The Crew

The Crew of World Voyage 7

Captain Daniel Moreland: Post: Master

Hometown: Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada

Age: Ancient

What I was doing before I joined the ship: Looking for this ship

Why I joined Picton Castle: I wanted to see a proper deepwater square rigged sailing ship make world voyages for the richness this world I’m a part of. It became necessary to create this ship.

What I am looking forward to most on the voyage: Seeing all the crew grow in the experience and learn something of themselves bigger than the western world — especially Dawson.

I think the best thing about life aboard is: Life in this ship/voyage is life in full colour; in 5-D. This is “real life”

Words to live by: The ship comes first

- Sometimes the best person for the job is a Picton Castle Girl…
Deyan Blochliger: Post: Chief Engineer

Hometown: Basel, Switzerland (Not Sweden!)

Age: 31

What I was doing before I joined the ship: I quit my job as a poly mechanic in Switzerland and just started travelling in South America, when I received a call from Lunenburg.

Why I joined Picton Castle: Because it will change me and I have the chance to sharpen my work skills in this adventurous environment, while travelling to some of the most remote places on earth. Doesn’t get much better than this, now does it!

What I am looking forward to most on the voyage: Eating a Swiss Fondue on the top of Pitcairn Island with my friends.

I think the best thing about life aboard is: The deceleration from the hectic of everyday life and the funny moments you encounter when packing 50ish people of all ages, nationalities and backgrounds on a ship. And I mean “laughing to tears” funny.

Words to live by: Life’s too short to carry an ugly knife, and too ugly to carry a short one
Erin Greig: Post: Chief Mate

Hometown: Bermuda

Age: 28

What I was doing before I joined the ship: Studying in the UK for my license then sailing around North Norway this winter on a converted fishing trawler/passenger ship

Why I joined Picton Castle: To continue my passion of preserving the art of square rig sailing and deep water sail training

What I am looking forward to most on the voyage: Advancing my knowledge while in tropical blue oceans

I think the best thing about life aboard is: A fresh breeze abaft the beam under full sail and a starry night
Dirk Lorenzen: Post: Mate

Hometown: Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

Age: 51

What I was doing before I joined the ship: Professional Mariner

Why I joined Picton Castle: No other ship like her, no other ship doing what she does. Picton Castle is important in her craft + philosophy.

What I am looking forward to most on the voyage: Long passages, age-of-sail, Honing my craft + understanding the ship even better.

I think the best thing about life aboard is: Life aboard. Full stop.

Words to live by: Be excellent to each other
Anne-Laure Barberis: Post: Mate/Lead Seaman

Hometown: Picton Castle

Age: 27

What I was doing before I joined the ship: Don’t remember - that was years ago

Why I joined Picton Castle: To be with Fiji (ships cat)

What I am looking forward to most on the voyage: Cuddling Fiji the cat

I think the best thing about life aboard is: Spending time with Fiji
Corey Hamilton: Post: Mate/Lead Seaman

Hometown: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Age: 26

What I was doing before I joined the ship: Enjoying a couple months of down time with family before beginning the voyage

Why I joined Picton Castle: To learn the steamship techniques of the age of sail while undertaking the voyage of a lifetime.

What I am looking forward to most on the voyage: Crossing the South Pacific and practicing celestial navigation

I think the best thing about life aboard is: Getting into the flow of the watch routine on long passages and Sundays at sea. The sunsets are pretty good too.

Words to live by: If it’s worth doing once it’s worth doing a thousand times
Donald Church: Post: Chief Cook

Hometown: St. Georges, Grenada

Age: 53

Position: Chief Cook

Hometown: Grenada
Anders Bischoff: Post: Lead Seaman

Hometown: Aarhus, Denmark

Age: 26

What I was doing before I joined the ship: Circus Monkey

Why I joined Picton Castle: To teach & share what I know and to learn what I don’t know

What I am looking forward to most on the voyage: Small boat sailing in warm & exotic places.

I think the best thing about life aboard is: Being with great + inspiring shipmates, away from politics + stressful society

Words to live by: remember to smile + enjoy life all the way
Abigail Stern: Post: Lead Seaman

Hometown: Greensboro, NC

Age: 30

What I was doing before I joined the ship: Putting off an existential crisis. (Working in the mountains at my family's Inn after working at South Street Seaport Museum)

Why I joined Picton Castle: It’s the best ship out there for improving seamanship and seeing the world. I had to come back.

