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If all goes well, a little piece of Lunenburg will be heading to the vast Pacific Ocean next spring. Back in May 2005, a group of investors headed by Picton Castle master Capt. Dan Moreland purchased Zebroid, a scallop dragger owned by Clearwater Seafoods.

The 130-foot, 300-ton vessel, which is being fitted with two masts and will be ketch-rigged, has been purchased and will be operated by Pacific Schooners Limited, of which Capt. Moreland is a partner. It will be a full-powered, commercial auxiliary sailing vessel, carrying passengers, cargo and trade goods throughout the Cook Islands in the South Pacific. Zebroid is currently going through a conversion process and should be on its way westward by early this spring.

"Through the Picton Castle ... we became aware of an absolutely desperate shipping situation in those islands. On the current fifth world voyage, prior to actually arriving in the Cooks, we received a request from the member of parliament from the islands of Pukapuka and Nassau, and those islands hadn't had a shipping vessel in eight months and they were becoming desperate for supplies."

While local farming and fishing provide an ample supply of food for residents of those islands, dry staples and other goods such as diesel fuel were in very short supply

Having a vessel that can utilize wind to generate propulsion is the key to the service, as the sailing aspect will enable the ship to travel a greater range among the islands and save money on expensive diesel fuel.