Good weather abets tackling a wide variety of projects and exercising a sail set.

A lot of different issues were tackled Saturday morning; almost all of them successfully - topped off with a chance to practice real sailor stuff,, like setting a sail.  Here's what went down.

Calvin Milam started in the Forecastle Bilge under the table, separating out old leaking containers, scrubbing out the grime before hosing then drying it out. Next he hauled out the seized up trash pump to disassemble and diagnose its salvage-ability. 

Danny Johnson  hauled the forecastle settee leather cushions on deck for rubbing in some mink oil. 

Tony Marchesani grabbed another mink oil jar and fresh rags and tracked down all the spar and tackle with leather chafing gear to give them a good soaking. 

Danny works mink oil into the leather
 of a forecastle settee cushion.

John Hart, fresh from Picton Castle's Bosun School, set up a station to train a couple of volunteers to turn in an eyesplice and rigging up the two deck buckets with their tie-off ropes

David Brennen started the first and last coats, respectively, of D2 Varnish on the port and starboard side caprail scarves at the main shrouds,, then joined Frank Thigpen at John's eyesplice station to try their hands. 

Frank Thigpen confronted the last two recalcitrant thru-hull ball valves in the engine room that refused to budge. After experimenting with extenders and wrenches, we rediscovered the utility of the long bar/hook normally employed to set the Fire Main/overboard ball valve.  Problem solved.  All thru-hull valves accounted for and exercised. 

John measures out whipping twine
 to secure the strands before
 starting a splice.

Mickell Evatt took on the task of replacing the stretched and torn/ deteriorating leather chafing strips on the transom knees under the Mainsheet. He started a hunt thru the bosun's lockers for sufficient lengths of bull hide, which turned out to be futile. He then came up with the idea of repurposing an old black fender by cutting out of it two long and wide strips to tack down over the old bullhide, effectively doubling its shock/noise dampening capability. 

Meanwhile, Bryan Oliver, armed with a pump valve and diaphram replacement kit, and wide assortment of drivers, sockets, vice-grips, and silicone sealant, disassembled, for the second time the aft cabin head's manual pump, to diagnose its persistent air leak and failure to fill the bowl. It was a small win, but mostly in vain as , while the leaks stopped the pump would still not draw in fill water, in spite of a strong vacuum.   Oh well, better days ahead.

After Hunter's great spaghetti and giant meatball lunch, deckhands secured from all their morning work and  mustered at the foremast.  Taking advantage of a very light breeze, and good weather, we lay forward to raise the Jumbo staysail.  While set, we overhauled the downhaul to run it correctly  thru its turning block back to the cleat, then started rigging up the boon outhaul.  Discovering the pendant to the horse had apparently been cut or separated,  we set it aside for repair, then doused and harbor-furled the sail.

Charleston, African American Mariners, and our Maritime Heritage Closely Intertwined

With the soon-to-open International African-American Museum as a neighbor, Spirit of South Carolina is in prime position to play a significant role in helping raise awareness of, and telling the stories  of African Americans shaping the development of Charleston's Maritime heritage. Dr Bolster's book is a rich resource covering the African American experience in the Atlantic World, and devotes, not just paragraph's, but pages to that history shaped here in the Carolina's. Names like Vesey, and Smalls, are already well known here, but others, not so well known but depicted in these chapters add significant depth to the richness of  a heritage that has been largely ignored in the low country, but worthy more attention given the recent decades of rebirth in her maritime industry and even tourism.  

I could see a time, in the near future, when Spirit of South Carolina will be taking aboard both students, and adults, for weekend, even longer themed cruises, hosted by the Museum or sponsors.  Educators or crew members  aboard would create an immersive educational experience relating stories and lessons on the deck of a 19th century wooden sailing ship, representative  of what many "Black Jacks" would've crewed and even officered.  

