The Work Begins. Volunteers already in front working the Projects.

 Tuesday morning, the 22;  The culmination a a long journey where Spirit of South Carolina was finally, after over two years, starting a long road to returning to her mission.  Capt Heath Hackett sat down with the "A" team crew and myself to hear their impressions, diagnoses, conclusions, and recommendations for the ship going forward.  Each crew member was an experienced professional traditional sailing ship mariner, having been extensively involved with numerous tall ship organizations and their programs. The brought diverse technical expertise to the delivery, both in the run-up, and post- delivery offering plenty of insights, lessons learned, and best a number of recommendations aimed at returning Spirit of South Carolina to a status befitting her heritage.

Capt Alley and crew each made a point, at the beginning of their presentations to Capt Heath, to laud the Volunteers who had given their own time to keep Spirit of South Carolina alive over the past few years.  They described their initial impressions of the ship when they first came aboard, and were impressed on several levels, with the level or organization on deck and below,  the level of care, and the competence of volunteers at her dock and during refueling to cast her off and took lines. 

During that meeting, Capt Hackett acknowledged the critical part volunteers had played so far, and during his response to their recommendations indicated his intent that volunteers would continue to play a large part in her getting well and back in operation,, starting here in shipyard. 

Starting with the first phase of shipyard,, the Coast Guard's hull inspection, and beginning the next phases of overhaul of her different systems,  Capt Hackett described his picture if volunteers being involved.  He indicated that this shipyard program would not be a quick in-and-out. But could last more than one or two months.  this was a significant statement; for the first time was heard describing the part that volunteers would hopefully play in the ship's future.

Capt Hackett's described an initial phase of the shipyard project which was to Empty the ship;  remove everything not permanently affixed, stowing them ashore.  Opening up the ship this way allowed for a frank inventory of what should stay on the ship, and what would go.  Make an opportunity to reorganize stuff and storage, and of course, clean out years of accumulated grime.

So with that, the first call for volunteers to muster at shipyard went out on Wednesday for Volunteers to muster  on  Friday, or any day thru the following week. 

Volunteer Days now took on a new level of complexity.  Thunderbolt shipyard is just over 2 hours-drive away, a tall order for only a day-trip. Nevertheless, Volunteer Coordinator, Bryan Oliver hoped to sweeten the pot with a cozy schooner berth on board, great shipmate camaraderie, meals by Chef Hunter. And, of course, the unforgettable shipyard experience speaks for itself.  

Six Volunteers made the trip down south to Savannah to lay in on the first phase of Spirit of South Carolina's shipyard.  Friday morning, Coordinator, Bryan met up with John Hart, just after noon, David Brennan parked his car and climbed the two story construction steps to the cockpit. Together they strategized the execution of inventorying, packing,  loading off, transporting and stowing the contents of the schooner.  Bryan had brought along a supply of garbage bags, masking tape for labeling, and plenty of  Sharpie markers.  

John Hart and David Brennan in early phase
 of their Cargo Net weaving experience.

The first obstacle became apparent Friday afternoon as the trio stood in the cockpit and gazed down at the shipyard and the direction of the likely storage garages, about 200 yards distant behind the huge paint hangers. Lugging huge filled garbage bags, paint cans, and other bulky hardware one-by-one down two flights of stairs would take forever, and felt just plain unsafe.  We needed a cargo net, something big enough to fill with 3 or four garbage bags-worth, yet small enough to be easily hoisted and swung outboard by one person using the portside boat falls.  

After further discussion over a beer and fried seafood dinner at Tubby's down the street, they returned to ship and got serious.  Bryan drew a diagram for an eight-foot square cargo net. Next morning, Using a length of 1/2" manila line from a spool donated by Joe Gorman, month's back, they formed a square, with a loop seized into each corner.  For the netting, Bryan pulled out of the lazarette a 500 ft spool of 1/2" green nylon strapping material donated, again, by Joe Gorman.  Bryan unspooled and cut ten 30' sections to be doubled over one side of the manila border rope. Bryan found a Youtube video demonstrating a reasonable netting knot, and together they practiced,, and practiced.   At the Saturday morning 8 AM muster, the trio performed a quick "soles and bowls" cleaning of the saloon and forecastle, then set up the netting border rope and started "weaving".  

Lane Carver and John Hart inventorying,
 sorting, bagging, and labeling the entire Forecastle.

It took all day, and its completion was rewarded by Hunter's grilling up a salmon supper at the crew lounge. Somewhere in that time, Lane Carver joined the crew. The netting was finished just as it was time for David to drive back home. 

