To Panama and Beyond!

"When you see the Southern Cross for the first time
You understand now why you came this way.
'Cuz the truth you might be running from is so small
But it's as big as the promise, the promise of a coming day."

~ Southern Cross
Crosby, Stills & Nash

Chibley playing with Liam's shoelace.

Wow! What a a trip so far! After a somewhat slow and stilted beginning, Picton Castle is well on her way on her epic 5th world voyage, and I feel priviledged to be along for the ride.

Departure day dawned bright and early for me as I was put on galley duty and had to check in by 6:30. By our 9am departure the ship was abuzz with activity. There were sails to loose and everything not secured had to be stowed and lashed into place. Chibley had to be caught and, much to her chagrine, be placed under "cabin arrest" in the engineer"s cabin. I'm sure she was not impressed, as she likes to make her rounds and know what is happening! I made my way to the headrig to help loosen the inner jib, outer jib and fore topmast staysail, which had been secured to the jibboom, in preparation of being set.

The dock was crowded with people waiting to say their goodbyes and send us off - there were a lot of teary-eyed friends and loved ones. It was a very emotional few moments, as the reality of what we are about to undertake finally sank in. This is really happening! We are really going! Woo Hoo! The excitement was palpable, to say the least. After the mayor said a quick blessing it was time to be on our way. I was instructed by the mate to do a final headcount to make sure all were on board and then Picton Castle gently pulled away from the dock.

Triumphantly, with hopes set high, we set sail out of Lunenburg Harbor under full sail. What a feeling, after weeks of preparation and anticipation, to be finally on our way! Cannons sounded in the distance amid cheers from the dock and I think it's safe to say our spirits were soaring! What a disappointment, a short while later, when the captain announced we would be turning around - it seemed that not one, but both radars were not working and he did not feel comfortable proceeding without at least one functioning. Because we had already cleared out of the country we were obliged to remain at anchor in Lunenburg harbor until the situation could be remedied. At around 10 the next morning, we once again made our way out away from land and civilization and into the big, blue Atlantic. Turns out, as fate would have it, we avoided a low pressure system and ensuing gale, which would have been a little rough for us "newbies" to endure our first time out to sea. Hmmm, I've always believed that everything happens for a reason...

The first couple of days the weather was calm, with little wind, forcing us to motor along until we could catch a breeze. It was a good opportunity to get our sea legs, get introduced to our watch systems, and get accustomed to life at sea. We were put on the helm pretty much right from the get go, first in 15 minute stints, then 30 and then finally hour long stays. It gives each person a chance to get the feel of PC and how she responds to the wheel. We were also put on hour-long lookout shifts at the bow, to look out for any sort of potential hazard, such as submerged cargo containers, other marine craft and bad weather, as well as things of interest such as dolphins or whales. My very first lookout I had a small pod of dolphins playing and riding the waves under the bowspit. It was so cool to watch! And we did see whales spouting off, although not close. At night, bioluminescent algae and other glowing creatures can be spotted among the waves, and even wash up onto the deck from time to time. I've been told that if you turn out the lights at night while pumping the head, you can actually see it swirling around in the bowl. I tried it but no luck... One night we got so excited because we were convinced that we could hear dolphins talking back and forth among themselves. We were dismayed to learn that, in fact, it was only birds. Being cheeky, we told the following watch to listen for the dolphins and had a good chuckle at their expense. We did tell them the truth - the following day.

Our good weather was not to last, however, and we were forced to "batten down the hatches" as a gale moved in, bringing with it winds of about 20-25 knots, gusting to 30 knots and seas with up to 15 foot waves. Not too terrible, according to our fearless captain, but a good one none the less. It was a little disconcerting to see the stern (back end) dip down into a swell with the next swell being higher than the back of the ship. Hand lines were strung up along the main and quarter decks, as well as safety nets strung up along the sides, so we were kept safe and secure. Lookouts were posted alongside the bridge amidship, rather than at the bow, with a person on both starboard and port sides. Harnessing in was a must. It was a bit of challange, at times, staying on your feet (a couple of nasty bruises the size of a bread-roll plate could attest to that) and It was also a bit of a feat to keep yourself from feeling like you were about to fall out of your bunk while trying to sleep at night. Sails were brought in and stowed and we switched to motor power to ride it out and get to fairer weather faster. The ship rocked and rolled - what a ride! I have felt a little queasy at times, but so far have been able to keep from feeding the fish. There was much excitement as we finally entered the gulf stream, and the water and air temperatures began to increase and we were happy to finally be able to shed our foulie and cold weather gear - although I've been assured by the captain that I will probably need them again once we hit the Indian Ocean.

