In 1841 a tall whaling ship set out for the high seas. Her sails were battered in the gusts of wind as she gracefully sailed to each destination. If only those prevailing winds could have foretold the future of the ship! In that time so long ago, no one knew the ship would one day capture the curiosity of men, woman and children wanting to solve a ghostly mystery.
A mysterious ghost story lies within the mist of the sea for those who go aboard the Charles W. Morgan as she rests in the seaport of Mystic, Connecticut. Individuals who tour the boat report seeing a man below deck dressed in 19th-century clothing and smoking a pipe.
There have been numerous sightings of the man, yet each time when he is seen there wasn't anyone assigned below deck. Finally after many have reported seeing the man there was a paranormal investigation to determine the validity of the reports.
For more ghostly information about the old whaling ship you will have to either go to the Mystic Seaport Maritime Museum, or travel quickly across the sea of the Internet. Happy sailing, and don't trip over the foot of the man working below deck!
Monday
Thursday
A True Message in a Bottle Story
Every tall sails adventure perhaps has a message in a bottle tale, but this one really pulls at the heart in that it is true, and the event has such a significant meaning to a family, and an entire community. You may have heard the true message in a bottle story about Josh Baker. At the age of 10 Josh decided to write a message and place it in vanilla bottle. His message simply stated, "My name is Josh Baker. I'm 10. If you find this put it on the news." His message in the bottle was dated April 16, 1995 and he tossed it into White Lake in their small Wisconsin town.
Time stood trapped within his message in the vanilla bottle. Josh grew up and become a young man. He joined the U.S. Marines at 18 years of age, and by the age of 19 he was in the Iraq war.
Josh returned from the Iraq war, but several months later Josh was killed in a car accident. Josh was gone, but his time capsule was yet to be found.
Shortly after Josh passed away, a boy found the vanilla bottle with his message inside. His mother Maggie realized the message was exactly what she needed to inspire her to continue on, as she has two other children to raise. Everyone in town knows the Josh Baker story, and his story will be cherished by many. You wouldn't want to miss reading about a true message in a bottle story.
Time stood trapped within his message in the vanilla bottle. Josh grew up and become a young man. He joined the U.S. Marines at 18 years of age, and by the age of 19 he was in the Iraq war.
Josh returned from the Iraq war, but several months later Josh was killed in a car accident. Josh was gone, but his time capsule was yet to be found.
Shortly after Josh passed away, a boy found the vanilla bottle with his message inside. His mother Maggie realized the message was exactly what she needed to inspire her to continue on, as she has two other children to raise. Everyone in town knows the Josh Baker story, and his story will be cherished by many. You wouldn't want to miss reading about a true message in a bottle story.
Saturday
Barque Picton Castle
The greatest sailing adventure stories surround the compelling beauty of the Clipper ships!
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| Barque Picton Full Sail |
Their sails captivate the heart as they gracefully yet forcibly, capture the wind to obey their every command. Every tall ship holds it's own mysteries, but few are privileged to these sailing adventures upon the high seas.
The Barque Picton Castle in Nova Scotia may sound like a stone fortress, but indeed she is a wonderful tall sailing ship as you can see!
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| Barque Picton Sailing 8 Knots |
- Built in 1928
- Owned and operated by Windward Isles Sailing Ship Company, Ltd.
- The ship's mission is deep-ocean sail training, and long-distance education.
- She carries supplies and educational materials to islands in the South Pacific.
- The length of he Barque Picton is 179 feet overall.
- She carries 12,450 square feet of sail.
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| Barque Picton Anchored |
It's time to get your sea worthy legs in position as you take a tall sails adventure to read more about the Barque Picton Castle and her crew.
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| Barque Picton Castle Ship - Crewman Eric |
One such crew member - Eric is at the helm in the photo. But, let not us forget about the Captain!
Captain Daniel Moreland is one of the most respected sailing ship masters at sea today, and he has sailed the world.
