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. 

Improved Weather Helps Volunteers tackle the Schooner's Big Rigging

Slowly, steadily, interrupted only by the Holidays, Volunteers have been working on-deck projects to prepare Spirit of South Carolina for her upcoming delivery and time in Shipyard; the 10-Year Deep Inspection- Shipyard required of all USCG Inspected Sailing vessels. This shipyard will require the un=stepping of our Schooner's masts and taking apart the metal fittings, collars, shackles to inspect for rot, fatigue, anything that would compromise the rig for the conditions she'd be expected to endure; in our case, not near-shore/intercoastal, but sea-going. 

In spite of near freezing weather over the past month, Volunteers had succeeded in bringing down the massive gaff and boom spars from the Fore and Main masts, and lashing them to the deck for sea. The foremasts running rigging-sheets, halyards, preventers, vangs, downhauls, had all been down-rigged, measured for length and replacement, coiled and stowed below in the forecastle.  The Mainmasts gaff and huge boom, likely a ton's worth of Douglas Fir, had also been lowered onto the deck.  Now what remained was taking down all the Mainmast's running rigging, blocks and tackles, and likewise labeling, measuring, coiling, and stowing.

This Saturday,  promised a sunny day, no wind and warming temps into the 50's , a welcome change from the past month's blasts.

 Six volunteers mustered aboard, sometimes struggling to keep their footing on 3 inches of frozen snow that remained on the deck and the dock from four previous days of snow and freezing. As usual, the electrical power from the dock had tripped off, requiring 3 separate long walks to the pedestal to reset breakers and try a different sequence of power circuit switch. Hopefully, the bilge pump switch would work weekend.  

Lance sets the tape measure,
while Walter marks off the first ten feet.

Bryan quickly mapped out the tasks to be performed, and noted the additional safety precautions to be attended due to icy decks, and heavy falling halyards they came off the blocks aloft. Lance Halderman and Walter Barton grabbed masking tape, a long tape measure from the tool locker, and a couple of Markers, to layout measured distances the length of the finger dock all the way to the  Museum, about 250 feet.  

The rest of the Volunteers, Wayne Burdick, Danny Johnson, Ken Fonville, Ryan Smith, and Bryan Oliver, took stations to down rig the throat, then peak halyards. Both lines, together totaled just less than 1000 feet of 1 and 1/8 ' diameter three-strand rope, running through massive double blocks, shackled aloft and  on deck, at the already lowered spars.  The rest of the day is best described in the photos below, thanks to Danny Johnson, and Walter Barton.

Ryan unfouls the Peak Halyard fouled by loose lazyjacks,
 while Ken repositions the turning block to allow the halyard to run.

Wayne hauling down the the Peak halyard Jigger end,
 overhauling the peak halyard thru it's four block sheaves
 down to the pile at his feet.

Danny starts the haul of the throat halyard
 from it's pile on the deck
 all the way to the base of the dock
 before doubling back to lay out its total of 405 feet.

Danny Johnson stands by after handing off
 the bitter end of the throat halyard to Lance
 who is feeding it to Walter, building the huge
coil at his feet.

 

Ryan shoulders all 405 feet of 1 inch Throat halyard
down the gangway into the waiting arms
of Bryan below in the forecastle.

Ryan ready to hand down the Throat Halyard to Bryan in the Forecastle Hatch.

Danny Johnson at far end with the peak halyard
having stretched its 526 feet back down the dock
 for labeling and coiling.

With two huge coils of line stowed below and four equally huge running blocks unshackled from their spars, labeled and displayed on a PFD Locker for their next steps of maintenance, Volunteers took on one last volunteer task.  At the request of Bryan Oliver, the crew piled into cars and converged on the LowCountry Maritime Society boat yard where Bryan had brought is Beetle Cat(boat) for its own haulout and overhaul. In short order they had the hull off the trailer, gently sat on the thick soft sawdust stall floor, then tipped over, and lifted up onto sawhorses. For all that, Bryan will offer free sailing lessons, plus a solo, if they can help him get her back on the trailer after a project of sanding, sealing, and repainting.

Lance, Bryan, and Ryan,
with "Sean O."  Bryan's Beetle Cat

Ryan, Lance and Wayne tip over 

Bryan's Beetle Cat for lifting up onto sawhorses.

Six Volunteers Scorn the ominous Weather to Down-rig Spirit of South Carolina's Mainmast spars.

