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'''''Picton Castle''''' is a [[tall ship]] used for deep-ocean [[sail training]] and long distance education voyages. The ship was the subject of the television series ''[[Tall Ship Chronicles]]'' which documented her second voyage around the world in 2001. The ship has carried out seven world voyages to date - completing the seventh one in 2019. While flagged in the [[Cook Islands]], the ship's unofficial [[home port]] is [[Lunenburg, Nova Scotia|Lunenburg]], [[Nova Scotia]].
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[[Image:Pictoncastle ship.png|thumb|260 px|Line art of ''Picton Castle'']]
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[[Image:Pictoncastle ship 3d.png|thumb|260 px|Bird's eye view of ''Picton Castle'']]
'''''Picton Castle''''' is a fully certified and registered Cook Islands [[tall ship]] whose mission is deep-ocean [[sail training]] and long distance education voyages. ''Picton Castle'' is perhaps best known for her World Circumnavigations, though she has visited the Great Lakes twice, sailed numerous times on tours of the East Coast of the Americas, completed a Caribbean Voyage and in 2008 sailed to Europe, Africa and the Caribbean on a Voyage of the Atlantic. In 2012 she sailed for the South Pacific. ''Picton Castle'''s unofficial [[home port]] in Canada is [[Lunenburg, Nova Scotia|Lunenburg]], [[Nova Scotia]], but she is formally registered in the [[Cook Islands]] and subject to that country's regulatory regime.

In 2001, a series called [[Tall Ship Chronicles]] followed ''Picton Castle'' on her second voyage around the world. The ship has carried out seven world voyages to date - completing the seventh one in 2019. She set sail on her 7th World Voyage in April 2018.


In December 2006 a crew member, Laura Gainey, was swept overboard from the ship in the Atlantic Ocean and presumed drowned.<ref name=cbc1>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/picton-castle-ends-search-for-gainey-1.585794 |title=Picton Castle ends search for Gainey |publisher=CBC |date=12 December 2006 |accessdate=9 August 2020}}</ref> The death was investigated by the Cook Islands government,<ref name=cbc2>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/cook-islands-to-probe-laura-gainey-death-1.668244 |title=Cook Islands to probe Laura Gainey death |publisher=CBC |date=15 March 2007 |accessdate=9 August 2020}}</ref> which concluded that the death was accidental. A subsequent investigation by the [[Transportation Safety Board of Canada]] found that a lack of safety equipment and the ships' master's decision to sail with an inexperienced and untrained crew contributed to the death.<ref name=star1>{{cite web |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2008/10/29/report_questions_decisions_leading_to_laura_gaineys_death.html |title=Report questions decisions leading to Laura Gainey's death |author=Michael Tutton |work=The Star |date=29 October 2008 |accessdate=9 August 2020}}</ref><ref name=cbc3>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/canadiens-gm-vindicated-by-tsb-report-on-daughter-s-sea-death-1.703362 |title=Canadiens GM vindicated by TSB report on daughter's sea death |publisher=CBC |date=30 October 2008 |accessdate=9 August 2020}}</ref>
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''Picton Castle'' is rigged as a three-masted [[barque]], is {{convert|179|ft|m|0}} long, with a riveted steel hull, clear oiled pine decks, steel masts and wooden and steel yards. She carries {{convert|12500|sqft|m2|-1}} of sail. The ship [[displacement (ship)|displaces]] 300 [[Deplacement|tons]]. She has a 690-horsepower [[diesel engine]] for the times when sailing is not feasible. The ship has space for roughly 52 people, consisting of about 12 professional crew and 40 sail trainees.


==Configuration==
''Picton Castle'' is a working [[tall ship]]. Sail trainee crew sign on with the knowledge that they will be participating fully in ship's operations. They stand watch, take turns at the helm, raise the anchor, clean the ship, haul on lines, handle sails, scrub the decks, participate in daily ships maintenance, help in the galley and keep lookout, among other things. The Captain and Mates conduct regular workshops designed to complement daily life on board. Workshops include seamanship, sail handling, [[Sailmaker|sail making]], ship maintenance, [[rigging]], wire and [[rope splicing]], knot tying, [[celestial navigation]], [[plot (radar)|plotting]] and chart work, rules of the road, weather, small boat handling, basic engineer and more. They also conduct regular safety drills onboard so that crew become familiar and comfortable with equipment and safety procedures. These drills include Fire, Man Overboard, and Abandon Ship.
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''Picton Castle'' is rigged as a three-masted [[barque]], is {{convert|179|ft|m|0}} long, with a riveted steel hull, clear oiled pine decks, steel masts and wooden and steel yards. She carries {{convert|12450|sqft|m2|-1}} of sail. The ship [[displacement (ship)|displaces]] 565 tons. She has a 690-horsepower [[diesel engine]] for the times when sailing is not feasible. The ship has space for roughly 52 people, consisting of about 12 professional crew and 40 sail trainees.


