"The Last Grain Race" My Pick for Best True 20th Century Tall Ship Sea Story

 How to describe this story?  I'd say, take Irving Johnson's landmark film footage of "Round the Horn",( his experience as an apprentice seaman on the Barque "Peking"), and blow it into an epic circumnavigation, with a higher level of insight, humor, terror, exhilaration, over a six month voyage.  

This is Englishman, Eric Newby's 8 month autobiography of his apprenticeship as an 18 year-old aboard the Swedish/Finnish 4 Masted Barque "Moshulu", in 1938-1939.   He later went on to serve in Her Majesty's Special Boat Service, was taken prisoner, sitting out 1942-1945 as a POW.  He has since authored a number of books.

Capt Dan Cleveland turned me on to this book during a visit with him over the holidays. Into the first few chapters, I began to feel a bit hurt that he never brought up this book during all his time in command.  I guess Irving Johnson was an easier sell to most kids and crew aboard, after all it was a video. 

This book proves the point, why nothing so far in film can really match a well-written story.  It's an excellent, engaging read, perfect for this gloomy period when the uplands are freezing and the harbor just looks and feels dreary cold.   

It's available out there in audible, ebook and some soft cover, so not too hard to find online.  I'm lending my copy to the Ship's Library, in the Saloon.  But if you like a library of this genre, I'd recommend  acquiring your own copy.

https://www.amazon.com/Last-Grain-Race-Eric-Newby/dp/0864427689

Volunteers Rack up 1956 Volunteer Hours in 2021- Equivalent to the Labor hours of a Full-Time Deckhand .

 1956 labor hours.. That's a might good contribution to Spirit of South Carolina. A Deckhand's worth of free-skilled labor.. for a whole year.

C-C-Cold weather and Volunteer Coordinator Bryan Oliver's Positive Covid Test didn't exactly bode well for a big turnout this past Saturday morning on Spirit of Spirit of South Carolina.  Even so, Frank Thigpen, Tony Marchesani, and Ken Fonville, brushed aside those distractions to pitch-in anyway.  

Triple-vaxed and masked up, Bryan Oliver appeared in the distance just long enough to set up some options from the Ship's Maintenance Punch List.  Volunteers chose something outside, and topical, literally;  The Sapele Cap rail circumnavigating the entire deck is continuously in need of sanding and varnish.  The process, done correctly requires a sanding/scraping to wood, an 8-coat application of sealant/preservative, followed by 12 coats of the high gloss varnish.  In best conditions, a scarf (12 feet) of the cap rail requires 12 days to complete, in good conditions.  

  When a Volunteer crew with only weekend's to spare can tackle it, that time window expands significantly. And of course, different cap rail scarf's are in different stages of completion.  Are you imagining the kind of scoreboard required to track these?   Tony and Frank started on one particular scarf in sore need of attention, and in a particularly high-visibility spot, adjacent to the gangway and public view. They spent the morning scraping/sanding, and by stopping time, had applied sufficient sealant to ensure the ensuing Saturday evening storms would not undo any of their work.

Likewise, Ken Fonville, who came aboard Saturday morning, ostensibly to retrieve his canvas bosun's chair he had loaned to the schooner for the past year, now found himself at a similar project.  

Ken Fonville sets up to tack down and lay a 6th coat
 of varnish on the starboard aft cap rail.  Hunter
keeps clear.

