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.