 My copy of Black Jacks will soon be stuffed into the book rack in Spirit's Saloon, for interested readers.     In the meantime, You're invited to join in a Zoom presentation by Dr Bolster.  He's a past tall-ship sailor himself, having crewed aboard Harvey Gamage, and Pride of Baltimore II, and sure to add that added color to the event.  Weather, and technology dependent, we'll try to set up a projection Zoom onscreen of this session, on deck.   Lemme know if you're interested:  bryan@spiritofsc.org

 

Closer Focus on preparing for ABS Survey, and Search for Professional crew begins

 Earlier this week, across two early mornings, Capt Heath, the Project Manager,  met with Volunteer Coordinator Bryan Oliver, and Laura Johnson (on her days off from "Double Fun"), where he laid out some guidance to focus our priority of work towards preparation for the ABS Survey visit.  The effort would focus on a deep cleaning (she needed that anyway), but specifically in the areas that ABS would be inspecting.  

With that guidance, Laura and Bryan  set to work cleaning out the grime and stains around the compartments housing the thru hull ball valves in the Salon and Forecastle.  At the same time Capt Heath shared that he was beginning a search for a new Captain for Spirit of South Carolina, who would, in turn, take responsibility for hiring a Mate and another four paid crew.   Those accomplishments will put us all on solid track for up-rigging the Main mast, executing a couple of shake down cruises, and recapturing our COI.

Frank apparently enjoying his project
 in the engine room.

As last Saturday arrived, volunteers continued down the route set by Capt Heath.  David Brennan and Calvin Milam grabbed fresh rags and cleaning bottles to tackle the aft cabin Head thru hull compartments and surrounding surfaces.  Frank Thigpen continued his work in the engine room, wire brushing down areas of rust, and coating them with 'Rustoleum' primer. 

Nate Mack with scrapers and heat gun started on the portside midships caprail where it was showing severe UV damage.  Craig Scott, with his souped-up multi-meter, set upon the saloon and aft cabin head macerators that were not operating. Danny Johnson dropped in and volunteered to coordinate a lunch "take-out" from Ted's Deli, on East Bay, giving Hunter a break from his typical lunch preparation for volunteers. 

Calvin surveys the paint deterioration
on port side while Bryan works
 to maintain station.

As the work reached stopping places towards noon, Danny disappeared up the docks to procure lunch. Nate, Frank, and David launched the Dory with two banks of oars, and rowed the marina and out around the schooner to inspect the hull paint wear.  After lunch, Calvin and Bryan took over the Dory for their own exercise, while Volunteers cleared away lunch,  their own work areas as secured all.

As the Day closed out, Calvin was presented his 50-Hour Jibsail Volunteer Pin, actually accomplished back in July, and, then immediately following, was presented his 100-hour Foremast Volunteer pin, having earned the last 4 hours required just that morning.

First the American Bureau of Shipping Survey, Then the USCG Certificate of Inspection

 That's the path to Spirit of South Carolina regaining everything needed to resume sailing. According to Capt Heath Hackett who has been project managing the process.  He has submitted to ABS the needed documentation that is the prerequisite to their conducting an Annual Survey of the Vessel. We're now waiting on them to schedule a survey visit.  This is the first unknown. 

They will be concentrating on the following areas: 

 Watertightness- Thru-hull operation, watertight doors, and seals around hatches.

Waterline - Plimsole Mark presence and orientation.

Pumps- Bilge and Firemains

With that survey completed, USCG will schedule a COI visit. Somewhere in that timeline will be scheduled a haul-out, required every two years by USCG. This will be a critical time for Spirit of South Carolina given the time she has been spending sitting still in southern waters. Hopefully her hull planking will be found to be sound.

And so, 8 Volunteers mustered this morning to focus on the work of advancing her towards a successful ABS Survey. John Whitsitt inspected the seals around the three butterfly hatches, and repaired loose sections  around the saloon butterfly.  Nate Mack found the remaining latch hardware and installed them on the saloon hatches to make the six of them operational. Nate teamed with Bryan Oliver to test the seal on the Engine Room Watertight door. 

Craig Scott hoisted the kaput 50-pound inverter out of a berth in the forecastle and commenced an electronic autopsy on the saloon table, with intent to arrive at decision to repair or replace.  Dan Maurin, David Brennan,  and Bryan began the process of emptying out on deck all the gear and debris piled into berths in the forecastle, for a sorting into "Keep and store elsewhere in the ship," " keep but move to the dock for storage elsewhere," or "dispose of". An impressive pile of stuff grew on the deck.  Meanwhile, Danny Johnson and daughter Laura, on her break from deckhanding on the Catamaran Double Fun, came aboard and sat down with sailors palm and twine to repair the dory's thumpmat.   