 It was epic, I gotta tell ya.. six of us, just the conditions made it so.  This Saturday was supposed to be another washout, the third in a row. Rains to start first thing in the morning and predicted all day long. The official call to postpone went out to the six volunteers who signed up, with a option to come aboard anyway and we would make a decision whether or not to proceed with lowering the Main Mast gaff and boom to the deck, based on actual weather conditions. 

Not expecting  many, I boarded early at 0830 to make some coffee and lay out the donut assortment on the saloon table.    Tony Marchesani was already on board when I arrived. The first setback was discovered.  No electrical shore power to the schooner.  The circuit breaker at the pedestal kicked out, as it seems to do each week. Without it, we couldn't boil water for tea or cocoa,, or brew coffee, anything warming, let alone the little space heater under the saloon table to take the chill out.  Three separate attempts to reset the pedestal circuit breaker finally resulted in a durable connection. 

 As coffee was being brewed, Danny Johnson came down the dock with tools and lumber to finish off the low step-up platform to the gangway he had started last week. Behind him came Wayne Burdick, and Scott Cross.  The rain hadn't yet started, and looked to be iffy for the next hour, so, around 0900 we mustered at the Mainmast and discussed the project to take down the gaff and main boom to the deck, before any rain started.

Everyone seemed willing to get something done.  At that time Helen Fogarty appeared at the dock, a sailor and friend of  Danny's, she'd come down to learn more about the schooner, maybe volunteer.   All total that was six willing deck hands-two short of what would be a comfortable crew for the job, yet we could still make some progress.  With the rain still off to the west somewhere, we dove in.  

We made short work of getting the gaff down onto the deck port-side. While Wayne cut the parrel bead string  to free the jaws off the mast, Wayne and Tony cast off the throat and peak halyard coils, and stood by to lift the gaff a few inches off so Bryan and Scott could pull the gaff out and over to the port side.  At Bryan's command, Wayne and Tony lowered away together, and the gaff slowly lowered and settled snugly against the bulwark between the riding bitt aft and the port side Main pinrail.   

Now the rain was starting to appear, first sprinkles then filling out.  But we were fairly charged up, and without discussion, jumped to the Main boom. We had, earlier at muster, already discussed how we would loose and maneuver the massive spar off the mast, over to starboard, then lowered by combination of throat and peak halyard and boomlift. It was going to be a complicated, highly coordinated effort, requiring all of us to perform multiple tasks.  

While Scott walked aft to downrig the boom's port and starboard quarter tackles, Bryan climbed down below into the forecastle and tossed up to Helen on deck, the two coiled mainsail vangs, to be used as tag lines.  Helen and Danny made one end of each vang line fast, one to  the boom's tack iron, and  other to the mainsheet collar, running the lines onto the dock. Bryan and Scott created a sling at the booms midpoint and bent on the two peak halyard blocks.  

Rain was steadily increasing, so we paused to zip up foulies, or throw our hoods over.  Wayne went further, donning his bottoms,, an additional step I later wished I had taken. 

Largely heedless of the rain coming down we were all in the same groove.  With Helen on the forward (throat) tagline, Scott aft on the boom sheet collar tagline, Tony and Wayne on the Peak and Throat halyards, Bryan , Danny, and Scott  on the aft tag line attempted to pull the boom's jaws aft and away from the mast.  Didn't budge.   Someone,, Danny or Wayne suggested a handybilly tackle for added purchase. First, Bryan directed that each boom lift be slackened( their angle might be holding the jaws against the mast. No luck, so Bryan opened the lazarette, reached down deep and hauled out the largest 4-to-1 tackles in the pile. Helen rigged a sling over a piling aft, Bryan set an alpine butterfly loop in the boom tack lift tag line, Danny stretched the tackles out, setting  the strop hooks of the opposing handy-billy blocks into the butterfly loop and Helen's sling on the aft piling. Three heaves on the handybilly running line and the boom's jaws eased off the mainmast table and floated free. 

Now a new challenge appeared. With the boom lift slackened, the boom was held up by the peak halyard rigged well forward of the center of balance. the after end of the three-quarter-ton boom started settling down lower, pressing on the taffrail lifelines. Bryan and Wayne quickly teamed up on the starboard boomlift, tensioning it sufficiently to raise to boom end off the life line.  