I wasn't too pleased to discover, one day, that my bunk had spung a leak, and that water was slowly seeping down into my cubby. UGH! I pulled everything out and tried to dry it out as best I could. The next morning I awoke to feel drops of water dripping on my shoulder, and the foot of my bunk absolutely soaked. I wasn't impressed, but then again, I AM at sea. I enlisted the help of WT, the bosun and Nicksa, his assistant who plastered the surface overhead with absorbant pads, but were unable to fix the source of the leak. Hopefully once we hit port they'll be able to sort it out. Once the warm weather returned, I was able to tear my bunk apart, air it out and wash and hang all of my sodden clothes. Yep, ya gotta love life at sea!

I wasn't sure what I'd think about spending so much time away from land at first since the longest stretch at sea I'd done was about 4 days, and that was on a cruise ship. But, I have to admit that I really have enjoyed settling in, falling into a routine and getting to know my fellow ship mates. My 8 - 12 watch crew consists of Liam, Joanna, Meredith, Shawn, Brad, Dan, Joani, Lorraine and Josh (also known as Jon) with AB's Sophie and Katelinn and our mate, Mike. We have a great crew, who have become like a little family - we get on very well and have a lot of laughs. Our official motto has become "Hydrate Or Die". Pretty self explanatory, I think. Individual water bottles are a common sight among our members (in fact many of the crew), much to the wonderment of our captain, but, as it gets hotter it's important to stay well hydrated. We've also labeled ourselves, the "Squally Bit" watch. I'm sure most of you must have some idea what a squall is, but for those of you who don't I'll explain to the best of my ability. A squall can consist of rain with lots of wind; rain with no wind or wind with no rain; or so I've been told. Dictionary.com describes it as "a sudden, violent gust of wind, often accompanied by rain, snow, or sleet" or "a sudden disturbance or commotion". Regardless, they aren't very pleasant, especially when it's cold.

Anyhoo, our watch seems to attract what Sophie has endearingly termed "squally bits" - it seems like everytime we are about to go on watch, the clouds come and then the temperature drops and then the heavens open up. It's not so bad as the weather improves and the water temperature rises, but the first couple of weeks were COLD!
Our watch is also fond of riddles - "A man walks into a restaurant and orders a bowl of Albatross soup. He takes one spoonful and immediately throws himself out the window, killing himself. Why?" And then we try to figure it out. Yeah, I'll leave you guys to it... At night, especially when we are motoring, we tend to have a lot of time to hang out on the quarter deck and amuse ourselves thusly - aside from helm, lookout, hourly ship checks, making coffee and hot water, wake-ups for the oncoming watch and the occasional sail handling, of course.

On May 17th,in honor of our two Norwegian shipmates, Siri and Johanna, we celebrated "Norway Day" also known as the day Norway signed their "declaration of independence". Each watch dressed up in costumes celebrating Norway. There was a parade, songs, games and each watch paid tribute in its own way. Our watch made up a little ditty about our "Favorite Things" from Norway. There was a bit of silliness - okay, maybe a lot of silliness, a lot of laughter and I think it's safe to say that almost everyone had a good time.

The first few weeks were challenging, having to deal with rough seas, foul weather, less sleep, adjusting to watch schedules, etc., and so it was much to our collective delight when the captain announced that we would be putting into Anguilla for a much needed respite, not to mention the fact that the winds had shifted and once gain made sailing very challenging. He decided some sun, relaxation and sand between our toes might be a welcome change. I think we all could have hugged him when the news was announced. Suddenly the moods were brighter, more laughter was heard and there was a new energy in the air. I was at the helm when we sailed closer to the island. The captain gave me some great steering advice; "See that reef and see that island? Don't hit 'em". I was finally relieved by Nadja, although told to stand by, watch and learn. She is an amazing helmswoman! We dropped anchor in about 6 fathoms of water (a fathom is 6 feet, or 1.8 metres).

Anquilla is a quiet, sleepy island in the caribbean, east of the Virgin Islands in the British West Indies. The northern most island in the Leeward chain, Anguilla is just an hour flight from Puerto Rico and a 20 minute ferry ride from our neighbor to the south, St. Martin/Maarten. Anguilla has over 30 white sand beaches and is reputed to have one of the nicest beaches in the world, Shoal Bay. The island itself is about 17 miles long and 3 miles wide at it's widest point and has a population of about 13 thousand mostly English speaking people. It is a British Overseas Territory. *This information was taken from the Anquilla Guide website. In short, it was a beautiful, quiet, relaxing place to stop and recharge. A group of us headed out to the famous Shoal Bay to do a bit of swimming, grab a bite to eat - including ice cream and a Bushwacker or two - and, of course, some shopping. It was a fun day! I was saddend to learn, later in the day, that my grandmother Moberg had passed away. It's kinda tough to receive sad news while so far away from home - I took a stroll along the beach, had a good cry and said a quiet prayer for her and my family. I believe she is in a much better place, along with mom and grandpa.