An update to this article (now, more than 10 years after I first wrote about the Barque Picton!)...
"Captain Moreland holds the rarest license issued to Merchant Marine Officers today: Master of Steam, Motor, or Auxiliary Sail, Vessels of Any Gross Tons upon Oceans."Very impressive credentials! A Master Captain indeed!
You may find it interesting to learn about their Captain's recommended reading list, as it is a must have. We have provided his reading list for you (as it was back in the day!) I imagine his reading list is far more vast by now.
Before we depart to sail back to reality, we must first provide a word of thanks!
Thank you Barque Picton Castle for granting us permission to present your ship's information and photos to our readers!
Special thanks also to David their Voyage Coordinator, for assisting me in obtaining that permission.
As promised above...
- The Way of a Ship - Captain Alan Villiers
- Two Years Before the Mast - Richard Henry Dana
- Billy Budd - Herman Melville
- The Last Grain Race - Eric Newbey
- Men, Ships, and the Sea - Captain Alan Villiers
- Captains Courageous - Rudyard Kipling
- Youth - Joseph Conrad
Monday
The Mayflower
It's difficult to imagine the hardship and trials endured by all who sailed the high seas in the Mayflower. As hundreds of years have gone by still today we are amazed by the Mayflowers journey.
Thursday
The Pirates Own Book
Avast! If one ever wanted a short story to summarize the characteristics of a pirate, and pirate treasure, this narrative from the 1800's succeeds at this task very well.
Authentic Narratives of the Most Celebrated Sea Robbers
In the mind of the mariner, there is a superstitious horror connected with the name of Pirate; and there are few subjects that interest and excite the curiosity of mankind generally, more than the desperate exploits, foul doings, and diabolical career of these monsters in human form. A piratical crew is generally formed of the desperadoes and runagates of every clime and nation.
The pirate, from the perilous nature of his occupation, when not cruising on the ocean, the great highway of nations, selects the most lonely isles of the sea for his retreat, or secretes himself near the shores of rivers, bays and lagoons of thickly wooded and uninhabited countries, so that if pursued he can escape to the woods and mountain glens of the interior.
The islands of the Indian Ocean, and the east and west coasts of Africa, as well as the West Indies, have been their haunts for centuries; and vessels navigating the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, are often captured by them, the passengers and crew murdered, the money and most valuable part of the cargo plundered, the vessel destroyed, thus obliterating all trace of their unhappy fate, and leaving friends and relatives to mourn their loss from the inclemencies of the elements, when they were butchered in cold blood by their fellow men, who by practically adopting the maxim that "dead men tell no tales," enable themselves to pursue their diabolical career with impunity.
The pirate is truly fond of women and wine, and when not engaged in robbing, keeps maddened with intoxicating liquors, and passes his time in debauchery, singing old songs with choruses like:
"Drain, drain the bowl, each fearless soul,
Let the world wag as it will:
Let the heavens growl, let the devil howl,
Drain, drain the deep bowl and fill."
Thus his hours of relaxation are passed in wild and extravagant frolics amongst the lofty forests of palms and spicy groves of the Torrid Zone, and amidst the aromatic and beautiful flowering vegetable productions of that region. He has fruits delicious to taste, and as companions, the unsophisticated daughters of Africa and the Indies. It would be supposed that his wild career would be one of delight.
But the apprehension and foreboding of the mind, when under the influence of remorse, are powerful, and every man, whether civilized or savage, has interwoven in his constitution a moral sense, which secretly condemns him when he has committed an atrocious action, even when he is placed in situations which raise him above the fear of human punishment, for:
"Conscience, the torturer of the soul, unseen.
Does fiercely brandish a sharp scourge within;
Severe decrees may keep our tongues in awe,
But to our minds what edicts can give law?
Even you yourself to your own breast shall tell
Your crimes, and your own conscience be your hell."
