Steamy Saturday and another check'-offed the Maintenance Punch List.

 This Saturday, 7 June, was sunny, hot, humid, breezeless,, what else can I say describe the situation four of us volunteers faced as we mustered together at 0900 onto the deck in the brilliant sunlight. The good thing was, we had a specific job to do, to keep us focused away from this sultry morning.  Ken Fonville took on the task of posting the National Colors on the transom, then hoisting the Palmetto Flag and Tall Ship's America courtesy flag up the mainmast. It was the resurrection of a maritime tradition we had allowed to lapse for several months.. Now onlookers knew that Spirit of South Carolina was indeed alive. Lance Halderman rinsed out the igloo water jug then filled it over a big chunk of ice Bryan Oliver  had picked up at Harris Teeter on the way down. Walter Barton and Bryan teamed up to lower the gang way a reasonable amount to make disembarking and reembarking manageable. The last task, and most critical, was to rig up the deck awning over midships.  Actually only the port side could be rigged, due to the starboard gangway setup. Already half rigged up, it was an easy four minute drill to unroll the awning from its lashing, hoist up the lifts and belay on the sheer pole, tie off the apron line extending between the shrouds, then tensioning the come-along strap on the main shroud.. Voila! Shade!  

Next came our focus single project.  The prior week, Lance and Tim Kolb had completed sanding the boat hooks, now waiting for linseed oil. and had started grinding off old peeling varnish  on the main gaff. Unfortunately, the sticky-backed sanding disks, the only ones left in the locker would not adhere to the hook and loop style orbital sanding pad, and they could complete only two square feet before muster off at lunch.  

Now Nick Swarts and Lance went below to bring out two orbital sanders, a handful of assorted sanding disks,  extension cords.  With everything powered up. Lance and Nick started grinding way at the old, blackened and flaking layers of varnish.  Meanwhile, Ken and Bryan conducted their own search for any remaining remnants of thinner, and varnish left over from previous projects.  The heat and absence of any breeze made the open deck oppressive, so crew took regular breaks filling up bottles from the ice water igloo, and stretching out under the awning.  

Ken Fonville securing the thinner after mixing up
 a pint of thinned varnish for the first three coats.
Nick is starting at the aft end.

Now onto the home stretch, Ken mixes up a diluted mixture of thinner and varnish while Bryan, Lance and Nick use the remaining thinner to tack down the surface of the gaff, taking off all sawdust  and sanding debris. Bryan and Ken stretch out a drop cloth under the gaff.  Once tacked down, Lance and Nick with clean rags, soaked in the thinned varnish start on opposite ends to apply it down the length.  

Bryan and Lance starting from opposite ends
 of the main gaff,  wipe on successive coats
 of thinned down varnish for sealant.

The thinned varnish soaks in quickly, and dries as fast, allowing for applying a second coat.  Meanwhile, everyone else starts securing tools, hardware, rags,  and deletris to trash cans.  As Bryan laid down the third coat to set in the sun, remaining crew disembarked. Next week, maybe one more thinned coat, then the varnish, full steam. 

The gaff will be saved.. ;-)

We Happy Few This Weekend.. and it Worked.

 [This entry published a week late,, have mercy on the editor] This past Saturday the 31st of May disrupted the normal rhythm of Volunteer effort with the annual Salute to Veteran's Regatta, hosted by the Charleston Offshore Racing Association, and sponsored by Blackbaud. Over 130 competitors in over 35 sailing vessels of all sized competed. 

At least six current or past Volunteers participated, including myself.  There would have been more, I'm certain, if our Navy contingent had been better informed.  As it was, Volunteers, Lance Halderman, and Tim Kolb, and I believe David Reid, all mustered Saturday morning on deck.  While the Punchlist was full, it turns out a shortage of tools and materials frustrated some of the effort. Nevertheless, Lance and Tim finished sanding the three boat hook staffs-now waiting  for the linseed oil now on order.  

The Gangway configured at High Tide, just clears the cap rail.
No worries, one can simply step across from the dock
 to the rail, or we set two aluminum "gangplanks across."

We also adjusted and set marking twine in the starboard bow and stern falls - to mark point around the belaying pin that will keep the gangway sufficiently high to clear the schooner's cap rail at high tide. Of course, the low tide situation results in the gangway resting a full seven to eight feet above the deck. In the days when the schooner had a liveaboard crew, someone was always responsible for adjusting the gangway twice per day to insure it's accessibility.  

Emma pauses in making the bow falls fast
to expose the position of the black marker twine
 at the belaying pin, marking the correct length
 for the bow falls.

In an unusual arrangement that turned out just dad-burned pleasant, Volunteers Benji Norman, Emma Etheredge, and Kevin Mirise, making his first appearance, mustered on board on Sunday afternoon, 4PM, and stayed for over three hours. The weather was mild, seas were calm perfect on deck, and the late Sunday afternoon vibe..perfect for a Scavenger Hunt. But first, Benji and Emma, tested their memories from their first time last week, and took charge of handling the bow and stern falls for the gangway, carefully taking lines off, controlling strain, safely easing and hauling, finally taking the line back to the pin, making fast, coiling and hanging.  

Bryan then explained to the three, the significance of "The Scavenger Hunt". The object is: given a list of tools, hardware, and consumables, and a map of below-decks and on-deck,   find the location of each of the objects by their location. The second part of the exercise involved an illustration of the mainsail rigging, and the Head rig, with numbered points designating a part of the sail, rigging, or spars. Objective, match the numbers with the name of the object.  