At lunch time, Hunter with usual panache handed up a lunch of burritos al verde with spanish rice.  Laura donated a freshly made pumpkin pie for dessert.  During Lunch, Bryan Oliver recognized Nate Mack for surpassing 50 Volunteer Hours last July, presenting him his Jib Sheet Volunteer lapel pin.

Bryan demonstrates some line handling
 discipline to Volunteer Craig Scott.

After a short muster to secure from lunch and clear the deck of earlier piles and hardware,  Dan continued his project started earlier of cutting material out of the large section of yellow rubberized canvas for fashioning into "dry" dity bags and hardware totebags.  He succeeded in cutting out four and finished one. Remaining volunteers crowded around the Engine hatch and below to train on pumping ot the bilges.  By 1600, the decks had been cleared, Saloon and forecastle bilges pumped dry, and three bags had been cut out and in various stages of construction. 

Next weekend will fill with more concentration of deck hand skills and drills in prep for the COI. 

Progress coming in different packages

 It's been 3 weeks since you've last seen a blog entry and I thank you for looking one more time.  Progress aboard our schooner is continuing  even in bits and pieces, and largely due to her Volunteers.  

John(one-armed Johnny)Crane handing off
 his handiwork for delivery to the Schooner 

Example:  Just this week, John (One-armed Johnny we now call him; sounds like the name of a sea shanty) Crane, risked popping a few sutures in his shoulder to finish a project he'd taken on earlier; to fashion a protective case to house the ship's sewing machine, heretofore  stuffed into a berth with other gear incurring constant risk of damage.  Thanks to John, the ship is likely to keep her Canvas Repair Power Tool (Sewing Machine) productive for quite a while.

  The three-week hiatus didn't stop some volunteers with coming aboard during that time for specific projects;  Frank Thigpen, Calvin Milam, Nate Mack, and David Brennan came aboard, for separate projects.  As part of the Monthly Safety Inspection, David took charge of troubleshooting then replacing the emergency lighting in the forecastle. Frank and Nate progressed some work in the engine room. 

Calvin examines the 3 inch deep
 void under the deck planking

Today marked the return of  Volunteer Day. With this day came a renewed emphasis on activity to advance our readiness towards a COI renewal balanced with critical maintenance priorities. 

One of those priorities was resolving a significant leak of rainwater into the salon.  With caulking supplies arriving, and the hope of dry weather. Calvin Milam immediately set to work excavating into the inch-deep seams of teak decking around the Mainmast fife rail. Meanwhile, Nate Mack laid on the 10th coat of varnish over a section of caprail. Frank Thigpen descended into the engine room to finish sanding and rust-scraping then painting of the starboard engine components. David Brennan completed the installation of the forecastle emergency lighting. Meanwhile, Bryan Oliver and new volunteer, Craig Scott retreated to the foremast pin rails to work thru basic line handling skills. 

By mid morning, while the varnish and engine room paint was drying, Nate and Frank closed around Calvin to assist in the removal, scraping, sanding, and cleaning of the empty seams.  In doing so they discovered the likely source of the water leak into the salon.   By lunch time, the team had pressed one and 1/2 tubes of caulk into the voids and deck seams, then covering with sheets of plastic to guard against the oncoming 8% projection of rain(which suddenly changed to 70%!).  

While rain threatened and occasionally delivered, crew enjoyed a Pot of Shrimp Jambalaya ala Hunter.  While securing from Lunch, conversation transitioned to questions about timelines, near term future of the schooner.  Bryan had no new news to deliver other than the promise from Capt Heath of intent to regain her COI.  The ramifications being that competent crew would be required; likely taken from volunteers.  To meet that requirement Bryan explained the strategy to getting to that level of crew competence and delivered a rendition of a day in the life of a competent deckhand from casting off to raising sail and returning to dock. 

Following lunch, David, Craig, Nate, and returning Volunteer, Charles Malone-fresh from Alaska, joined Bryan for a concentrated refresher in line-handling and knot skills from the deckhand checklist. 

By late afternoon all had disembarked with the promise to see future volunteer days concentrate on preparations for the forecast.