Nights in Shipyard and Summer Swelters, and the Tunnel opening just came into view.

With two seriously blowing fans positioned in the salon, and a gaping awning providing shade over midships,  life below decks is barely tolerable, becoming almost comfortable into the evening as ambient temps on deck drop into the high 70's and some of it gets sucked below. 

Such was last nite, after sharing a nice aged rum "night cap" with Hunter, on deck, little light pollution, slight breeze and a silky smooth Intercoastal Water Way ghosting past only 100 yards away.  a later blog entry before turning in, my only wish would've been for a hammock, or enough ambition to pull up a bunk mattress onto the deck where it would've been pleasant even. 

Hunter helps line up the
second sewing project and grommet set,
 to repair a 40" tear in the forward edge
 of the foresail awning. 

It was an early morning, at 0715 the Shipyard was already coming alive two 30 feet below us, as workers and contractors flowed past the gate. We'd agreed on an early morning start to beat the heat. We chose the best value small team project in these  conditions, repair of two long tears in the forward edge of the foresail awning. Together we ran out extension cords, handed up the Juki Sewing Machine secure in her awesome sea chest( shout out to her builder, volunteer John Crane), followed by the Canvas repair bag and grommet kit; took down the awning.  After a search we located the brown sunbrella material to be used in the repairs. Now to work.  Our Juki machine has been very temperamental, but when shown due respect with consulting the manual several times, and several fitful starts due to insufficient demonstrations of respect I assume, the machine found her rhythm  and two strong yard-long double canvased over-stitched awning edges took shape, with two larger grommets pressed in to replaced the one's tearing out. 

By now, it was approaching noon, and the 91 degree F mark, so after rerigging the repaired awning, the two of us piled into my sedan to go on a provisioning run.  

While sitting in the Publix parking lot I phoned Capt Heath Hackett to request guidance and any timeline he'd planned for the schooner's next steps. His plan remained to, launch the schooner Thursday or Friday as funds were released to the Shipyard.  She will be towed into position by the Shipyard to lay along the inside of the adjacent face dock. No engines. She'll then spend the next ten days at the dock, on the projects mentioned earlier in this Blog (See July 4 entry ). It will require someone to set up our four dock lines and four fenders, send over lines and take lines on the dock. Capt Heath predicts only one person required on the dock, and one on the deck for these four lines. I'm skeptical, but we'll see.   

As the late  afternoon cools off, Hunter and I will go diving into the forepeak to haul up four docklines and stage them on the aft cabin pending the shipyard announcing on what side we'll tie up. I'm betting port side.   Fenders likewise.                                                                                                                                                                  

   On a  more urgent note..  The pic at left illustrates what happens when a crew/lack of crew results in not keeping up with taking care of this ship.  In three weeks, the portside caprail varnish broke down, the flaking off is creeping forward down the cap rail.  

Our Punch list is growing. Our progress in recruiting Captain and minimal crew is unknown.  If Capt Heath's ten day target holds up, we can expect to have Spirit of South Carolina back home around 8 August.  A significant window, as it will coincide the the Board of Director's being presented a new Business Plan for the Schooner, that will include alliances with the Aquarium, and eventually several other local organizations.  It's gonna be a great day  to see y'all back on deck!  She's going to need us.

Get Ready to Get Ready! Spirit's about to be splashed. Then, start counting days to her return.

 This afternoon, I drove down to Thunderbolt shipyard as has been my routine every other week or so, since late March, bringing along Hunter's Sunday New York Times, and Economist, and New Yorker Magazine, just about all that ties him to the world these days.  I drove there for a day's worth of Volunteer Punchlist work. and was also going to bring back the dead aft cabin macerator motor to hand over to Harbor Masters for refurbishing. 

The Maritime Center holds his mail for my pick up, and Jeff, the Dockmaster invariably asks me "If, Spirit is coming back?"  After four months gone, around the Maritime Center, rumors have abounded, in the face of her absence.  I respond in the same way every visit.  Yes, she's coming back her. "No she's not being sold. Yes, there are plans in works for her future here. No I can't give you a return date." The shipyard and contractors seem to drive that, but here's the stuff remaining to be done." ..and the list has consistently gotten smaller.  

I expected to see Spirit of South Carolina in her usual dry berth, this time hopefully with a completely painted bottom, the last phase before splashing her back into the water and floated to a dock for next projects.  It has seemed that contractors appear inconsistently but once every two weeks, to advance a project, Her final coat of bottom paint all around  would be  just one more final step  for launching.

