On paper it seemed like an almost perfect day. Sunny, and the summer heat was gone; If only it weren't for that darned Nor'east Force 4-5 breeze blowing down the Wando. 13 Volunteers came aboard to lay into three projects.
We mustered amidships at 0900 to get an earlier start.The plan was to lay down a coat of white paint on the port inside bulwark, re-secure the hinged lids on the three dockside PFD lockers, and start scraping down to wood, the last 3 scarves of the starboard caprail, and prep them for varnishing. Then, clean up and transition to some docking drills. Somewhere in there, Hunter had volunteered to prepare a lunch for everyone.
The sharp breeze, steady at 15-20 knots threatened to derail the painting project. Two of the more experienced volunteers, Jack Burton and Calvin Milam recommended switching from the planned use of paint rollers and trays, to brushes in order to minimize the risk of paint splatter blowing over the deck. Bryan Oliver organized Volunteers across the three projects. The majority, Danny Johnson, Madison Pulley, Calvin Milam, Mikell Evatt, John Whitsitt, Dylan Outlaw, and friend Cameron Carsten, and Joe Gorman stretched out ground cloths under the bulwarks, broke out scrapers, brushes, and rags. Bryan set up a paint/solvent station. Dan Maurin grabbed tools and went ashore to tackle the PFD lockers. Kalev Kruuk and son, Riivo, selected a few scrapers, sander and several grits of sandpaper to start on one scarf of the starboard caprail.
By late morning, the Volunteer crew had completed the three projects. After cleaning up and stowing all tools and hardware, Volunteers mustered midships for an orientation led by Bryan, on the vessel's docking and undocking procedures, with requisite dockline handling, heaving lines, voice commands, and a couple of essential knots. Following the orientation, Volunteers took general positions to stand by, to take in dock lines #1 and #4. Following voice commands, Volunteers on the dock slipped the lines from their piling or cleats, while Volunteers on deck took in each line coiled and stowed them below decks. After a short review of their work, everyone gathered round the butterfly hatch amidships where Chef Hunter had laid out pots with massive quantities of Spaghetti, huge meatballs, and some exotic chocolate wafers for dessert.
After seconds had been called, and all kitchen utensils handed down to the Galley, Volunteers mustered one more time, this time to rehearse and execute a docking drill. This required crew working together, to retrieve dock lines 1 and 4, stowed earlier, set them up properly with large bowlines, bend on a heaving line using a Highwaymen's Cutaway hitch, and toss the heaving line to the dock where a waiting Dock hand hauled the dock line over to the assigned piling or deck cleat. Volunteers then practiced the the techniques for managing dock lines thru a series of voice commands as if the vessel were being warped to the the dock, finally making them fast to a kevel or quarter bitt on the deck. With the schooner once again "safely docked" , the day's work was done.
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