After 3 days of relaxation (well, two, really, since one was sent on watch), I was ready to head back out to sea and continue our marvelous adventure. After Nadja skillfully negotiated us out of precarious waters, the captain once again put me at the helm, with Nadja's guidance. I have to admit, I was smiling like a village idiot, but it felt so good to be back underway, with the wind in my hair and the sway of the ocean beneath my feet. I wish I had adequate words to explain the feeling, but unless you experience it for yourself, it's difficult to understand. Needless to say, I was in my element and all was at peace in my world.

And so, a few days later, we were surprised to hear that we would once again be putting into port - this time the island of Bonaire, about 60 miles off the caost of Venezuela. It seemed that, yet again, the winds had shifted and we would be sailing directly into them - not what you want.   Doesn't give you much forward motion... And the captain was very succinct in saying that he had no desire to motor all the way to Panama - it's expensive and he didn't want to do it. So, Bonaire it was to be.

For those who scuba dive, Bonaire is a well known spot. There are literally hundreds of dive sites all along the coastline, most being within shore distance. The diving is considered by some to be world class. And so, naturally I chose to do some diving. Liam put up a sign up sheet for anyone interested in diving, whether they had experience or not, and then arranged with a local dive shop for those who weren't certified to do a discovery dive course, and those who were to spend the morning doing two dives. Early the next morning, Liam, Josh, Dan, Johanna, Meredith and I all headed down to the dive shop. It worked out perfectly since Both Liam and myself are certified rescue divers and Dan has his advanced, and so we were paired with those who didn't have as much experience. My buddy was Josh. It had been 3 years since my last dive, and so I felt a bit rusty during my first dive but as the dive progressed it began to feel more and more natural again. By second dive it felt as if I'd never been out of the water. We saw some cool things, such as eels, rays, barracuda and LOADS of colorful reef fish.

I think it's safe to say that everyone had a great time on Bonaire. It's also a beautiful island, known as one of the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao), part of the Netherlands Antilles, or Dutch Caribbean. It's known for it's pioneering role in nature conservation, particularily in marine environement. There are great restaurants, good resorts and various other activities, such as windsurfing, kayaking, snorkeling - even mountain biking. Most of our crew rented scooters, quads or jeeps and toured around the island. I took some much needed time to myself, wandered around, relaxed and recharged. Again, after a few days I was ready to move on and make for Panama and it's famous canal.





I have to say that so far this experience has surpassed my expectations. Yeah, it hasn't always been sunshine and roses - in fact at times it's been downright miserable - but I've learned that what you put into an experience such as this one, you get out. Attitude is everything when you're crammed into a relatively small space with many people of differing personalities, or faced with situations that just outright suck. Sure, you can spout off and be miserable, but all that serves is to make not only yourself, but everyone around you miserable, too. Learning to "let it go" is a valuable trait. I am truly blessed to be a part of this incredible adventure and so I feel it's imperative to accept the good with the bad (and there is much, much more good than bad). It truly isn't as hard as it sounds once you make an effort to be positive. It's all about perspective; in Panama it's VERY hot and humid - sweat literally runs down your body, especially when you're working. It's not very pleasant to be covered in rust, dust, dirt, tar, oil, paint, diesel, sunscreen - all intermingled with sweat. But at the end of the day, after they've hooked up the "power shower" and you've scrubbed down and feel somewhat cleaner, that "cold one" sure tastes good!



Until Galapagos (I'll update you on Panama then), hasta luego...
ps.  pictures to come...

Delayed...

So, it looks like good ol' Mother Nature had different plans in store for us and our departure has been delayed until Monday morning, 9am.  The Captain decided that he didn't want our first days at sea to be in winds dropping around 30+ knots - mighty considerate of him, me thinks!  Wouldn't do for half our crew to be hanging over the lee-side of the ship feeding the crabs on the first day...  It goes something like this:  A low pressure system was bringing in winds from the west, which were the 30+ winds and then after that a second low pressure system was coming in from the south.  Given the fact that we are heading south, it would mean we would be heading directly into the wind.  Hmmm, that could make sailing a tad bit difficult.  Thus we had to wait.

We spent the last two days making the ship sea-worthy by lashing down absolutely everything that is on deck so that nothing moves about, stowing the last of the cargo, cleaning the warehouse, flipping smaller boats staying behind at the boat yard and securing the rigging.  Just before noon today our first mate, Mike, declared that we are now ready to sail.