==Operational history==
==Operational history==
===As a trawler, minesweeper, and freighter===
===As a trawler, minesweeper, and freighter===
''Picton Castle'' was originally built as a motorized [[fishing trawler]] in 1928. She was built along with four other trawlers for the same company and operated out of [[Swansea]], [[Wales]]. The ship was named after the [[Picton Castle|Welsh castle of the same name]].
''Picton Castle'' was originally built as a motorized [[fishing trawler]] in 1928.<ref name=guard1>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/04/international-fleet-review-seven-to-watch-for-when-the-ships-come-in |title=International Fleet Review: seven to watch for when the ships come in |author=Fiona Walsh |work=The Guardian |date=4 October 2013 |accessdate=9 August 2020}}</ref> She was built along with four other trawlers for the same company and operated out of [[Swansea]], [[Wales]]. The ship was named after the [[Picton Castle|Welsh castle of the same name]].


In August 1939, the [[Royal Navy]] requisitioned the trawler for use in [[World War II]] and refit her as a [[minesweeper]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/naval_trawlers.htm |title=Naval Trawlers, Admiralty trawlers |publisher=Battleships-cruisers.co.uk |date= |accessdate=2013-08-14}}</ref> While sweeping mines near Norway, she made way for the [[port of Bergen]] for repairs. The [[Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany#German capitulation and end of occupation|Germans had just left Norway]], and the sight of the [[Union Jack]]-bearing HMS ''Picton Castle'' earned her the title "The Liberator of Norway."
In August 1939, the [[Royal Navy]] requisitioned the trawler for use in [[World War II]] and refit her as a [[minesweeper]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/naval_trawlers.htm |title=Naval Trawlers, Admiralty trawlers |publisher=Battleships-cruisers.co.uk |date= |accessdate=2013-08-14}}</ref> While sweeping mines near Norway, she made way for the [[port of Bergen]] for repairs. The [[Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany#German capitulation and end of occupation|Germans had just left Norway]], and the sight of the [[Union Jack]]-bearing HMS ''Picton Castle'' earned her the title "The Liberator of Norway." Following World War II, the ship was renamed ''Dolmar'' and worked as a [[Cargo ship|freighter]] in the [[North Sea]] and [[Baltic Sea]].<ref name=boat>{{cite web|url=http://www.picton-castle.com/ship_and_crew/the_picton_castle.php |title=The Picton Castle |publisher=The Picton Castle |date= |accessdate=2013-08-14}}</ref>

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[[File:The Picton Castle as a minesweeper during the Second World War.jpg|thumb|left|''Picton Castle'' as a minesweeper during the Second World War]]
Following World War II, the ship was renamed ''Dolmar'' and worked as a [[Cargo ship|freighter]] in the [[North Sea]] and [[Baltic Sea]].


===Acquisition and refit===
===Acquisition and refit===
During the early 1990s, [[Daniel Moreland]] acquired the ship while seeking a vessel to convert to a barque.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.picton-castle.com/ship_and_crew/the_picton_castle.php |title=The Picton Castle |publisher=The Picton Castle |date= |accessdate=2013-08-14}}</ref> With the help of a small crew he brought her across the [[Atlantic Ocean]], eventually ending up in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia where she began her multimillion-dollar refit.
During the early 1990s, Daniel Moreland acquired the ship while seeking a vessel to convert to a barque.<ref name=abc1>{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-10-02/picton-castle-bound-for-sydney/4993094 |title=Picton Castle bound for Sydney for International Fleet Review celebrations |author=Claire Aird |publisher=ABC |date=2 October 2013 |accessdate=9 August 2020}}</ref> With the help of a small crew he brought her across the [[Atlantic Ocean]], eventually ending up in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia where she began her multimillion-dollar refit.<ref name=boat/>

''Picton Castle'' is still captained by Daniel Moreland.