What I am looking forward to most on the voyage: Those long trade wind passages

I think the best thing about life aboard is: Being away from land. Not being able to see shore, hear news, see lights at night. The trust + friendship is nice too.

Words to live by: Things can always get weirder
John Gareri: Post: Sailmaker

Hometown: Westboro, Massachusetts, USA

Age: over 21

What I was doing before I joined the ship: taking time off between voyages

Why I joined Picton Castle: There is no other ship that sails around the world like Picton Castle

What I am looking forward to most on the voyage: Seeing friends in remote locations and meeting new people

I think the best thing about life aboard is: Blue water and sunny skies

Words to live by: I’ve sailed the seven seas in my dirty dungarees, but I never, ever, ever saw a mermaid
Tammy Moreland: Post: Purser

Hometown: Da’Burg

Age: 49

What I was doing before I joined the ship: Planning my garden

Why I joined Picton Castle: Hmmm…..

What I am looking forward to most on the voyage: Lychee Martinis in Bali — and unplugging from the world. Rekindling old friendships in faraway places.

I think the best thing about life aboard is: Cool breezes through my porthole, Donald fried chicken

Words to live by: You don’t ask, you don’t get.
Liz Boulanger: Post: Assistant Engineer

Hometown: Saint John, NB, Canada

Age: 34

What I was doing before I joined the ship: Working as a mechanic

Why I joined Picton Castle: I wanted to learn to sail and work on traditionally rigged ships

What I am looking forward to most on the voyage: Sailing in the tradewinds, learning all that I hope to learn and lots more

I think the best thing about life aboard is: Definitely the people. It wouldn’t be as fun or as amazing an experience without great crew mates
Annie Featherstone: Post: Purser's Assistant

Hometown: Bracebridge, Muskoka ON Canada

Age: 27

What I was doing before I joined the ship: Working in film + television in Toronto

Why I joined Picton Castle: It has been on my bucket list since I was a child. To learn and gain further seamanship knowledge.

What I am looking forward to most on the voyage: Crossing the equator, twice! The vast nautical knowledge I will gain in a year’s time.

I think the best thing about life aboard is: The sunsets over the horizon, while the cool evening breeze flows through your hair. With not a care in the world, as the world is a thousand miles away. Being disconnected from everyday life and focusing on what is in front of you.

Words to live by: If you don’t paddle your own canoe you don’t move - Thanks Mum for teaching me how to paddle.

“Being a woman is a terribly difficult trade, as it consists principally of dealing with men” Joseph Conrad, Chance
Dawson Moreland: Post: Master's Son

Hometown: Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada

Age: 5 and a half

What I was doing before I joined the ship: Going to the “Big School”, playing with my friends at daycare and playing in the water at Bay Port.

Why I joined Picton Castle: I joined at three months old - my Mommy + Daddy wanted me

What I am looking forward to most on the voyage: Made Alon

I think the best thing about life aboard is: Lots of water to play with and Donald and Vai are here

Words to live by: “After soon” —“It was an accident” —“I’m sorry”
Tyler Lancaster: Post: Trainee

Hometown: Steel Town (Hamilton Ontario, Canada)

Age: 32

What I was doing before I joined the ship: I sailed Picton last year, before completing Captain Moreland’s Bosun School

Why I joined Picton Castle: To sail around Big Blue, of course.

What I am looking forward to most on the voyage: Sailing small boats to remote inhabited islands. Oh, and the Galapagos

I think the best thing about life aboard is: Watch below + laughs on the Dog Watch

Words to live by: Get busy livin’ or get busy dyin’
Steph Hall: Post: Trainee

Hometown: Victoria, BC, Canada

Age: 45

What I was doing before I joined the ship: Running a public library system

Why I joined Picton Castle: I joined the Picton Castle on my 45th birthday, 25 years after celebrating my 20th birthday on Pitcairn Island. Having sailed there abroad the topsail schooner Pacific Swift.

What I am looking forward to most on the voyage: This voyage will be a mixture of new and familiar places and will take us on a total circumnavigation - very cool!