 It was now past dusk. Driving  around the last big storage hanger I noticed the big empty space across the lot where Spirit should've been resting on her railroad cradle, as she has since last March.  Not there,, hmm, confusion.. a hurried gaze all around the dock, and sub-conscious reach-back into my aging degrading memory for some thing missing that might explain this. 

Spirit of South Carolina in her new berth  

But somewhere in the middle of crowded dry-docked hulls, the familiar twin wooden masts of a ball-head rigged (no topmast) schooner rose up over the gaggle of huge fiberglass motor yachts parked around the basin, definitely in a different spot from before - her scaffold-staircase awkwardly lashed to her port side quarter rail.  She had just been moved earlier this afternoon, with no warning to Hunter who was aboard, to a position with her railroad cradle aligned to the  ship-lift platform situated over the water in front of her.  At this point, the only next option was for a caterpillar tractor to push her cradle along the rails out onto the platform where she'd be lowered into the water.

New Paint job and all. Her bowsprit
out over the ship-lift where she'll 
 eventually be lowered back
into the water. Thursday or Friday. 

Wondering what I"d missed, I found Hunter on deck who informed me this whole move had happened with no notice only a few hours before. He had no warning, no time to unlash the top of the scaffolding from the caprail, or climb down and evacuate the ship.  The crew was inexplicably surprised to see staring down at them from up on deck, two stories up; he'd been living aboard these past four months. Their supervisor informed Hunter that they received instructions to prep her for lowering in, based on directions from the dockmaster's office    The Ship's launch could happen in two days, or be  delayed dependent on receipt of funds. 

So Hunter and I were left in wonder at this admittedly pleasant surprise, but also confused.  So many questions;  who would cast us off, who would be on board to handle docklines, run throttles, assuming she could even power up.  

More on this tomorrow as picture starts to focus.                                                                                                                                                                          

                      

Contractors for Caulking, Painting, then Mechanical are stretching this project out.

 I know - I know... What happened to that "19 Days and counting"?!  

Basically, I'm still counting.  Yes, the "End of the month"-meaning June, is no longer relevant. In fact, based on what our Project Manager is describing, it would be unwise to predict the next "end of the month."

Here's what's been going on since last post over two weeks ago:  Contractors primed her bottom with thinned bottom paint to coat seams and crevices.   Her topsides (above the waterline to the cap rail have been scraped, sanded and repainted.  (They look great!)   That's it.  

Here's what's left to do before the schooner can be returned to the water:  

Complete caulking of isolated seams in spots not yet appropriately sealed. 

Apply final bottom coat below the water line.  Completing this task has become problematic, as the shipwright has been difficult to reach.  It's being resolved.   I'm taking an educated guess that this will be completed early next week.

Set out four sets of dock lines, and stage fenders on appropriate side.  Since there is no crew aboard, and volunteers are two hours or more away, the shipyard will likely provide the manpower for handling lines.  

You recall from our log of Spirit of South Carolina's arrival here, that she had no power and was towed in and pushed into a slip by shipyard tugs.  She's still in that status and will require shipyard tugs to get her out of the lift platform and over to her assigned dock. Shipyard crew will get her tied up again for the last phase of her stay.  Business is slowing down in the shipyard, so this could happen within days of her bottom coat being cured.

Here's what I understand needs to be completed while at the dock:   

Her entire bank of batteries will be replaced.  Most or all are original installations and at end of life, so this was not an unexpected project.  

 The Project Manager is engaging a team versed in the ship's systems, to resolve some electrical issues in battery charging, and replace the Inverter. 

The Control Circuit board which Volunteers Craig Scott and Doug Hartley diagnosed, will be replaced.

Hook up hoses, and electrical connections to replacement aft cabin macerator. 

Volunteer Layne Carver installing his new top for the deck tool locker.

A Delivery Captain and Crew have yet to be acquired for the return to Charleston.

Based on the recent experience in this shipyard, my guess is, I don't expect these projects to be complete before 6 August. Who knows? We might see a compression of wait times between contractors and be out of here a couple weeks earlier.

 forever hopeful.

I'm campaigning for the boarding of four volunteers to help bring her back to Charleston. Circumstances are somewhat different from the outbound delivery. I'll press the case as a good training experience and help for the delivery crew.

Better News: Meanwhile, back in town, Mr. Tommy Baker will be convening the Board of Directors in early August to hear a presentation by a team led by our own Volunteer, Dani Feerst; She has built an alliance with the Aquarium and International African American Museum around a well-researched business plan to bring Spirit of South Carolina back to a sustainable program.