===As a sailing ship===
===As a sailing ship===
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[[Image:Pictoncastle ship.png|thumb|260 px|Line art of ''Picton Castle'']]
''Picton Castle'''s first world circumnavigation voyage took place from 1997-1999. She has since sailed around the world six more times, for a total of seven global circumnavigations.
''Picton Castle'''s first world circumnavigation voyage took place from 1997 to 1999. She has since sailed around the world six more times, for a total of seven global circumnavigations.<ref name=7voyages>{{cite web |url=https://www.goerie.com/news/20190819/after-7-world-voyages-picton-castle-heads-to-erie |title=After 7 world voyages, Picton Castle heads to Erie |author=Ron Leonardi |publisher=GoErie.com |date=19 August 2019 |accessdate=9 August 2020}}</ref> She has also visited the Great Lakes twice, sailed numerous times on tours of the East Coast of the Americas, completed a Caribbean Voyage and in 2008 sailed to Europe, Africa and the Caribbean on a Voyage of the Atlantic.


The ship is used for educational voyages and [[sail training]], with a core crew of 10 to 12 teaching up to 40 trainees basic sailing techniques and ship maintenance.<ref name=abc1/> When not sailing, the ship operates a "Bosun school", teaching ship-related skills such as rigging and boat-repair.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.saltwire.com/business/local-business/lunenburg-dory-shop-an-authentic-heritage-business-478597/ |title=Lunenburg Dory Shop an authentic heritage business |author=Kathy Johnson |publisher=Saltwire |date=28 July 2020 |accessdate=9 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.picton-castle.com/bosun_school/ |title=Bosun School |publisher=Picton-castle.com |date= |accessdate=2013-08-14}}</ref>
In September 2007, ''Picton Castle'' announced its first Voyage of the Atlantic.<ref>http://www.picton-castle.com/voyage/</ref> The ship embarked on May 2008 from its home port of [[Lunenburg, Nova Scotia|Lunenburg]], [[Nova Scotia]] and followed the Westerlies across the [[North Atlantic]] for the [[British Isles]] and [[Northern Europe]]. Then sailed across the [[English Channel]] and down the coast of [[France]] to [[Spain]], [[Portugal]], and [[Gibraltar]]. Explored the Atlantic Islands of [[Madeira]], the [[Canary Islands]] and [[Cape Verde]] and followed in the wake of [[Christopher Columbus|Columbus]] as the ''Picton Castle'' set sail on one of the finest studdingsail passages, riding the tropical trade-winds across the mid-Atlantic from [[Senegal]], [[West Africa]], crossing the [[Equator]] to Fernando De Noronha, [[Brazil]] and onward to the sweet isles of the [[West Indies]].


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In the spring of 2007, ''Picton Castle'' was featured in Mark Burnett's CBS reality show ''[[Pirate Master]]''. The show was filmed in the [[Caribbean]] island of [[Dominica]] and premiered May 31, 2007.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.metro.us/reality-tv-springs-a-leak/ |title=Reality TV springs a leak |publisher=Metro |date=13 August 2007 |accessdate=9 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.picton-castle.com/captains_log/2007/04/30/pirate-master/|title=Captain's Log|publisher=Picton Castle|date=April 30, 2007|accessdate=January 5, 2020}}</ref>
During the summer of 2007, ''Picton Castle'' successfully completed its first Bosun School.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.picton-castle.com/bosun_school/ |title=Bosun School |publisher=Picton-castle.com |date= |accessdate=2013-08-14}}</ref> The purpose of Bosun School is to provide an opportunity to young dedicated [[Sailor|mariners]] to advance their skill level in a concentrated fashion without the natural demands and distractions of being underway at sea. A second Bosun School was held in the fall of 2009, and a third started in September 2011.