Both these exercises were aimed at accelerating  the familiarization of new deckhand volunteers with where things are, and what things are called-the two most challenging memory tasks of any new person coming aboard such vessel. 

The Six Knot Challenge; from left..
 Round Turn and 2 half-hitches,
  Bowline,
Figure-eight Stopper,
Highwayman's Cutaway,
 Sheetbend,
Slippery Reef Knot

 The last segment of the evening was devoted to introducing the Bloom Knot Challenge. Bryan arranged six ropes of a fathom's length (six feet) along the fife rail, and explained, then demonstrated the six most common knots  used aboard the schooner.  The Challenge is to complete all six knots within 30 seconds.  Kevin, having a bit of a background already in the "arts" gave it a go, and on first try, without trying,  came within 25 seconds of hitting the 30 second mark. His could very well be the next name to go on the plaque in the schooner's saloon.  Unless Nick shows up.

2 h

Dismasting of the Mexican Sail Training Barque Cuauhtemoc

 

Here's the latest link produced on YouTube by Sal Mercogliano- a maritime historian at Campbell University and former Merchant Mariner. He's highly recommended by a number of us for his depth in Casualty Analysis. He's been following this via a number of YouTube entries as this situation unfolded.  

  breaks down a vSal Mercogliano's Latest Analysis of the Cuauhtemoc's dismastingideo showing the entire voyage of the Mexican Navy sail training ship om the South Stre

et Seaport to its allision with the Brooklyn Bridge and was the Controllable Pitch Propeller system the root cause?

Publicity.. You take it where you can get it.

With no budget, no one on Spirit of South Carolina's team performing in a role as Marketing-publicist-Business Developer-"mouthpiece" or whatever,, the publicity, visibility, brand, of our schooner is built on, well, just us volunteers, really. We tell her story, invite walk-ups aboard for a tour, somehow manage to throw the schooner's name into conversations we are having with who'ever might be interested. 

Every once in a while, an opportunity drops on us. In this case a request for a magazine photo shoot.  If you've been aboard since 2020, there has been two. Given the  readership, and chance to be on a cover.. well, it's a big deal.  Free publicity. 

Last month, Ken Fonville greeted Photographer Mark Staff and his team on board to set up a special shoot for a feature article in the  Summer edition of  "Charleston Women".  The magazine is Charleston Women is a lifestyle magazine that focuses on the needs and desires of women who are business leaders, daughters, mothers, grandmothers, neighbors, wives, sisters and much more.  Mark had earlier coordinated coming on board, with Bryan Oliver, who would be out of town. So Ken stepped up to host the event, whatever that might be .

Ken was probably set back momentarily at what happened next.  Mark's work is a serious production. The shoot showcased nine women. According to Ken's recollection, an entire ensemble climbed down the gangway and began stalking the deck  first to identify their "set", then looking for the best angles to compose their shots, lighting equipment, bringing aboard the "Talent", in this case, nine Charleston women business leaders/entrepreneurs, make-up-wardrobe, and of course.. catering.  

The results were pretty impressive, given the deck was largely stripped of rigging. No matter,, his staging crew gathered up loose gear and arranged it in places that would create an effect.  The results of his work are in the cover  below.  You can access the digital magazine at:

read.charlestonwomen.com/charleston-women/summer2025/6/#zoom=true

New Volunteers on the way to filling in gaps left by some of our stalwarts..

We didn't get chance to bid Fair Winds to Nick Swarts, who recently signed on to the Denis Sullivan's crew for the passage to Boston,, I understand they departed Thunderbolt Shipyard on Saturday. Bittersweet, losing a volunteer like that, but it's also a Good thing, for the reputation of  Spirit's Volunteer Crew.  We train deckhands.  . I'll have him try to keep us posted.  Nick had been helping them out on occasion during their shipyard period out there.  

This past Saturday, the 24th, two new Volunteers, Benji, Norman, and Emma Etheridge mustered aboard along with Ken Fonville, and David Reid. They were all on time.  Bos'n Bryan was not.  It took him longer than expected to ghost across the Wando from Remley point, and down-river in his Beetle Cat, "Sean-O". finally docking at 0930.  Actually he confessed to a particularly disorganized up-rigging process on the catboat's trailer before even launching. After all it had been several months since she was in the water. .. of which very little seeped into her bilges during the passages, less than a quart after six months in stocks,, a testament to solid planking and caulking.

While Bryan was working his way down-channel, Ken led Benji and Emma thru an on-deck orientation. Shortly afterwards Ken disembarked to shift over to the final intensifying coordination of  the Salute to Veteran's Regatta. 

Bryan segued the orientation from history of the vessel, and what her intended mission has always been,  into an introduction and practice in safe line handling. In the course of conversation about what Spirit of South Carolina does, Benji and Emma's core professional competence in Marketing came up.  It's an essential component that's been absent from Spirit South Carolina for the past three years.  Given current absence of any visible activity in that area, there's a void that needs filling. 

Five of us was a decent number by which to make some progress, but not enough to launch the RIB rescue boat.With that in the water we can inspect the hull, maneuver the hull away from the yokohama's and possibly reset them for good.  Provide some Coxwain skills training to those interested..  Then there's Dory, that needs some exercise.  