After successfully testing the net with a load of  garbage, it was packed away in the rope locker, and the trio shifted into the next phase;  Sorting, inventorying, bagging and labeling, virtually everything in the forecastle.  Layne and John took on that task while Bryan shifted focus to a new development.  He had received a call from Capt Hackett that the USCG would visit the ship at 0900 on Wednesday to inspect the hull, bilges, and all thru-hulls.  It was a directive all were waiting for, as it firmed up  another step forward  for  Spirit of South Carolina.  Bryan was aided in prep for the visit by two other volunteers who drove in Sunday, Tony Marchesani, and Ken Fonville. The took over the berths of the departing Lane and John, after a quick muster Monday morning, the reconstituted trio of volunteers shifted focus to locating and exercising each of the ships sixteen thru-hull ball valves, and pumping out any bilges that held more than their minimum; typically, the forecastle and  Salon.  

Tony Marchesani and Ken Fonville 
clearing the exhaust hoses used to
pump out the forecastle bilge.

But, there was a rub. Normally those bilges were pumped using seawater pressure from overboard.   Spirit of South Carolina was high and dry.   No problem.. Tony and Bryan rigged up the trash pump, while Ken Fonville called the shipyard project manager to request a portable tank for receiving our bilge effluent.  By early afternoon  they had successfully pumped both forecastle and saloon, and had further lowered the levels to just inches using the portable emergency sump pump.  Extra credit. Bilges pumped in drydock, and emergency/back-up pumps exercised. And another Hunter dinner, enjoying the crew lounge patio over grilled brats and potatoes.

Safely In Shipyard, A huge relief for crew, tempered by first impression of what's ahead.

Bos'un Oliver took no time
 in snaking out the ship's
entire complement of docklines
 for drying out and brushing off.

 The work actually started the same day we docked; last Saturday morning the 18th.  Being a weekend, Thunderbolt Shipyard scheduled us to be hauled out on Monday, 21 March.  After securing the ship, the crew used the interim two days catch up on sleep lost during the 18 hour exciting passage, explore the shipyard layout, make some phone calls home, and then jump right into a deep  all-encompassing inspection, of all the ship's systems, her behavior at sea, and a comprehensive set of recommendations for Capt Heath Hackett when he arrived on Tuesday. 

First thing Monday morning the crew stood to at 0730, ate a quick breakfast, and mustered on deck to receive lines from the tugs that were standing by to help guide her into the lift platform that was currently submerged with the 8 rail carriages, ready to raise her up when properly positioned.  In the interim, sufficient battery strength had been generated to allow the engines to start up and operate.   With tows, and shipyard push boat in position, Capt Alley applied throttles to nudge the schooner off the dock and point the bowsprit outwards towards the basin entrance.  Then applying reverse we started a slow deliberate  move backing towards the outer corner of the lift platform. Fighting 15knot gusts and a current, Captain Alley took an unusually tight track that pulled the stern sharply left, into the lift platform area, perfectly setting up as shipyard dock hands tossed their loops directly over to the crew on starboard side, all four docklines we slipped thru our kevel hawseholes and looped a horn. As the docklinehandlers spun their ends around a winchdrum, our shipboard crew immediately shifted to our portside just in time to catch the four lines tossed to us, making them fast the same way. In minutes the dock crew had the schooner centered in the slip. 

Having just safely "walked the plank"
 Capt Alley confers with the shipyard's
project manager while rest of us
 now try to stay out of the way.

 Divers went over the side to fine tune the keel chocks. A gangplank.. Yes, that's what it was, just a 12-inchwide aluminum 10 foot bouncing plank over which we all had disembark. 

Spirit of South Carolina just 25%  raised but slowly inching
 upward showing her undersides,not seen in 2.5 years.

For the next 30 minutes we watched as our schooner slowly rose out the water.  In another 10 minutes a tractor hooked up to our cradle constructed of 8 railroad car modules, off the lift platform to a position adjacent to a familiar face (ship), the schooner Pride, Charleston, was parked next to us, having been in shipyard since last December. Our A team and I spent remainder of the day consolidating results of their inspections and surveys, the performance of the schooner, and organizing a briefing for Capt Hackett, who would be arriving the following Tuesday morning.   They took lots of notes and had lots of recommendations.

Now we can take a realistic
look at her bottom.
Most of it wasn't bad.

Spirit of South Carolina
next to little sister, Pride,
 both getting major makeover's.

Spirit of South Carolina is at Last Bound for Thunderbolt, GA. All Episodes consolidated chronologically..

 

 Episode 1:  Spirit of South Carolina Gets A Delivery Crew and casts off for Thunderbolt, GA.

Events unfolded rapidly.  Within a day of the last posting on this blog, Capt Hackett called to notify that A delivery Captain, along with a Mate, and Engineer, and a Deckhand would be arriving in Charleston, Tuesday evening, the 14th, to prepare the schooner for delivery to Thunderbolt Shipyard.  Date/ time of departure still to be announced but as soon as possible given tides and weather.  