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In October 2013 ''Picton Castle'' participated in the [[International Fleet Review 2013]], the centennial anniversary of the Royal Australian Navy, in [[Sydney]], [[Australia]] along with fifteen other tall ships.<ref name=guard1/><ref name=abc1/> In 2014 she sailed in the South Pacific before returning to Lunenburg in late May, 2015.
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[[File:Picton Castle Under Full Sail--678kb-1-.JPG|thumb|left|upright|''Picton Castle'' under full sail]]
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In the spring of 2007, ''Picton Castle'' was featured in Mark Burnett's CBS reality show ''[[Pirate Master]]''. The show was filmed in the [[Caribbean]] island of [[Dominica]] and premiered May 31, 2007.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.picton-castle.com/captains_log/2007/04/30/pirate-master/|title=Captain's Log|publisher=Picton Castle|date=April 30, 2007|accessdate=January 5, 2020}}</ref>


In June 2019 ''Picton Castle'' returned from its seventh around-the-world voyage.<ref name=7voyages/> Plans for an eighth voyage in 2020 were postponed to 2021 due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://bernews.com/2020/08/tall-ship-picton-castle-sail-around-world/ |title=Tall Ship 'Picton Castle' To Sail Around The World |publisher=BerNews |date=2 August 2020 |accessdate=9 August 2020}}</ref>
On the night of December 8, 2006, as ''Picton Castle'' was roughly {{convert|760|mi|nmi}} south-east of [[Cape Cod]], [[Massachusetts]], the ship encountered bad weather; a [[Ocean surface wave|wave]] swamped the ship, sweeping overboard one of the professional crew, later identified as 25-year-old lead seaman Laura Gainey, daughter of [[Bob Gainey]]. She was not wearing a [[life jacket]] or a [[survival suit]] but, due to the warm water temperatures of {{convert|22|C|F}} and her excellent physical condition, was expected to survive for up to 36 hours. She was able to call out while being swept overboard, and crew on the ship threw flotation devices and radar reflectors into the water to aid her and mark her position. Subsequent searching by ''Picton Castle'', assisted by aircraft of the [[United States Coast Guard|United States]] and [[Canadian Coast Guard]]s, and nearby merchant vessels, was unsuccessful and called off after three days.<ref>http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2006/12/12/gainey-picton.html<br/>http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2007/03/15/gainey-inquiry.html</ref>


==Death of Laura Gainey==
When ''Picton Castle'' arrived at [[St. Kitts]] on 24 December, an investigator of the Ministry of Transport for the [[Cook Islands]], the ship's country of registry, came on board and started a preliminary investigation, which was finished on 19 February 2007. A Board of Marine Inquiry, after reviewing the preliminary investigation, issued a final report in summer 2007. An investigation titled "Overboard" by the [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC]] program ''[[The Fifth Estate (TV)|The Fifth Estate]]'', first aired on November 28, 2007, claimed to have uncovered serious safety problems with the ship.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/fifth/overboard/timeline.html |title=Laura Gainey swept into the Atlantic : Overboard - Timeline of the Voyage : the fifth estate : CBC News |publisher=Cbc.ca |date= |accessdate=2013-08-14}}</ref> A few days before, the [[Transportation Safety Board of Canada]] (TSB), as an interested party given the close ties of the ship to Canada and given that both the ship's owner and the lost seaman are Canadian, began an independent investigation on November 18, 2007; they reviewed the report of the Cook Islands and issued their own Marine Investigation Report (M06F0024 - ''Crew Member Lost Overboard, Sail Training Vessel Picton Castle, 376&nbsp;nm SSE of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia''), released on July 24, 2008 and available on their website. The report found among the "causes and contributing factors" that the decision to set to sea did not sufficiently take into account the long-range weather forecasts, especially in view of the crew's qualification and experience; the lost deckhand did not get enough sleep in the 1–2 days before the accident; most likely miscommunication on the fatal evening resulted in her still getting up every hour instead of getting rest; the port breezeway of the ship was designated "off-limits" by the ship's master, but due to inefficient communication, the lost deckhand seems to have remained unaware of that order; in the heavy weather, no safety nets were rigged on the ship; safety lines were rigged, but safety harnesses were not worn, and there were no "established fastening points" (other than the safety lines) to which to clip safety harnesses. [[File:Picton Castle, Lunenburg Harbour, Nova Scotia.jpg|thumb|left|The Picton Castle sailing into Lunenburg Harbour.]]Several measures were subsequently undertaken and procedures changed on the ship, to address some of the concerns and to generally improve safety on the ship (e.g., wearing safety harnesses at night and in heavy weather; monitoring fatigue of crew members; etc.).<ref>[http://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/marine/2006/m06f0024/m06f0024.asp MARINE INVESTIGATION REPORT M06F0024 ''Crew Member Lost Overboard, Sail Training Vessel Picton Castle, 376&nbsp;nm SSE of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia'', authorized to be issued on July 24, 2008] on the website of the [[Transportation Safety Board of Canada]] (retrieved on in June/July 2013)</ref>
On the night of December 8, 2006, as ''Picton Castle'' was roughly {{convert|475|mi|nmi}} south-east of [[Cape Cod]], [[Massachusetts]], the ship encountered bad weather. A wave swamped the ship, sweeping overboard crew member Laura Gainey, daughter of [[Bob Gainey]].<ref name=ebt>{{cite web |url=https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2006/12/11/gaineys-daughter-is-swept-overboard/ |title=Gainey's daughter is swept overboard |publisher=Easy Bay Times |date=11 December 2006 |accessdate=9 August 2020}}</ref> Gainey was not wearing a [[life jacket]] or a [[survival suit]] but was expected to be able to survive up to 36 hours due to warm water temperatures.<ref name=ebt/> A search for her by the ''Picton Castle'', aircraft of the [[United States Coast Guard|United States]] and [[Canadian Coast Guard]]s, and nearby merchant vessels, was unsuccessful and called off after three days,<ref name=cbc1/> and the ship continued on its voyage.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/grieving-ships-crew-continue-voyage/article18180195/ |title=Grieving ship's crew continue voyage |author=Unnati Gandhi |publisher=The Globe and Mail |date=16 December 2006 |accessdate=9 August 2020}}</ref>