I think the best thing about life aboard is: The people, and the carpet of stars at night

Words to live by: The universe will unfold as it must
Braham Walter: Post: Trainee

Hometown: Santa Clarita, CA

Age: 20

What I was doing before I joined the ship: Studying philosophy in Austin Texas

Why I joined Picton Castle: Check out the world, see how it’s doin’

What I am looking forward to most on the voyage: Diving head first into cylinders 1-4 on the diesel engine for maintenance

I think the best thing about life aboard is: Three hot meals a day and an extra helping of sunshine

Words to live by: Mark the bosun's word
Aaron (A-ron) Samet: Post: Trainee

Hometown: Frederick, Maryland

Age: 34

What I was doing before I joined the ship: Blowin’ stuff up (very carefully, and for all the right reasons).

Why I joined Picton Castle: Lack of a better idea.

What I am looking forward to most on the voyage: Exploring strange new worlds; seeking out new life and new civilizations.

I think the best thing about life aboard is: The pervasive peace of mind.

Words to live by: Never fire a laser at a mirror
Carlos Chagas: Post: Trainee

Hometown: Mississauga, Ontario Canada

Age: 52

What I was doing before I joined the ship: Enjoying my first year of retirement

Why I joined Picton Castle: After visiting more than 50 countries, this offered a unique way of travel, much different that I had previously experienced.

What I am looking forward to most on the voyage: Lazy days crossing the pacific and destinations unreachable by any other means of transport

I think the best thing about life aboard is: The friendships you make with the other shipmates

Words to live by: Live life with no regrets.
Jack: Post: Trainee

Hometown: Union Springs, NY, USA

Age: 25

What I was doing before I joined the ship: Helping kids become humans.

Why I joined Picton Castle: Almost every reason.

What I am looking forward to most on the voyage: Who I am going to be in the end.

I think the best thing about life aboard is: All the opportunities for adventures.

Words to live by: Any bad mood or foul day can be replaced with: “Holy, crap, I’m sailing around the world!”
Sue Harvey: Post: Trainee

Hometown: London, UK

What I was doing before I joined the ship: Veterinarian

Why I joined Picton Castle: Circumnavigation

What I am looking forward to most on the voyage: New horizons

I think the best thing about life aboard is: Participation

Words to live by: No words just action
Dustin Dempsey: Post: Trainee

Hometown: Halifax, NS, Canada

Age: 20

What I was doing before I joined the ship: Finishing my course in Marine Navigation

Why I joined Picton Castle: To expand and enhance my skill set

What I am looking forward to most on the voyage: Sailing…

I think the best thing about life aboard is: Being disconnected from everyday life.

Words to live by: - Keep it classy

- If women don’t find you handsome they better find you handy
John Seemueller: Post: Trainee

Hometown: Saranac Lake, NY

Age: 15

What I was doing before I joined the ship: 10th grade in high school, skateboarding and skiing

Why I joined Picton Castle: To try something different and see new places.

What I am looking forward to most on the voyage: Seeing Pitcairn Island and The Galapagos

I think the best thing about life aboard is: People’s stories

Words to live by: Life should be full of lots of woohoo’s and wow’s
Ted Goranson: Post: Trainee

Hometown: Hartsville, SC

Age: 64

What I was doing before I joined the ship: Being “Big Daddy” to my grandchildren, Ilagray Hocatt + George Hocatt

Why I joined Picton Castle: To circumnavigate the world!

What I am looking forward to most on the voyage: Being mostly disconnected from electronics

I think the best thing about life aboard is: The good people you meet

Words to live by: Muffins are cake before lunch
Colin: Post: Trainee

Hometown: Lunenburg, NS

Age: 67

What I was doing before I joined the ship: I am a retired manufacturing integrator in the aerospace industry, last worked on Bombardier’s ‘C’ series aircraft

Why I joined Picton Castle: Because it was there at my doorstep and it intrigued me

What I am looking forward to most on the voyage: Meeting different peoples/cultures

I think the best thing about life aboard is: The camaraderie

Words to live by: You can only die once, live life love and enjoy while you can
James Rogers: Post: Trainee

Hometown: North Kingstown, Rhode Island, USA

Age: 18

What I was doing before I joined the ship: High school

Why I joined Picton Castle: I wanted to see the world from a perspective few get the opportunity to experience.