Now came the orchestration of the team, Scott and Helen on the dock applying force to pull the boom forward and outward, while Tony and  Wayne on the two halyards slowly easing the boom downward onto the deck, Bryan nursing the one boomlift that was holding up the aft end of the boom. 

At this point, we may have noticed that we were thoroughly soaked. I couldn't say for sure, because, instead of just dropping everything and scrambling down to dry cover in the saloon, this crew immediately set to coiling and hanging the heaps of tangled cordage that had accumulated all over the deck. Only when the deck was cleared; the last line was slipped over a pin, loosely dangling  lazy jacks gathered and lashed together to the fife rail, only then did this excellent crew gather round the ladder and clamber down below into the saloon.  Any onlookers from the docks or beyond, gazing our on the curious frenzy going on would've had to wonder at this obviously a professional crew. 

Below decks, the boiler was activated for tea, coffee was poured, and donuts consumed.. I was afraid to turn on the little space heater under the table for fear of tripping the circuit breakers again, so no one really tarried.  Too bad,, this was the time, as foulies were shed,  where jocularity and expletives combined, and stories were borne, where the world shrunk for a few minutes to the saloon, the rain beating on the saloon butterfly hatch, and the shared hardship of shipmates.  Cool.

Volunteers Don't Let the Weather Discourage from Shipyard Prep

 Today was originally planned to be a "barn-raising-style" event, 8 to 12 volunteers teaming up to down-rig the mainmast of her spars and gear.  We volunteers had done it before, and I was planning a Sea food Gumbo Lunch for those who had signed up.  

Then the weather forecast virtually reversed itself the first of last week.  High chance of rain all morning, with temps in low 40's. As the week progressed to Saturday, the forecasted rain disappeared, then things looked better. But by that time, we still had only one sign-up for Volunteers.  The forecast remained cold, high in lower 40's.  I cancelled the planned Volunteer Day/Gumbo feast due to lack of participation, but left open open opportunities for volunteers to come for some deckhand skills  training. 

Saturday morning; clear and cold; breezy, north to northwest. I didn't expect anything, excepting Walter Barton, steadfast regular, who'd indicated he would show up regardless.  I boarded early to check a bilge, try the power for brewing some coffee, and review notes for what projects might be salvaged.  Promptly at 0900 I heard much thumping and gangway jangling overhead of the saloon butterfly hatch. I pushed open the saloon companionway cover to see Lance Halderman drop off the elevated gangway, followed by Walter Barton, Ken Fonville, and Danny Johnson.  Unexpected but welcome!

Lance and Ken using the boomlift
 to raise the foreboom and shift it aft
 and outward. 

Forgetting about my coffee, we immediately mustered up where I explained what I hoped we could accomplished with four instead of eight to twelve volunteers. Danny Johnson had brought with him some 2x4 stock. He was already setting up to construct a shallow platform to span over the dock cleat obstructing the head of the gangway, a long-suffered trip hazard.

 The rest of us organized around the objective of clearing the port side bulwarks of coolers and loose gear. With that space cleared we would lift and shift the three foremast spars, further aft and close up against the bulwark, lashing them down for sea to the timberheads. 

As that effort progressed, someone asked for an update about going to shipyard.  I still had no answer, only conjecture; we still had no Captain until February. No other crew scheduled for coming aboard;  only the promise of eventual delivery to Stephens Towing.   

Lance pointed to the empty deadeye mounted on it's chainplate just aft of the Mainmast shrouds. That brought about my rambling reminiscence the days when the schooner sailed with her main topmast, adding another 25 feet into the sky, and we sailed under "full press" - all sails set. Our stability rating and Coast Guard rules restricted our sailing full press with passengers, which made the experience on deck with topmast, gaff topsail and fisherman flying singular and memorable.

The topmast hasn't been rigged since 2018.

By noon, we had made good work of shifting spars and  rearranging deck gear.  Danny's platform at the head of the gangway worked splendidly.  I apologized for not bringing the gumbo, but hopefully, In the next few Saturdays there'd be an opportunity to serve up some for lunch, if sufficient sign-up's were entered.

Cold Saturday morning encourages a mix of finishing on-deck projects and taking on others down below.

 The Saturday forecast of high 30s to low 40's dampened hopes of getting a good coat of white over Dory's hull today. But that didn't stop us from adjusting.  Dallas Spencer, joined Bryan Oliver for the trek back to his car to load up and haul back to the dock a pair of bronze 4-blade propellers, once used to drive Spirit of South Carolina north to Newport. Now they were salvage.   