So, at 2000 hours last Tuesday, I picked up Capt Nicholas Alley, Mate, Stephan, Engineer Nick, and Bosun, Oliver, (His first name, my last name) at CHS, drove by Lewis Barbeque for dinner, and deposited them on board.. They wasted no time, even during dinner, peppering me with questions on the state of the vessel.  After I left them on board setting up their berths, between Hunter and myself, they had a clear picture of her state.  They were impressed,, more  pointedly at the  amount of care for the vessel, which volunteers had laid on over the past couple of years. Capt Alley came across as a genuine apostle for volunteers. Realistically, he had a gargantuan task before him for his team in preparing the vessel for sea.  

So, what had to be done over the next couple days? Below is an excerpt of  an email I sent to a few stalwart volunteers, on Wednesday. 

Today (16 Mar) on board was a totally heads down, peddle to metal, frenzy of musters, rapid fire directions to each other, huddles breaking, and crew members hustling off in 10 different directions it appeared, pretty impressive since there were only four,,, like watching “The A-Team” by 8:30 am Engineer on the phone with Cummins Marine Diesel, then with the  maker of the Genset, then with West Marine, and another hardware store, for  delivery of stuff,  then to  someone for ordering a new Inverter.. Fuel being transferred then set up for polishing, the deck hand aloft to fix/replace all running lights,(some burnt out again)-John’s soldering on the starboard light worked.. and up to fix the steaming light. Mate on the electronics, and on the phone to at least 3 other people working on getting the multifunctional units synched up, and engine telemetry visible. Engines fired up. 6 water jugs sanitized and refilled with 30 gallons of emergency water, then returned to the lazarette. A class in bilge pumping before planning to try the PTO version first thing in the morning. Life raft canisters rigged up and swayed across onto the deck and secured. .. I’m forgetting some stuff, it just whizzed by.

Lots of this accomplished, as this crew readily acknowledged, on the  shoulders of volunteers who have already been fixing, inventorying, troubleshooting, identifying, things that proved them a solid footing to launch off at a run, instead of thrashing thru stuff trying to find things, or research other stuff. 

 That said, the focus has been so intense, that I’ve gotten no response from Capt Alley re: Volunteer involvement for the delivery.. No discussion at all has yet occurred regarding what happens after we dock, and the days beyond.  He’s voiced possibility of kicking out of here as early as tomorrow, night, Thursday.  Not sure that’s possible given when the experts they’ve been calling, show up to do their job.

Frank did come down, timed perfectly to Capt Alley’s need for some transportation to hit some separate destinations to pick up various pieces of hardware, including the last  incandescent running light bulb at West Marine.  Doug Hartley brought down his just completed Foresail halyard block, where the bosun' Oliver, made a few modifications and installed onto the foresail gaff.

I can’t predict when we’ll cast off, what we’ll need on the dock, if he want’s to take any additional volunteers aboard, nor what we’ll be doing in the immediate days after reaching Thunderbolt. Stay tuned for next episode.

Episode 2: Thursday, Final Day of Prep and Decision Point for casting off.

Capt Alley mustered his five person crew at 0800 to continue final sea-stowing, electronics and mechanical issues troubleshooting. As the day progressed, Capt Alley was balancing the risks of operational vs non-operational systems, all against weather patterns due to develop in our way on the southwest passage to Wassaw Sound, and up the Wilmington River to Thunderbolt.  The trip was expected to take anywhere from 18-20 hours without stops. As of that morning, it was given that we would have no GENSET capability, therefore no household electrical power.  The fire mains, and bilge pumps, when needed, would have to be activated thru the PTO hydraulic drive which was powered by the port engine.  To increase our margin of safety and success, Capt Hackett had coordinated with Capt Alley to have a tug on station, or on call, to quickly respond and assist getting Spirit of South Carolina into port.

There was still the need to get to the fuel dock to top off prior to departure. Capt Alley decided to have us cast off late on Thursday afternoon and motor to the fuel dock and tie up for the night, then take on about 150 gallons of diesel. Then depart immediately afterward.

Meanwhile, Engineer, Nick, frustrated at not being able to get pressure and temperature readings on the two diesels, devised a solution, then gave me a shopping list. I had to complete five stops and get back to the dock in time to help single up all lines.  The stops  literally circled the perimeter of Charleston in a 50 mile route, starting on Folly Road to drop off bad diesel. Next was a cross town drive to Mount Pleasant West Marine for spare navigation lights,  a bagful of RACOR filters, and DC sockets, then on to NAPA Auto Parts on Rivers Ave for an alternator belt; finally stopping at Harbor Freight on Dorchester for two oil-pressure test kits, and a handheld engine thermometer. 

