Volunteers Back on Board, setting an ambitious tempo and sending a powerful message.

 With giving only four day's of advance notice for a Volunteer Saturday,  an email blast went out, on Monday the 23rd January to the entire 151 member contact list.  

I'm not sure what it was, maybe the enticement of donuts at muster, and a bowl of Seafood Gumbo for Lunch, or a break from mid-winter, Saturday morning boredom, or a chance after more than 10 months, to be back on the deck of our Schooner and renew the camaraderie of shipmates focused on a worthy mission.  

Whatever it was, I was grateful to see sixteen! stalwart Volunteers muster in the Salon, Saturday morning for an erstwhile reunion, an opportunity to hear latest news and near-term plans, and then lean into some urgent projects.  All the more notable in that many were already juggling commitments to Race weekend or other community activities, yet managed to fit this meeting in to their schedules.

Ken Fonville, Wayne Burdick, Nate Mack, John Whitsett, Danny Johnson and Laura Johnson. and their recruited friend, and his young son Nate, Dave Brennan, Doug Hartley, Charlie Malone, Tony Marchesani, Todd Cole, Mikell Evatt, along with Hunter, and myself, mustered in the Salon, grabbed a donut and drew from the big coffee thermos Hunter had prepared, and gathered around the salon table.  Bryan recapped the passage north to Charleston, then transitioned to conveying news from Capt Hackett, and his intent for the ship and our participation over the next few months.  Capt Hackett, I learned, will remain as Project Manager for Tommy Baker and the Board for the next few months, seeing Spirit of South Carolina's return to total operational capability. That means carrying students and passengers; with a Full-time Captain.

The news recapped in something like this:  

During the passage northward, Capt Hackett used his time in extensive conversations with Capt Andy Hudak, our Delivery Captain, to formulate a plan of priority projects aimed at making the schooner ready to accept a visit of the Board of Directors. Given a goal of two-three weeks from now, the ship's deck areas, on deck and below would be ready for visitors.  Her mainmast will be up-rigged. Bright work(shiny stuff-varnished, etc) on deck will be refinished. Below decks will be ready for occupation. He has committed three-to-four of his employees full time to concentrating on the brightwork and cleaning areas.  He asked of the volunteers to attack the spars, and rigging. Yeah, its a tall order, and he appreciated what he was asking.

With that guidance, he asked me to develop my idea of project plan/Punch list of projects and tasks that needed completing to meet the Ship-ready objective, along with a Bill of materials to support it.  I shared that plan Saturday morning with Volunteers, particularly the important and urgent projects that Capt Heath was depending on Volunteers to complete first.  Of immediate importance;  

1. Down-rig all sail, bundle and hoist over onto the dock, to be picked up by Heath, Monday, and transported to North Sails for refurbishment/restoration.
2. Hoist and swing over the two life raft canisters onto the dock for transport for  annual inspection, restoration.
3. Disassemble all mast hoops to be sanded, restored with boiled linseed oil and remounted.
4. Send hands aloft (bosun chairs) to sand down, then linseed oil, and finally grease both masts, equivalent of 4 trips up each mast, to restore their preservation capabilities and lubrication for raising and lowering sail.

Lauren controls the Halyard tagline
 while Bryan hauls the bottom
 of the mainsail roll over
 the dock for lowering. 

After a breaking down the first project into tasks, and assigning responsibilities, our crew turned-to midships on deck. Some climbed below into the forecastle to unleash and prepare to push the huge mainsail up thru the hatch. Others lined up on deck to pull, and stretch it's 48-foot length aft on the deck and cinch it into a tight roll. Nick climbed onto the foresail gaff to unshackle the foremast throat halyard and rig it for hoisting the rolled-up foresail. Danny, Laura and Doug returned to the dock to take control of the tag line being rigged from the halyard shackle, to be used to pull the hanging sail over onto the dock.  Once the sail had been lowered onto the dock, four more volunteers joined those on the dock to push, shape, and force the pile of canvas into a folded pile that could be lashed together for loading onto a truck.

