Safety Inspection Documentation getting attention- Teak Deck Repair

 This Labor Day Saturday brought measurable progress in  preparing for the ship's eventual Coast Guard COI inspection.  Frank Thigpen, along with Calvin Milam have been methodically working the Monthly Safety Inspection document, which had been allowed to lapse for 16 months, due to lack of crew. On Saturday with Hunter, our Ship's cook coaching, Frank and Nate Mack walked thru the sequence of testing the five bilge alarms. Following that step they activated the pump and pumped the salon bilges overboard.   

In the course of the bilge testing/pumping exercise, Frank and Nate learned the mechanics of the dual purposed electric pump system;  bilge and fire control.   And so, they naturally segued to the next item on the Inspection Checklist:  Test the Fire mains.  

Dan Maurin and Mikell Evatt finish greasing
 the nozzle and stowing the forward fire main.

Nate started by rolling out the Aft Fire hose, and stood by the port anchor with the nozzle while Frank threw the valve lever to the Fire main position and activated the pump.  Meanwhile, Calvin did the same with the forward fire hose. With both hoses blasting, Frank experimented with water pressure at the Valve. Once satisfied with the fire main operation,  hoses were collapsed and flaked back into their cages; nozzles were greased, worked, and reinstalled. 

David Brennan sets up the last two mast hoops
 on the main mast for sanding and oiling. 

As the Frank, Nate, and Calvin advanced the Safety Checklist, David Brennan and Dan Maurin were pulling out sanding materials to clean up all 26 mast hoops on both fore and main masts, and wipe down with boiled linseed oil.

We weren't finished yet.  Armed with copious notes taken from Capt Ben Hall, and Heath Hackett, Bryan Oliver and Volunteers began marking out, details for repairing the growing deck leak into the salon from the Main mast fife rail posts.   By the time lunch of Chicken salad sandwiches came out, the crew  was set to begin; All that was missing was caulking materials. Hopefully, all that will be here next week.  Stay tuned.