Returning just in time to discover lines had already been singled up, and Capt Alley had decided to stay on the dock for the night, moving early up the next morning. at 0800.  Made sense, because we'd have no gangway on the fuel dock. He also gave me the go-ahead to call for volunteers to help swing off the gangway, and cast-off, lines at our own dock, and again at the fuel dock.  Finally!  

Friday morning, six answered my call, based on a list of the most consistent volunteer attendees. John Hart, Doug Hartley, David Brennan, John Whitsitt, Danny Johnson, Laura Johnson,  and Richard Behling, enough to cover both docks.  After a quick rehearsal in taking off the gangway, and assigning docklines, Capt Alley  fired up the diesels, made a final call alerting the fuel dock, then directed lines to cast off. Like clockwork.

Volunteer Coordinator, deckhand,
 Bryan Oliver checks dock lines
  as fueling completes.

As also was the slow deliberate move to the fuel dock.  As we approached alongside about 25 feet, I tossed my heaving line for #1 across the water just over the shoulder of .. I can't remember. 

  All I remember is all other lines came across in quick succession.  Later on, the Mate, and electronics expert Stephan remarked at the notable  dock line handling of the volunteers, and apparent familiarity with gangway procedure.  

By 0930, Danny Johnson shouted out 110 gallons pumped into the last tank. Nick the Engineer, secured the tanks, and volunteers stood by to cast off lines again.   With last wave's of volunteers , Spirit of South Carolina  cast off and bore away for the north channel and out to the jetties. 

Off the fuel dock, bearing away
outbound for the North Channel

  

More in next posting.

Episode 3:  Friday 3/18/22  Bound Away for Savannah and Thunderbolt Shipyard- Excellent Adventure 

Well, it started out fairly promising.  Clear skies, calm seas, fair winds SSW <5kts.  Passing Red "15, by 1100 Stephan at the helm swung Spirit of South Carolina off slowly onto a SW heading

Delivery crew, Oliver, Nick, Stephan, and Capt Nick Alley,
 enjoying a pleasant morning cruise before it gets interesting.

On this passage, with no operational GENSET, we  had only vital systems operational, no household electrical power  for the stove, no lighting, The bilge pump and fire main would now be operated  by hydraulics powered via a PTO drive off the port engine.  Vital systems were running on DC, from the batteries, charged by alternators off the diesels. 

Bryan works on a noon sun shot,
 while skies and seas are cooperating.

 Capt Nick set the watches to start at noon,  six on, six off. I was designated swing, meaning I would split my watch between the two.  We made hourly boat checks, checking each of the five bilges and closely monitoring the two diesels via the analog oil pressure gages from Harbor Freight that Nick the Engineer had installed into the lines replacing the inoperative electronic displays.  Next we targeted the pistol-shaped Thermometer at the expansion surface and then exhaust manifold, each location Nick had marked by a large circle X. Nick himself continuously monitored voltages across the battery banks.

I joined the watch at 1500, and took the helm. By 1600 the skies had transitioned from clear to totally overcast, high cirrus clouds, but a dark line forming across the western horizon.  As the dark line rapidly approached us, the sky darkened, winds increased and clocked to the northwest. Waves increase in size to 3-4 feet, off our starboard quarter, while we maintained a heading of 235 degrees, toward our waypoint south of the Wassaw Sound marker buoy. Winds steadily increased to 20 kts, gusting to 30. As front passed over us, visibility reduced to less than 100 yards, rain increased in horizontal sheets, with  an effect of gravel in your face. Spirit of South Carolina was handling the conditions well, regularly rolling, taking waves at an angle, often breaking over the bow and starboard rail sending spray all over us.  Bosun' Oliver, and Engineer Nick had previously moved forward to secure the small boat tightly to the port rail.  Now, as the schooner rolled to port,  the small boat would strain to float herself, but remained restrained.

 At 1800, Hunter called dinner. the on/off watch crew crawled forward one at a time opening the salon hatch long enough to climb over the saloon companion way, then sliding shut the hatch, and set down for a bowl of great hot gumbo stew and sandwiches, that Hunter was alternately stewing or toasting over the single butane burner.  

Back on deck, the sky was darkening; the sun had disappeared, and we had only the red LED lamp taped under the binnacle cap to illuminate our compass heading. As a second squall line passed over, we could see some cloud clearing above, some stars appearing to  enable the helm to align something k into the spring stay or a shroud, providing a reference point for steering  without staring  too long at the compass rose bearing.  The schooner was behaving amazingly well, shaking off pounding waves, and rolling with the larger seas. White water frothed thru both the weather and lee scuppers as she rolled with the waves. 

Episode 4  Squalls continue and Electrical power problems complicate the passage

 At 1800, halfway thru my watch, Capt Alley and  Bosun' Oliver joined me on deck, relieving their counterparts, Nick the Engineer, and Mate, Stephan. In the next three hours I conducted boat checks again, paying specific attention to the five bilges, and stood one hour at the helm.

