Spirit of South Carolina's Planned Savannah Delivery superseded by threat of Hurricane Dorian.

Record number of Volunteers converge  to prepare her for the coming storm.

First -timer, Danny Johnson, Chuck Waring, Jonathan Shew, and Old Salt, Joe Gorman answered the email call for help, joining the crew on Labor Day, for an intense day of work preparing Spirit of South Carolina to weather the imminent onslaught of Hurricane Dorian.   From the number of regretful responses, were it not for prior commitments, and short notice,several additional volunteers would'have been able to add to the effort. 

Volunteers, Bryan Oliver, Jonathan Shew and  Crew member Catie
 prep to de-rig the Jib sail just before getting smacked
by the squall building over their shoulder.

As it was, there was plenty to do.  After a quick Muster, Volunteers split up under leadership of professional crew members to simultaneously tackle a number of projects.   First, The small boat was swung up and hipped on the starboard rail. Next, the teams began with down-rigging, rolling up and stowing the awnings, followed by the  sail covers lashed over both head sails, fore and mainsails. Crew and volunteers replaced sail covers with a tight spiral lashing over the fore and mainsails to prevent high winds catching the leach and blowing them out. Another  Crew/Volunteer team spread out along the bowsprit to double up sail ties on the head sails.  Their work was interrupted by an intense squall  that drove them off the bowsprit, soaking wet, into the Salon for a short spell until the gale dissipated. Back out on the bowsprit, they cut the lashings on the hanks, and using the halyards as a hoist, swing the tightly wrapped headsail "sausages" back over the foredeck, for securing against a bulwark. As that work was being completed, another team broke out and tested the newly purchased Trash Pump. 

As that was being completed the remaining teams converged on adjacent floating dock where the Sailing Dory rested, having just been down-rigged by the Chief Mate.  Now, in a carefully executed series of maneuvers orchestrated by Captain Cleveland, one team lifted the dory, flipped it over, and maneuvered it up across the water and over a high dock rail where another team caught it, swung it around and walked it to the Schooner's  midships cap rail where another team waited to receive it and lower it onto the port side deck. Now all teams gathered for the finale, flipping the dory bottom up, they positioned chocks under neath, installed gripes and chafing gear, finally lashing  her securely to the deck. 

As real-life jobs and home disaster preparation priorities pulled Volunteers away,  Spirit's crew finished up and cleaned up.  Next decision on everyone's mind  would come the following morning; the one to cast off and motor to a safer anchorage, or sit tight.