An investigator from Maritime Cook Islands interviewed the crew on its arrival in [[Grenada]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/nhl/news/story?id=2719014 |title=Gainey's ship docks; family searching for answers |publisher=ESPN |date=4 January 2007 |accessdate=9 August 2020}}</ref> A formal inquiry was established in March 2007,<ref name=cbc2/> and reported back in July, concluding that Gainey was an "unlucky victim" of an accident and that no changes needed to be made. A slightly rewritten version of the report was issued in August 2007 recommending the use of safety harnesses.<ref name=gm1>{{cite web |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/gainey-slams-dishonest-inquiry-into-death-of-daughter/article1090482/ |title=Gainey slams 'dishonest' inquiry into death of daughter |publisher=The Globe and Mail |date=28 November 2007 |accessdate=9 August 2020}}</ref> In November 2007 the [[Transportation Safety Board of Canada]] announced it would conduct its own inquiry into the death.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/tsb-to-probe-gainey-s-death-off-tall-ship-1.672679 |title=TSB to probe Gainey's death off tall ship |publisher=CBC |date=19 November 2007 |accessdate=9 August 2020}}</ref> Later that month an investigation by the [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC]] program ''[[The Fifth Estate (TV)|The Fifth Estate]]'' claimed that the ''Picton Castle'' was ill-prepared to sail, discouraged the use of safety equipment, and had doctored statements given to the Maritime Cook Islands inquiry.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1367419135 |title=Overboard : the fifth estate : CBC News |publisher=Cbc.ca |date=2007 |accessdate=9 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=56cadaf7-3b87-4c31-b212-2558b45298f7 |title=Documentary paints haunting picture of Picton Castle's fatal voyage |author=Dave Stubbs |publisher=Ottawa Citizen |date=28 November 2007 |accessdate= |url-status=dead |archive-date=6 June 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080606073933/http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=56cadaf7-3b87-4c31-b212-2558b45298f7 }}</ref> It also alleged that Maritime Cook Islands had ignored the initial investigation report and instead cast blame upon Gainey.<ref name=gm1/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2007/11/28/gainey_charges_whitewash_at_sea.html |title=Gainey charges whitewash at sea |author=Chris Zelkovich |work=The Star |date=28 November 2007 |accessdate=9 August 2020}}</ref>
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In October 2013 ''Picton Castle'' participated in the [[List of ships present at International Fleet Review 2013|International Fleet Review 2013]], the centennial anniversary of the Royal Australian Navy, in [[Sydney]], [[Australia]] along with fifteen other tall ships including the Sydney-based 19th century Barque James Craig (1874).