Conditions remained steady as I mustered off my watch at 2100 hrs, and went below to begin stripping off the multiple layers of wet foulies, sweaters, sea boots, and other stuff, and wrap up in a dry sleeping bag.  Within minutes after climbing into my midship's berth, I was sound asleep. 

I woke up naturally, checking my wristwatch by headlamp, showed 2:30.  Rather than try for another 10 minutes of sleep I struggled up out of my lower bunk and began clumsily, sleepily, to get on all my multiple layers. As I slipped on my boots, Nate appeared next to me, and whispered that the Captain was modifying the watch, and that I wouldn't be needed right away, just relax and stay on call.  "Okay,, I'll stand by," A little puzzled at first, it easily concluded that conditions were such that Capt Alley wanted his "A" team up front in the critical places. As  a volunteer, I was sort of second string, and I was fine with that, happy to be able to "suit up." After 45 min of trying to relax and nap in my bunk fully clothed, noting the time of a bit after 0400, went up on deck and took a seat on the aft cabin.  Nick was busy in the Engine Room, and continually reporting up to Capt Alley about  growing issues  with the charging systems, responsible for powering the batteries, which in turn managed the diesels.  that were currently powering us at 5.4 knots. In that vein our progress was actually too good. We were well ahead  of our planned arrival at the waypoint south of the shoals where we would turn  north towards Wassaw inlet. Capt Alley decided to throttle back a bit.  Engineer Nick was meanwhile looking at a noticeable decrease in the battery charges in spite of other readings noting good charging capability.  The risk was now growing that weakening batteries could cause the engines to fail.   We were now just to south of our waypoint and had changed course towards the north.  Capt Alley was in communication with the Tug on station somewhere out there, and discussed the details if the need arose for the tug to close in to us and effect a tow.   At some point around 0500, the engines died.  Now drifting, , our leeward drift, still under stiff breezes posed a threat to push us over some pluff mud not far off.  Capt Andy was already in contact with the tug, requesting  her to take station close in on our stern until dock lines could be rigged into a bridle and two hawser.

With that in mind, Oliver and Stephen made their way forward to the jumbo, to set the deep reef in her then set the sail, on a close reach, as a way of creating sufficient headway for the rudder to bite and build back some steerage way.  

As the sky gradually lightened, the  heavy seas became more apparent visually. We'd been experiencing them rolling us, or tossing up our bow or stern. In daylight, their size became more evident. The Towboat could be seen off our stern a 1/8 mile off, bouncing and yawing over the water like a little rubber duck, small enough for her to disappear from sight as she dropped into a trough. Not knowing any better, I had doubts about her capability to handle us.

Capt Alley, with his past experience as a Tug Captain, made forward with Oliver to take personal charge of  rigging three dock lines into a bridle and a long tow hawser.  He then set up a heaving line, which the tow boat declined preferring to toss their own lead line to us. Even with our 12 foot boat hook in Capt Alley's hands, they could not get their lead line close enough for him to snag it. The towboat backed away for 4 minutes to rig up a a longer lead line on a buoy that they then dragged behind them as they coursed close in a semi circle around our bow, dragging the line behind them in a tightening circle  around our bow, this time allowing Oliver to snag it with the hook and bring it aboard. After bending the lead line onto our long tow hawser.  Adjusting the opposing bridle sections our of the port and starboard kevel, he signaled the tow boat to tighten up and head towards  our inlet.  Meanwhile Bosun, Oliver stood at the helm concentrating on keeping Spirit of South Carolina's bow pointed towards the tug's stern.

It was now full daylight with plenty of visibility, skies clearing, but waves still 3 ft, with winds NW. The tug was pulling us straight into it.  Her small size, not more than 18 feet, twin-hulled, gave appearance of bouncing all around in this sea state, but her twin outboards had the power to pull us along at 5-plus knots, in a straight wake.  

It was a long slog though, in a few hours we made the lee of the Wassaw inlet, where seas noticeably calmed.  We passed thru a multi-class regatta in a race, with curious glances from their crews.  

Under tow  heading up Wassaw Sound
into the Wilmington River,
much calmer water and moderating winds.

Capt Alley had been in contact with the Thunderbolt Shipyard, and Towboat US, assigning us to a dock in their basin, and organizing additional tug and pushboat to safely maneuver us close to it.  As we came round the last bend sighting the huge paint hangers of the shipyard, we saw a second small tug and a shipyard pushboat moving out to meet us. 

Mate, Stephen stood at  helm while Oliver stood forward ready to rapidly pull in the bridal when the tug dropped it. As the tugs exchanged position, one took up a position on our stern as a break and pusher, part of the bridle was dropped, leaving a straight lead line for the lead tug. Oliver and the Engineer, Nick jumped to setting up all four dock lines themselves.. I helped setting fenders, then basically stood amidships out of the way til we were eased sideways gently into our temporary floating dock. Shipyard hands stood on the dock and took our lines.  All made fast, tug's separated. Remaining lines pulled in and we were safely tied up. All standing.