With the name of pirate is also associated ideas of rich plunder, caskets of buried jewels, chests of gold ingots, bags of outlandish coins, secreted in lonely, out of the way places, or buried about the wild shores of rivers, and unexplored sea coasts, near rocks and trees bearing mysterious marks, indicating where the treasure was hid. And as it is his invariable practice to secrete and bury his booty, and from the perilous life he leads, being often killed or captured, he can never re-visit the spot again; immense sums remain buried in those places, and are irrecoverably lost.
Search is often made by persons who labor in anticipation of throwing up with their spade and pickaxe, gold bars, diamond crosses sparkling amongst the dirt, bags of golden doubloons, and chests, wedged close with moidores, ducats and pearls; but although great treasures lie hid in this way, it seldom happens that any is so recovered.
By Charles Ellms
Published 1837
Authentic Narratives of the Most Celebrated Sea Robbers
In the mind of the mariner, there is a superstitious horror connected with the name of Pirate; and there are few subjects that interest and excite the curiosity of mankind generally, more than the desperate exploits, foul doings, and diabolical career of these monsters in human form. A piratical crew is generally formed of the desperadoes and runagates of every clime and nation.
The pirate, from the perilous nature of his occupation, when not cruising on the ocean, the great highway of nations, selects the most lonely isles of the sea for his retreat, or secretes himself near the shores of rivers, bays and lagoons of thickly wooded and uninhabited countries, so that if pursued he can escape to the woods and mountain glens of the interior.
The islands of the Indian Ocean, and the east and west coasts of Africa, as well as the West Indies, have been their haunts for centuries; and vessels navigating the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, are often captured by them, the passengers and crew murdered, the money and most valuable part of the cargo plundered, the vessel destroyed, thus obliterating all trace of their unhappy fate, and leaving friends and relatives to mourn their loss from the inclemencies of the elements, when they were butchered in cold blood by their fellow men, who by practically adopting the maxim that "dead men tell no tales," enable themselves to pursue their diabolical career with impunity.
The pirate is truly fond of women and wine, and when not engaged in robbing, keeps maddened with intoxicating liquors, and passes his time in debauchery, singing old songs with choruses like:
"Drain, drain the bowl, each fearless soul,
Let the world wag as it will:
Let the heavens growl, let the devil howl,
Drain, drain the deep bowl and fill."
Thus his hours of relaxation are passed in wild and extravagant frolics amongst the lofty forests of palms and spicy groves of the Torrid Zone, and amidst the aromatic and beautiful flowering vegetable productions of that region. He has fruits delicious to taste, and as companions, the unsophisticated daughters of Africa and the Indies. It would be supposed that his wild career would be one of delight.
But the apprehension and foreboding of the mind, when under the influence of remorse, are powerful, and every man, whether civilized or savage, has interwoven in his constitution a moral sense, which secretly condemns him when he has committed an atrocious action, even when he is placed in situations which raise him above the fear of human punishment, for:
"Conscience, the torturer of the soul, unseen.
Does fiercely brandish a sharp scourge within;
Severe decrees may keep our tongues in awe,
But to our minds what edicts can give law?
Even you yourself to your own breast shall tell
Your crimes, and your own conscience be your hell."
With the name of pirate is also associated ideas of rich plunder, caskets of buried jewels, chests of gold ingots, bags of outlandish coins, secreted in lonely, out of the way places, or buried about the wild shores of rivers, and unexplored sea coasts, near rocks and trees bearing mysterious marks, indicating where the treasure was hid. And as it is his invariable practice to secrete and bury his booty, and from the perilous life he leads, being often killed or captured, he can never re-visit the spot again; immense sums remain buried in those places, and are irrecoverably lost.
Search is often made by persons who labor in anticipation of throwing up with their spade and pickaxe, gold bars, diamond crosses sparkling amongst the dirt, bags of golden doubloons, and chests, wedged close with moidores, ducats and pearls; but although great treasures lie hid in this way, it seldom happens that any is so recovered.
By Charles Ellms
Published 1837
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