Chibley,
of the Picton Castle

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The Picton Castle (named after a real castle in Pembrokeshire, western Wales) was built in 1928 as a motorised fishing trawler operating out of South Wales. She was modern for her time, and in World War II was conscripted into the Royal Navy as a minesweeper — a very dangerous occupation — but she survived and after the war was used as a freighter in the North Sea and Scandinavia. In the early 1990s her present captain, Daniel Moreland, was seeking a vessel that could be converted into a square-rigged barque. He came across Picton Castle, then languishing in a Norwegian fjord, and she fitted the bill.

She was taken across the Atlantic, to New York and eventually to Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, where she was transformed with a $2 million refit 1996-97. Now she travels the world participating in worthwhile projects, trading goods, delivering educational resources to remote island schools, and acting as a sail-training vessel. So far (late 2008) she has made four round-the-world voyages and has taken part in a number of tall-ships festivals.

Naturally any self-respecting sailing ship needs a resident cat, and Chibley is holder of the post on Picton. Her full name is Miss Chibley Bits. No, I didn't know either! — apparently 'chibley bits' is an old sailors' term for little pieces of 'stuff' that are picked up on the feet from walking barefoot on a wooden deck. When you roll into and out of your bunk at the end of your watch or the start of a new one, these bits get left behind. As 'Chibs', to use her familiar name, was very small when she first came on board — and is still considered small — the captain came up with the name Miss Chibley Bits. She is a six-toed (polydactyl) cat.

She was rescued from an animal shelter while very young and has been ship's cat now for nine years. She is described as 'free-range', meaning that she goes where she pleases, and is said to exert nearly as much influence on board as the captain! She personally checks out all new trainees when they come on board, and sometimes oversees dockside sales of merchandise such as T-shirts, hats and the like inscribed Chibley — the only cat with a barque. Chibley has a tendency to 'steal the show' wherever the ship calls and is a great favourite — which she knows, of course!

As a free-range cat, Chibs is usually allowed ashore in port (she hates being confined to ship and protests vehemently), and usually has that uncanny ability of ship's cats to appear again shortly before sailing time. On a couple of occasions, though, she has caused mayhem and delayed departure by not reporting for duty on time, presumably having had unfinished business to attend to on shore. In 2000 even the city police of Halifax, Nova Scotia, were enlisted to search for her when she didn't return after a Parade of Sail; the crew refused to sail without her, and she reappeared in her own time (after national media attention!).

A similar thing happened on another occasion, following an event in Bergen, Norway, when sailing time arrived and no cat had returned. Crew members wandered around the streets frantically shaking bags of cat treats, and someone turned up at the ship with a struggling and indignant tabby that was not Chibley! It transpired that a Norwegian couple had come across her in an alley, eating a cheeseburger, and thinking she was a stray had taken her home. Only when they found out from the news media about the search did they realise they had the ship's cat — who, meanwhile, had had a nice cosy nap in their home! Now she wears a small laminated business card on her collar with instructions as to what to do if she is found wandering.

It has been said of Chibley that she doesn't think she's a cat: she thinks she's a sailor, and one not of inconsequential rank, either. In June 2008 Captain Moreland wrote in his log that the cat had been very talkative of late, and he thought that when she meows at someone she is clearly articulating some specific and logical point, and quite possibly giving instructions. She then looks up with her big, soulful eyes, gives a little flick of her tail and, with a final backward glance, goes off to see to other business, having left her instructions to be followed. Although much loved, and affectionate in her own way, she's not a great one for tummy rubs, ear scratching or cuddles; when faced with such situations she's likely to stalk off and find something more important to do!

We wish Chibley many more years of happy sailing. Her current adventure began in May 2010, when Picton Castle started her fifth round-the-world voyage, expected to be the last under the command of Captain Daniel Moreland. Scheduled to last 14 months, it began in her home port of Lunenburg with the ship then sailing westwards after passage through the Panama Canal. There were full details here which included a short video (and yes — Chibley is on it!).

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Miss Chibley wrote her first children's book, assisted by Ruth Wells, who is a sailor herself and has spent time on Picton Castle. Entitled Chibley: The Cat who went to Sea (ISBN 978-1-896496-61-0), the book describes her arrival and early days on the ship, and has drawings by Doug McCabe. It costs 15 Canadian dollars including postage, and is available by . Profits go towards buying educational materials for distribution on Picton's current voyage.

Chibley's second children's book was published during 2009, again with Ruth Wells' help and with lovely illustrations by Yolanda Poplawska. It tells of Chibley's adventures around the port of Halifax, when she meets Clara and Erik the Red from the Maritime Museum there. Publishers are Community Books Lockeport, Nova Scotia; ISBN 978-1-896496-69-6; available from Ruth Wells as above.

Our account of Chibley is written from material on the following websites:
Picton Castle home site and Captain's Log relating to Chibley
iContact Community: Barque Picton Castle News
Ben Rogers' Wind and Wonder blog
See also: YouTube video of Picton Castle, 2007