Bryan watches Wayne
unlash the foresail clew.
 Tony, and Nate examine
their next task removing
the spiraled sail lashings. 

 Bryan and Todd tie together the
two ends of the foresail before
swinging it across to the dock.

Meanwhile remaining volunteers began down rigging the foresail, taking off her spiraled lacings, unshackling the clew and tack, and carefully lowering her harbor-furled shape down from the boom onto the deck to be rigged, hoisted and swung over to the dock, just like the mainsail.

 

Laura, Danny, and Doug lash
the foresail together for transport

Todd, Nate, Ken, and Tony downrig
 the Jumbo

The remaining two sails, Jib and Jumbo, once separated from their halyards, downhauls, luff hanks and downhaul rigging,  were much smaller and easier to manage.  By Lunch time, all four sails had been hoisted over onto the dock, rolled and lashed together.

Volunteers; Tony, Laura, Mikell, back row
Todd, Doug, Bryan, Wayne, Danny

It was unfortunate that previous plans forced about five volunteers to depart, at noon, without getting their hard work's reward,  leaving six of us to pile down into the salon where Hunter had just laid out about four gallons of Bryan's serious New Orleans-style seafood gumbo and rice for lunch (yes, there are styles).  Even with seconds, we made work of only half of it.

After clearing the table, our remaining crew turned-to on deck again to take on the next -project, hoisting and swinging across, the two life raft canisters.  Using the same foresail throat halyard for lift, Wayne Burkan quickly rigged a bridle around the first life raft canister, then tended the lifting halyard while two of us with the tag line crossed the gangway over to the. dock and hauled her across.  Wayne took charge of the lift sequence for the second canister, which was sent over in short order.

Mission accomplished for today, ready for transport.

By 1430, Volunteers had accomplished quite a lot, All mustered off except for Tony and Todd, who stayed around to start on disassembling the mainmast mast hoops, getting a head start on the next volunteer project.

Saturday was a great day for our corps of Volunteers; It sends an example to those who might wonder, that we are still here and staying an effective force for the benefit of our schooner;  prepared to take up where we left-off ten months ago.  

For the next few weeks,, a turn-out like today's will make short work of what we have to do.  

I'll be sending out requests for anyone who can spare a few hours during the week, in addition to our again, regularly scheduled Saturday Volunteer Days. Hope to see you on deck then.

Big Thanks to Danny Johnson, and Nate Mack for all the great photo's. 

She's Home

 After almost 10 months in shipyard at Thunderbolt Marina, GA, Spirit of South Carolina cast off  Friday morning, 20 February, at 0730,, following a TowBoat US tug, down the Wilmington River  to Wassabaw Sound. 

Captain Andy Hudak was in command. An experienced schooner Mariner, Capt Andy was on board for a second try after the aborted attempt the previous week for insurance issues.  This time he brought along his daughter, Gray, on a high school  break, who immediately laid in with the Volunteer crew.  

Volunteers, Bryan Oliver, Eli Bundy, Nate Mack, ,  already a veterans of the previous attempt, and Gray formed the  Volunteer Contingent.  Todd Cole, who was onboard for the first attempt, couldn't quite make it this trip, driving in from Atlanta, given the short notice

Capt Heath Hackett, the Project Manager, joined by three large motor yacht captains/systems specialists, and, of course, Hunter, made up the rest of the crew of 10.

Crew all drove in late the previous evening, in time to find a berth, throw in their gear and themselves with it. Muster would be at 0700, about the same time that the Towboat US would pick us up and guide over the bar. The ship herself was already sea-stowed and ready for sea, from the previous attempt, only needing to disconnect shore power, and cast off dock lines. 

And we did just that, after a breakfast Hunter put together of scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage, muffin selections.  All hands piled on deck, pulled shore power.  Bryan assigned volunteers to dock lines who took them in with help of the tow-boat captain waiting on the dock.  Capt Andy did a tight 180 degree maneuver in middle of the ICW channel to point her southward, and we were off.  

