Five Volunteers combine 30 hours to maintenance projects, and some deckhand skills thrown in.

This past Saturday five volunteers, coordinated by yours truly, joined up on deck, from a distance of course to take on five different maintenance projects.  Though weather threatened, it never materialized over us, and the sea breeze made the tasks bearable.  
A special welcome aboard to new Volunteer Fred Jourdan, who was here to watch her being built, and is now able to join us on deck. No one wasted any time in getting involved in something.. The morning quickly focused into individual projects, under the awning,, mostly.

• Steve Boone plugged resealed and reinstalled the hinge and dog hardware on the aft cabin butterfly hatches. 
• Danny Johnson sanded down the gangway dock steps to prep for repainting and replacing the ship’s name with new letters, finding a good stopping point for lunch and the first rain drops.
• Joe Gorman did some canvas repair fine tuning to restore one of the deck chairs. 
• Layne Carver returned the Dory sailboat’s wooden thwarts and ship’s boathooks, all restored and varnished.
• Both Layne and new Volunteer Fred Jourdan pitched in together to begin the scraping and sanding of the Mainmast fife rail , in prep for oiling and sealing that will bring it up to standards with the rest of the deck furniture. Afterwards, Layne took Fred to a pinrail to demonstrate and try out some line handling skills.

As these volunteer days press on, and hope springs for a change in the virus situation, and opportunities to cast off from the dock, maintenance projects will continue to take center stage, but deckhand skills training will take on added urgency. 

Currently the prominent maintenance repair projects are 

• completing the scraping,sanding, and varnishing of the remaining scarfs of the caprail.. Currently six sections, including the Taff rail. 
• Repairing and restoring the finish of the Dory.. now on deck under the awning.
• Complete scraping the Main Masts' Fife Rail, to prep for it's coats of preservative/sealant,, usually 8 coats.
• Aloft in bosun's chairs to prep the masts for receiving their own UV protective coats.
• Below decks,, straightening up and preparing the berths for passengers. 
• ReFinishing the Gangway Wood Steps. 

More to follow.

Don't forget to check our our Voluneer T-Shirt.. currently only color, is gray. Quality Ship's illustration on the back.  Contact Bryan Oliver to arrange for obtaining one.  Sold per cost. proceeds are returned the the Ships Petty Cash Fund.