Momentum Growing under New Captain

 Spirit of South Carolina received it's best surprise of the year when Capt Davis Alford came aboard last Monday morning. After some introductions, inspections, asking lots of questions , Capt Davis, assumed command of the schooner. I did not get into a proper interview that Monday, since I was already due to depart for 10 days vacation, but in that short period  Monday I learned several heartening things.

Capt Davis is focused, experienced, and a good listener with a great Command Philosophy. Most significantly at this point, he already has a plan.   The PRIME Objective is to regain our USCG Certificate of Inspection (COI). If you've been on board over the past couple months, you know what that entails-lots of uprigging,, bending-on sails, repairing, and painting.  But just as significantly,, crew training.  To be ready for COI Sea trials, a competent crew must be developed. Capt Davis sees the volunteer crew as a significant  component, bult around a small core of professionals, which means deckhand skill-building and practice will start taking on more precedence. I've pretty much promised him, he's got a significant bench of motivated volunteers who are up to the the job.  

I believe he's already sensing that.  Although I've been away all this time, Capt Davis has already involved himself in last Thursday's Volunteer afternoon, and Saturday's Volunteer Day, including a low-country's typical disruptive rain squall passing thru in the middle of it. It started Thursday afternoon , during a short two-hour session. 

Dave Brennan polishing up
 some copper sheave covers removed
 from blocks being repainted.

On Saturday, Heath Hackett came aboard with Biscuits and Coffee. Volunteers manned the starboard rail or clambered overside onto the Yokohama's to reposition ball fenders along the hull.  Life jackets the deck boxes were  set out to  air out and dry.  Volunteers with the inventory list of 52 blocks, searched fore and aft, for the ones needing repair and/or repainting.  

Nate Mack laying on a final coat
 of primer sealer on the mainsail boom.

Nate Mack laid on an additional primer-sealer coat on the main boom. The morning rain squall disrupted the momentum and forced the crew below for a period. 

With Capt Heath applying a little throttle
to shift the hull fore and aft, volunteers
 on the rail and overside stuff ball fenders. 

Waiting for the squall to pass, Capt Davis mustered the volunteer crew for a meeting to introduce his plans and priorities for the vessel.  Fortified with a supply of fresh biscuits and coffee donated by Capt Heath, they listened and asked questions, about his priorities balancing revenue generation with mission-related programs, and several innovative options.   More on that with his interview in a subsequent posting.                  

Doug Hartley looking satisfied
 after cleaning up a bowl-full of sheave covers.

Capt Davis successfully completes
 the traditional crew initiation of "Rolling the Yokohoma"