Can we get six next week? or later, after Memorial Day? Hope so.

Practical Navigator USCG Approved Online Learning Now Available to Spirit of South Carolina Volunteers

Volunteering aboard Spirit of South Carolina is part service and part education. You can't spend even one day without learning something new, from varnishing techniques, or proper application of increasingly finer sandpaper grits to realizing the impacts of weather, tides, or a poorly made knot, boxing the compass, not to mention an entirely new language.  Some Volunteers even aspire to picking up skills and sea time that will advance them closer to gaining a license.  Now with Spirit of South Carolina's new status as a designated Partner Organization by Practical Navigator, our Crew, including Volunteer Crew, can take their skill building and Mariner education to a new level. 

Practical Navigator is offering the following USCG approved courses at a Deep Discount, or even at now charge for qualified Volunteers

• Able Seafarer (ne; Able-Bodied Seaman-AB
• 100 Ton Master or Operator of  Uninspected Passenger Vessels
• 100 to 200 ton upgrade (master or mate)
• Sailing Endorsement
• Assisted Towing Endorsement
• Sailing Endorsement
• Assistance Towing Endorsement
• Radar Observer Unlimited and Combined Radar/ARPA
• Radar Recertification
• Lifeboat Operator (PSC) - Limited - for Tall Ships Members
​

Active Volunteers who have completed 50 Volunteer Hours (as documented via the Volunteer attendance Log) can now can gain access at steep discounts($100) to a Complete library of USCG approved Mariner Credential online courses, including personalized instructor guidance;

Active Volunteers completing 100 hours are eligible for Free Tuition for one course. Spirit of South Carolina is allocated 5 slots per year at no charge.

To register for courses and obtain a deep ($100) discount:

Volunteers must first complete 50 Volunteer Hours, documented in the Volunteer Log.

• The Volunteer must first contact  the Volunteer Coordinator(bryan@spiritofsc.org, or text 314-409-0433) with Intent to enroll. 
• On confirmation from Volunteer Coordinator, the Volunteer should contact  Instructor at Practical Navigator who will confirm your eligibility and guide you thru the enrollment process.

To Register for Free Courses (Volunteers with 100 documented hours)

• The Volunteer must first confirm 100 Volunteer hours in the Volunteer Log, and contact  the Volunteer Coordinator(bryan@spiritofsc.org, or text 314-409-0433) with Intent to enroll. 
• On confirmation from Volunteer Coordinator, the Volunteer should contact  Instructor at Practical Navigator who will confirm your eligibility and guide you thru the enrollment process.
​

 

Spirit of South Carolina Hosts Charleston Collegiate 8th Graders Aboard

In spite of our Schooner's apparent Limbo status, these past few months, Spirit of South Carolina has still found ways to execute her mission.  This last April 16th, she hosted onboard, thirty 8th-grade students from Charleston Collegiate School for an orientation and 2-hour educational program. 

Boatswain(Bos'un) Bryan Oliver points out
 the berthing arrangement
during the group's orientation.

Hosted jointly by the LowCountry Maritime School, and Spirit of South Carolina, three facilitators, presented an introductory 15 minute orientation and tour of the Schooner.

 Following the orientation, students organized into three watches and rotated thru three 300-minute  learning sessions.

  

LCMS Director Sam Gervais illustrates
 the ship's sail plan.

On the Quarterdeck, LCMS Director, Sam Gervais  gave a more detailed explanation of Sail Trim on a schooner, steering, knots and seamanship.  

CAPT Heath Hackett pointing out buoys
 along the channel entrance

Below in the Saloon, Capt Heath Hackett, Project Manager for the Spirit of South Carolina led students thru simple navigation techniques on hard charts spread over the table. 

Bo'sun Bryan explaining a Schooner

Forward at the Sampson Posts, Boatswain and Volunteer Coordinator, Bryan Oliver led students thro a historical perspective, including the evolution of commerce in the harbor, contributions of Enslaved African Americans to the economy of the harbor, and their developing a "Seaborne Underground Railroad, in which escaping slaves found their way north to freedom. 

Bryan pointing out the route
 of the runaway Container Vessel last year,
 and the Pilot-in-Command's role
in avoiding catastrophe

Finally, Bryan wove into the conversation the significance of Harbor Bar Pilots, and their evolution over the past 300 years.

The experience proved the viability of hosting students aboard for bespoke programs, in spite of her decks constrained with lashed down spars and gear in preparation for a movement to Shipyard.

New Volunteer -T-Shirts are Here.

 

They are here, and will be ready to issue possibly as early as April 25.. Look for the email. Due to the generous Grant to Spirit of South Carolina's Volunteers by  the local chapter of America's Boating Club, funding was allocated for a supply of T-Shirts to be awarded FREE to Volunteers who have given 50 Volunteer Hours of Service. Printed on Indigo blue, the shirts display  on the front, the "Volunteer Crew " designation, with a large silhouette of Spirit of South Carolina under full sail on the reverse.  Volunteers currently documented with at least 50 hours of volunteer time, may pick up their shirt at the next Volunteer Day after recognition of their time.

For the past four years, a multi-colored Volunteer T-shirt has been available.  Due to the absence of any Volunteer Operations Budget, those T-shirts have been available only for sale at cost.  Those shirts will still be available at the same cost of $20.