Although anticipation is high and most of the crew are literally chomping at the bit to get going, I just figure it is what it is and it's all part of the adventure - plus it gives me one more "princess" night at a hotel.   What can I say?  I'm a chick!  I can play in tar with the best of them but I still like to clean up now and again. Plug time - if ever anyone is ever in Lunenburg, you HAVE to stay at the Lunenburg Arms.  It is the most charming place with WONDERFUL staff (who do my laundry for free) and great bathtubs!  And the beds are divine!  Hey, would LOVE to see a few of your mugs on June 18th, 2011 - that is the day we are scheduled to arrive in Lunenburg. Just saying...  Seriously though, I have caught nasty bug that has been making its way around the ship, and I desperately wanted a night where I could sleep in peace without my hacking keeping the rest of the salon awake.

Anyhow, it hit me yesterday just how real this all is. I was walking by the ship and the name on the bow caught my eye and it hit me like a ton of bricks - I am REALLY here and I am REALLY doing this.  Wow!  What a realization!  I can remember how just a few years ago my brother, Brendon, told me that I HAD to "check out this website of this ship that sails around the world" and so I did, thought it was amazing, and now here I am.  I never thought I'd do anything like this.  It really does blow my mind...  And I am so happy I'm here.  Bring on the adventure!

Follow along at http://www.picton-castle.com/

And aweigh we go!

So, this will be the last post before we hit Panama, but the good thing is, I will now have more time to put a little more effort into my blog.  Thank you all for your patience! 

Saturday at 2pm, Atlantic Time, we are scheduled to weigh anchor and set sail with our first stop being Colon, Panama.  The excitement on board is high, along with a bit of nervousness as to what the next few weeks will entail.  Will we adjust to life at sea?  Will we learn our lines and duties without the Captain yelling at us? Will we survive without wanting to kill each other - okay, kill may be a little strong - how about seriously maim?  Will we get used to all the various nightly sounds in the salon...?  It is a virtual cacaphony of sounds - a few talkers, a few snorers, a few purrers and Lorraine's habitual "Oh God!" every morning as she tries to crawl out of her bunk.

This past week has been pretty much more of the same as the previous weeks, with a bit more "drilling" involved.  We've concentrated a lot on fire, man overboard and abandon ship drills, as well as sail handling drills, all in preparation for setting sail this coming Saturday.  Each crew member is assigned a specific duty for each drill, depending on what is required (fire equipment, going aloft for man overboard as a spotter, or bringing up immersion suits and provisions, etc).  My job for each is to do the final headcount to make sure that all are accounted for.  That means I get lifeboat number four... Sigh!  Four are really all we need, but we have six, as well as the skiff and the rowboat.  Yesterday we were evaluated by both Transport Canada (at our request) and the company insurance agents.  We do that to ensure that we are ready and properly prepared to sail.   We did a MOB drill which had the "dummy" into the rescue boat in just over 2 minutes.  Not too bad!  Picton Castle has been painted and shined and all prettied up in preparation for setting sail, although the work is pretty much continuous.  The lines are all rigged up, sails are up and stowed neatly and the yards uniformally squared.  I have to admit, she looks impressive!  All that is left is to finish loading supplies and cargo into the hold and secure.

On Saturday we had the afternoon off, given the fact that we actually hosted a wedding onboard.  The couple met on a previous voyage, fell madly in love and asked that the Captain (along with the Presbyterian Minister, who is also the Mayor) perform the ceremony.  We were all invited with the condition that we dress in true "Marlin Spike" attire - which is as crazy yet elegant (yeah, I raised my eyebrows at that one, too) as you can get.  However, we all got into the spirit with quite a bit of gusto!  Some of the costumes were very creative (tin-foil skirt), given that we were only given a few days to get prepared.  All I can say is, you gotta love the dollar store!  Marlin Spike is a random event that (usually) happens on Sunday afternoons.  It can include crazy, silly-yet-elegant dress or themed events with punch and popcorn.  I bought enough stuff at the dollar store to be prepared for any possibility.  I looked quite regal in my silver tiara, if I do say so myself!  It even lit up! (Don't even say it!)  I don't think some people quite got the "elegant" idea, but oh well...  A good time was had by all!

While everyone headed down to the "Dory Shop" for some nuptual celebrations and shenanigans, I decided to hang back and have something to eat.  I joined my friend, Fred (actually, his name is really Mike, but given that there are 4 Mike's on board and another soon to join, we decided to cal him Fred), his mother, Karla and her friend Bob, for dinner.  Being Saturday night, it was trivia night at the local pub and so we decided to stay and play.  Naturally we kicked butt - AGAIN!  And what do you suppose I should win?  Why, an Edmonton Oilers t-shirt and a frisbee! The frisbee I gave away, but the t-shirt I naturally kept.  Now I have a matching pen and shirt (yes, Andee, I still have the pen - I guard it with my life!).