Weather was predicted to be fair, with a less 10 knot NW breeze on our beam as we headed up the coast. It would stay that way until our left (NW) turn into the Charleston Channel, when the wind would be on our beam

Excitement was already in us, since Andy announced his attention to set sail-all of it (Foresail, Jumbo, and Jib), once we made the outer mark of  Wassabaw sound.  He might have had second thoughts given our small crew, had he realized that Spirit of South Carolina carried another 500 Square feet more of foresail, than Harvey Gamage or most other schooners of similar rig.   

 As we motored down the river towards the Sound and open sea, Heath lead his team of Engineers on a tour of the ship, and her systems, particularly bilge pump operation. After wards, Bryan oriented the hands on the standard disciplines of boat checks, managing the rough log, and disciplines of standing watch.  

Bryan demonstrating a flat coil
on the foresail sheet.

Immediately following boat checks orientation, the crew  rehearsed the drill of "dressing the Foresail"-preparing the sail for raising by casting off gaskets, running aft the halyards,  coiling down the gaff vangs, downhaul, and foresail sheet.

As Spirit of South Carolina approachedd the turn around the outer marker, Capt Andy directed Bryan to "Dress the Foresail".  At approximately 0930, we rounded the outer marker and set a course of 060 degrees up the coast.   Bryan shouted down the deck, "Hands to set the Foresail".. Capt Andy walked forward and divided crew across the throat and peak halyards, while he "called sail" and managed the weather gaff vang.  Next he quickly explained the sequence of the sail set evolution and the commands they would likely hear.  Bryan had mentioned to him the additional weight of 500 more square feet of canvas the foresail was carrying, heavier than the typical schooner foresail. With that in mind, Andy explained his tactic for belaying the peak halyard at some point and sending all hands to the throat halyard to sweat it the rest of the way up the mast.  Once made fast, all hands would then line up on the peak halyard and sweat it up the rest of the way. 

Once the Foresail was fully set, sheeted in and drawing nicely on a beam reach, I pointed up, and shouted out what they'd just accomplished. I won't lie to you-for a second there, I enjoyed the amusement of our motor yacht sailors, hands on their knees, gasping, and exclaiming. It took a bit for them to gaze up at the sail.

   Once they saw their result, to their credit, together, they readily jumped into the next tasks.  We set the jumbo, and the jib, in quick succession, they learned to sweat the line, take the line to a pin, coil and hang, then looking for other tasks. We were quickly forming a crew.

Eli and Gray leading the way to lunch

With all sail up, trimmed for a beam reach we shut down the engines and experienced for the first time for many of us, no sounds except creaking of the boom and gaff jaws around the mast, some rigging stretching, and blocks clacking.  With seas less than a foot, there was no additional background music was waves breaking, but it was cool enough.   

Hunter announced a lunch buffet of sandwich makings in the salon, Capt Andy organized the crew into 3 watches, six hours on and six off, beginning after dinner at 2100. 

Eli not quite ready to
 relinquish the helm

Crew members voluntarily relieved each other on the helm, or went forward on lookout.  Others left idle walked thru the ships checklist on a boat-checks tour, and started filling in the Rough Log.

As dusk approached and Hunter called Supper was ready, I was slightly surprised, that Capt Andy hadn't yet called to take in sail.  Conditions, had remained nicely consistent, and forecast to remain so, but on our previous attempt he explained is plan to take in sail at night and resume motoring out of an abundance of caution.

Hunter performed his usual magic on his shoestring budget, laying out a Chicken Teriyaki, rice and green beans dinner.  The watch was officially set at 2100, and we were still under sail.  The night would've been perfect if not for hazy highy cirrus starting to obscure the otherwise well-defined star constellations.  It remained that way all night as we sailed on thru all three watches until approx 5:30 AM as we approached the Charleston Sea Buoy. Being off watch, I decided to dress up, hearing muffled clomps of feet across the deck, scraping of a block along its horse.  