Small Volunteer Team makes big gains. First Attempt at the Bloom Knot Challenge.

 Spring  Break? Race Week? Something was competing with our Volunteer Day.  Again this week, just four of us mustered Saturday morning. with another four we could've easily sent over the small boat to exercise her engine, test her new patch, and inspect the schooner's hull for next maintenance projects. As it was, all we could do was evaluate the excellent patch job done last week by Tony Marchesani and Walter Barton.  A totally custom job, made challenging by the leak's proximity to a high seam, and a deep convex surface at aft end of the boat's starboard pontoon. All indications indicated she was holding nicely,, a professional looking job too! 

But with just the four of us, Tony, Walter, Nick Swarts, and Bryan Oliver, we were left to the last pre-shipyard down-rig project: overhauling, two-blocking, and and stowing the remaining running rigging tackles below in the forecastle. It took spud wrenches,  marlinspikes, a 28-inch adjustable crescent and most of a can of Breakfree to loosen the 10-year rusty nuts from their shackle bolts. Finally, both the mainsheets transom turning blocks, and quarter-tackle blocks, along with their gasket-coiled lines were labeled and handed down into the forecastle berth until someone else  in shipyard was ready to hand them back up for scuffing sanding and oiling. 

All but Nick and Bryan were left after Lunch. ..Fine with Nick who laid out six fathom length three-strand ropes, worked on fine tuning his knot speed tying techniques. By 2pm Nick announced he was ready to  take on the Bloom 6-Knot Challenge;  six knots  completed to a standard in 30 seconds. Bowline, Round Turn-2 half-hitches, Figure-8 stopper, Slippery Reef knot, Highwayman's Cutaway, and Sheetbend.  

Nick was now the first Volunteer to attempt the Challenge after Carin Bloom first took on the Challenge at the Georgetowne  Wooden Boat show in October and  started the ongoing Challenge for all deckhands. If he met the standard, he would be the second name, under Carin's to be engraved on the plaque now displayed in the Saloon.

 Skeptically, Bryan watched Nick arrange his six different ropes out in front of the Fife Rail, all laid out without any bights or loops that would facilitate a "head-start." Bryan explained the rules. He would start the stop-watch as Nicks hand touched the first rope, and stop the watch as Nick dropped the last rope. Each knot would be inspected according to the standards of the Crew Manual and Ashley's Book of Knots.

Nick reached for the first, and in one smooth movement effortlessly worked the round turn and two half-hitches, an impressive start. The second- highwayman's cutaway again a seamless effort, looking promising.  the third, on the  figure-eight stopper knot Nick took an extra pull.  So far he was on track, at just under 18 seconds. His fourth, the sheet bend, a supposedly simple bending of two different rope ends, created a few seconds confusion, the fifth, a slippery reef knot, perhaps the most complex, was smooth, but required an extra tug. By now the stopwatch was approaching 38 seconds. As he finished his bowline, and dropped it, the time stopped at 45 seconds.. 

Frustrated, but not disheartened, we retraced each of his knots, identifying where time was lost, and where his technique faltered. Un-phased, Nick insisted on trying again.. This time he dropped two seconds off his previous time, but on two knots, continued to falter.  After one more try, we called it a day.    We agreed on some conclusions.. the Challenge is reachable, but quickly weeds out the careless, and punishes those who have not mastered the intricacies of how a particular knot works,, the kind of insights at over centuries, master mariners have absorbed with experience that enables them to instinctively choose and work the right knot, under any conditions. 

Here's hoping more volunteers step up too. The Six-Knot Challenge is worthy of bragging rights, beyond our Schooner.

Five Volunteers join Denis Sullivan Crew to Sail her to Savannah

SSV Denis Sullivan in
Charleston Harbor last year.

 When the Sailing School Vessel,, Schooner Denis Sullivan visits Charleston twice a year, she has benefited from the on-shore support of Spirit of South Carolina Volunteers, everything some simple maintenance support to transportation for crew, to  connecting with other shore-based maintenance resources.

On the schooner's visit this past week, arriving Monday afternoon, 7 April, Denis Sullivan was able to gain a berth by "rafting up" to Spirit of South Carolina for three days.  Denis Sullivan acknowledged the support from Spirit's Volunteers, by offering the opportunity for volunteers to sail with their crew to Savannah-Thunderbolt Shipyard- a 21-hour overnight passage. 

Five Volunteers accepted the invitation. On Sunday afternoon at 1300, Bryan Oliver, Walter Barton, Nicholas Swarts, Sam Sablotsky and brother Levi Sablotsky climbed aboard Denis Sullivan, and joined the crew for which, all but one, would be their first ever off-shore passage aboard a traditionally rigged schooner. Total souls on-board numbered 12.

As the last of us boarded and stowed our gear into assigned bunks, the Mate mustered volunteers on deck for a deck orientation and assignments to the station bill-for Fire, abandon ship, and Man Overboard. 

Around 1400,  Capt Flansburg directed his mate to begin taking off docklines. "From the get-go", Captain and crew demonstrated the next level of sailing seamanship.  As last lines were cast off, with volunteers laying on the halyards with the rest of the crew, the Fore staysail was set, followed by the Foresail and Mainsail.  Thanks to a slack high tide, and a light westerly breeze, Denis Sullivan sailed off the dock.  The Captain didn't bother to fire up the two diesels until we were in the channel southeast bound to Ft. Sumter.  While there was a light favorable breeze, the modern-day necessity of keeping our schedule required a speed over ground (SOG) of at least 5 knots or more. 