Pace Quickens as Delivery to Thunderbolt and Haulout Looms

 As  if the pace of  volunteer activity weren't already in high gear, Saturday morning's muster indicated that Volunteers came to kick it up another notch..

Saturday wasn't supposed to be a regular volunteer day. Predicted Thunderstorms and Gale Warnings for  early thru mid-morning had influenced Coordinator, Bryan Oliver to call off the Volunteer day, except for any few who wanted to do some projects that could be handled below decks.  Three volunteers RSVP'd they would come down. 

By 0900 muster four, Danny Johnson, John Hart, Richard Behling, and Dave Brennan, had shown up. one more, Laura Johnson was on the way.  Bryan,  a little taken by surprise, hastily revised his planned maintenance/pre-haulout punchlist with more chores and divided them up.   Winds were still blustery,, but threat of rain or storms had already dissipated, widening the choice of projects.  First-up,, flush the trash pump with fresh water-a lesson learned previously the neglect of which froze the impeller with salt. Fresh water required the garden hose, which Hunter warned was now leaking halfway down it's 100 foot length. Danny volunteered daughter Laura, enroute, to stop by a Lowes hardware to pick up a hose repair kit. A few texts, internet searches for pictures of hose repair kits, had Laura on the the mission.  Meanwhile David set out to troubleshoot the frozen hatch dog on the galley's escape hatch. Rich grabbed inventory forms and set off for the aft cabin to  inspect the vessels inventory of emergency pyrotechnics, divided across four ditch-kits; one for each life raft, the rescue boat, and the ship.  

 As Laura arrived with hose repair kit in hand, Dave set out for the floating dock where the fresh water hose was leaking, with pockets of cutters and screwdrivers to  splice out the leaking segment. Meanwhile Danny and Bryan stood by the trash pump they'd set out on the deck, with the hose nozzle  to run fresh water thru the pump while cycling it.

As  projects were completed, volunteers gathered near the foremast with Danny, and Ken who had consolidated the four strings of wood parrel beads off the gaff and boom jaws, to sand down, and recoat with linseed oil.

After splicing the hose,  David returned on deck, hauled out and set up the Juke sewing machine on the saloon table to re-attempt repairing the helm cover.  It wasn't going well, so he took a break to lay in with Danny on the parrel beads, while Bryan took over to troubleshoot the chronic issues with thread tension or persnickety bobbin fouling. Don't ask him how he did it cause he's not sure, but Bryan got the Juki humming again, so David was able to complete some major rips and seam openings on the cover.

Lunch had specifically not been planned due to the original intent to just work thru the AM,  Now with the weather's unexpected clearing, and the number of volunteers fully engage, Hunter offered to head off to HT and provision for some lunch.  A quick poll of volunteers for staying for lunch, made it unanimous.  

David checks his finished seams
 on the helm cover while Richard
finishes up his pyrotechnics purchase list.

As lunch, down on the saloon table was cleared off, David returned to the Juki to finish up, Richard set up to complete his inventory of pyrotechnics, and start a list if components that needed to be replace due to expiration dates passed.  Laura set up across the table to inventory the Saloon's medical kits,, inspect the defibrillator kit, and make up a separate purchase list for replacing expired components.

Laura checks expiration dates
on components of the Defibrillator kit.

Danny and John teamed up to inspect and inventory the ship's supply of paints, coatings and other fluids, Tony Marchesani came aboard to lay in on a project for the afternoon.  

John and Danny inspecting
 the paint locker's contents

Gathering rolls of wrenches, channel locks, screwdrivers, rags, and pails, Tony disappeared down into the aft cabin and below the Captain's bunk to troubleshoot the  aft cabin head's non--operational macerator pump.

By 2 pm, parrel beads bent back onto their jaws, inventories were posted to the monthly Safety Inspection packet, Purchase lists consolidated. And the helm cover reinstalled over the wheel. Volunteers mustered off, while Tony and Bryan stayed awhile with the macerator, working at exposing an end of the impeller to try a manual revolution.  With the impeller finally exposed, but remaining frozen, the components reassembled and filled with soapy water to let sit, hoping a natural loosening might negate need for further action... Next week.

.

Please Share this Blog

 If you're regularly reading this Blog, please consider sharing it generously with other's.  The Volunteer Blog is currently the only social media platform supporting Spirit of South Carolina, 

Hopefully, the ship's new Website will soon go online, although still in the development mode, it will be a refreshing, relevant, vehicle for communicating the schooner's mission, events, programs, her story. This Blog will be embedded within that website.