Funny story.  When Ken first came aboard to consider volunteering, he was up for laying in on just about anything.  However, he alluded to his past career in the furniture manufacturing and distribution business, and pretty clearly inferred that his enthusiasm waned at varnishing.   Now here he was tackling another scarf of cap rail that was crying for it's sixth coat of varnish.  I'll wager, Ken has laid more than 20 scarf coats of varnish, and another five coats on the main mast boom. (Next time you see him,, ask him is he regrets it)

American Bureau of Shipping Loadline Survey Milestone is Met ; Now, On to the USCG COI

 This past Thursday morning, Capt  Heath Hackett, our Project Manager and Bryan Oliver met the ABS Surveyor  on deck to conduct the annual Load Line Survey.  This is annual requirement normally scheduled in conjunction with the annual USCG inspection. The ABS survey evaluates the  vessels compliance to standards in two mutually interdependent areas;  the vessels stability in the water against her rated load line specifications, and water-tightness.  The inspection points  combined an examination of vessel documentation against vessel modifications, and a physical inspection.   The surveyor examined the vessel's Load Line Survey Document which listed all inspection points, and her Load Line Certificate.   Next, the physical inspection included an up-close visual evaluation of all thru-hull valves, the ball vents for fuel and holding tanks, hatch seals, and thru-deck points for electrical wiring, and  of course, the presence of our bronze Plimsoll Line Mark.

The inspector was on board for approximately 45 minutes.  After taking a few photographs, and asking a few questions on the schooners activities, since the last inspections, he informed us we would expect a final approved survey returned.

Capt Heath had set this milestone as a prerequisite to concentrating for the the larger  milestone, regaining the schooner's USCG Certificate of Inspection (COI). That inspection will be more comprehensive, including ships documentation, inventory lifesaving and firefighting equipment; observing a paid professional crew operate the vessel safely both under power and under sail, exercise fire-control systems, conduct a man-overboard drill, and walk thru abandon-ship procedures.

As part of that COI, USCG will require the vessel to be hauled out, where below the water line can be inspected.  That inspection includes the pulling of 5-8 plank fasteners(lag bolts), and examination  of timbers for any deterioration.  Given Spirit of South Carolina's two years of stasis in southern waters, there is risk of toredo worms (ship worms) damaging planks.   Details on the Haulout Schedule are TBA.

During the time in dry-dock, Spirit of South Carolina's crew will take on a number of projects best completed in dry-dock.  Volunteers will be welcome to participate.  Stay tuned for scheduling.

1st Volunteer Day of the New Year, and Harvey Gamage Gives us a Picture of what We might Be doing in a year

 Six of us mustered on a chilly but bright Saturday morning.  Cold enough to make it unpleasant spending the day on deck, so we found projects on the punch list to give us some time below. 

 Bryan assigned half to mark-off and cut out sections of dacron from an old donated sail for a replacement mainsail for the dory. Another group gathered around Bryan in the Saloon head as he led a demonstration in disassembling, clearing out debris, and reinstalling new valves and seals for the toilet pump. The graphic lesson learned-(the description discreetly glossed over here)- was the icky consequence of somebody's flushing a paper towel down the toilet. 

Volunteers also welcomed back Hunter, who had returned to the schooner after a month-long holiday vacation with his family in the Dominican Republic. He wasted no time in reminding  deckhands why he was missed.  While volunteers laid out and cut dacron, or gained new appreciation for the mechanics of a working toilet, Hunter left to provision for  lunch, that turned into a rich, buttery, potatoes and Ham au Gratin.

Over lunch, Bryan took the opportunity to explain the presence of the Maine Schooner Harvey Gamage, which had been docked there.  She had just taken on 20 students, a diverse mix of high school juniors and seniors and cast off for a 3 month semester at sea, featuring a curriculum  and itinerary that we had always talked about operating in partnership with the International African American Museum.  Its worthwhile to check out this link to see what they will be accomplishing: Civil Rights and the African Diaspora at Sea

Our city news paper, Post and Courier, published on Saturday,  a front-page article of what Harvey Gamage will be doing.  Check this out:  Post and Courier: Students on a Voyage of History, Adventure

After securing from lunch below, Volunteer deckhands ran out the fire main hose, grabbed deck brushes and scrubbed the deck of accumulated grime and bird droppings; lastly, walked the deck to check that nothing was out of place for the American Bureau of Shipping Survey, due aboard on Thursday.