most of the crew have left by now. The sails and most of the lines have been sent down and stored for inspection and/or repair. The ship is still my home for now, though I the mornings I am greeted by a crew of 5, not 50. What I do know is that the Captain was right: This journey did not end when the World Voyage came to an end. This voyage will continue in the way we now look at the world; in the ways we will now treat those around us; in the ways we approach the next challenge in our lives. My brother, who has also sailed around the world on the Picton Castle, hugged me upon my return and said, “I’m sorry, but now you understand.” I think that I do. Nothing will ever be the same.

Looking to my left all that can be seen is broad blue ocean, the occasional flying fish breaks the surface as it glides with wing-like fins away from predators lurking below the waves. Out to my right cumulus clouds are beginning to form into a heavy line obscuring the horizon. Looking aft the water swoops and swirls as we make five knots through it. Our stern trailing five fishing lines is pulled through the swell by 23 sails. Every inch of canvas we can have up is set and I am sitting on the t’gallant yard at the outer end splicing wire rope which will soon become our newest piece of safety gear. My 80 foot high vantage point high aloft on a t’gallant yard of the Barque Picton Castle gives me a unique look at the ship below and our way of life onboard. For me this view of the ship shows what we do on board so well. From here I can see all the work, skill and learning that goes into this program and vessel. One of my favourite things about sailing tall ships is the self-sufficient feeling you get when you know that everything on board has been built by your hands or the hands of those who worked on board before you. Self-sufficiency is so rarely found these days but on board we have all the tools and knowledge to keep this ship and lifestyle going.

There are moments in time that if frozen, would forever remind us that life on the Picton Castle is amazing. Sailing around the Cape of Good Hope in the Barque Picton Castle and then into Cape Town were two such moments, moments that will be forever etched in my memory.

This ship is always a challenge, we deal with the heat or cold, the repetitive jobs, the lack of privacy, saying goodbye to much loved crewmembers, missing family and home, getting woken for work in the dead of the night, and doing things that make us nervous like leading a team in sail handling, cooking for 30, or relying on each other to handle the ship in bad weather.  But these challenges we face offer rewards far greater than the hardships we suffer.  I've made friends with people all over the world, who have stories and experiences to share that inspire and energise me. We see a part of the world so few people experience - the open ocean - which includes the star filled sky, orange sunsets and silver sunrises.   We notice the world around us, whether it's a dolphin diving alongside, changing cloud formations, or a land bird.  We've sailed to tiny islands where the curious kids chase us shouting "Bonjour! Hello!" and locals give us gifts of fruit, flowers or jewellery. We've worked in the dead quiet of the night, and the piercing heat of the day to keep the ship - our home and livelihood – a place that we can be proud of.  The Picton is a grand ship and we're all proud to sail into a port and see people impressed with our home.

There aren't words to do justice to a voyage like this and the cliches—voyage of a lifetime, epic adventure—only begin to describe it. I learned skills, definitely, but more important, I learned more about myself personally and professionally during my time onboard than I could have in any other school or work environment. I learned how I react to different situations, how I respond to and work with different kinds of people, what is really important in life. Sure it was hard, sometimes even tedious, but I gained something every day. My time on the Picton Castle not only made me a better person, it also helped me draw an outline for the kind of person I still hope to become.

Although my initial goal was to learn to sail a tall ship, my expereince has reached far beyond my expectations. There is much more to tall ships than just sailing…

…I never really knew if I had a fear of heights, but all of my anxieties about climbing up the ratlines and working my way across the yard standing on a line quickly diminished when I looked around and saw I was surrounded by people I trusted and respected. I knew I had been properly trained by a crew who cared about me and my safety.