Nick Swarts, 1st of the five volunteers
 to take over the helm

Passing through the Jettys, the Mate, assigned watch positions, with B watch set at 1500. Captain Flansburg relaxed his watch discipline a bit due to the short duration of the voyage and proximity to the coast.  He didn't require a Lookout forward; that role fulfilled by the quarterdeck. Bilge checks occurred once during the watch, not once an hour. Otherwise, Volunteers took turns at the helm for an hour, and hourly taking the ship's position and plotting it on a huge chart below in the chartroom.  

As we came abreast of Redbuoy #14, the Capt directed new course of 215 degrees, roughly paralleling the coast approximately 9 miles off-shore. The sea state remained at 1 foot, with apparent wind on our nose at approximately the same speed as our SOG, no not much help.  The function of our sail set became more for stability-less rolling than actually powering the ship.  

At 1600, the watch changed to begin the full four-hour set.  Capt Flansburg led the watch with deckhands, Autumn, Sofia(Engineer), and Volunteer Bryan. Bryan started the watch on the helm for the first hour, to be relieved just in time as supper was being prepped.  Originally, our own Ray Krugger had agreed to come on board as Cook for the passage. However, he'd been preempted by a higher priority and had to bow out. That left the crew, with a pantry and larder full of left overs for the remaining 2 days to Thunderbolt. No worries.  Sofia found six frozen pizza's and baked them to perfection, making up a huge salad to go along, and a pitcher of passion fruit/lemonade punch.  Volunteer Walter's donated bag of fresh brownies topped off the event. 

Sam Sabotsky and brother Levi at Supper 

Denis Sullivan followed the same meal scheduling as most tall ships, synchronizing to a change of watch. In this case, Supper was set around 2000 hrs,  the change from the Captains watch and A Watch.  The Oncoming watch would get the first seating,  at 1930, a half-hour prior to their watch change.  The off-going watch would get theirs at 2000, as they were relieved from their watch. The "idle" watch would bring up the rear, following the relieved  watch.  Each crew member was responsible for washing and putting away their own utensils, as well as at least  one common utensils/(sauce pan, baking pan, etc). 

As A Watch took the deck at 2000, the expected full moon had not yet risen. Sky was still cloudless and stars started to appear. Sea state was calm, less than a foot high, winds so slight the apparent wind remained on our nose just filling the sails for stability. For the evening, Capt directed dousing the Fore staysail, so we remained under Foresail alone. 

Bryan's view of his guide point
steering towards the Sea buoy
 at Wassaw Sound 

At watch change at 0400, the full moon had been up a few hours, brightening the sky, blanking out most constellations, yet providing the perfect guide for the helmsman, an alternative spot to align with the compass heading, then 225 degrees.  Bryan at the helm was able to steer for most of his trick, by keeping the moon centered between the fore and mainmast port shrouds, thus avoiding the eye strain and occasional hypnotic effect  of constantly staring at the compass dial.

By sun-up, Denis Sullivan was approaching the Sea buoy for Wassaw Sound where we would round well to the south, then steer north up into the sound, and the Wilmington river.  Our speed had been slowed to just over a knot or two, to better time our arrival at the Wassaw  sound bar, and high tide.   Those on deck  strained eyeballs gazing to the east at the anticipated sunrise and possibility of sighting the split second green flash as the sun's upper limb first cleared the horizon.  But wasn't to be. 

Breakfast spread was an interesting melange of everything left in the fridge and freezer., of which there was plenty.. left up to the diner's imagination.  

All luff hanks cut, foot robands loosed,
 the staysail hangs loosely before being
laid out on deck.

Post breakfast as all was being washed and put away, Jeremy's watch with Sam, Levi, Walter,and Bryan stepping, down rigged the Fore staysail, flaking, and rolling it up on the deck, then stowing below in an empty bunk.  The headrig was now clear of canvas, and ready for total downrig the next day when the Shipwright arrived to take charge.

Now the Mate directs laying out of docklines. We'll be docking bow on, and port side-to. on a low floating dock, and remain there for the shipyard project, no hauling out needed. The major project of unstepping the bowsprit would be accomplished from that location.

Volunteers retrieve and help bend on heaving lines and set all the sausage fenders off the port rail as low as possible. Capt Flansburg eases the schooner off the ICW channel into the fairway, then a hard left, slowly into the slip, ghosting to within two feet of the dock before sending lines over. Within the next five minutes, the schooner is made fast, double lines sent over, finished with engines.  

Sam, Levi, Walter and Nick at final Muster.

Capt Flansburg musters the crew to lay out the priorities for the rest of the day. Volunteers go below to clear out their berths, fold up linens and bedding, and stage gear on the dock. 

Denis Sullivan's crew, Sofia, Capt Flansburg,
 Hunt, Methven, and Autumn, Jeremy's Fist.

The schooner's Executive Director, Jill Hughes, comes aboard to start planning for the projects, but before getting too far, calls another muster. This time it's for a crew photo on the fore deck, and engineer Sofia presenting to each Volunteer a crew T-shirt.    

As things wind down, casual conversation between crew and volunteers leads to offer to send anyone interested up the foremast. The offer is immediately taken up by all the Volunteers. 