In July 2008 the TSB released its inquiry. The report found among the "causes and contributing factors" that the decision to set to sea did not sufficiently take into account the long-range weather forecasts, especially in view of the crew's qualification and experience; Gainey did not get enough sleep in the 1–2 days before the accident; most likely miscommunication on the fatal evening resulted in her still getting up every hour instead of getting rest; the port breezeway of the ship was designated "off-limits" by the ship's master, but due to inefficient communication, Gainey seems to have remained unaware of that order; in the heavy weather, no safety nets were rigged on the ship; safety lines were rigged, but safety harnesses were not worn, and there were no "established fastening points" (other than the safety lines) to which to clip safety harnesses.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/marine/2006/m06f0024/m06f0024.html |title=Marine Investigation Report M06F0024:Crew Member Lost Overboard, Sail Training Vessel Picton Castle, 376&nbsp;nm SSE of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia |publisher=Transportation Safety Board of Canada |date=24 July 2008 |accessdate=9 August 2020}}</ref><ref name=star1/> The captain of the ''Picton Castle'' accepted the findings, and adopted improved safety procedures.<ref name="cbc3"/>
''Picton Castle'' sailed in the South Pacific in 2013 and 2014, having left her home base in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia in November 2012, shortly after Hurricane Sandy. Starting in July 2014, she sailed west from Fiji, eventually returning to Lunenburg in late May, 2015. She was sailing in the North Atlantic in autumn of 2015.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/shipid:701689/mmsi:518000019/vessel:PICTON%20CASTLE |title=PICTON CASTLE - Sailing Vessel: current position and details |accessdate=30 November 2015}}</ref>


==Images==
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[[File:Picton Castle Buffalo NY.jpg|thumb|The Picton Castle on July 06, 2019 at the first Tall Ships festival in Buffalo, New York]]
<gallery mode=traditional heights=200px>
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File:The Picton Castle as a minesweeper during the Second World War.jpg|''Picton Castle'' as a minesweeper during the Second World War
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Image:Pictoncastle ship 3d.png|Bird's eye view of ''Picton Castle''
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File:Picton Castle Under Full Sail--678kb-1-.JPG|''Picton Castle'' under full sail
File:Picton Castle, Lunenburg Harbour, Nova Scotia.jpg|The Picton Castle sailing into Lunenburg Harbour.
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File:Picton Castle Buffalo NY.jpg|The Picton Castle on July 6, 2019 at the first Tall Ships festival in Buffalo, New York
</gallery>


== References ==
== References ==
{{reflist}}
<references/>


==External links==
==External links==
{{Commons category|Picton Castle (ship, 1928)}}
{{Commons category|Picton Castle (ship, 1928)}}
*[http://www.picton-castle.com/ Barque Picton Castle Official Site]
*[http://www.picton-castle.com/ Barque Picton Castle Official Site]
*[http://www.tallshipadventure.com/ Fair Wind and Plenty of It] (Dead link 08-Jan-2016)
*[http://www.cbc.ca/fifth/overboard/ Overboard] documentary on Gainey accident by CBC TV's investigative news program ''The Fifth Estate''; reviews of Overboard by the [http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=56cadaf7-3b87-4c31-b212-2558b45298f7 Ottawa Citizen], [https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/story.html?id=127502 National Post], and [https://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/280582 Toronto Star].
*Transportation Safety Board of Canada's Marine Report M06F0024 [http://tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/marine/2006/m06f0024/m06f0024.asp ''Crew Member Lost Overboard, Sail Training Vessel Picton Castle, 376 nm SSE of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia'' ] [http://tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/marine/2006/m06f0024/m06f0024.pdf Also available in .PDF format]

{{surviving ocean going ships}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Picton Castle (Ship)}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Picton Castle (Ship)}}

Latest revision as of 03:13, 11 December 2024

For the castle, see Picton Castle.

The barque Picton Castle anchored off of Carriacou in 2009.
History
Cook Islands
NamePicton Castle
NamesakePicton Castle
Port of registryCook Islands
Completed1928
HomeportLunenburg (unofficial)
Identification
StatusActive
General characteristics As sailing ship
TypeBarque
Length179 feet (55 m)
Propulsion690 hp diesel engine
Sail plan
  • Three-masted barque
  • Sail area: 12,450 square feet (1,160 m2)
Crew12 professional crew, up to 40 trainees

Picton Castle is a tall ship used for deep-ocean sail training and long distance education voyages. The ship was the subject of the television series Tall Ship Chronicles which documented her second voyage around the world in 2001. The ship has carried out seven world voyages to date - completing the seventh one in 2019. While flagged in the Cook Islands, the ship's unofficial home port is Lunenburg, Nova Scotia.

