Apprentice Deckhands take up the Shipyard Routine, Roseway departs,, Harvey Gamage Returns

Although last weekend (the 3d of April)Volunteer Day, was preempted by a scheduled event aboard, it didn't preempt our Berkeley County School District Apprentice Deckhands from pitching in on the preceding Friday. 

Apprentices Ka'nye Middleton and Esmerelda Camacho
 practice their rolling tipping and trimming
 techniques on the Trash Pump hatch

Five High School Seniors, representing 3 different Berkely County High Schools pitched in on a number of maintenance projects, then shifted into some basic deckhand skills practices. 

The Apprentices committed to 120 hours of workplace productivity in return for a financial reward upon successful completion.  In our case, Spirit of South Carolina Apprentices will learn and perform the work of deckhand, as if they were paid employees, thereby adhering to a more disciplined standard than a normal unpaid volunteer. 

After two days of scraping and sanding,
Jonathan Bautista and Jason Patnaude
 start their  oiling of the Sampson Posts.

This past Friday, and Saturday, Apprentices gave up their Spring Break time, to advance their projects, and deckhand skills.   Working alongside regular Volunteers,  Dan Maurin, Layne Carver, Calvin Milam, Frank Thigpen, and John Whitsitt, the team scraped and recoated the hatch "cheeseboards), slapped white paint over bared portside hull planking, and restored/oiled a midships cap rail scarf.

Yawl Boat Charles Sneed gets some eyes-on,
and loving care on her bottom.

Meanwhile, on a separate, but related thread of our Schooner's story, on Thursday 8 April, volunteers continued the project at Lowcountry Maritime School,  of restoring the yawl boat Charles Sneed;  a 19th century replica.  In this most recent session after overturning her to access her bottom,  we all teamed up to tack down and lay down a coat of gloss white.

Lowcountry Maritime School welcomes any of us who can spare a couple hours Thursday afternoon 1630-1830. Its a laid-back environment, good conversation, and, for sure, some constructive repair/restoration experience.

Rob Dunlap and Yard Master Rachel Berquist
 apply a glossy white to her bottom.