This Saturday's Volunteer Day Devoted to Celebration of Successful COI Sea Trial

Volunteer Crew T-Shirts Are on Re-Order- will announce when arrived.  Sold at Cost; $20 

On short notice, just the day prior to our COI Sea Trial, but totally confident of our passing the COI Sea Trial, Bryan Oliver decided to turn the normally Scheduled Volunteer (skill-building-maintenance) Day into a Celebration. He had blasted out a Volunteer-wide communique announcing a Celebration Potluck Lunch, in lieu of regular maintenance and repair work. 

A total of 11 Volunteers used the Signup-Genius application even before the COI cruise to respond with the number of guests they would bring.  Confidence. The final tally totaled out to 18, with several volunteering to bring a dish.

Saturday morning, Bryan arrived aboard early, meeting Tony Marchesani on deck. They began cleaning off and carrying aboard the large Yeti cooler, staging it port side. Next was clearing debris off the dock.  and paperwork /hardware off the saloon table. By 10 AM others arrived to help set up, and off-loading beverages, tables, and food onto the saloon butterfly.  Walter Barton brought along two tables, some finger sandwiches, and cornbread to accompany Bryan's huge pot of gumbo. Wayne Burdick delivered some Publix fried chicken, as did Mark Held. Dave Lazar brought along a vegetable appetizer tray. Dave Brennan and Nate Mack filled the large Yeti cooler with ice, soft drinks, beer, and a wine bottle. Ken Fonville arrived with wife Anne's large casserole of Mac and Cheese. Kenny Blyth arrived and presented a pair of newly milled purple heart belaying pins, to replace a broken pin off the main boom.

Jake McCain, Kenny Blyth, Water Barton
, and Mark Helm at the lunch line.

Alex Lya Dave Brennan, Ken Fonville
 and Dave Lazar wait for the lunch line to go down.

Brandon Clark with Jack Frazier and guest 

Mess Call,, guests move toward the line.

Charlie Malone came aboard with his fiance, Anne Katherine(high risk of misspelling here),  Jake McCain and his wife, Sunny, brought a pretty fancy multi-bean salsa-Chip dip appetizer,, from her restaurant, I think.-must check that out. Danny Johnson came by long enough to help  set up, before returning to work. Alex Lya, and Doug Hartley, with plenty of beverages topped off the Yeti.  While waiting for the rice and gumbo to warm up, Bryan offered a ship's tour to Jake, Sunny, Charles and Anna Katherine.

Wayne Burdick with Charlie Malone
 and fiancé, Anne Katherine

At 1140, with all the main dishes heated and finally brought up from the galley to the table. Bryan called a Muster, made a welcome of everyone, overviewed the agenda for the lunch, primarily Capt Davis, talk after lunch, then opened up the line. 

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Capt Davis introduces himself

As lunch was winding down and attendees went for seconds, or another beverage, Capt Davis  took the deck, seated himself with the crowd and began his address.  He started with some of his background, and Captains experience, culminating with how he had gotten hired. He also described the steep learning curve in which he'd immersed himself, recounted the COI Sea Trial, making a point that should make us proud. He remarked as cast off from the dock, steering out into the harbor, and looking forward down the deck at the deliberate calm but busy activity, reassuring himself thinking,  "They're (the volunteer crew) are going to do their job."  And we did.

The Coast Guard inspection team left us with a small list of discrepancies to be rectified before actual COI signoff was possible. That list will be our priority Punch list starting next week, followed by the urgent projects still outstanding pre-COI, such as Mast slushing.  Meanwhile, People up at the head office, are scoping out a business plan.  Capt Davis assured everyone, that we would be a key part of it.

SPIRIT OF SOUTH CAROLINA ACES HER USCG CERTIFICATE OF INSPECTION SEA TRIAL!

