Kitchen Magnet Ideas, and reconnecting with Shipmates, Volunteers and otherwise.

Hey,  all you Volunteers and Supporters of Spirit of South Carolina. In these days of waiting for our Schooner's return, and waiting, and you're starting to feel a little dispirited;  

Try this:  

Print out this Blog entry;  cut out this image and stuff it in your wallet, or tape it to your Refrigerator.

                                                                                                ↘

The Sandwich Board, on which this poster is affixed, was created by Spirit of South Carolina LLC and is currently positioned in a place of prominence at the Charlestown Maritime Center Dock. 

The connotation should be obvious. If you've become doubtful about her ever coming back, here's a pretty public commitment that people are working to make that happen. We've even designed a ready-to-apply "Open for Tours" Banner to tape over the Coming Back Soon" text, to repurpose the sandwich board.

To reinforce that message,  my recent conversation last week with Tommy Baker's Exec Assistant reinforced their intent to gather a crew for delivering her back to the Maritime Center, and initiating early, a mix of dockside activities, and plans to take her north in the Spring.

I'll even post a good expandable copy on the ship's photo album. You can click on the tab along the banner of this blog page. 

Working on a New Blog Feature

With no real opportunity for Volunteers and crew to muster together on deck, it's easy to lose touch.  So, it's great to hear from y'all either by email or phone call, as did Matt Hollenbeck just a day or so ago, just checking in.  

Matt out exercising the small boat
 on his last week as deckhand/coxswain

Matt, originally from North Carolina, holds a unique spot on the schooner's history as being the last professional deckhand to disembark last winter as the COVID shut down all operations, leaving only Hunter the Cook, for ship-watch, and us volunteers. 

Capt Cleveland recruited Matt earlier in 2020 during a visit to the ship after being impressed with his "unique set of skills" around small engines and other mechanical systems.  It helped that Matt caught on naturally to everything rigging -wise.  Matt is featured in the most recent video short-documentary, now on YouTube.  You can also review it in on our YouTube Playlist link up top.

Matt remains busy at his home in Columbia, with his young daughter, and starting up his new family business in custom concrete surfacing.  I've got a couple photos of his work which are quite impressive.  Yes, an up front-plug.  He's hoping to get back south some time to volunteer a spell once the Schooner is back home. It'll be a great reunion. 

With that start, if you've been in contact with me in any form or fashion lately, a big thanks.. and, oh, you'll probably be next. ;-)

Volunteer Laura Johnson ships out, while Dad, Danny Johnson, gets a new ride

Spirit of South Carolina?.. No news to report. Nothing coming from Capt Heath or the Board. I'll be spending Friday and some of Saturday aboard her in Savannah, helping Hunter provision, and advancing an individual project. Other than that, there's nothing to coordinate.  When news happens, I'll  cast it out here.  

On Good News;  Well, it's good to know at least one of us is sailing.  Schooner Sailing, I mean.  Just a few days after celebrating her birthday at the helm of Dad, Danny Johnson's new Dehler 42...  

Laura helms while Bryan bloviates
 on mainsail leech trim.

Just this last Saturday, Laura shipped out as deckhand aboard the Boston schooner Liberty Clipper,  bound for the Bahama's and a winter season of multi-day charters around the island. Both Liberty Clipper, and Schooner Harvey Gamage cast off on Saturday, just after "Nikki" blew thru;  Liberty Clipper to her winter sailing grounds out of Nassau, and Harvey Gamage to Saint Augustine to drop off their Proctor Academy Students, then on to Port Everglades, where I think their ultimate destination will be Galveston. 

I was hoping to give Capt Rob, of Liberty Clipper a hard time for shanghai-ing one of our volunteers, but he became hard to find. But did get to wish Laura "Fair Winds", and set expectations for her to come back with many stories. She'll be out for several months. 