Until then, more readership means greater interest, hopefully in the ways of donations and sponsorship,, the things most badly needed.

Thanks for considering.

Bryan Oliver

Volunteer Coordinator.

"Names may be lost, yet these shall be known by their deeds."

Okay, that may be a bit over the top, for this group of stalwarts that mustered this morning aboard ship, it must be noted, what they accomplished today.  Yeah, it was a lot.

This morning started inauspiciously enough, when Tony and a couple of others pointed out to Bryan that his plan for getting more coats of varnish on the  dory gunwales, might not square with the morning's moisture laden fog bank hanging over the harbor.  So with that plan out the window,  Bryan  backed away a moment frowning over his notebook,  then looked up and announced the day's priorities would be devoted to long overdue weekly and monthly  safety and operations checks.  These were tasks normally executed by a full-time crew, but largely set aside for  top projects that could be organized for weekend deckhands.  But the inspection checklists also aligned perfectly with those items found on the USCG's Guidance for Certifying Inspected Vessels of this class, with their Certificate of Inspection.  Fortuitous.

 

Bryan pulled out of the binder three pages of Weekly/Monthly inspection points,  scribbled  volunteer names against each section, and handed them out.  First task would be bringing aboard the  inflatable small boat from it's hipped position over the port side. It would require the whole complement of volunteers, on the boat falls and along the rail, in a choreographed effort of sweating the bow and stern falls to lift the heavy  craft up over the rails where she could be guided inboard and settled onto the deck chocks. .

Once the small boat was secured on deck, crew broke out into small groups to tackle a number of areas. David Brennan and  Danny Johnson first went to work on the persistent not yet solved leak in the engine room over the generator. The masked off a narrow line along the entire top joint of  the half round across the forward edge of the aft cabin top; then applied a small bead of seam compound along the entire joint. Hopefully positive results would be noticeable after its 48-hour cure, and the next rainfall. 

Richard Behring, aloft in the foremast shrouds
 working on the starboard running light.

 Richard Behring started on his first ever climb aloft to check operation of the ship's navigation lights. Finding discrepancies at the stern light, starboard running, light, and steaming light, He, John Whitsitt, and Tony Marchesani, set to troubleshooting  the issues with multi-meter and a handful of spare bulbs located by Hunter. 

Between them, they identified two additional bad bulbs in the inventory, resolved the stern light, and identified a broken socket in the starboard running light. John took that socket home with him to re-solder a contact broken off at the base.  The steaming light at the foremast head never operated, and will be deferred to next opportunity for a man aloft,, way aloft.

John and Tony with the broken
 running light socket
they had just discovered.

Layne Carver taking apart
 the rot-damaged cheeks
of the peak halyard block.

 Meanwhile, John Hart, and Layne Carver down-rigged  from the foresail gaff, one of  the foresail peak halyard blocks discovered last week with significant rot in it's structure. With closer examination on deck they concluded that both cheeks of the block, as well as it's spacers were no longer viable. A short consult with Doug Hartley,, who admitted to having access to a number of desirable power tools, like band saws, and other cool stuff.  Anyway, he volunteered to take on the task of fashioning the wooden components for an entirely new block to be assembled around the existing sheave and metal strop.  Looking forward to his handiwork this next weekend.

John Whitsitt in the saloon head,
 managing the trash pump's intake hose.

With those tasks complete, John,Whitsitt, Ken Fonville, and Doug Hartley moved on to the next challenge on their list, testing the trash pump, and bilge alarms.  After a quick orientation from Bryan, the trio started first with pumping out the forecastle bilge which had already triggered an alarm signaling a need for pumping. 

Doug firing up the trash pump and checking
progress with John below in the saloon bilge

After progressing thru each of the five bilges, the trio refocused on the levels in the saloon bilge. Also on their checklist was the testing of the ship's trash pump.  

Killing two birds with one stone- er, task, they set up the trash pump alongside the saloon head's hatch. With John positioning the intake hose deep in the saloon bilge, Tony running out the exhaust hose over side, Doug fired up the pump engine. Within minutes, the pump had brought down the bilge level to a few inches.

Tony Marchesani steadies the trash pump's exhaust
 hose spewing the saloon bilge water over side.

Danny Johnson and David Brennen
sprucing up the  rescue boat.

 Danny and Dennis, after securing from the aft cabin top leak sealing project, moved onto the smallboat  itself, checking her condition, and engine. Taking scrub brushes to her surfaces and  bilges, then checking fuel  and engine oil levels before prepping her to be lifted again out over the port side.

Tony and John examine
 the steering gearbox.