Nick just back down a step
 after slapping the trestle trees
 above him.

So for the next half-hour, one after another, all five volunteers bend on a hip harness with a safety line and brake, and climb up to the trestle trees, at top of the foremast. For all five volunteers it's the first time ever, reaching that height.  Sam climbed half way over the trestle trees before backing down when his lanky frame wouldn't quite bend sufficiently around one corner.

Salley Davidson, Walter's sister, is waiting with transportation to get volunteers back to Charleston, so most load up. Bryan is hanging back to wait for Chris Sosnowski , due in at 1500 to pick up stragglers.

Every one is cleared and safely home 3 hours later, with a few bragging rights.

Spirit's RIB (Rescue Boat/Dinghy/Small Boat/Tender-we call her all those things) gets a Patch.

 On Saturday, the 12th, only three volunteers mustered on deck, but it was enough to take on the one salient project needing to be done, soon...which was the repair of our Small Boat. The prior week, Bos'un Bryan had purchased the correct rubber patching cement kit, along with squares of rubber patch material. While Bryan Oliver disappeared below to start prepping for his part in educating 35 Charleston Collegiate Students next week, 

Toy shows off his plan for clamping
and pressure-plating the patch (
out of site below the corner)

Walter applies a second clamp over the two
opposing wood pressure plates
covering the patch.

The project entailed an intricate sequence of scraping, sanding, roughing both surfaces;  followed by an even covering of adhesive allowed to become tacky, thus starting the placement of the patch, even pressuring it all over the subject leak area. This latter step was awkward, given that the seep was in the apex of a rounded end of the boat's pontoon. Some Ingenius use of c-clamps, and soft (rotte) plywood that curved to the shape, enabled the even pressurization all over the patch.  With that done, all left was for the patch area to cure for seven days before removing.

For Something a little Different but Just as Significant.

Boatyard volunteers just finished stacking
 old Bevin's Skiffs for transport to another film set.

 On occasion, this blog has mentioned, even endorsed the Volunteer opportunities open at the Low Country Maritime School. This organization, headed by Sam Gervais has  for several years, partnered with local schools to take on boat building projects as an applied education in numerous academic disciplines.  Students under tutelage
of Sam and the School's Residing Shipwright, Rachel Berquist, coach students thru the construction of a "Bevin's Skiff", a historic classic, period,  simple skiff that for generations was the working (also rigged for sail) fishing boat in the low country .

 The Society has recently expanded their curriculum to the finishing of Remote Control racing sailboat kits.  Additionally, the Society leases out it's stalls to different boatwrights for their own projects.  I, myself have taken advantage of this by leasing out a stall to restore my "Beetle Cat" to proper trim.

Perry Gervais gets his first look
at one of Colton's new "old" water craft.

Well, one of the regulars with a semi permanent construction site here is Colton Bayne, a respected Shipwright in his own right, happens to be the son of Mark Bayne, the Shipwright who build Spirit of South Carolina. Colton accepted a commission by a group of film producers to build a pair of authentic "Bateaux" . 

These would be fully working props for a documentary film around the African American contribution to Maritime commerce in the low country. Bateaux (French for "boat") were built by enslaved African American boatmen. Simple, functional, they were perfectly suited as fishing boats or cargo carriers between the plantations up and down the coasts to Charleston. 

Brandon Clark, Perry Gervais and Sam Gervais
 complete the strapping down of the two
 bateaux for transport.

He actually completed them in around three weeks. On a recent Wednesday four of us volunteers teamed up with the LCMS staff to get them out of their stall and loaded on to a trailer for transportation to a launch spot for first sea trials before turning them over to the movie prop people for final cosmetic work to transform them back to the year 1865.

Volunteers Welcome the Schooner Denis Sullivan.

 Tuesday Afternoon about 1800 hours.

The Sailing School Vessel Denis Sullivan,  eight days out of St Croix, with a crew including about 14 Ashley Hall students, arrived in Charleston Tuesday, at 1800. Originally scheduled to sail, and arrive here on the 10th, Capt Chris Flansberg made the decision to make all propulsion available to get into Charleston ahead of the large weather front. Denis Sullivan made it by about 3 hours. If you'd been tracking on Shipfinder, MarineTraffic, or some other AIS tracker, you'd have noticed they were averaging about 9.7 knots most of the way.

Denis Sullivan has become a regularly twice annual visitor to Charleston on her way back and forth from her summer cruising grounds around St. Croix. Capt Flansberg has been Mate, and in command of Spirit of South Carolina in 2016, so is familiar with the ship and this port.

Six Volunteers mustered aboard Spirit of South Carolina in time to take lines and assist Denis Sullivan's crew in rafting up next to us. Waiting on the dock and observing the whole process were about  fifty Ashley Hall student family members. 

Old Salt Volunteer Chris Sosnowski checks the path
 down the gangway one last time before
 bringing up the families.

Chris Sosnowski took charge of the dock keeping the gangway and near area clear of enthusiastic welcomers and organizing their safe orderly boarding when the word came.

Nick Swarts, Lance Halderman, Dale Maxwell, Ken Fonville, and alum, Michael(Adam) Reed , lined up the length of Spirit's port rail to take heaving lines as they came across  in turn, from Denis Sullivan. 

