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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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