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

   

Announcing Inauguration of the Spirit of South Carolina BLOOM SIX KNOT CHALLENGE

 Yes, kids, you all know this has been in the making since the Georgetown Wooden Boat Show last October when Carin Bloom returned aboard with that shiny medallion and bragging rights to having tied six knots in less than 30 seconds.   Well, we're finally ready. Inspired by the Challenge created by the International Guild of Knot Tyers , and curated by their U.S. representative, our own Dan Machowski, here it is.

Slippery Reef Knot -    Bowline -   Round Turn and Two Half-Hitches  -  Sheet Bend  

 Figure-Eight Stopper - Highwayman's Cutaway  

The Six knots are the same basic marlinespike skills required of all hands working the deck aboard Spirit of South Carolina and just about any other tall ship in the world. The object is to tie, in no particular order, these six knots in six different ropes positioned in front of you. The knots must be completed to the standards laid out in Ashley's Book of Knots and the Bo'sun. As in any traditional sailing vessel, the Bos'un, being in charge of the deck and rigging, retains the authority to require specific standards, as long as they do not violate the Ashley standard. Additional guidelines and rules to be published. 

If you can successfully tie these six knots in 30 seconds or left, you'll earn the right to have your name engraved in the plaque above, displayed in the Saloon, plus all requisite bragging rights. 

Ample practice and coaching available.  When you think you're ready, notify the Bo'sun or designated representative. 

A Clean Sweep of the Punch List, and now ready balance the maintenance list with some skill building.

 So, basically, last Saturday's Volunteer Day went like this;...  While Bosun Bryan took off for Galveston for a family reunion weekend, leaving only a Punchlist full of projects and vague instructions,, Ken Fonville, Tony Marchesani(just off the disabled roster, might be recognized wearing a pirate eye patch), and David Reid, effectively pulled off a Clean Sweep.. (Everything on the list completed)..  That hardly ever happens, in my experience.. there's always some little issue that prevents one or more of those tasks being completed and resolved.  Not only did the intrepid crew make quick work of those, they cleaned out the under-saloon-table mini-fridge, and left open to air out.  With a steady rhythm established for maintenance it's time to balance with some serious skills training.

As for Bryan in Galveston,, he found some way to break away for a couple hours, to locate the State of Texas's own Tall Ship, SV Elissa. It's always an interesting adventure for find another tall ship, do some exploring, and interact with other sailors.  Lots to learn, and ideas to adapt, maybe.
Unfortunately, it was a Saturday, so the people he wanted to connect with,, their Volunteer Coordinator mainly, were all off.. actually at the Mardi Gras parade downtown.  Nevertheless, a self-guided tour was completed, photos taken, and interesting insights made. There's a good YouTube link for the tour below.  

Elissa is a three-masted Barque. iron and steel hull and steel lower masts. 205 feet long sparred. She was built in Scotland in 1877, and sailed the world as a sort of "tramp" sailing vessel picking up cargo and taking it where-ever, picking up more cargo where it could and taking it where ever it could be sold.. In other words,, not real schedule, at some point in those cruises she made port at Galveston twice. 

Gasket coils-a little sloppy,
but same as us. 

At some point she was found to be no longer viable and sent to a scrapyard in Greece.  Galveston was looking for a symbol of the city's late 19th century development into a major seaport, and found the Barque.  The Galveston Foundation bought her, brought her to Galveston in 1978, and restored to as a museum piece, and sailing vessel in 1982. For one month during the year,, April, she actually takes a number of passengers as trainees for a six hour day sail, to basically learn the ropes.. s ame thing as we would do in the harbor, the whole time learning about how a ship like that works.  numerous videos on YouTube. The ship is actually maintained under the umbrella of the Galveston Historical Society.-similar to the Charleston Preservation Society. 

The link below is a pretty good tour-guide video of the entire vessel.

Tour the Barque Elissa

When I boarded, the volunteer crew had just departed after hoisting up the mizzen topmast into position with the mizzen truck(the tippy-top) poking thru the mizzen doubling . The final task would be to set up all the standing rigging at the mizzen truck, then using the capstan, hoist up the mizzen topmast into it's final resting spot. 

Would've liked to have stayed for that.. It's what we'll need to do for our own main topmast. 

mizzen topmast swayed up along side
the mizzen mast
 and suspended for the next step.