What I am looking forward to most on the voyage: Boldly going where no man has gone before.

I think the best thing about life aboard is: The raw sense of family. We all depend on each other, and the ship sinks or sails by how we work together.

Words to live by: everything you need to succeed is inside you.
Fiji: Post: Ship's Cat

Hometown: Fiji

Age: 33 cat years (4 human years)

Why I joined the PICTON CASTLE:
Ships need cats and cats need ships.

What I was doing before I joined the ship:
Being a kitten at the animal shelter in Suva, Fiji.

What I like best so far about life aboard:
So much string to play with! Still getting the hang of sharing my ship with another cat....

Word to live by:
“See those fish? All of them? Yeah; they’re mine. Hands off."
Arne Stefferud: Post: Trainee

Hometown: Maplewood, Minnesota

Age: 65

Position: Trainee

Hometown:

Age: 65

What I was doing before I joined the ship: Enjoying retirement from a 40-year career in parks administration + planning

Why I joined Picton Castle: To see the world in a wonderful way. I have been following the ship on-line for 10 years. This is my ultimate bucket list adventure.

What I am looking forward to most on the voyage: Experiencing many cultures by living with the locals and learning from them.

I think the best thing about life aboard is: You learn something or many things every day.

Words to live by: Our ship and its crew are crossing many latitudes and almost all the longitudes on this voyage with positive attitudes and hearts full of gratitude.
Brittni “Steel Dollhouse” Moore: Post: Trainee

Hometown: Cary, North Carolina, USA

Age: 27

What I was doing before I joined the ship: Working in the film and television industry in New York as a camera assistant

Why I joined Picton Castle: I joined in May 2017 for three weeks as a summer adventure and wound up wound up staying ever since because I discovered that I love the work and lifestyle of this more than anything I’d done before.

What I am looking forward to most on the voyage: The long ocean sailing passages

I think the best thing about life aboard is: Climbing and working aloft in the rig

Words to live by: Watch below!
Marc-Andre Robert: Post: Trainee

Hometown: Grandy, Quebec, Canada

Age: 32

What I was doing before I joined the ship: I was working as a computer network administrator in an energy smart meter company. I was also traveling the world as much as possible. 2 weeks every 8 months.

Why I joined Picton Castle: I wanted to travel more and for a longer period of time. Joining Picton Castle for a voyage around the world seemed like the ultimate adventure.

What I am looking forward to most on the voyage: Visiting countries I never thought I would visit before finding info about this voyage. I want to visit them and is also a huge draw. Achieving my world travelling goals using this method of transportation is absolutely amazing!

I think the best thing about life aboard is: While underway, being disconnected from the world. Not being bothered by small things that are “huge” back home. Getting to know a group of people I probably would have never met. Learning a lot about sailing and also a lot about myself.

Words to live by: To see the world, things dangerous to come to, to look behind walls, to know each other and to feel. That is the purpose of LIFE.
Tigress (aka Twilight Sparkle): Post: Ship's Cat #2

Hometown: Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada

Age: 7 cat years (about 6 human months)

Why I joined the PICTON CASTLE:
Because my humans were all going and I couldn't stay home all alone.

What I was doing before I joined the ship:
Living in Lunenburg, climbing on furniture and enjoying life in a cool house right in the centre of town.

What I like best so far about life aboard:
The incredible selection of places to nap and the abundance of fresh fish. Still a bit cautious of that Fiji (older cats can get so jealous when a younger & cuter model comes along.... meeee-ow!)
Kimba Gifford: Post: Trainee

Hometown: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Age: 22

What I was doing before I joined the ship: Sailing on the Great Lakes

Why I joined Picton Castle: To get away from the humdrum

What I am looking forward to most on the voyage: long ocean passages

I think the best thing about life aboard is: the sailing

Words to live by: fake it till you make it
Katie Nelson-Croner: Post: Trainee

Hometown: New York, NY, USA

Age: 33

What I was doing before I joined the ship: Recovery from mono (I don’t recommend it)