I would like to make those words bigger. This is a BIG DEAL for our schooner. After almost three years in stasis with no professional crew aboard, unable to move, cared for only by a crew of committed Volunteers, she is officially brought back to life. The actual documentation for COI will be another couple weeks coming, as about a dozen small "t's" need to be crossed.  After that, she'll be ready to take on passengers. 

It's been long enough passage. After a failure to secure a Semester program with College of Charleston, in 2019, exacerbated by the onset of the Pandemic, killed off the revenue stream, the last Captain was dismissed, and only her cook, Hunter, was left aboard as caretaker. 

Coincidentally, her Volunteer program was just being resurrected.  Maintaining a traditional wooden sailing vessel, usually requires a minimum 6-8 full time crew aboard.  So volunteers filled the gap, on weekends and occasional weekdays for the next three years.  In 2021 Capt Heath Hackett was hired to oversee the project of restoring the schooner to USCG COI standards. That process would take another two and a half years. Volunteers contributed over 3,000 hours of unskilled and skilled labor to her restoration. 

So, how did it go, you ask?

The previous two days, Monday and Tuesdays were a frenzy of last minute checks and inventories of PFD's, locating documentation, launching and recovering the small boat, and touch-and go maneuvering, reviewing the Station Bill, and some urgent repairs of rot in a deckbox reorganizing the paint locker, clearing up piles of project hardware..

Wednesday morning at 0700 the crew started muster on deck. Bryan Oliver spent the night on board, helping Capt Davis prepare the Ship and Crew's Critical Data binders for the four CG Inspectors. 

Walter Barton brought aboard his usual contribution of blueberry muffins and a large stew pot of white chili for crew lunch. Doug Hartley drove in the night before from Columbia and spent the previous nite aboard his own sailboat on the Cooper.  Scott Depung, a professional Sailboat Charter Captain came aboard to flesh out our sailhandling crew, as did Jack Frazier, a Varnisher and coatings expert from Captain's Choice. Jack has been steadily falling. into the cult of tall ship sailing, and it was hoped this cruise would be his tipping point. Stalwarts David Brennan, Calvin Milam, and  Laura Johnson arrived promptly. Dan Martin had to take some detours around heavy traffic from Summerville, arriving just in time to start going over the Station Bill. Also aboard were two additional members, not officially crew, primarily observers;  Capt Heath Hackett, the ship's Project Manager, representing the Board of Directors, and deputy, Richard, 

At 0800 Spirit's Dockside and Gangway crew arrived.  Alex Alya, Danny Johnson, Ken Fonville, and Charleston Maritime Center Dockmaster Christian Lawyer, mustered dockside  to stand by on the gangway and get the Dock line cast-off sequence from Bryan. 

USCG Examiners confer with Capt Davis
while crew huddles around Bryan on starboard
rail going over the Station Bill.

Also , precisely at 0800 John Doughton, USCG and his three-man Inspection Team boarded.  They huddled with Capt's Davis and Hackett,  wasting no time, quickly in laying out the sequence of the inspection.  Bryan directs crew to boat falls to launch the small boat.  Push-boat Captain, Scott, stands by the starboard rail while crew mans the boat falls, lowering the rescue boat into the water. Boat falls released, Scott powers up the small boat and take station off the port bow, prepared to push the bow out off the dock on order.

At 0820, Capt Davis directed, Bos'n, Bryan Oliver to swing off the Gangway and stand by the dock lines.  Bryan relays directions to The dockside crew gathered round the gangway,  Deck crew manned the fore and aft falls suspending the gangway over the deck. 

Schooner's Away!  Spirit's Dockside Team,
 Alex Lya, Christian Lawyer
 and Ken Fonville on the  Gangway
 and dock lines. Danny Johnson on the Camera

 Danny  and Ken taking off the weight while Alex pounded out the steel pin holding the gangway in place.  Like a slow dance, the dock and deck teams slowly lifted both ends, and swung the gangway up and onto the dock, securing it against the benches.  

