Apprentice Deckhands Welcomed Aboard, Roseway Docks, More Volunteers tackle more projects.

First on the Agenda ; an official Welcome aboard to our crew of Apprentice Deckhands.  Six high school senior students from the Berkelely County School District came on board, (actually last Saturday-a week ago for the first time) committed to 120 hours of training in deckhand skills, and some other disciplines.  They are on deck in the same capacity as all of us;  Volunteers, with the same objectives of deckhand skill building, and taking care of the ship.  More specifically, the disciplines involved, safety and handling of tools, both manual and power, the the proper techniques for woodworking and coatings.  You can expect to have them join you on Volunteer Days, and sometimes more often, not only on various maintenance projects, but also deckhand skillbuilding. Some of you may be requested to help Charlie and I in coaching them through some of the tasks and skill areas' they are committed to practicing and learning.   

Y'know, it's probably just as well that no one remembered to take any photographs of the activities going on the deck this Saturday.  All you would see in the shot would be blurs of activity.  I swear  there was that much going on. I counted around 9 separate projects being swarmed, starting with uprigging the massive awning under the foresail boom at 0900, and the simultaneous arrival of our Apprentice Deckhands.   11 Volunteers came aboard to start on the maintenance punchlist, and later roll into some dock line handling skills with the Apprentices.   Calvin Milam and John Whitsitt launched into a cap rail scarf with bad UC damage down to the wood, requiring a total scraping down, 4-stages of sanding and first coats of D-1 oil. Other volunteers,, Dave Brennon,  Layne Carver, and Joe Gorman broke off into groups with Apprentices to rehearse skills, commands , and procedures to execute taking in  and securing of docklines, then resetting them, tossing heaving lines, and sending over dock lines to resecure them to pilings.  By late morning, Chief Mate, Charlie arrived, and volunteers Rob and Jake Harrington and an apprentice   broke off to rig 3 bosuns chairs and  D1 oil containers and brushes for going up the mainmast.  The frenzy was broken up by the welcome aroma and call to lunch, as Hunter passed up from the galley a huge stewpots of rice and Curried Chicken, and brownies for dessert.  After seconds were called and digestion began, Motivation to drive on into the afternoon now became understandably tougher, but the crew stood to, completing the main mast project. Two apprentices took on the project of scraping, prepping and repainting the trash pump locker hatch cover.  A third apprentice grabbed the canvas repair kit, hiked back around, down to the  floating dock and Dory, where the new cover needed significant additional stitching to secure velcro stripping that was pulling out.  

As projects began closing down and volunteers (including apprentices) secured tools and materials, plans were already in the works for continuation, as anticipation showed for the eventual time when the schooner would actually be ready to cast off. .   Look for our Apprentice Deckhand shipmates to be regular participants over the next few months as they work toward their 120 hour goals of acquiring new skills and discipline, which lots of you will be sharing with them.  By the way,, that will get them the rating of Foremast Volunteer- surpassing 100 hours!.   Who want's to join em?