Bottom of the mizzen topmast showing the sheave thru which a line is run, back up to a block at the mizzen top, then down to a turning block on the deck finally ending up bent around a capstan, where the crew will set the captstan bars and lay in.

The Capstan- waiting for the line to be  bent around,
the bars placed, the crew leaning into it and a good shanty sung.

Elissa is a well-supported historical attraction vessel capable of going to sea.  I'm hoping to learn some lessons from her, and pass on to whoever may listen.

Improving Weather-A Good Day on the Water , and some Good News for the Volunteer Program.

 A lot of things went right this Saturday.  For one, the persistently unstable shore power was easily restored, enabling critical tasks, like coffee making, to proceed.  A few stalwarts mustered this morning along with a new Volunteer. The crew assembled in the immaculately well-ordered Saloon, credited to  last Saturday's volunteer crew.  Bos'n Bryan laid out the remaining tasks identified that would make the ship mostly ready for inspection, or a tour by visitors, led by Project Manager, Capt Heath Hackett.  

Before dispersing, Bryan ended the muster on a high-note:  Earlier in the week, at Ken Fonville's invitation, Bryan made a presentation to the "America's Boating Club"(Formally U.S. Sail and Power Squadron).  At the end of the presentation, Bryan was presented a  Grant to the Spirit of South Carolina Volunteers in the amount of $5,000.00. It was a generous and significant gesture. Since 2019, and the restoration of the Ship's Volunteers, we have operated without any budget. Volunteer expenses such as recognition awards, T-shirts, Volunteer Appreciation Cook-out, had all been self-funded.  To make best use of those funds, Bryan would be forming a committee of  volunteers to formalize a set of by-laws to govern disbursements from the grant.  Look for more on that in later postings.

Danny Johnson immediately jumped to his project-the completion of a railed wood gangway entrance platform. 

Walter Barton, on inspection of the forecastle discovered a dangerously heavy concentration of moisture covering the ceilings, resulting from cold temperatures condensing the higher temperature bilge moisture. Normally it is controlled by moving fresh air through the forecastle with a fan, and cracked hatches.  This time, the power shut off  sometime earlier aggravated by sealing both hatches created the conditions similar to a fog.  The water droplets building on the overheads threatened to drip and soak the canvas bunched up into the upper berths , creating a risk of mold or mildew. With an armload of clean rags, Walter climbed into each of the 8 upper bunks, wiping down the overheads, then wringing out the super-soaked rags over side.

Wayne Burdick laid below into the Aft Cabin with Ryan Smith and began the task of bringing order into a space full of piles of  old bedding, signal flag bags, clumps of electronic gear, binders, and tool boxes. The Mates berth had long lost it's custom foam mattress and had in it's space one over-large foam shape.  Two hours later they had the space organized, cleaned up and 'ready for visitors.

Lance Halderman started the morning, laying a strip of masking tape all the way along the top strake of the Dory hull, in preparation for Bryan to later lay down a broad line of "electric sapphire blue" to accentuate the sheer line of the gunwale. Next, he cleaned out eight worn screw holes under the three bronze hinges  of the salon head butterfly hatch, then stuffing them with silicone sealant and toothpick slivers; finally driving new bronze flat-head screws into the now tight holes. 

Bryan Oliver took new Volunteer David Reid, USN, in tow for an extended tour, story-telling, and orientation of the schooner.  They ended the day laying on the final blue sheer line on the dory before securing the deck and disembarking.      Bryan stayed behind to check and pump bilges.  Shore power was holding steady.  Hope it sticks.              

Volunteers, where are we going? What's our Role? Its larger than you may think.

 Wow!  You gotta get below and gaze around the Saloon. It hasn't looked this good in months.  Lance Halderman, Ken Fonville, Tony, Marchesani, and Walter Barton rolled up sleeves Saturday morning and went to work.  It shows. They met a standard that's always been there, but hard to maintain with once-a-week crew. 

There's an impetus for this.  I've been informed that there will be visitors coming aboard, sometime soon, ostensibly to tour the ship. The office requested of me that we do what we can to get her back into 'Bristol Fashion" (my words, but you get the idea).  Don't really care who the visitors might be so much, as the plain fact that the schooner is having visitors who've likely not seen her before, let-alone coming aboard for a close up look.  