Bryan shout's out "Ready fore and aft!", Deck line handlers take off all but one turn on the kevels, standing by to ease out,  then take up as the dock side team throws off the dock line bowlines from their cleats, in the pre-planned sequence. #4, then 2, 1 and 3, as Capt Davis warps the schooner slowly away from the dock. 

Dock lines all in, the dock side crew gives a cheer and wave. Deck hands haul in fenders and prepare to receive the small boat. 

After sweating up the small boat to the sheer plank, the crew had little time for deep breaths, as Capt Davis ordered stand by to raise the foresail.   Bryan directs crew " Hands to Dress the Foresail", and crew immediately disperse to take off the halyards and run them out for hauling, cast off downhaul and vangs into working coils for running, lay out and flat coil the foresheet, and secure the foreboom preventer tackle.  

"Hands to set the Foresail" comes next from Bryan.  Every idle crew, 8 of em, line up equally on the fore and peak halyards. Bryan shouts "Fore and Peak together, Haul Away!".  As the gaff is slowly raised three quarters of the way, Bryan shout's "Avast", Peak Halyard, Make Fast!" then peak halyard hands to the Throat!".  With 7 hands now on the throat, there's sufficient pull to raise the throat the rest of the way to the fore-top copper band.  Bryan eye's the foresail throat position and shout's "That's well on the throat, make fast!... Hand's to the Fore peak!"  Now the crew crosses to the starboard rail, lines up on the peak halyard and takes up the slack while Laura releases the stopper knot, and all haul the gaff peak up until the foresail leach starts to stretch. 

Once foresail is set and drawing.  Crew gets chance for one deep breath before Bryan shouts out "Hands to set the Jumbo." Three crew team up to throw off the halyard coil from the pin, take off all turns and stand by to haul.  Laura climbs out over the knight heads into the headrig to release the jumbo down haul that had been daisy chained aft around the harbor-furled jumbo sail. Another casts loose the jumbo boom preventers.   With the down haul ready to run and a crewmember tending the sheet, Bryan shouts out. "Jumbo Halyard, haul away!"  With five sweats of the halyard, the luff pulls taunt, Bryan shout's "that's well, make fast."  Dave Brennan eases out the Jumbo Sheet to match angle of the foresail.  

"Coil and Hang?", from Bryan and crew sets to ballantine coiling the halyards and securing the myriad other lines scattered and tangled over the deck from the two sail settings.  Ten minutes later we're a mile off Ft. Sumter and tack around towards Fort Johnson. 

Thankfully, there's no plans to set the jib and main. We've proved to the Coast Guard examiners we know how to set and trim sail. Now we're standing by warily awaiting the que for our first test- a Man-overboard scenario." it didn't take long.

One of the Coast Guard inspectors had brought along a child-sized floating mannequin.  We all watched as he casually carried forward to the port rail, look aft to his boss, nodded his head, and casually tossed it overside. 
"Man overboard-Man-overboard" came six simultaneous shouts which quickly relay to five more shouts across the deck. One deckhand pointed and raised his hand in the direction of the rapidly receding mannequin.  The rest was clock work. 

Three life rings and the buoy pendant were thrown overside. Even before Bryan's shout, Hands to Launch Rescue Boat!" crew were gathering at the boat falls, one threw an extra PFD into the boat for the victim.  Rescue Boat Coxwain, Laura was returned from the aft cabin securing a VHF handheld.  On Bryans' command, "Bow and Stern Falls all together, lower away", the rescue boat reached the water. "Fish your falls", and handlers maintained tension on the falls as Laura climbed into the boat, along with Calvin, who would act as spotter and bow line handler for the recovery. In less than on minute, from a standing start, the small boat was away, guided by Walter on deck, the spotter's out stretched hand and upraised arm, signaling we still had sight of the victim in the water.  Another deckhand was bringing on deck the backboard and First Aid Kit. In another three minutes, the rescue boat had recovered the mannequin, and was back alongside. Hauled aboard, laid out on the backboard, Scott and  crew looked expectantly at the Coast Guard Inspector waiting for him to add something to the scenario, like victim unconscious, or not breathing.  After apparently demonstrating we were prepared to administer resuscitation, he ended the scenario. The rescue boat crew was again lowered away to go recover all our lifesaving gear tossed overboard.  All back on deck, again securing all our gear, crew had time for another deep breath and in lowered tones hastily reviewed each other's stations in what would be the next emergency drill,, "fire".  It didn't take long at all. 

