Set sail as a tall ship crew member next spring

The captain of the tall ship Picton Castle is looking for crew members to join a worldwide voyage in spring 2021.

Originally, the ship was to set sail in April of this year on a trip in the South Pacific Ocean. After being delayed twice due to COVID-19, it’s now taking a 55,000-kilometre trip (30,000 nautical miles) in May 2021.

“While a South Pacific voyage would have been charming, a world circumnavigation voyage gives us more operation flexibility,” says the ship’s captain, Daniel Moreland, in a news release. “Besides, who doesn’t want to sail around the world?”

After setting sail from Lunenburg, N.S., Picton Castle will sail to over 20 ports across the world. These include Panama, the Galapagos Islands, Fiji, Bali and Cape Town. The journey begins in Lunenburg and runs until June 2022 ending back in Lunenburg.

Applicants can apply for the entire voyage or for a specific three to four-month leg. Each leg costs USD $15,000 while the entire trip is USD $48,000.

Experience is not necessary for crew members. Those who sign on will become accomplished seafarers and will learn traditional seamanship skills while on the trip. Around 35 applicants from around the world will be accepted.

“This isn’t come one, come all,” Moreland says. “This is for the people that really want to do it.”

Moreland is a skilled sailor devoting his adult life to the craft. He accepted his first job on a sailing ship in 1972 and has been in the industry ever since. Moreland also teaches a Bosun School where people, most of whom are Nova Scotian children, can learn seamanship skills.

Picton Castle has completed seven world circumnavigation voyages with the most recent one ending in June 2019. This eighth trip is scheduled to be its last.

While COVID-19 leaves some uncertainty for the next year, Moreland says things look promising for the crew and ship to set sail in May.

Potential applicants can learn more about the voyage and apply on the Picton Castle website.