Capt Heath easing the Foresail
 Peak Halyard

On deck, most of the crew was already on deck, just to help, and were standing by to take in the Foresail.   All sail came down in sequence, interrupted by occasional fouling of a line that required clearing before the lowering could resume..

 All this executed, in pitch black night, of course except for occasional headlamp with a volunteer/motor yacht  pick-up crew, of widely divergent levels of experience.  Youngest crew members, Eli, ands Grey, in harnesses  and gaskets draped over their shoulders, scampered out into the head rig disappearing in the darkness, to lash down the flogging jib, way out on the pointiest end of the ship.  

Capt Andy at Sullivan's Island Light off starboard
-final approach into the harbor

At 0700, all sail securely lashed down and under power, we'd made the left turn into the channel. Captain Andy was coordinating on VHF with two massive container vessels wanting to pass us in the channel on opposing courses. 

 Dawn, and 0730 we approached Sullivan's Light.  Bryan was point out to anyone who would listen, the spot 3/4 mile NNW of "red 14 buoy", the site of the Hunley sinking. 

By 0830 we approached the Maritime Center and bore off onto wide circle that would slowly takes us within 200 yards  where Capt Andy, assisted, coached by two of the motor yacht Captains would slowwwly drift down onto the dock, alternately burping the starboard, then port engines to maintain her optimum stern-first angle of to the dock as we edged closer. I could overhear Capt Dave standing next to Andy, coaching on finessing each engine, tweaking here and there to slowly push her closer. Now our Volunteers on dock were identifiable.  Ken Follett, Doug Hartley, Christian Lawyer, and Dave Brennen, had already responded to Nate's Texts the previous night, that they would  be available to take lines.  

Nate Mack directing
securing of his #4 dock line

20 yards off, Nate Mack heaved the # 4 line over, as Christian hauled the dock line in and took it over a cleat, Gray,  made a perfect toss of  the # 2 messenger line across the water where Dave grabbed it and dragged aft to secure initially on a piling.  Next, Bryan tossed #1 over the dock, nearly hitting the boat on the other side. Ken grabbed it and dragged it towards the south end to get it onto a piling, 

 Finally, Trey, one of Heath's Captains, tossed over # 3.  For the next five minutes, Andy played throttles, warping back and forth to gradually line up midships with the gangway opening.  All lines adjusted off pilings to cleats, fenders stuffed in between the hull and the huge rubber "yokohama" blivets; crew turned to rigging up and running out the gangway. Nine months in shipyard work had thoroughly discombobulated the pinrail arrangements, creating minor confusion looking for boat falls to hoist the gangway.  

That completed, dockside volunteers joined crew onboard to help harbor furl the foresail and jumbo.  

As the last few bits of deck tidying up, Bryan went below and returned with an object.  There's a story behind it.  

It seems, that  once a few weeks back when the schooner Harvey Gamage was still here, Heath was on board conferring with her Captain.  He had related this conversation to me, about how he was for two hours, standing  on this guy's "pirate ship" working out some details.. "Pirate Ship?" I respond  feigning horror, and sadness at, once again, the impression of these beautiful vessels reduced to the stereotype of a Disney movie prop.  Well, I couldn't just let that go.

Captains, Dave and Trey, look on as
Bryan awards Capt Heath his
"Pirate Ship Operators Manual"

So, On behalf of the Ship's Volunteers, in appreciation for the time and effort that Capt Hackett has so far, invested in this "Pirate Ship", we presented to him before departure something useful for someone in his position;   a copy of "The Pirate Ship Operator's Manual and Standard Operating Procedures", along with a Certificate of Appreciation, granted by His Majesty Neptune, Ruler of the Raging Main,, and so forth.

  .

Board of Directors Meets Twice this week. This News is from the latter.

