Volunteer Winter Schedule set for Maintenance and Training Days

Capt Dan Cleveland and Chief Mate, Charlie are asking Volunteer help for four Weekend days per month beginning December 29, thru April 5, to lay in on projects, including, but not limited to the list below, that must be completed before Spirit of South Carolina can go to sea.

With only four full-time crew aboard, Spirit of South Carolina will need all our help to be ready to board students, trainees, and passengers, and go to sea in the Spring. While our Executive Director and Ships Officers work together to plan the Ship's operations, and itinerary over the coming weeks, there remains a sizable list of maintenance project to be completed. 

Here's a sample:

Cap rail to be scraped to wood, prepped and varnished.

All sails transported to sail maker for repairs 

Capt Dan, Charlie and Matt, last Thursday
load the Foresail for carting over
to Liberty Square to be laid
 out for inspection. Took four of us to move it.
Mainsail was next .

Foresail and Mainsail booms scraped, prepped and revarnished

All sails returned from sailmaker and bent on.

Belaying Pins, Pinrails taken down to wood and linseed oiled

Boat hook staffs sanded down and linseed oiled. 

Canvas and leather fittings sealed, preserved, or oiled.

Various Canvas and leather repair, cutting/sewing projects

Mast Shrouds inspected for wear, wormed, parceled, and  served as required.

Hull paint damage resurfaced and repainted.

Berths cleaned out, linens and bedding inventoried cleaned and stored.

Ship's Monthly Safety Inspections conducted.

Check the Volunteer Calendar for the designated Saturdays or Sundays you can help. Email or Text Bryan Oliver so the crew know you're coming. (Weekdays are open invitations to come help the crew). 

The Foresail spread out on Liberty Square
 for a thorough inspection, identification of chafing, holes,
boltrope separation, seams pulling out, grommet lashings
 and seizings worn.

Experienced crew is imperative to Spirit of South Carolina's operations whether at dock, doing harbor sails or putting to sea.  To advance that goal, portions of these weekend days will be devoted to building and practicing the deckhand skills to build that experience.  That will include training/shakedown cruises to exercise both the ship and crew. 

Experience is built on involvement, time and practice.  If you can come down regularly, the better the crew will know you, and better prepared you will be when opportunities come to set sail.