Laura finishing dock lines check after
a successful shakedown sail

Danny is getting serious;  Yes, you heard it right, there's a new serious performance cruiser on the harbor. She's christened "Trinity".  A Dehler 42, from Germany, and one sweet, responsive sailing machine. Danny gave each of us a trick at the helm, and she was impressive. With a 7 foot blade and bullet keel, rudder post forward and a sled-like hull, we could feel the acceleration even in slight puffs.  No excess pounds of comfort cruising bells and whistles, Danny has configured her for performance. 

                      

Spirit of South Carolina getting prepped for her arrival.

 While waiting for all the gears to synch up that will launch Spirit of South Carolina home, Project Manager Heath Hackett has set some priorities aboard for readying the ship for her first few days on arrival in the public eye.  Just about all mechanical issues being resolved, focus is turning to the aesthetic condition of the ship on deck and below; getting her ready for visitors.  The Board of Directors is expecting to host a very public event for her return.   Prior to that I understand that the Board of Directors is to have a meeting with some others to be invited. The agenda is not announced, but surmised to announce the strategic direction the schooner will take over the next year. That would include the roles of volunteers.

You recall from a previous blog that Heath's crew of professional detailers came aboard for the  better part of a week to scrape/sand down to wood, the entire cap rail, as well as quarter-rounds surrounding hatches, and the aft-cabin butterfly hatch. Bryan Oliver was forward on the jibboom last week, doing the same. Other wood furnishings, showing grime and peeling will likely get same treatment.  The intent is to get the prep done now, and start actual coatings of varnish, after arrival in Charleston. That's likely to be one of our first volunteer chances to shine. We're not exactly new to that cap rail-except now the hard work of scraping/sanding is already done, just a light sand and tacking down to get to coatings. The main boom and gaff, lying on the deck all summer has suffered the sun and are peeling and graying badly.  Will likely be taking that on very shortly. 

Other projects Hunter and Bryan have accomplished are: 

• Total clearing out and straightening of empty bunks in the salon, moving gear forward, in anticipation of receiving visitors to the salon for public events.  
• Taking down and stowing the huge main deck awning canvas.  It has suffered several major tears, due to UV damage and winds. It's looking beyond repair capability.
• Coiling and stowing loose cordage and cargo netting. stowed in lazarette.
• Splicing new rope lifelines into the rails in vicinity of starboard main shrouds.    

Two Schooners Passing Thru- Awaiting the Weather Window to Open for passage South

 In case you've not been down by the harbor lately, you're missing a charming schooner currently at the fuel dock at Charleston Maritime Center.  

Liberty Clipper, out of Boston, part of the liberty fleet of schooners has been at the dock for the past two weeks undergoing a "dockside shipyard" program.  They are finishing up a number of projects before casting off for Bahamas on Nov 7- give or take a weather day or two.  Liberty Clipper is a steel-hulled vessel, normally carrying a crew of 14, similar to that of Spirit of South Carolina when at sea.  They take on passengers for cruises, rather than for educational programs.

They will likely be wintering down south.

Enroute from St. Michaels, an old friend to Charleston, Harvey Gamage, out of Portland, Maine, has just docked Saturday, to reprovision, and head further south.  They have on board approximately 20 students of the Proctor Academy in New Hampshire, on the 8th week of a 10-week Semester at Sea. Proctor Academy subscribes to a remarkable approach to learning.  Check out their link. You'll find it interesting.

 Students will complete their academic requirements and disembark in Key West having experienced life as a schooner deckhand and applied on board in real life most of their academic learning for the semester. 

They will stay here to reprovision and hopefully bring on board a new Cook, and Engineer.    They have an ultimate port in the Gulf of Mexico.

If you've not seen Harvey Gamage, she's worth a visit also.  Similar to Spirit of South Carolina, all wooden, in her case a general replica of typical schooners working coastal Maine waters as fishermen, lumber or other cargo carriers.  It's worth comparing our two rigs, as the ships we are honoring were built for different parts of the country and different purposes. 

Harvey Gamage is looking for a Cook for the remaining two-week passage to Key West. They are looking to depart at the same first favorable weather window as Liberty Clipper;  around Wednesday, 9 November.  

If you have information that would lead to their acquisition of a Cook, or Ships Engineer, contact their Captain at: 415-787-2178.