 This past Thursday afternoon, 12 January, our Board of Directors met twice, once behind closed doors, where they heard from Captain Heath Hackett, the ship's Project Manager for Shipyard and beyond, pending onboarding of a Captain. I was not invited to participate in that meeting and cannot comment on discussions or decisions made if any.  

A second meeting immediately followed with representatives of the State Aquarium.  This was the meeting to which I was invited, as it turns out, primarily as an observer. Volunteers were not part of the agenda.  The discussions in this meeting appeared to be a continuation of ideas exchanged during the last meeting in August, around the possible leveraging of the Aquarium's marketing and fundraising expertise, as well as bringing revenue generating dockside educational programs to Spirit of South Carolina.   

•  The Board declared its support in funding the dockside ongoing maintenance of the schooner.  
• The Board's agenda did not include discussion of any other programs, revenue-generating or otherwise.    
• The Aquarium representatives agreed to consult with their Marketing assets, and educational coordinators, to determine what sort of fit could, at this point, be brought to bear with the Spirit of South Carolina.

That is all I know. There remain many open questions:   I hope you're still reading- there's a hook - a pretty important one, where you can end up making a difference.. read on.

1. Is there an intent to hire someone in an Executive Director position? who would:

• In addition to the Aquarium's programs, produce, maybe with Volunteer help, revenue-generating programs such as:
• historical educational experiences on deck folded into guided tours, and included with on-deck receptions, weddings, etc, 

• themed cruises-harbor, or coastal, or larger with, International African American Museum, and educational institutions [Ashley Hall, Porter Gaud, Boy Scouts, Sea Scouts, Citadel, CofC, even out-of-state.
• Offer the schooner as a training platform for Marine license training schools, or other apprenticeship programs.

•  Sell Guest Crew adventures for adults to participate as crew while on passage. 

• Generate and direct a Development Strategy to cover non-revenue generating programs, such as low-country youth aboard. 
• Builds relationships that result in Donor subscriptions at various levels [Bar Pilots Society, Francis Elizabeth Club, Robert Smalls Group, Honorary Plank Owners ] 

• Find Sponsors to underwrite other fundraising events; Trivia Nights, Annual Fundraising Events, or Educational Programs [ Cof C's Charleston and the Atlantic World,]  

• Organize a Volunteer School Liaison Group that builds and maintains relationships with School Districts to publicize and build school and student interest in a Tall Ship Experience. 

• Direct and execute a Marketing Strategy that promotes all the above and pushes our "Brand" (worthy of discussing what that means): 
•         Directs the content-building of our soon to be published website, as well as other social media platforms [Facebook, that other one, etc] 

•      Identify opportunities to generate Publicity-Visibility -[Post and Courier, Garden and Gun Magazine, Charleston Race Week, Out-lying communities such as Beaufort, Hilton Head, and Georgetown; Upstate even; visits to civic organizations and give a talk.

The Hook.

 I counted at least six different hats this "Executive Director" job has to juggle. Probably almost impossible to juggle all of these balls with competence. Unless they have help.  Not more hired staff; It's just too expensive.  Tall Ship's organizations who have employed paid staff to handle all this work, could not sustain themselves.  Our own history proves it.  The South Carolina Maritime Foundation, owner of Spirit of South Carolina, employed a couple dozen people for 7 years, and went bankrupt, primarily due to labor costs.

So, who ya gonna call?

Look in the Mirror.  

Volunteers have filled similar roles and managed significant roles in all these above responsibilities in some form or another, South Street Seaport, NY. Pride of Baltimore II, in Baltimore, Flagship Niagara, Erie, PA, and a ton of other tall ship syndicates. 

Being a Volunteer Deckhand, may not be your forte... But I'll bet that somewhere in that litany above, is a role that needs being filled, and it's in your wheelhouse. 

You can make a difference. Even, if you're not sure what could work, but you just want to help, Get in touch with me via this blogsite in the column at right, or at:

 bryan@spiritofsc.org 

We need to talk. 

