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.