Captain Chris Flansberg, in command, working with his Mate, Mak, and Bryan Oliver on Spirit's deck, expertly warped the ship back and forth, shifted lines over directly to the dock cleats, finally softly nudging the big green schooner close on, padded with eight fenders. 

Dale Maxwell and Nick Swarts finish lashing together
 the two gang planks spanning the two ships.

Now the crew shifted to readying the gangway, lowering a foot to align with our deck steps. Maxwell and Lance brought aboard two salvaged aluminum gang planks to stretch across the space between the two schooner's cap rails. 

Dale, Nick and Ken Fonville, ready to assist
Ashley Hall families over the rails to welcome home
 their daughters.

With all in place, Chris Sosnowski began sending shore visitors down the gang way.  Nick, Swarts and Maxwell, and Ken Fonville helped them cross over the gang plank and safely onto Denis Sullivan's deck and a reunion with their daughters.

Denis Sullivan is scheduled to depart Charleston Sunday at 1300 for Thunderbolt Marine in Savannah. Capt Flansberg has invited Spirit of South Carolina Volunteers to join the passage as guest crew. Five of us have volunteered for that experience. 

Most Productive Volunteer Day in a Long Time.

 At least it sure felt that way to those of us who mustered Saturday morning the 22. Eight Volunteers(!) answered Volunteer Coordinator Bryan Oliver's late week plea for a half-dozen volunteers with promise of some varied and fruitful projects in store, which would require several hands. 

Walter Barton, Ken Fonville, Tony Marchesani, Danny Johnson,  and Four Navy men:Dallas Spencer, Lance Halderman, David Reid, and Maxwell Dale  mustered on deck at 0900, for some a a welcome reunion after some absence [duty calls].  Bryan didn't waste any time organizing the first project which would require all hands.. the hoisting and swinging in board our wounded Inflatable rescue boat, which had been suffering a slow leak in her starboard quarter pontoon for five months now, undiagnosed.  

Danny up on the dock, gives a status of his work
 to Bosun' Bryan, at the Mainmast
with volunteer "knot tyers."

Danny had already started on the finishing phase of his own project, the construction of a solid step and bridge from the dock over to the gangway, replacing the high stepped version he had also built two years ago. 

 First, following Tony Marchesani's suggestion, volunteers ran a garden hose across the dock and squirted about 20 gallons of water into the still-hipped inflatable, to check first for bubbles along the inside seam between aluminum bottom and the rubber pontoon. No joy there, we'd have to bring her aboard and soap up the rest of the outer edge of the pontoon... With three hands sweating falls, for and aft, Bryan and Walter guided the inflatable inboard to settle her onto the two chocks just set. Walter appeared with a bucket of heavily soap detergent-laced water and a soft rag to start squeegeeing the stuff along all the seams and worn spots across the bottom and sides of the starboard aft pontoon. 

Ken Fonville gasket coils the inflatable's stern line
 while David runs a soapy film down a seam,
looking for leaks, identifiable by their
 tiny bubbling up thru the soap film. 

After 20 minutes slopping on the soapy syrup, and feeling, listening, and squinting for bubbles, we had nearly given up when Walter excitedly pointed to a single large bubble slowly forming over the junction of 3 seams and the aft corner of the pontoon. We'd almost missed it.. A few more sweeps of the soapy rag across it confirmed a definite steadily bubbling up.  Maxwell climbed below to search the galley cabinet for a magic marker to mark the spot.

Dallas begins on a quick-fix jig,
working an Ocean Plait Mat
out of Manila rope, 

Meanwhile, Dallas Spencer had taken on the task of working an Ocean Plait Mat out of 35 feet of manila rope once donated by the late Joe Gorman, Volunteer Knot Tyer's Guild. Using the guide in the Marlin Spike Sailor Magazine, Spencer wove fairly good rendition (for a first try) of an ocean plait, or Sailor's Lover's knot- just in time to be thrown into use as a deck-pad for launching the dory.

As tools were being returned, Bryan directed Maxell to the rope locker to retrieve the canvas bag of "pet ropes" training stuff,which also contained six new fathom-length ropes to bsede u for the Bloom Knot Challenge.  While Dallas finished up his Plait Mat, the rest gathered around the fife rail to try out a few of the required knots that would make up the Bloom Six-knot Challenge.

Bryan explains the typical trip-ups
in making a slippery reef knot, "on its side"

 Bosun' Bryan coached them thru the finer points of the Slippery Reef knot, deployed only for the taking a reef in the sails. It's not as intuitively easy as it looks, given the knot must be tied in a vertical configuration, simulating knotting a Reef point in a gathered sail along a huge boom. 

First Sea Trial Crew readies
 to climb aboard.

Now for the main event, obviously the project that was drawing the most interest.. the final rigging up and launching of Dory.  Last Saturday, Dory had been lifted over the dock rail along with her cradle and other gear and secured below on the floating dock.  During the week, Bryan Oliver had dropped by to lay on a coat of varnish on the underside of the gunwale.  Now the task was going to be the flipping of the Dory hull back onto her bottom, followed by the up-rigging of the mast, boom, mainsail and standing rigging, not to mention fitting on the rudder and daggerboard, and bending on new bow and stern lines. 

While Dallas works the tiller,
Lance gets self-OJT on the oars,
 and Maxwell in the foresheets
thumbs-up.