We've now been divided into watches.  There are three watch schedules; 12-4, 4-8 and 8-12.  I have been put on the 8-12 watch, which means that I (and about 11others) am(are) on duty from 8am-12 noon and then again from 8pm until midnight.  The hours in between are mine to so with as I please, be it sleep, read, write in my blog, etc.  I was actually hoping to get that shift, so I am very happy! It does change in port, but I will write more about that when we get back into port and I understand how it works a little better.

Physically, I think I'm starting to adjust.  I feel much stronger already (you should see my pipes!), and my endurance has increased.  My hands are actually a bit cleaner, although now they are laced with splinters and cuts and chunks of skin out of my knuckles and even a blood blister due to rope burn!  Easing the braces is not as easy as I thought it would be!  My knees seem to be perpetually bruised, and there are bruises in places I didn't think could be bruised!  But it's all good.  It's all part of the adventure.  The bottom line is, I laugh a lot, I'm learning a lot and I've already made some true lifelong friends.

Until Panama,

A Bientot!

ps:  Kash, I promise I will post pictures of Chibley and my bunk, but it will have to wait.  Sorry, Sweetie!

Geting Ready to Set Sail

So the past week and a bit has been incredibly busy with preparations for setting sail.  I painted, primed, rowed,  learned to splice lines and whip (bind) the ends, and climbed up 2/3rds of the way up the main mast to help attach a block and tackle.  I still have yet to go up to the first yard, given that I'm not so keen on heights, but I'm confident I'll get there in time.  So far, though, I've been busy learning ( literally) the ropes on the main deck.

I was also put on the safety team, which was three of us responsible for sorting, and taking inventory of all safety gear such as immersion suits and pfd's.  We also went through all of the provision cannisters that are put into each lifeboat.  We had to make sure all of the gear was up to date and still in good shape.  We are well equipped in the event of any emergency,  I can assure you!  We went though emergency first response training and fire safety and training.   Next week we start safety drills such as man overboard and lifeboat drills.

This week we actually "bended sails" - meaning we began to attach them to their respective yards.  I was put to work on the fore topmast staysail. We carried the sail from the warehouse to the deck and then furled it nice and neatly and secured it with marlin hitches to keep the grommets in place.  The grommets are where we attach the sail to the hanks that are used to raise it along the halyard.  Then we had to carry it out onto the bowspit in order to attch it to the fore mast.  The bowspit is the part that juts out over the water at the very front ot the ship.  This is called the "head rig".  In order to work out there you must be harnessed in for safety.  My specific task was called "hanking".  Hanks are steel rings, kind of in the shape of horseshoes with rings on the ends, that are lashed through the grommets around the halyard and onto the sail.  I shared the task with Joanna and Rebecca - the third mate.  It was cool to see the sail raised after we were finished and know that our little part played a role in it.

On Sunday I was on galley and ship watch, which meant I had to stay on board all day until our watch was relieved the next morning.  But, being Sunday, breakfast isn't served until 9am, so I was able to sleep in a bit.  On Sunday's Donald has the day off so we are responsible for preparing the meals, as well as serve them.  Thankfully one of my fellow trainees was a restaurant cook for 20 years and so he took over and did a fantastic job.  Once meals are over it's pretty relaxing and so I spent the bulk of my day working on my lanyards. 

Each of us is required to wear a "rig" which consists of a knife and marlin spike - which is exactly what it sounds like.  It is a big spike that can be used for a variety of purposes, but it mostly comes in handy untying difficult knots.  Both are worn in a sheath attached to a belt, but they also must be tied on to prevent them from falling when using them aloft.  The last thing anyone wants is a long knife falling ten stories to the deck below.  That "string" is called a lanyard.  Mine is done in a 4 strand sennet, meaning that I "braided" it using 4 strands of twine for strength.  I used blue and white thread to make it pretty, but soon it will be covered in tar - sigh!  At least it looks nice now.   Actually, nothing is allowed aloft unless it has a lanyard - that includes everything from lipbalm to sunglasses.

Today we hauled up the Mizzen topmast, which is situated on the quarter deck. The Mizzen (like the main and fore sails) is like 3 long poles attached to one another climbing upward and the topmast is the very top part of the mast. It was pretty neat to see it being hauled up using only man power and lines. The ship is now starting to look like a working tall ship. Tomorrow we are hoping to raise and cross the final two yards - the T'gallant (or Top Gallant) and the Royal. We will then bend those sails, and Picton Castle will be ready to take to the high seas.