In December 2006 a crew member, Laura Gainey, was swept overboard from the ship in the Atlantic Ocean and presumed drowned.[1] The death was investigated by the Cook Islands government,[2] which concluded that the death was accidental. A subsequent investigation by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada found that a lack of safety equipment and the ships' master's decision to sail with an inexperienced and untrained crew contributed to the death.[3][4]

Configuration

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Picton Castle is rigged as a three-masted barque, is 179 feet (55 m) long, with a riveted steel hull, clear oiled pine decks, steel masts and wooden and steel yards. She carries 12,450 square feet (1,160 m2) of sail. The ship displaces 565 tons. She has a 690-horsepower diesel engine for the times when sailing is not feasible. The ship has space for roughly 52 people, consisting of about 12 professional crew and 40 sail trainees.

Operational history

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As a trawler, minesweeper, and freighter

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Picton Castle was originally built as a motorized fishing trawler in 1928.[5] She was built along with four other trawlers for the same company and operated out of Swansea, Wales. The ship was named after the Welsh castle of the same name.

In August 1939, the Royal Navy requisitioned the trawler for use in World War II and refit her as a minesweeper.[6] While sweeping mines near Norway, she made way for the port of Bergen for repairs. The Germans had just left Norway, and the sight of the Union Jack-bearing HMS Picton Castle earned her the title "The Liberator of Norway." Following World War II, the ship was renamed Dolmar and worked as a freighter in the North Sea and Baltic Sea.[7]

Acquisition and refit

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During the early 1990s, Daniel Moreland acquired the ship while seeking a vessel to convert to a barque.[8] With the help of a small crew he brought her across the Atlantic Ocean, eventually ending up in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia where she began her multimillion-dollar refit.[7]

As a sailing ship

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Line art of Picton Castle

Picton Castle's first world circumnavigation voyage took place from 1997 to 1999. She has since sailed around the world six more times, for a total of seven global circumnavigations.[9] She has also visited the Great Lakes twice, sailed numerous times on tours of the East Coast of the Americas, completed a Caribbean Voyage and in 2008 sailed to Europe, Africa and the Caribbean on a Voyage of the Atlantic.

The ship is used for educational voyages and sail training, with a core crew of 10 to 12 teaching up to 40 trainees basic sailing techniques and ship maintenance.[8] When not sailing, the ship operates a "Bosun school", teaching ship-related skills such as rigging and boat-repair.[10][11]

In the spring of 2007, Picton Castle was featured in Mark Burnett's CBS reality show Pirate Master. The show was filmed in the Caribbean island of Dominica and premiered May 31, 2007.[12][13]

In October 2013 Picton Castle participated in the International Fleet Review 2013, the centennial anniversary of the Royal Australian Navy, in Sydney, Australia along with fifteen other tall ships.[5][8] In 2014 she sailed in the South Pacific before returning to Lunenburg in late May, 2015.

In June 2019 Picton Castle returned from its seventh around-the-world voyage.[9] Plans for an eighth voyage in 2020 were postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[14]

Death of Laura Gainey

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On the night of December 8, 2006, as Picton Castle was roughly 475 miles (413 nmi) south-east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, the ship encountered bad weather. A wave swamped the ship, sweeping overboard crew member Laura Gainey, daughter of Bob Gainey.[15] Gainey was not wearing a life jacket or a survival suit but was expected to be able to survive up to 36 hours due to warm water temperatures.[15] A search for her by the Picton Castle, aircraft of the United States and Canadian Coast Guards, and nearby merchant vessels, was unsuccessful and called off after three days,[1] and the ship continued on its voyage.[16]

An investigator from Maritime Cook Islands interviewed the crew on its arrival in Grenada.[17] A formal inquiry was established in March 2007,[2] and reported back in July, concluding that Gainey was an "unlucky victim" of an accident and that no changes needed to be made. A slightly rewritten version of the report was issued in August 2007 recommending the use of safety harnesses.[18] In November 2007 the Transportation Safety Board of Canada announced it would conduct its own inquiry into the death.[19] Later that month an investigation by the CBC program The Fifth Estate claimed that the Picton Castle was ill-prepared to sail, discouraged the use of safety equipment, and had doctored statements given to the Maritime Cook Islands inquiry.[20][21] It also alleged that Maritime Cook Islands had ignored the initial investigation report and instead cast blame upon Gainey.[18][22]