We Did Everything Right-We even threw overboard the bananas

All ship-shape, Spirit of South Carolina's crew
departs Thunderbolt Shipyard and bears off
 southward down the Wilmington River.

 Spirit of South Carolina departed this morning, on time  at 0830 from Thunderbolt Shipyard, with a crew of 8, Capt Andy Hudak-the Tall Ship Captain for the delivery, Capt Heath Hackett-Project Manager, his two Engineers; Captains in their own right, three deckhand volunteers- Bryan Oliver, Todd Cole, and Nate Mack, and our Cook, Hunter. New volunteer deckhand, Eli Bundy, after spending time aloft clearing the fouled peak halyard and laying in on other sea-stow tasks the day before, cast off all our four lines, then drove one of our cars back to the Maritime Center, in anticipation of our later arrival on Tuesday. 

 It was an extraordinarily successful sea trial. All her systems were exercised and worked. The crew rehearsed sail evolutions, and anchor-setting drills, prepared to set the watch,  and even prepared to set her foresail and jumbo for an easy reach up the coast for the rest of the day.  A Towboat US tug guided us toward the bar at entrance to Wassaw Sound. 

Deckhand Todd Cole voluntarily sends
 his just -purchased supply of fresh banana's
 overboard

We basically did everything right; we even threw overboard a small bunch of bananas one of the crew had innocently brought aboard the night before; honoring the mariner's age-old superstition of their bringing bad-luck. 

The whole atmosphere on deck was growing ebullience, Hunter was feeding it with a great pork-steak dinner the night before, followed by a hot breakfast , and soup and sandwich lunch for the crew. We had so far overcome all the anticipated variable so far for a successful delivery.  Morale was high, a sea chantey was hummed here and there. We were approaching  Cabbage Island Spit Light #16 just at slack High tide and began a slow circling.

And yet, 

Hunter and Bryan when still outbound,
waiting on the Insurance call.

Somewhere, overseas, a new marine insurance technicality popped up. It was as if a goal post had been moved on us.  Capt Hackett had been on the phone since departure, pushing every button he could find for an overdue Insurance letter assured delivery earlier this morning, but inexplicably late.   The reason, after several phone calls to different agencies;  Our Marine survey, conducted by the Coast Guard and submitted six months ago during shipyard, was determined insufficient, but was not communicated until we were already underway.   To continue the passage would be technically illegal, and risk forfeiture of the professional licenses on board.  There was no choice but to turn the ship around and motor back to Thunderbolt.  

The mood aboard turned somber, but not sour. It had been a short, but enormously successful cruise; professionals and volunteers, diverse on technical and professional levels bonded into an effective, motivated crew. 

Immediately after docking, doubling the lines and securing the deck, Capt Heath mustered our crew and explained the facts as he knew them and laid out a path forward. The delay in obtaining a separate survey, though not extensive, would force the break-up of our crew, pending a new cast-off date. A separate survey would be executed as soon as possible.

If you're reading this, please note, that the crew, professionals and volunteer alike felt a deep disappointment at not being able to complete their journey. They also felt a deep pride in their shipmates, and our shared experience, as short as it was. The sharing of experience and cross-learning was astonishing.

It also came with a concrete optimism that "We'll be back", and Spirit of South Carolina will come home.

Back at Thunderbolt, doubled-up
and put to bed, til the next call.

It's On! Her Delivery Home is about to Happen

Only Days ago from this posting, the remaining Moving Parts apparently crunched into place and Spirit of South Carolina received the signals to get a crew on board and cast off for home. Capt Hackett called  Bryan the Volunteer Coordinator notifying him of the short time window within which the schooner was expected to be delivered home to Charleston; possibly as early as Jan 8, only days away, but not later than the weekend of the 15th of January.