While the bilge inspection and clearing operations were  winding up, Ken John Hart, and Tony focused on inspecting and inventorying hardware for the emergency steering gear. In the course of picking thru the dedicated tool bag and locating the huge emergency tiller suspended in the lazzarette, they discovered four long lag bolts lying in the corner of the steering box. They also noted that the steering gear base was moving when the wheel was turned.  Not a good sign.  Further  looking revealed four open holes around the base of the heavy steel base over top of the rudder post. Could it be? 

Yes it could. Turns out that the base had been securing the rudder post only by its own weight and the strong confines of the steering box for, who knows how long. For the next hour, the group worked at tugging, prying, leveraging, the bronze steering gear and plate just a half-inch so that the holes in the base aligned to their holes in the wood bottom of the steering box, and the timbers beneath. Greasing the threads  on the 8" long lag bolts, the group took turns at the socket driver, twisting each bolt slowly down its entire length thru the base into the timbers below. 

As these last projects wound down, Hunter working his galley magic below, as always, called for hands to set up the saloon butterfly hatch and send up Lunch.  This time it would be Fried Oyster Po'boy sandwiches, spiced up fried potatoes, and Danny Johnson's provided French Silk pie.

Well-deserved. 

Still with no new news, of an impending delivery for haul-out, the crew as well as other volunteers not present today, but had often mustered with us, were steadily building deckhand skills and savvy and a teamwork level, and  that will serve well, the ship and her new Captain when the time comes.

As thoughts of Delivery to Savannah loom, Projects take on more urgency. Nate Mack joins the elite of Foremast Volunteers.

With the prospect of a delivery to Savannah, coming into view, the focus on making ready for it has gradually sharpened.  As we mustered Saturday morning, the atmosphere at muster on deck took on a slightly higher sense of urgency as Bryan laid out the projects for the day, embedding them in the context of what the ship might be doing in the coming weeks. Some would seem routine; 

• continue adding varnish coats to the dory's gunwale, 
• continue finding and refinishing blocks in the running rigging with worn and chipping paint.  
•  Continue the search for the engine room overhead deck leak. 
• Breaking out the Juki sewing machine and run stitches over torn helm cover. 
• Cleaning out and cleaning up the aft-cabin, in prep for an eventual occupant.

The crew handled those tasks in short order by 1030,and gathered round the saloon butterfly hatch for something different.  Finally, after almost a year of being in a hastily furled configuration, we were going to set, then harbor-furl the Foresail... Well, not set it totally, just raise it four masthoops-the cross winds made a full set inadvisable.  

Bryan Oliver walks thru with
Volunteer crew, the steps
of setting the Foresail.

Volunteer Coordinator, Bryan made it into a long-awaited for hands-on training session, by methodically walking thru the evolution of first, "standing-by/dressing the foresail' , followed by the choreography of crew on the peak and throat halyards, foresheet, vangs, downhaul, even checking reef nettles, and casting off the reef clew outhaul.  While Bryan called sail, exercising every command they might expect to hear,, volunteers on halyards responded as two teams, others tended the sheet and vangs.  At five mast hoops, Bryan shouted 'That's well,  throat', make fast!'. 'Peak, Haul away', and the halyard team sweated up another fathom before making fast.  just enough for the experience of replicating a sail set,, admittedly, without the exhilaration of taking her all the way up the mast.  but that will come soon enough.

Danny Johnson working hockles
out of the foresail downhaul
 as Ken makes up a working coil.

Ken Fonville is showing off
his Ballantine coil
of the Foresail downhaul.

The next unfamiliar task, for most of the volunteers was to douse the sail, then flake it into a 'harbor furl' or 'fish-furl' as some would call it.  It called for an entire crew effort all along the pile of sail covering the deck to lay-in together along the boom and repeatedly, in unison, heave up fistfuls of sail in coordination, to create a flaking effect. If done correctly, the sail would take on the appearance of one long smooth canvas roll, a long burrito. Both, aesthetically pleasing, but functional minimizing UV exposure and for not trapping rain water in the folds.  And it was a pretty good result.  Not bad for the first time.  Then finally,, "Coil and hang!" the inferred command, normally executed without reminder, to secure the deck by untangling, coiling and securing every loose line back to it's proper station.  Shipshape. 

With about a half-hour of idle time before Hunter passed up lunch, crew broke out a dockline and heaving lines.  Nate and John coached as everyone refreshed  themselves in making up a massive bowline on the dockline, then bending on a highwayman's cutaway hitch with bitter end of he heaving line. Finally testing it by heaving the line for accuracy and distance over side into the harbor. 

Nate Mack gets his Foresail Volunteer pin
 for 100 hours of volunteer support 

After a huge lunch of baked chicken in Melvins Barbeque sauce, with steamed  beans and smashed potatoes were consumed up.  Bryan mustered Volunteer crew for a final ceremony.  Nate Mack  was recognized as a "Foremast Volunteer" for  his support of over 100 volunteer hours to the Spirit of South Carolina.