In July 2008 the TSB released its inquiry. The report found among the "causes and contributing factors" that the decision to set to sea did not sufficiently take into account the long-range weather forecasts, especially in view of the crew's qualification and experience; Gainey did not get enough sleep in the 1–2 days before the accident; most likely miscommunication on the fatal evening resulted in her still getting up every hour instead of getting rest; the port breezeway of the ship was designated "off-limits" by the ship's master, but due to inefficient communication, Gainey seems to have remained unaware of that order; in the heavy weather, no safety nets were rigged on the ship; safety lines were rigged, but safety harnesses were not worn, and there were no "established fastening points" (other than the safety lines) to which to clip safety harnesses.[23][3] The captain of the Picton Castle accepted the findings, and adopted improved safety procedures.[4]

Images

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  • Picton Castle as a minesweeper during the Second World War
    Picton Castle as a minesweeper during the Second World War
  • Bird's eye view of Picton Castle
    Bird's eye view of Picton Castle
  • Picton Castle under full sail
    Picton Castle under full sail
  • The Picton Castle sailing into Lunenburg Harbour.
    The Picton Castle sailing into Lunenburg Harbour.
  • The Picton Castle on July 6, 2019 at the first Tall Ships festival in Buffalo, New York
    The Picton Castle on July 6, 2019 at the first Tall Ships festival in Buffalo, New York

References

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  1. ^ a b "Picton Castle ends search for Gainey". CBC. 12 December 2006. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Cook Islands to probe Laura Gainey death". CBC. 15 March 2007. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  3. ^ a b Michael Tutton (29 October 2008). "Report questions decisions leading to Laura Gainey's death". The Star. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  4. ^ a b "Canadiens GM vindicated by TSB report on daughter's sea death". CBC. 30 October 2008. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  5. ^ a b Fiona Walsh (4 October 2013). "International Fleet Review: seven to watch for when the ships come in". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  6. ^ "Naval Trawlers, Admiralty trawlers". Battleships-cruisers.co.uk. Retrieved 14 August 2013.
  7. ^ a b "The Picton Castle". The Picton Castle. Retrieved 14 August 2013.
  8. ^ a b c Claire Aird (2 October 2013). "Picton Castle bound for Sydney for International Fleet Review celebrations". ABC. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  9. ^ a b Ron Leonardi (19 August 2019). "After 7 world voyages, Picton Castle heads to Erie". GoErie.com. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  10. ^ Kathy Johnson (28 July 2020). "Lunenburg Dory Shop an authentic heritage business". Saltwire. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  11. ^ "Bosun School". Picton-castle.com. Retrieved 14 August 2013.
  12. ^ "Reality TV springs a leak". Metro. 13 August 2007. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  13. ^ "Captain's Log". Picton Castle. 30 April 2007. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  14. ^ "Tall Ship 'Picton Castle' To Sail Around The World". BerNews. 2 August 2020. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  15. ^ a b "Gainey's daughter is swept overboard". Easy Bay Times. 11 December 2006. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  16. ^ Unnati Gandhi (16 December 2006). "Grieving ship's crew continue voyage". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  17. ^ "Gainey's ship docks; family searching for answers". ESPN. 4 January 2007. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  18. ^ a b "Gainey slams 'dishonest' inquiry into death of daughter". The Globe and Mail. 28 November 2007. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  19. ^ "TSB to probe Gainey's death off tall ship". CBC. 19 November 2007. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  20. ^ "Overboard : the fifth estate : CBC News". Cbc.ca. 2007. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  21. ^ Dave Stubbs (28 November 2007). "Documentary paints haunting picture of Picton Castle's fatal voyage". Ottawa Citizen. Archived from the original on 6 June 2008.
  22. ^ Chris Zelkovich (28 November 2007). "Gainey charges whitewash at sea". The Star. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  23. ^ "Marine Investigation Report M06F0024:Crew Member Lost Overboard, Sail Training Vessel Picton Castle, 376 nm SSE of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia". Transportation Safety Board of Canada. 24 July 2008. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
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