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.