Why I joined Picton Castle: For the adventure, to learn to sail and to figure out what I am doing with my life

What I am looking forward to most on the voyage: Visiting unique places

I think the best thing about life aboard is: The people

Words to live by: An experience is never wasted if you learn something or make a friend
Rhyanne Foster: Post: Trainee

Hometown: Charleston, SC, USA

Age: 18

What I was doing before I joined the ship: High School

Why I joined Picton Castle: Work towards possibly getting my captain's license as well as helping choose my college path

What I am looking forward to most on the voyage: Making lasting connections + seeing new places

I think the best thing about life aboard is: Meeting people even those leaving before we set sail

Words to live by: Suck the marrow out of it (take everything you can from an experience)
Josh Armstrong: Post: Trainee

Hometown: Singapore

Age: 40

What I was doing before I joined the ship: Selling ice cream, tea and shampoo to South East Asia. (As separate products, combined would be gross)

Why I joined Picton Castle: To take the first few steps of learning to be a sailor

What I am looking forward to most on the voyage: Learning how to tire more sophisticated knots than any shoelaces

I think the best thing about life aboard is: I’ll let you know in three months

Words to live by: It’s only difficult before you’ve done it. Also; everybody cut footloose
Nicholas Ng: Hometown: Canada
Ivan: Post: Medical Officer Leg 4

Hometown: Stockholm, Sweden

Age: 28

What I was doing before I joined the ship: Finishing up medical school

Why I joined Picton Castle: I have always loved sailing. Being able to combine it with practicing medicine felt like the ultimate experience.

What I am looking forward to most on the voyage: Starry nights out on the Atlantic

I think the best thing about life aboard is: Working as a team. Learning about sailing

Words to live by: Life is a smorgasbord. Grab what you want.
David Damkiær-Classen: Post: Trainee (Leg 4)

Hometown: Sweden
Brian: Post: Trainee (Leg 4)

Hometown: Toronto, Canada

Age: LXX

What I was doing before I joined the ship: Living on only some 30% of our Earth - land

Why I joined Picton Castle: “Everything can be found at sea, according to the spirit of your quest” - Joseph Conrad

What I am looking forward to most on the voyage: Little do ye know your own blessedness; for to travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive, and the true success is to labour.” - Robert Louis Stevenson

I think the best thing about life aboard is: Perhaps, to appreciate Bernard Moitessier’s having been “…a citizen of the most beautiful nation on earth…which is immense and without borders, where life is lived in the present. In this limitless nation of wind, light and peace, there is no other ruler besides the sea.”

Words to live by: “There are two terrible things for a man; not to have fulfilled his dream, and to have fulfilled it.” Bernard Moitessier
Edward McDonald (Ed): Post: Trainee (Leg 4)

Age: 69

What I was doing before I joined the ship: Hospital medicine (and approach/avoidance regarding retiremen

Why I joined Picton Castle: Experience traditional technology

What I am looking forward to most on the voyage: Team building and experiencing the rhythm of life at sea

I think the best thing about life aboard is: Reducing life to it’s basic elements; disconnecting from modern tech

Words to live by: “When men go down to the sea in ships…” (I wish I remembered the rest of this quote)
Susi Scheider: Post: Trainee (Leg 4)

Hometown: Vienna, Austria

Age: 52

What I was doing before I joined the ship: I am a massage therapist, freezing in snowy Vienna

Why I joined Picton Castle: To learn to be a sailor! And it’s the adventure of my lifetime!

What I am looking forward to most on the voyage: The long sea passage and working aloft

I think the best thing about life aboard is: To be at sea
Frederick: Post: Trainee (Leg 4)

Hometown: New York, NY

What I was doing before I joined the ship: Most recently, I took a year off to scuba dive around the world, to research and write about climate change, coral reefs, and local marine conservation efforts

Why I joined Picton Castle: To pursue a life-long dream of sailing my own ship to destinations near and far.

What I am looking forward to most on the voyage: I’m excited to improve my navigation skills, learn more about winds and currents, and spend as much time aloft as possible.

I think the best thing about life aboard is: The people who I get to share the journey with.

Words to live by: “There is nothing more powerful than a humble person with a warrior spirit who is driven by a bigger purpose” - Brian Kight