Once set aside on the dock, the pair went aboard and aft to the lazarette, where Bryan dove in and hauled out the remnants of 1/2" vintage 3-strand he planned to use for training volunteers for the envisioned  Bloom Knot Challenge.    Returning from some holidays time off, Dallas brought aboard from the dock, a pair of Dory's oars to lace on the oarlock leathers, and adjust the Turks head knots he had created for each end.

 Lance Halderman started the day with grabbing a roll of 2'inch blue masking tape, and applying a line down both sides of Dory's gunwale undersides to protect them from our next paint application. 

 Meanwhile, Ken Fonville took on the task of inspecting the five bilges. As he completed that task, Lance, finished with his taping job, joined Ken in the Engine Room to pump out the Forecastle bilge. 

Danny Johnson arrived on the dock somewhere in all this activity,  made a few recommendations to Bryan with a plan about building a short step/covering for the cleat protruding at the foot of the gangway. Danny then guided Bryan down to the onboard end of the gangway, pointing to the issue with the two suspension lines holding up that end.  They had been run thru short tubes and made off in bowlines.  Unfortunately the sharp edges of the tubes had been gradually cutting into the lines. Additionally they connected to the gangway five inches inside the rail post, creating a potential trip hazard for unsuspecting boarders. 

He had another plan.

Bryan pointed out some scrap rope in the rope locker,  Scott Cross had just arrived so the two teamed up to work some creative rigging, which Danny swore would solve both problems of the chaffing, and the foot obstacle at the end of the gangway. 

All that activity took up about 40 minutes.  Weather was sunny, but uncomfortably cold-breezy, so the crew climbed below for the second half of the morning,, some basic marlinspike skill building. Dallas brought down to the saloon table the 40-foot 1/2" rope recovered from the lazarette, looped in five foot lengths.  

Dallas works a Turks Head
while waiting for shipmates
 to finish their last whipping. 

Ken Fonville recovers a loose needle,
while Scott Cross finishes up the last whipping.

Bryan started the demo/practical exercise with a show-and tell of the contents of the Sail Repair Bag. followed by a demonstration of two types of end whipping.  The objective would be the creation from one long scrap rope, six 5'foot lengths of whipped-end "practice ropes" for use in the Bloom Knot Challenge.   For the remainder of the morning, the crew sat around the saloon table  with a sailors palm and needle, whipping the ends of rope sections, til all six were ready for use. 

Finally came the proofing.  All hands gathered around the fife rail where Bryan explained how the Knot Challenge would work. Six designated knots from the Deckhand Skills Checklist must be completed to a standard within 30 seconds.  The challenge would be open to all Volunteers. Participants who successfully met the challenge will have their name engraved on brass plates on an oak plaque mounted on a common  place in the Saloon.

Small but productive Volunteer efforts close out the year.

With Holidays rapidly approaching,  and our schooner restricted to the dock, waiting for it's window to deliver to shipyard, it was no surprise that our Volunteer Corps would be other-wise engaged. The Saturday of the 17th brought four volunteers.  This last Saturday, the 21st, brought only three of us.  Scott Cross, just returning from a 30-day service with FEMA in the hills of North Carolina, gave his entire morning and part of the afternoon.  Danny Johnson, likewise, came down to the dock to see where he could pitch in.  

Between Scott, and myself, we had control of the Dory project, turning it back over and repositioning her on the cradles, we sanded off old masking tape adhesive and scuffed tenhe rest of the hull surface to ready her for a coat of gloss white at the next good weather window. Bryan  had received a replacement rudder gudgeon and remounted it on the transom.  Besides hull-painting, a sheer stripe added under the gunwales for pizazz, a bit of wood filling around the transom, Dory was ready for re-christening, uprigging and launching.

Danny, took on the task of cutting out six inches of  the bench 4-by-4 timbers, to clear a wider space for bridging from the dock to the gangway.  

Those project found a ready stopping place right about lunch time, and all of us  secured all tools, extension cords,  abrasives,  emptied trash cans and closed her up for the holidays. 

Fast forward to the day before the day before New Years.

It's a conundrum. The usual motivations to invest volunteer time aboard Spirit of South Carolina don't seem to be there; the activities around getting her ready to go to sea, even just a harbor cruise.  Worse, the prospect of that happening doesn't seem likely for 4 months, exacerbated by that fact that she'll be in shipyard.