Think on it.. What's the basic root- problem this Schooner faces, huh? I think it's because she's invisible. I seek out conversations with people, lots of people I don't already know. They don't know she exists. Of those that do know she exists, it seems their typical perspective, is that , "well, she's there but she doesn't do anything."  Not totally true, but you can see their point.  You can't have an opinion about something of which you know nothing. You can't be expected to support something whose story you've never heard. 

The point is fixable, and I've got hopes that we may be on that track soon.. just a gut thing.  Why's my gut saying that?  Well, in addition to the "does nothing" perspective that comes from people, they tend to see an additional aspect if you tease it out.. The one's who know Spirit of South Carolina, or know of her, have often offered their own bit of , "if only .." ,  "y'know, she could be.."  or even, "so, when's she gonna be back?" 

Every week for the past year, I've been meeting up with a group of mostly local people for drinks and a snack or too, mostly socializing... They also have friends from out of town visiting who are invited to join the "salon." Conversation goes everywhere, where's everybody been, what's going on in the city? who's doing what to help with; lots of  conversation about ideas and events.  

Stay with me, I'll get to my point,  I promise.

My entry into this group came from a person I once invited aboard for a deck tour.  I told the story of Spirit of South Carolina, and we conversed around concepts of the schooners capabilities, and potential; It lasted a couple of hours.  This person pretty much directed me to join this social gathering.  In that group, in a normal conversation, I was inevitably asked a  question-something like, "what do you do?"  I get to tell 'em my story; only a sentence or two about  my "Pre-Charleston" life. My objective was to tell the story about Spirit of South Carolina. It starts with a 30-second "elevator speech- What the ship is, what she was built to do, what she's done, and how people who come aboard are changed. 

I swear-to-god it always happens, their eyes get big, or they squint a little, as if thinking, "really? you can do that?."  About 70% want to know more. Of those, about 50%  accept with enthusiasm my offer to come aboard for a tour.  Most of them actually show up on the dock. But, I see almost all of them again in following weeks in our social, as well as new folks joining in, and I always find opportunity to converse with the newcomers. 

See where I'm going with this?  

As Volunteers, we may not have eyes on what, exactly, is happening at the management level of our Schooner, but we do have a significant role to play beyond the tasks of maintenance. Because of our reach into the community, even out of town, even out of state, we have capability to tell her story. No one else has the same credibility for that role.  We are recognized for taking part in something much bigger than ourselves.  Our cause is our Ship and advancing her mission.  We have capability and opportunities to tell it to our neighbors, reach into our kids schools, our congregations, our community groups, workplaces,, and tell her story. Make her visible. 

Our motivation isn't quite the same as a usual paid mariner who tends to bounce from ship to ship. It's bigger. We have more at stake.  If you haven't yet so reflected, I recommend it. There's really an exhilaration in being able to explain why you're excited to spend time on board,, why you enjoy company of your shipmates, what differentiates your experience from that of other modern yacht sailors - even if you've not yet gone to sea in our Schooner, but you aspire to it.  Literature describes it.   Two paragraph's laminated and posted in the saloon on the galley cupboard describe it. You can peruse at the link here.

The Tall Ship Experience

More about how we all can work together on our "story", later. but soon.

PS:

We're growing a pretty good readership on his Blog. That's reassuring, but what would make it better, would be to hear from you. 

Please comment on what you'd like to see more of , less of, questions, or observations.  There's a link at the bottom.  We're public, on purpose. If you've someone in mind who might be interested in what's being said here, you're welcome to hit that little envelope  icon below and send em' a copy.

Just us Four Aboard her this Saturday

 The day was perfect. Sailing on the harbor Saturday would've made it more perfect. but our reality is not currently displayed there.. for now. 

As it was,, Tony and I (Bryan) mustered aboard on time, followed only a few moments later by our long-time missing Ship's Carpenter, Dallas Spencer.  Dallas brought with him long-awaited news that he'll be shipping out himself, sometime in April.  The Navy has selected him for graduate studies in Naval Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His professional career is about to take a significant right turn.  And we're going to miss his carpentry talents. So Dallas's priorities must now necessarily change to finding affordable family housing in Boston. 