It required the quick intensive search effort for an available delivery Captain and Crew.  At Bryan's suggestions, Capt Hackett allowed for the crew augmentation of two or three Volunteers.  Deliveries of this sort are not normally staffed with volunteers because of the nature of the operation, a cheap no-frills passage best executed by an efficient highly proficient crew.  Volunteers would be expected to perform alongside the "pro's" with no time for close supervision, coaching, or demonstrating as normally carried on when volunteers come along.  Capt Hackett's earlier observations of volunteers on deck, and during her year-ago sea trial, apparently influenced his acquiescence.

As Capt Heath passed that decision onto Bryan, he'd been studying weather forecasts, and concluded the vessel needed to be docked in Charleston not later than Tuesday, meaning she would have to cast-off from Thunderbolt Shipyard Monday for the expected 20-hour passage. Bryan selected from his logs, five names of volunteers who best met his criteria of tall-ship experience, most recent time on deck, demonstrated skills-and time onboard Spirit of South Carolina. Of those five, three, responded with availability.  As of this posting, Bryan and the three will be departing Charleston Maritime Center Sunday afternoon, by car for Thunderbolt where they will meet the rest of the crew, and Hunter, and immediately begin the sea-stowing, provisioning, standard drill rehearsing in preparation for a Monday morning departure. With weather holding, mechanical systems running to expectations, and our intrepid mixed bag of crew, Spirit of South Carolina should reach the Charleston Maritime Center sometime Monday Morning.  

Stay Tuned, I will ask, if we'll have AIS for shipfinding.

Harvey Gamage? We're here for ya!

 Volunteers join Harvey Gamage Crew to speed their Shipyard work to completion.

Volunteer Charlie Malone takes a break
with Ships Officers, Captain Andy Hudak, left,
 and 2d Mate, Josh, right

Previously, you've no-doubt read of the deeds of four of us who pitched in on the Schooner, Harvey Gamage with her crew to attack a lengthy punch list of projects intended to ready her for onboarding a significant contingent of New Hampshire High School  students for their 10-week, once-in-a-lifetime education experience onboard a tall ship. This past week,  Charlie Malone, just off his own assignment aboard a commercial container ship, took his time off to join Harvey Gamage's crew on a number of maintenance projects.

Captain Hudak and Mate, Josh, welcomed Charlie aboard and immediately put him to work on a number of projects. Charlies efforts, with those of the four of us the previous week, helped put a significant dent in that list of to-do's the Captain was hoping to complete.  It didn't slow down. Just today, Volunteer, Todd Cole, drove from his home in Atlanta all the way down to keep the momentum going.  He came on board to find the new Captain and Mate. Todd found himself on the closing out end of the punch list.  With volunteer help the list had dwindled earlier than expected. As a result, Todd helped the crew tighten up, clean-up, and even drove the mate around town on a few errands. Todd's previous experience volunteering aboard the Sailing square-rigger Oliver Hazard Perry in Newport, served well in accelerating the finishing up of the work,

Meanwhile, waiting in the wings, two more Volunteers, Andrew Brumby, and Derek Astorino were poised to come aboard this Monday morning for two days to help Harvey Gamager's finish off their list.  It seems Volunteers had been too effective. As Andrew and Derek prepared on Sunday for their planned two day period on board, the Mate,  notified me that all the work had ben effectively completed; No additional Volunteer help was needed. the arriving Harvey Gamage Crew would be transitioning immediately into crew training. 

So, what's the upshot of all this? Well,,

One one level, Harvey Gamage enjoyed the value of about 40 hours of labor, free, courtesy of their sister ship, Spirit of South Carolina-enabling their crew to complete their projects early, get some time off, and focus more effectively for the professional onboarding process of their incoming students. 

On another level, Spirit of South Carolina volunteers got a chance to work with another schooner crew, benefiting from a cross-fertilization of practices, helpful tips/techniques, with intent of advancing new/better.

And on the third-higher level, both crews came to appreciate the other, and see them as shipmates, a part of the larger community of Tall Ship Sailors. Names will be remembered, paths will cross again, whether in this port or another, and stories shared.