When all appeared to be ready, Bosun Bryan asked for volunteers for the first three crew to test sail. Barely avoiding a fight, Bryan handed command of the first sea trial over to Dallas Spencer, who took on Lance Halderman, and Maxwell Dale- the later two,, actually never-ever's. While Lance wrestled with mastering his oars, Dallas in the stern sheets, worked the tiller, and later lowered the boom and handled the Main sheet.  Dory would take her sea trial under mainsail only; her jib still hidden under piles of canvas in the forecastle #2 berth.  Ranging far out into the harbor, Dallas and crew, mostly experienced a smoot operational cruise.. 

Out in the harbor with a parted Forestay,
 Dallas keeps her steady while lance in the
 foresheets  works a jury rig to steady the mast.

But they don't call them 'sea trials' for nothing.  Out in the middle of the harbor, the forestay parted, and with the aft rigged shrouds, threatened to pull or strain the mast aft-word.  Careful sailing, and Maxwell, in the fore thwart keeping hand tension on remnants of the foresail, enabled Dory and crew to return to the dock and tie up.

With forestay now stabilized,
 Dory's crew enjoys a leisurely return to the dock.

Immediately, standing by for their turn,, Bryan and David pulled Dory in close enabling the first crew to disembark. While Bryan and David situated themselves in balanced positions, and tested the feel of os, helm and daggerboard, Dallas, and Lance worked a jury-rigged forestay.  Now it was Bryan and David's turn.  This time carrying a handheld VHF, for maintaining contact with the shore group, Bryan, first on oars, then moving aft to take n the tiller and mainsail sheet, maneuvered Dory thru a series of tacks and jibes, working with constantly fluky breezes sweeping into and out of the dock areas.  As the rest of the volunteers began cleaning up and securing tools and other gear, Bryan and David sailed Dory all the way back into the dock.  Volunteers exercised their first ever drill at exercising a two -man crew process of lifting and pulling the Dory up over the edge of the dock  and up into it's cradle.  There the Dory was totally down rigged and all gear and fittings laid out beside the hull. Step by step, two volunteers lifted up and carefully flipped the dory hull bottoms up,, and began fitting all the gear up into the cradles, to protect from wave and weather, and tempting of pilferage. 

Accomplishments this Saturday were notable in that they pointed to subsequent projects equally significant in moving the maintenance effort foward:   Patching up the inflatable rescue boat, making her available for hull maintenance. Exercising rowing and sailing drills with Dory, 

Spirit of South Carolina is Featured Guest on Derek Astorino's "Food Boat" YouTube Series

She's on YouTube again!  This time, thanks to Derek Astorino, a local entrepreneur and long time supporter of Spirit of South Carolina.  

Schooner Volunteers treated to a gourmet lunch

Some of you may remember many months ago  when our Schooner was temporarily docked at the Carolina Yacht Club, Derek came aboard Spirit of South Carolina with a local Catering Chef, Reggie Miller and his assistant, Adrien, to cook a pretty serious hot lunch for 12 Volunteer Crew.  

Derek has been building a business around a traveling FoodBoat,  making appearances where ever groups of boaters gather on local sandbars, beaches, and marina's.  His marketing strategy is in producing YouTube videos showcasing local culinary arts people, and other and characters in an entertaining and educational way.  Derek has produced what looks like dozens and dozens of these short videos, all pretty entertaining, and has amassed over 4,400 subscribers.. That's a lot of eyes, potentially looking at Spirit of South Carolina.  

He's done our schooner a huge favor, and is likely to be aboard again sometime, so give his YouTube Video's a look, and share.

A few Volunteer are earning front-of-the-line spots when we launch Dory for her first row around the dock and sail down the coast.

 Only three of us mustered  last Saturday morning the 8th.  Weather was, well, simply perfect. so we found reasons to stay up on deck.   After some initial commiseration regarding our all feeling like orphans, which quickly washed away on reflecting we were standing aboard this schooner like we owned her, were essentially on our own, to set our own priorities,, maintain?, train? or play. 

Maintain?  It was becoming a challenge to organize work priorities. All the major pre-shipyard punchlist items had been resolved, now it was looking for other, long-standing issues, long ignored, but  needing resolution; all important but not urgent: The forecastle head, the bent stanchions, scraping and varnishing everywhere, deep cleaning below decks, oiling the pinrails, sampson posts, and riding bitts. The mast hoops could use some scraping and re-oiling. Plenty of other stuff that might as well wait until Shipyard.. Last Saturday, Walter, Lance, and Ken Fonville did finishing touches on Dory's big blue sheer stripe, now looking sharper than ever. Afterwards we pulled out the bag of practice ropes for knot skills and walked thru the rules, and conditions for a fair and fun knot-tying competition.  We are finding the techniques and secrets  knotting in quick succession.. easier than it looks, with some practice. Wait.. is this "play?"

Train?   We're about totally downrigged, so nothing hands'on in that area.. But then there's harbor navigation, hard chart navigation, we have two sextants onboard, then there's the Bloom Six-Knot Challenge. 

Prepping Dory to be swung outboard
 into Boston Harbor for some joy-sailing

Play?  Well, it's all mostly play anyway. am I right?  Still there's some deserved time to specifically enjoy where we are. That's part of the reason Dory is with us.  Now she's only two volunteer sessions from rigging up and launching her into the water for the first time in many months.  If you want to take her out, just show up and volunteer!  

Casting off and bound for
downtown San Juan