For this Saturday morning our efforts focused on the more mundane but necessary.  Our transient, sometime-resident Osprey, Dolores, has returned to her perch aboard the Spring Stay, for screeching, eating lunch, digestion, and purging, now evident in major white splotches all over our deck. Tony and I started clearing the deck of obstacles to water.. hanging up what we could.  Dallas pulled out the midships Fire hose, stretching it all the way forward and stood by for charging.  Tony retrieved three deck brushes and I climbed below in the engine room to "fire up" the Fire Main. Dallas began wetting down from the knightheads aft until the entire deck was soaked. We followed behind with deck brushes doing what we could, hampered by the enormous gaffs and booms now stretched out fore and aft down our decks.  

Meanwhile Danny Johnson appeared, and Bryan pointed out to him the now derelict Step to the gangway, complete with sliding handrail to adjust for tides.  With virtually no other discussion, Danny scoped out a concept to build a similar sliding handrail onto the relatively new Gangway Platform step.  I"m looking forward to see his handiwork. 

 By noon we'd found our usual stopping place. Tony and Dallas had shifted to the Dory, still upside down on her cradle, but now sporting a smart sapphire blue sheer stripe  just below her gunwale.  Next step for her will be to turn her right side up and fit out for sailing. Check for proper tension, sail condition after two years of stowage, oar locks set, and then bend on our "pig-sticker", a tradition begun by past 2d Mate, Tripp Seaman.  - the staff flying the Dory's traditional symbol, a fighting cock silhouetted on a white pennant.  The story of which is entrusted only to the most devoted of crew.  

More housekeeping projects await volunteers coming aboard next Saturday, to facilitate our anticipated trip to Shipyard,, a date still unknown to us.

Pre-Shipyard Phase of Down-Rig Complete ; Dory Gets her First Coat of paint

 One could not have asked for a better day. Saturday's cloudless sky, winds barely sufficient to fill a spinnaker(CORA held a round-the buoy race in the harbor). Six Volunteers mustered aboard Saturday to finish up the last down-rigging tasks, and start laying on a coat of white paint on Dory's Hull. 

Tony Marchesani and Scott Cross volunteered to start the paint job, while Stephen Folwell, Ken Fonville, and Walter Barton gathered around Bryan Oliver for guidance on lashing down the Main mast spars (sea-stowing).  Nick Swarts appeared later and joined in the down-rigging crew. After pointing out the locations of paint supplies to Tony and Scott, Bryan assigned jobs to the rest; first, lashing down the main gaff before moving on to the main boom.  Bryan gave a tutorial and refresher on making a bowline and a square lashing, then sent the team to the rope locker to search out sufficient lengths of unassigned cordage to do the job. 

They made short work of the gaff.  The Main Boom required some organization.  When the boom was lowered, it came to rest in a position that took up too much space on the starboard deck.  Bryan pointed out, that, by shifting the boom aft two feet, the jaws would clear the tool locker, enabling the boom to rest two feet closer to the rail. The task would require rigging up tackles fore and aft to lift the boom inches allowing the team to push it aft the necessary distance.  Ken Fonville proposed using the gangway falls, rather than untangle and rig up the boom lifts.  The team adapted the idea; first, down rigging the gangway with it's crossbar,  making up slings at fore and aft ends of the boom, to take the hooks of the falls. With two hands each on the bow and stern falls, they were able to sweat the falls up several inches, allowing  Bryan and Walter, at each end, to push the boom aft two feet, and closer to the rail. 

With sea-stowing of the last spars complete, and a first coat of white laid on Dory's hull, the crew secured tools, hardware and  mustered midships to recognize shipmate Volunteer Steve Folwell for racking up, in quick succession, 50 and then 100 Volunteer hours in the last months of 2024. To catch up, Bryan presented Stephen both, his 50-hour Jibsheet Volunteer, and 100-hour Foremast Volunteer Pins.

In tallying up all Volunteer Hours for 2024, Bryan noted the recent achievements of the following Volunteers in making the 50, 100, and 200 Volunteer Hour milestones.

• Walter Barton         200
• Todd Cole               200
• Stephen Folwell      100
• Lance Halderman   100
• Alex Lyashevich     100
• Ryan Smith             100
• Carin Bloom             50
• Nick Swarts              50

Save this Date (To Be Determined).. Yes,, once I determine it, be sure to save it.. The Volunteer Shipyard Sendoff Cook-off Social. Look for this date in the next few weeks, on a Sunday, on the Dock and on Board.  A celebration of  a continuous thread of support that has kept the Spirit of South Carolina afloat and viable, for what we anticipate to be the start of a new life.