She's Back in the Water

Thursday evening, I received a call from Capt Heath Hackett if I could get down to Thunderbolt tomorrow (Friday, 5 August). The shipyard was scheduling Spirit of South Carolina to be lowered into the water at 2 PM, coincidental with a high, slack tide. Friday am around 0730 I was on the road for Savannah, about 22 1/2-hour drive. 

By 1020, I'd come thru the gate and parked close by to where Spirit of South Carolina had been positioned for the last 7 days, her bowsprit poised over the lift platform she would later be pushed onto.

 It would just be Hunter and me on deck for the operation; On previous visit we had done a lot of the prep work, and planned the last minute actions. Now it was time. Joe, the Shipyard's project Manager informed us we'd be tying up on our port side. So Hunter and I immediately selected appropriate lengths, and dragged over to the port side kevels/hawse holes, four docklines, threaded them outboard with enough scope that we could fashion a large bowline to be tossed over to a shipyard hand to take the line to a cleat. Four fenders were next dragged out and spaced along port side to hang low and be tied off to stanchions. On later visit, to be lowered to tie off on timberheads at deck level. We decided to drop the awning port side to clear the space for working docklines, leaving the starboard side rigged just for shade and survivablility on deck. Shipyard hands came aboard to rig a two bridles, one foreward out of the anchor hawsholes, and one aft, made fast to the bullards. Last task was to disconnect shore power, the water hose, and the gray water holding tank line. and we were ready. 

At 1330, Hunter and I left the deck, the scaffolding ladder was pushed back. A caterpillar forklift rigged with long towbar inched up to the cradle, and started slowly pushing the cradle with the ship slowly out onto the lift platform. On signal, the lift manager signaled the platform to start lowering into the water. In ten more minutes, the schooner was mostly down, enough to the dockhands to rig a step ladder out onto the transom for Hunter and me to climb back on board, but still firm in her cradle. 

 With the ship sufficiently wetted, we took a half-hour inspect the bilges, particularly for leaks at the exposed hull planks that had been replaced portside waterline, at the stem. I didn't expect to find anything at this point, pointing out to our project managers that, a quality caulking job would be truly tested when, to quote "Captain Ron:- If it's gonna go wrong,, it's gonna happen out there.", in this case on a port tack, beating into a good chop, and those hull planks start working. 

Dockhands taking up slack
on port side after Spirit is floated.

As high tide slack approached,  the dock hands  passed three lines across both sides, which Hunter and I made fast to kevels port and starboard.  These would center us steady in the slip while tugs took on the bridles fore and aft.  Once lines taken up, the hull was lowered the last two feet into the water till she was floating free.  

Along with a third pushboat, the bow tug took up slack and slowly pulled Spirit out of the slip. 

Hunter standing by aft after
 making fast the starboard stern line.

As we advanced, Hunter and I slipped the lines that had been centering us in the slip.  

A stern tug had taken position along side near the stern, and now tensioned up the bridle off the stern.  

Bow tug starts pulling.
Awning starts filling like a sail,
 prompting Bryan to let it fly.

As the bow tug swung us into and down the fairway towards where we would be docked, a broadside breeze appeared over starboard side. Bryan noticed the bow tug stuggled to keep the schooner centered in the fairway, and saw the remaining port side of the still rigged awning was acting like a sail.  He rushed down the port rail releasing the 8 guy lines stretching the awning, allowing it to flap, and relieve the crosswind pressure on the ship. 

Spirit of South Carolina all secure,
 afloat in her new slip for final projects

We had seen this team work before, moving big vessels, including this one, around corners and into tight spots without smudging a paint job, so we were totally confident in their working this procedure.  Sure enough, we were slowly and steadily backed into our inside slip where additional dock hands stood by to take the four lines we had rigged up and hung off the port rail.  

Shore power hooked up, Bryan set to work rigging up the awning for shade, adjusted fenders and spring lines, rigged up a stern quarter line for good measure. All secure.  One last trip to Krogers with Hunter for a couple week's provisioning, and we're ready for the last phase of "shipyard;  batteries, generators, engines, and inverter.