As well, we've been busy continuing to load the hold. Today the food stores started to arrive, so we formed a long chain gang from the dock to the deck of the ship and down into the hold. It's unreal just how much food we will be taking with us, but from the looks of it we will eat well. Donald, our Granadian cook does a fantastic job!  Sigh, to which my expanding waistline can attest...  Well, we do work it off.

Due to the fact that we were delayed getting into dry dock, we have rescheduled our departure date for the 8th of May, returning sometime in July of 2011.  There is an air of impatience among some of the trainees - we are so anxious to get going and get the show on the road!  But, it will be here before we know it...

Ship life and "Tammy-isms"

So, some of you might be wondering what ship life is actually like, aside from the work we do.  Let me try to explain.  Picton Castle is about 180 feet long from bow to stern (front to back), with 3 somewhat distinctive structures.
Towards the back of the ship, also known as "aft", there is what is known as the super structure.  That houses the chart room, the captain's mess (dining area) and quarters, as well as the first mate and engineer's quarters and a head (bathroom) with a small tub/shower.  Behind that is the scullery, kind of like a mini kitchen, where the crew does the dishes and condiments, cutlery, dishes and snacks are held. Down below that is what is known as the "Bat cave" where about 8-10 of the younger girls are housed. Behind the superstructure, on the main deck, is the "aloha deck".  That's where the entrance to the scullery is.  There are also benches, Chibley's litter box, a food locker, a coffee, tea and juice station and outside sinks to rinse dishes before washing them.  When the weather is nice our meals are setup buffet-style back there, as well.  It is a place that people are allowed to hang out during their off-time.  Along the sides is called the breezeway and on the port side is also another small "outside" head.  On top of the superstructure, known as the quarter deck, is the bridge, The helm, the lifeboats as well as pins that hold the lines to the main mast. The quarter deck covers the aloha deck below.

In front of the superstructure is the area know as midships.  This is where the giant hatch to the hold is located, as well as the main mast and where most of the time mustering takes place.  In front of that is the building which houses galley and the entrance to the salon below.  Going down the steps to the salon, on the right hand side (or starboard side) is the head (with a shower) and to the left (port side) are two bunks, one on top of the other.  Down each side are two rows of bunks, 8 per side.  In front of them are benches that span the width of the bunks, with small hatches that contain our personal gear.  There is surprisingly a lot of storage because it extends underneath each bunk which is about 3 feet wide and 6 feet long, although some are longer.  This is where I live, in bunk #35 (top bunk), to be precise.  The salon is actually quite nice inside, with varnished walls and balinese carvings. There are four long tables, 2 per side, where we all sit and eat when the weather isn't very nice or just hang out in the evenings.  Each bunk has a light, curtains for privacy, and a long storage cubby down the side for your personal belongings.  Latched to the ceiling is my pfd (personal floatation device) attached with what we call rotton cotton - string that will break easily when pulled.  I've also added a bunk hammock that contains most of my clothes, a mirror,  baskets which I've screwed into the wall, and hooks to hang miscellanious items, such as my flashlight, waterbottle, face cloth and towel.  I can't quite sit up without hunching over, but with two pillows, I can comfortably read.  I'm really only there to sleep, so it's not too bad.  And by the time I go to bed, I'm so knackered that even the sounds and snores of other people don't really bother me!  I sleep like a baby, and wake up feeling pretty well rested.
Behind the stairs to the salon, is the entrance to the hold which goes a long way aft.  Is it full with all kinds of supplies needed to conduct such a long voyage, and by the time we set sail, will be full to the brim with supplies. 
Moving forward from the salon, is a watertight door that leads to the fore peak, better known at the "bro cave".  That is where about 8 - 10 young men are housed. 
Moving back on deck, behind the galley is the foc'sle or "fore castle".  In between is the fore mast, some benches and apparently the area where people go to get out of the scrutiny of the captain and mate.  Located on the starboard side, main deck of the foc'sle is the paint locker - which stores all of the painting supplies.  Inside the foc'sle is where the pro crew have their bunks, as well as the carpenter's station.  There is also a ladder that goes down to the bro cave.  On top of the foc'sle is the a deck where the anchor winch (which is "pumped") is located, as well as pins that hold the lines to the fore mast.  There is also a capstan (which is pushed in a circle), which can be used instead of the winch.  I don't know why, yet.  And there you have the Picton Castle.  You can find a diagram of her on the Picton Castle website.
So far I think I've settled in quite nicely, but just when I think my body is beginning to adjust to the various taskes they have for us the introduce something new.  Today it was rowing.  We each got a turn to row around in the boat that will mainly used for our shore trips.  It takes 4 people per side, plus a person to steer and give directions - in this case the mate, Mike, to instruct in the correct way of doing things.  It's kinda confusing at first because I'm actually facing the back of the boat to row it forward.  I kept having a "Tammy" moment, which is kinda like a blonde moment, except I'm not really blonde anymore and I'm also trying to be somewhat politicaly correct.  When everyone else was rowing backward, I was trying to row forward.  Sigh... It was quite embarrassing, although I learned in due time.  But man, Is it hard on the arms!  The oars are really heavy and cumbersome to maneouver.
I've also come to the acceptance that my hands will never truly be clean again.  well, not until some time after this voyage is complete, me thinks!  I spent the better part of today working at assembling the "rigging".  That is what is used to attach and control our sails.  First, we had to haul it out of the hold - after I spent the bulk of yesterday putting it into the hold.  Most of it is wire rigging, that has been oiled and tarred to preserve it and prevent it form rusting. I was given the job of oiling and tarring it again.  Bythe time I was finished, I had oil and tar on my face, all over my hands, in my hair and definitely all over my brand new Carhartt's.  At least they look WELL broken in! 
Yesterday morning, I was using the "outside head"" to brush my teeth and do my "business" and, wanting to be sure I used it correctly, I dilligently read the instructions.  "Open both valves, to add water to the bowl"...  Okay, not so diificult, must be these two valves right in front of me.  Good news is I discovered another shower on board.  Bad news is, I wasn't really looking to have a shower at that precise moment.  :-(
Anyway, that is some of the fun things going on in my life at the moment....