As Walter lay down below to the Galley to stir his White Chili on the stove,  A Coast Guard inspector casually followed him down and quietly  told him.. "Oh,, you've just started a fire on the stove with some grease in that skillet over there. What are your actions?"

Meanwhile all of us on deck  were anticipating something, just not sure how it would manifest itself.    Walter's yelling down below,, "Fire,, Fire in the Galley!"  triggered a well rehearsed action.   !Bryan shouted out, "Fire extinguishers", followed  by Hands to the fire mains!", then shouting down to Walter " what's going on?"  His first two commands were actually redundant, since our volunteer crew, already baptized in constant repetition of this drill a week before, were already pulling portable fire extinguishers out of the fo'cstle and aft cabin to stage them at the mainmast. others were pulling out the two fire houses stretching them fore and aft down the deck.  Jack was already in the engine room setting the sea cock and shifting the PTO lever over ( transfer port engine power to the hydraulics powering the port side fire pumps).  

Bryan shouted for "status" down the saloon hatch, prepared to hand down a second fire extinguisher. Walter, cued by his Coast Guard observer, apparently satisfied with Walter's deployment of the fire blanket, and going for the saloon portable extinguisher, prompted the response,, fire's out, under control." On deck, Coast Guard still wanted to observe the deployed Fire Mains (hoses) for appropriate pressure,, so Laura and Scott charged up both mains and  pointed a strong stream of water overboard.  That prompted a stand down of the drill. "All clear, and secure from fire."  Aced another one.  One more drill to go:  "Prep to Abandon Ship".

As the schooner fell off onto a broad reach headed back towards Shute's Folly,  shouted out to Bryan, There's three feet in the bilge and rising,, "prepare to abandon ship".  Now this was the one drill we had only talked about, walked thru in a huddle, but never acted out, primarily due to the myriad of scenarios driving the drill, each dictating various immediate reactions.  Therefore this drill became improvised based on common sense, and a earlier crew conversations. Bryan directed everyone to PFD's, from the passenger stash located in deck boxes.  Two crew disappeared to the aft cabin and returned with Ditch Kits, while the rest of us, with PFD's strapped on, stood by the life rafts, prepared to drag them over to the rails. 

At this point, Capt Davis, apparently seized with a mean streak, tossed an unforced curve ball into the drill. He shouted down the deck to Bos'n Bryan, " water rising,, must strike the foresail and Jumbo."  This was problematic, We're almost running(downwind), light winds but both sails well out to port.  Instinctively Bryan calls hands to haul in the Jumbo sheet as much as possible, Next, "douse the jumbo," three crew on the down haul, and one to take halyard off the pin and let 'er run on command.  On Bryan's command, "Strike the jumbo" halyard was thrown off the pin, and with tugging on the down haul the sail came down fairly quickly, except for the last four feet.  Laura climbed forward to assist the jib hank/rings down the stay the last four feet, while two crew shoved the jumbo boom forward on the horse another four inches, sufficient to slacken the sail's miter and allow the sail to go all the way down.

