Entering a period of Stasis instigated by the Holidays and Winter Weather.

 Schooner date 241216.

It's been 22 days since our last Blog entry. The schooner Spirit of South Carolina remains in stasis awaiting direction from high above.  External situations are beginning to take control. 

The Holidays. 

The crew is becoming preoccupied. Families, with grandchildren are arriving, Families are departing, to visit grandchildren. Musters over the past few Saturdays have shriveled to 2-maybe 3.  The Captain is currently on duty, but will go off cycle on 29 December, returning 9 February, unless contracted to return early.  The Disabled Roster is lengthening.

Mitigating strategies; 

The Annual Volunteer Appreciation Night, along with the Christmas Parade of Boats, on Dec 14th, was stymied by weather conditions; the Parade cancelled, and reducing Appreciation Night attendance to a happy few (Walter Barton, Steve Folwell, Capt Bobby, Capt Will, Danny Johnson,)who graciously came aboard to watch a disappointing Army Navy Football game (depending on your point of view).  Walter Barton's excellent Chili, plus a diverse round of beverages and snacks softened the blow. 

Short term objectives remain the same;  

• Deliver the Schooner to Stephens Towing-Shipyard along with a shipyard crew and contracted Shipwrights and Riggers. 
• Dockside-Repair and reconfigure the Yokohama  Dock Fenders to restrict their shifting off the pilings.

The second objective can occur immediately if sufficient volunteer crew (six) can muster to take her off the dock, and set her anchor in the Middle Ground, for "a few days" enabling a second crew to adjust the Yokohama fenders.

In the next week, Look for a request call for Volunteers who can be flexible to dedicate a 1/2 day, to take the schooner off, or return her to the dock, either week after Christmas or sometime in January. If January, the job might just as easily be motoring the schooner all the way to her shipyard on the Wadmalaw River.

In the meantime, Dory lies on the dock, within a day or two's effort of being ready to launch and go sailing.  Her missing rudder gudgeon is being replaced. some final light scraping and sanding can prep for another coat of white hull paint, gunwale varnish, and maybe a nice blue sheer line strip under her gunwale.  Dory is primarily the property and responsibility of volunteers. Consider some time in helping make her ready, and be one of the first to take her off the dock, either rowing or sailing.

Stay tuned.