Mail

By the way, should anyone wish to send me anything (cheese puffs, body scrubs, cards, letters, ketchup chips, etc) the first mail port of World Voyage 5 will be in Panama. Please allow four weeks for regular mail to reach Panama. All envelopes and packages should be outlined in heavy green waterproof marker and addressed like this:


[Crew member name] Barque PICTON CASTLE
c/o Panama Agencies Co. Inc.
P.O. Box 0843-00948
Balboa, Ancon
Rep. of Panama
*Hold for arrival of Barque PICTON CASTLE on or about May 28, 2010

No obligatory, of course, but would be nice...  One thing I would like is pictures. If you have pictures of me with you, I would love to receive them to hang in my bunk.  Thanks! 

The Preparation Continues...

It's hard to believe that I've been here for a week - it feels like it's been much longer than that! This past week has
been a very busy one! Every morning is pretty much the same - wake up at 7:15, breakfast at 7:30, muster at 8am. Domestics are first - meaning everyone cleans our respective ships - then we are given our jobs for the morning until lunch at noon. We muster again at 12:45 and then more work, followed by training until around 5pm, dinner at 6pm and evenings free. By 10pm, most everyone has crashed for the night. As my friend Joanna says, there is very little thinking involved, since someone (or your body) is dictating your every move.

There is so much preparation to be done before we sail, despite the fact that for the majority of the time PC has been up on blocks in dry dock - meaning we had to climb the long way up to get on deck to carry out our various duties. Those of you who know how well I am (not) with heights know THAT in itself was a feat for me. But I did it and feel very proud of myself! Maybe I will make it aloft!

On Tuesday morning, I was put to work busting rust on deck. That means taking a hammer - and in tights spots a chisel - and hammer the crap out of the rusty spots to break all the rust off until we reach bare steel underneath. Then it's sanded down, covered with coro-seal, repainted with aluminum primer, primed, followed by a final paint job. It's a great job for anyone needing to vent any frustrations! Nicksa, one of the pro-crew (but not on our voyage) came over to me and told me not to worry about how hard I hit it, just to give it all I've got! Well(ahem), I'm paraphrasing a bit... Anyway, he told me the story of a girl on previous journey who, after breaking up with her boyfriend, only wanted to rust bust. All I could think was, "But I'm not mad at anyone...". Meh, I gave it my all, anyway, and did a smashing good job of it, too, I might add! Heh heh heh, no pun intended!

Later that afternoon, I was busy cleaning the galley and, as the counter tops are copper, a lot of polishing was involved! But, with a fresh coat of paint (a cheerful white with blue trim) and spotlessly clean, it looks quite nice! It even has an old-fashioned pump for water, which adds a bit of a charming quality to it.

Wednesday I was out to work in the warehouse packing and labeling books. Picton Castle delivers literally thousands of schoolbooks and reading material to various places, such as Pitcairn and Cape Town and all must be sorted and categorised, then packaged in plastic and labeled in preparation of being loaded into the hold. Wednesday afternoon, the captain was hoping to take out the small boats and do some training, but as it was cold, rainy and windy, he decided it wasn't a great idea. So, we met in the dory shop, where the smaller boats are built, and went over the basics there. For the most part, our small boats are controlled with oars, rather than engines, and so everyone has to learn the proper terms and maneouvers in order to get anywhere. I'm thinking by the end of this trip I should have some pretty impressive pipes!

