After five circumnavigations, Captain Daniel Moreland and the Barque Picton Castle will be changing their course for this year’s voyage focusing primarily on the Atlantic visiting ports in Europe, Africa, the Caribbean and the Spanish Main.

World Voyaging Tall Ship Picton Castle Announces New Voyage Around the Atlantic

The award-winning sailing training ship will strike out on a brand-new voyage, one that will see the famed square rigger and a brand new group of trainee crew members following the routes of early explorers to storied ports in Europe, Africa, the Caribbean and Spanish Main.

Casting off from Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada, this epic voyage of one year and 15,000 nautical miles will include two transatlantic crossings, explorations of the Irish Sea, North Sea and Baltic Sea and
the sweet trade winds of the mid-Atlantic from Africa to the Caribbean Sea. While most of the time is spent on the ocean, crew members will also explore ashore in old world and exotic tropical ports with rich culture and a strong seafaring heritage.

Although the itinerary is new, the Picton Castle will continue to deliver the same deeply engaging sail training program that earned the ship the American Sail Training Association’s Sail Training Program of the Year award in 2006. The program focuses on seamanship skills and teaching trainee sailors to become crew members by involving them fully in the operation of the ship – standing watches, taking the helm, setting and taking in sail,assisting with ship’s maintenance and helping in the galley. No sailing experience is required to join the crew.

This is a voyage with all the hallmarks of the 179-foot Picton Castle’s now famous voyages: exotic ports steeped in history, rich with culture; interactions with indigenous peoples that provide a more intimate experience of place; the unforgettable experience of living and working aboard a wind ship, learning timeworn skills, personally challenging yourself; developing friendships that will last a lifetime.

Thanks to Irwin Bryan for passing the article along.