What to do,, what to do..

Well actually there's a lot to do. While she sits at this dock, likely till early February, there will be tasks that keep her from sinking. Bilge checks and pumping, ventilation.  And there's more in way of deckhand skills, that we never get around to.  the six knots to be mastered, Dock lines refreshed.. bending on chafing gear-something we've been ignoring to our peril.  There's Dory.  If you never yet learned to row a boat, you've somehow skipped one of the foundational precepts of seamanship. Dory rows well with one-two-3 crew if we had oars.   There's more,, give me a minute.. okay,, next time, next entry.

 

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.

Quiet Thanksgiving Weekend but Dory Benefits

 With morning temps starting out in the mid 30's and a 5 knot northerly on the docks, the weather wasn't exactly inviting.  It did moderate some as Tony Marchesani and Bryan Oliver mustered below in the Saloon to make coffee and decide what could be advanced.  

With Eva Keyes confirmed a non-return, Shipyard still a go, and feelers out among Bryan's tall-ship network for crew, riggers, and shipwright, things were overall positive.  Still, we were left with no clear sets of priorities.

But Dory was just sitting out on the dock, waiting to be finished up.  Over the past several weeks, Dallas Spencer had rebuilt half of her destroyed sapele gunwales and oarlock mounts, and restored her transom, which had been torn out while suffering high winds and wave actions pounding her against a dock earlier this summer. But her four-foot daggerboard and some thwart panels had apparently floated off when dory finall swamped. Her sail rig and canvas appeared to still be serviceable.   

Bryan quickly produced out of his dock cart, a completely new daggerboard, and two aft thwart panels. That settled it.. We threw ourselves into the Dory restoration. 

While Tony searched the ships collection of bronze fasteners to pre-drill and screw down the thwarts, Bryan made a quick errand to the Hardware Store for some wood filler to fair out the rough edges along the scarfs in the gunwale where Dallas had refashion new ones.
Next, we fitted and mounted two new oarlock bolsters Dallas had recreated. The daggerboard was slipped into its trunk to test for fit. Finally, a first coat of varnish was laid down along the entire gunwale.   With one more coat of varnish, a white coat over the hull and inboard, Dory will be ready to rig up and launch.  

One last small triumph, between Tony and Bryan, we searched our hardware boxes and identified the close-enough-to right size bolt and lock-nut combination, along with a little drilling/resizing holes to secure the gangway rails to the gangway.  

Dory's back story..according to Bryan.

In 2017, at start of the Tall Ship Challenge to Quebec City,  the first mate, Dan Cleveland, and Engineer Doug Faunt pooled their funds to purchase a "stitch-and-glue" boat kit from Chesapeake Bay Boats. Their intent was to build a small craft capable of both rowing and sailing, which will be shared across the crew for recreation, and with student/guest crew to  learn rudiments of sailing and seamanship.  

They chose a 16 foot, dory-style kit called a "Noreaster Dory". For two weeks, the entire kit, hung suspended over my head in my berth during the passage to Bermuda and on to Boston. Docked for the week in Boston, the Mate and Engineer  pulled down the kit, and laid its keel on Spirit of South Carolina's midships deck.  For the next two months of the cruise, which included ports of call in Quebec, Port Hawkesbury, Halifax, and a two-week biannual haul-out-shipyard in Belfast, Maine, the entire crew participated in stitching, gluing, fiber-glassing, painting and varnishing, and rigging her up. She took her maiden sail in Boston, the last stop before the return passage to Charleston.   

Dory deck-stowed coming
 into Kingston Harbor

For the next two years, "Dory" was lashed to the deck and accompanied the crew and students to the Caribbean, another shipyard and various harbor cruises, until COVID struck, the schooner was basically laid up, and became the domain of Volunteer caretakers. Care for Dory has been the responsibility and expense of Volunteers ever since.  Officially, she is regarded as a "Tender" vessel to the schooner, thereby avoiding legalities of registration. She even sports a burgee on occasion, a silhouette of a Cock, or chicken- the back story of which is known to a privileged few.  

Fully loaded crew on liberty, bound  the dock in downtown San Juan

We expect that Dory will be ready for sail again in the next two weeks,, not likely to go to Shipyard, but otherwise remaining at the Maritime Center under the Volunteer Coordinator for Volunteer use and practice. 

Dory's Burgee- created by 2d Mate, Tripp