Thursday I was put on Galley duty, along with Joanna, Brad, Kate and Nadja, Our pro-crew supervisor. That meant my day started at 6:00am. I was to report for duty aboard Zebroid, although breakfast was served aboard Chidley. Before I headed over I stopped to put the coffee on - a VERY important job - as well as making sure the kettle was on for hot water. No sooned had I left then the power went out! Apparently the power connection to the shore had some issues and it took a while to fix it. So, breakfast was served in the dark using flashlights. Flexibility is a very important quality to possess in order to survive on a venture such as this one! You just gotta go with the flow. But the four of us had a lot of fun! After breakfast we made our way over to the ship to finish the galley and stock it with utensils and cookware.

In the afternoon, everyone was called onto the ship to help with raising the anchor. Using the windlass on the front of the ship with 5 people per side we pumped the chain back onboard. We each took at turn at the windlass, and by my third time I thought I would puke - that's how hard it was! But on the plus side, who needs "Buns Of Steel? By the end of 14 months I should have the butt and thighs of a 20 year old! Woo hoo!

Friday PC finally came out of dry dock. Again it took a few hours to do - they needed to check the integrity of the hull before she was actually permitted to sail - so Adrianne, another Albertan and I headed to Bridgewater - a larger town about 20 minutes away to do some shopping. We hit Mark's Work Warehouse to stock up on some work pants. Apparently "Carhartt Pants" are a "must" for any true tall ship sailor, so we had to do our part to fit in. Once you have them, it is imperative they look as dirty and broken in as possible. We also stopped at a bead shop to pick up fancy twine and beads to make our "lanyards". Lanyards are made of braided twine and attached to our knives and marlin spikes. Everyone personalizes his or hers in their own way. Marlin spikes are exactly what they sound like - big spikes used for a variety of different uses from undoing stubborn knots to hammering nails when you don't have a hammer handy. Both are attached to a belt slung low on your hip, ready to use at a moment's notice. After lunch, once the ship was back at the Adam and Knickle Wharf (pronounced kuh-nickle), we all began a much-needed cleaning job of the ship. I was put to work swabbing the decks, which turned out to be a lot of fun.

Everyone was pretty excited to actually be moving in to the ship that would carry us on our adventure, although most of us chose to move the majority of our things in but still spend one final night on our respective ships since they were still heated and PC is not. Saturday was more of the same - moving in and getting settled until lunch and then we practised bracing, Bracing is when you change the tack (orientation) of the sails and then secure them. For example, if the wind is coming over the left (port) side of the ship, you would change the sails to a port tack to catch the wind in them. If the wind changed to a starboard or right side tack, then you would have to change your sails to catch the wind and then "brace" them. Make sense? Its really not as complicated as it sounds, but it takes quite a few hands to change all sails at once, given that there are two masts to work with, each having five yards (or levels) of sails. One side needs to ease the sails and the other needs to haul them. It was freezing cold, but I think we all managed to get the basic gist of it.

Saturday night, as much as I hate to admit it, the princess in me surfaced. I was so unbelieveably chilled to the bone and desperately wanted a bath, so I booked into one of the local hotels and did just that. Undoubtedly the most I've ever paid for a bath but WELL WORTH IT! I slept like a baby (for the most part) and woke up feeling well rested and rejuvenated. Sunday was a day of rest and so I gladly slept in, then headed over to the local pub/restaurant, have breakfast and some good coffee. Once I finished that I walked the 20 minutes to the laundry mat to do some much needed laundry! What a great feeling to have clean clothes - we get so dirty! It was well worth the walk in the rain to get it done.

Today, it was busness as usual. In the morning I was put on domestics and then we were busy, again, getting the ship ready to sail. My job was to carry wire "rigging" (wire cables that attach the sails to the yards) from the warehouse, to the hold of the ship. Not a clean job to say the least because each line is oiled and tarred and very messy. Once we got it into thehold, we had to sort it and hang it until it's ready to be rigged. At least I got my Carhartt's well broken in! My hands were black by the time I finished. I spent 10 minutes scrubbing my nails, but alas, to no avail. They are going to be permanently black for the remainder of the journey or so I'm told. Sigh, I guess it is just all part of the adventure...Tomorrow, weather permitting, we are going to do our first "up and over". That's when we climb up to the first yard (called the course) and over for the very first time. Hmmm, given that I am not a fan of heights, it should prove to be very interesting. But, I am determined to try.

So that's the scoop for this week. Stay tuned for my next installment coming soon... Hope everyone is well!