Memorial Day Weekend Volunteer Day finishes up Hurricane Season Down-rig.

Dave Brennan and Frank Thigpen
 watch Keshaun Holmes
working loose the port side wildcat.

On Memorial Weekend Saturday 8 Volunteers came aboard to finish up the planned down-rig tasks for hurricane season, and start some new maintenance projects.

Bryan divided up the projects.  Frank Thigpen and Mikell Evatt would provide deck support while Charlie Porzelt climbed aloft to send down the remaining main sail throat and peak halyard tackles.  Calvin Milam went dockside with his two "cheese boards"-perforated hatch covers for ventilation, and their third/last coat of white epoxy paint.  

Bryan joined Danny Johnson in cutting out and rigging up some additional chafing gear from old fire hose, to bend on to the tripled-up dock lines. Shortly afterwards, Mikell Evatt cleaned out,, literally, the rope locker.  

After  cleaning up and greasing
the components, John Hart
starts reassembly of the
starboard drum of the windlass.

The last group grabbed grease guns, ground cloth's, mallets, assorted socket and allen wrenches and went forward.  This was much of the same group, who, the previous Saturday had miraculously managed to stuff the "gi-mongus" main sail down the forecastle hatch and into two adjacent berths for storage. With new confidence they could take on anything,  John Hart,  David Brennan and Keshaun Holmes took on the challenge to  completely disassemble the bronze windlass, clean and grease it, then reassemble without any parts left over.  They came awfully close, but were unable to completely remove the portside drum due to the flared end of the windlass axle.  

Dave Brennan recognized for surpassing 50 Volunteer service hours.

Volunteers completed their projects in time for Hunter's lunch of grilled cheese burgers, and home-made potato salad.  While gathered together, Bryan took the opportunity to announce Dave Brennan's achievement of  attaining over 50 hours of volunteer time aboard. Bryan presented David with his "Jibsail Volunteer" pin. 

Chief Mate deliver's good and bad news.

As lunch concluded  Chief mate/Acting Captain Charlie, delivered the latest up date on Spirit's status.

Progress was being made in repairing the ship's engines.  Replacement electrical components for engines, and navigation were ordered and in progress of being shipped.  Charlie estimated the ship would not be capable of powering off the dock until after mid-July.  

At the same time, the ship's dockside liability insurance policy was being dropped for the time being, meaning that there could be no visitors coming aboard, and volunteers could come aboard only at their own risk.  Potentially a blow to Volunteer attendance numbers,, but the impact remains to be seen.   

This does not change the fact that, once the schooner is again functional, she will require a haulout inspection before she can sail for her COI(Certificate of Inspection. Haulout would likely be in Savannah (Thunderbolt Shipyard).  It will require a minimum of 8-10 crew to deliver her to Savannah and return.  It will require a minimum 8-10 crew to sail her for COI . 

Volunteer deckhands "Wet" the Anchor

As Two volunteers departed for other responsibilities following lunch,  the rest, secured all tools and materials back into storage, then mustered on the starboard anchor.

  Charlie  explained the different situations where crew would be routinely required to stage the anchor for deployment.  Next, he demonstrated the procedure for "catting" the anchor, then safely releasing it off the cathead to drop into the water, and finally,, he and the crew executed the whole procedure, climaxing with dropping the anchor about nine feet, then manning the  windlass to haul it back up, snagging the stock ring with the anchor burton  to haul up close to the cathead. Once "catted" a deckhand bent on the large burton hook to snag fluke bridle that would haul up the flukes to be fished-lashed over the cap rail.