A Long Week of Three Back -to-Back Sailing Days as The Schooner, Captain, and Crew go thru Sea Trials.

 Today is a Sunday; I have to remind myself, having lost track of days over this past week of heightened activity and urgency.  Things changed last weekend on Sunday afternoon with a phone call from Capt Hackett that on Monday the schooner should be ready to cast off for a sea trial to exercise crew and new Captain in docking/undocking operations and basic on-off dock piloting. On Tuesday the Coast Guard Inspectors would be coming on board for their anticipated Courtesy Walk-Thru.  Finally, we should be prepared for sea-trials in the harbor the rest of the week. The operating tempo of the schooner's march toward gaining her COI accelerated.

 And so, on that short notice, Volunteer Coordinator, Bryan Oliver phoned his short list of standby volunteers with most experience, to fill out a minimal crew for Monday. Dave Brennan, Nate Mack and Ken Fonville responded.  

Monday:  Combining with a  contingent of three  "Captains Choice"  hands from Capt Hackett's company, a  minimum crew of 8 mustered aboard at 0800 for casting off and even setting a headsail or two.  Also coming aboard later was Capt Andy Hudak, an experienced Tall Ship-Schooner Captain, who had previously help deliver Spirit of South Carolina from shipyard in Savannah back to Charleston. Capt Andy had been invited to return for a  four days as a coach/consultant.   

Tuesday: Early the next morning, Tuesday, the three-man Coast Guard Inspection Team led by John Doughton boarded for a courtesy pre-COI visit. Doughton knew the vessel well, having led previous year's inspections aboard, and was enthusiastic about seeing the schooner in operation again. His team spent a little over an hour aboard in collaboration with Capt Heath and Capt Davis, answering questions, offering advise, to ensure we would be well-prepared for the actual Certificate of Inspection Visit. It was also agreed that due to Insurance administrative process still bring completed, the Visit would be delayed a week, or more.   After the Coasties departed, The three Captains, and crew readied the schooner to cast-off.  While the three Captain's, Davis and Hackett, exercised practice at piloting the vessel, Bryan exercised the rest of the crew in line-handling, and docking operations.  Later in the day, the crew raised the foresail, jumbo, and jib.  Initially planned for about four hours, the cruise finally docked around 1700; 7 hours on the water.   Immediately after docking and securing the vessel Bryan was immediately online to drum up additional volunteers for the rest of the week. 

Crew spent rest of the day resolving issues raised during the previous day's sea trial, and prepping for Wednesday. Bryan working his contact list to build a pick-up volunteer crew for Thursday.  

Wednesday: Wednesday was spent at the dock. The Volunteer contingent dropped to zero, as real-life priorities that had been set aside for two days stacked up.  Bryan went aboard for the afternoon, primarily to prioritize following day training tasks,, and confirm the next days volunteers.

Thursday:  Thursday was expected to be a crunch day, to get in as much practice and drills as possible before Capt Hudak had to leave the next morning.  This time the Volunteer crew came thru, largest thanks going to our star Volunteer Recruiter Danny Johnson, and daughter Laura, who cajoled a total five new volunteers to come aboard with them Thursday morning. Also coming aboard was Jody Smith. Combined with the Captains Choice contingent our station bill of deckhands had grown to thirteen!

This being our third harbor sea-trial the steep learning curve of our volunteer and novice Captains Choice crew was becoming evident.  Cast off drills were running smoothly;  line handling was increasingly efficient and disciplined;  Consequently, Capt Hudak announced he would like to raise, All Sail,, including the Main sail, which would first require that the luff be lashed onto the hoops, and the shallow reef set.  That issue  would require us to loiter somewhere.. and drop anchor.  The three Captains consensed on taking her to the "Middle Ground" in the harbor, the commercial anchorage area between the north and south passages into the harbor.  Bryan walked the crew thru the drill of "catting the anchor", then dropping it,  measuring chain and setting the rode. Then they set up to do it for real.

All hand's took stations:

• the Burton hook was passed to raise the anchor flukes off the caprail and lower the anchor down until it was suspended only by a "Cat line" under the cathead.
• The Windless brake was eased off, 
• On the Windlass, the Wildcat pawls were cleared from the teeth, 
• The stopper chain hook snubbing the anchor chain to the windlass was taken off the anchor chain 
• On Bryan's command, "Drop Anchor", volunteer Calvin Milam threw off the catline from it's single turn on the Norman hook, and the 500-pound anchor immediately splashed, pulling with it about 120 feet of chain until  Bryan screwed tight the windlass brake, and set the anchor chain snubber.  

piece of' cake.

Now the crew divided into two tasks. Bryan started with walking the crew through the steps of pulling out all the shallow reef nettles, passing them under the mainsail foot for tying on the port side with slippery reef knots (all 24 of them). Three volunteers separated off with Bryan for a demonstration in lashing the mainsail luff grommets to the mast hoops.  

Once all reef nettles were checked, and the the hoop lashings inspected, Capt Hudak sent all hands forward to raise the anchor. Basically the lowering drill was reversed with the added physical effort of pumping the windless with four strong backs, to haul back on board the anchor, and it's 120 feet of chain.

Now untethered from the harbor bottom, Capt Davis started engines situate her headed into the wind for raising sail.  Starting at the Mainsail, the crew methodically moved forward raising each sail in sequence until Spirit of South Carolina was under full press.. all sail set for the first time since 2019! Capt Davis pointed her on a south easterly course thru the jetties and out to sea.  just far enough to feel the Atlantic Ocean rollers pushing under the hull. 

Having just tacked at Buoy 16, now Homeword bound
 for Charleston Harbor

Since our  Coast Guard mandated limit was 1 mile offshore, we tacked around and stood for the harbor on a broad reach. For most volunteers aboard it was first time raising sail, and truly sailing her, no engines.  

Passing Shute's Folly (Castle Pinkney), Capt Davis turned into the wind started the engines and  directed for taking in all sail.   Bryan directed all hand's to the head rig to strike the jib, then jumbo- then Foresail and Main, flaking them down and securing with gaskets.  By now, even the newer volunteers were easing into the drills, setting up dock lines and heaving lines, throwing over and lining up ball fenders, lowering away the tender as a push boat and ferrying ashore  hands to take the dock lines. 

Capt Andy Hudak, Volunteer Scott Depung, Bryan Oliver,
and recoiling heaving lines for stowing in the line locker.

By 1600, Spirit of South Carolina was resting comfortably at her berth, and volunteers were clearing away and stowing gear, coiling up and hanging lines, adjusting sail furl,  and squaring away the deck.

Volunteers who Came aboard over this week, and left me contact info were:

Dave Brennan

Reg Brown

Scott Depung

John Gaag

Mark Held

Andy

Jesse

Danny Johnson

Laura Johnson

Nate Mack

Calvin Milam

Jody Smith

Harold Wilkin

Volunteers Reg Brown, John Gaag, and Harold Wilkin,
 ready to muster off after a great day for sailing.