Spirit of South Carolina Hauled Out at Thunderbolt Shipyard, Savannah for Biannual  Inspection.

Tuesday, 10 Sept, Spirit of South Carolina cast off at 0530 hrs with a crew of 8, motorsailing down the coast, making for Wassaw Sound in Georgia, and the entrance up the Wilmington River to Thunderbolt Shipyard. 

Deckhand Catie  frees the fouled anchor
burton falls from the shroud as crew rigs
starboard anchor for possible dropping
 as Spirit of South Carolina crosses
the bar at Wassaw Sound.

By 1930 hrs, she had felt her way over the unmarked shoals at the Sound's mouth, wound her way up the River and at 2200 hrs, safely tied up to the Face dock  at Thunderbolt Marina. After a short night's sleep, the crew  mustered at 0715  reset docklines and fenders, and maneuvered her into the Shipyard basin to the Sync Lift, where she was lifted onto dry dock. Almost immediately, Coast Guard and American Bureau of Shipping Inspectors boarded and began a day-long intense and deep inspection of every component of the schooners' structure and systems. 

Spirit of South Carolina almost completely
raised into dry dock, as Shipyard
workers monitor progress

Spirit of South Carolina high on the rails,
her bottom being power-washed to knock off  barnacles, and sea-life
in preparation for inspecting planks, fasteners,  and rudder

After a conference with Captain Dan Cleveland and Chief Mate, Charlie Porzelt, the two developed a Work plan, and briefed the crew on priorities for the next week.  They will include pulling and inspecting each thru-hull valve, inspecting, pulling out and recaulking plank seams with tar and oakum, removing and replacing soft planks identified along the waterline, pulling and inspecting keel bolts and  selected plank fastenings. scraping and repainting her entire bottom.  The projects are expected to extend well into the following week, depending on contracting issues, and materiel supply.