As the jumbo is coming down, Bryan calls all idle hands to the Foresail sheet to haul in as close to midships as possible, then to the halyards and two on the downhaul. With the ship still running before the wind.  Bryan shout's to the halyards to ease the way, careful to keep the gaff roughly horizontal coming down.  Then the inevitable snag in the process happens.  As the sail comes down, the leach, now really slack catches around the aft- lazy jack and billows out around it, preventing the sail and gaff from lowering further.  A quick suggestion from Scott to Bryan results in his shouting aft to Capt Davis to Jibe the ship, bringing the stern thru the wind, forcing wind over to the opposite side of the billowing foresail, hopefully pushing billowing leach over sufficiently to relieve pressure allowing crew to hurriedly haul down the gaff  throat  and the sail with it.  It works. The foresail piles up neatly between the lazy jacks, all secure.

We've done it. Now it's time to point back to the dock.  Dock lines, previously coiled up on the aft cabin roof are now sent back to their kevels, bowline knots made up, and heaving line's hitched on.  As we approach, fenders are sent over the side, and positioned hopefully to contact the three yokohama fenders. Heaving lines go over from 20 feet out, The dockside team takes lines. Somehow # 1 line's heaving line makes it to the dock, but the dock line itself goes into the water.  Quick teamwork between dock and deck has the heaving line tossed back on deck, the dock line quickly hauled back on board, heaving line re-hitched and tossed again. This time the dock line goes across and made onto the cleat "without a hitch". 

Dock lines secured, the dock crew takes the gangway falls and swings the gangway out over the deck and lowered into position. 

The USCG Team huddles with Capt Davis for a short recap listing the few things that need to be tied up before a signature will make the COI official, small stuff not unusual at all to be handled afterward. 

The crew with the dock side contingent musters for a quick nod from the Coast Guard, Capt Davis thanked them for their work, advice during the sail, and all gathered for a group photo. 

 

As the Coast Guard team disembarked, the crew  secured the ship, harbor furl the sails.

Bos'n Bryan proposes a celebration toast 

A muster one last time midships where Capt Davis appeared with champagne and glasses for the crew.  Bottles passed around, glasses filled,, Bos'n Bryan tried to keep it short (for once) with a recap of the past few months that got the ship to this point, and the significance of our achievement, then proposed the toast to Spirit of South Carolina and her crew. Capt Davis closed it with his own words, and a final command to lay below for a well-deserved lunch, already set up by  Walter. 

Danny Johnson, leading the dock-side crew
 tries out  some of Chef Walter's white chili.

Now it's time for lunch and swapping stories.

Operating Tempo increases with onboarding of new Volunteers, refreshing skills and Repairing Gear.

Monday the 16th proved to be a disappointment.  8 Volunteer Crew mustered at  1100, preparing to cast off for a sea trial only to find a frustrating situation of contrary current and gusty winds. Worse, across the marina inlet tied on the fuel dock was Denis Sullivan, her jib boom extending  over the inlet and less than 80 feet from Spirit's jibboom. A short leadership discussion on the quarterdeck produced the prudent decision to call off the departure, due to the increased risk of being blown or drifted into Denis Sullivan's head rig.  And so, the afternoon was consumed with basic deckhand skills for new volunteers, and rig maintenance.

Tuesday fared better. Volunteers mustered at 0900 hours to prepare lines for casting off for a third sea trail. New volunteers who mustered along received a deep immersion of on-the-job training. Will Ventress took the helm of the rescue boat to help push off from the dock. Shortly after casting off, Capt Davis called forward to set the foresail then the jumbo. With a total of just 9 aboard, we wouldn't have sufficient hands to raise the mainsail. 

 For the first time the Station Bill was introduced, on which each crew member was assigned specific responsibilities for emergency drills. As we tacked back and forth across the harbor, Captain Hackett concentrated on two emergency drills,, Fire fighting and man-overboard. 

Starting with the Fire Drill, the crew walked thru their immediate actions. The first result was the crew realizing how the location of the fire would drive specific reactions.. For example, Fire in the engine room required immediate shutting off any ventilation into the area and enabling the automatic halon extinguisher to activate, with portable extinguishers staged as back-up. Hoses might be out of action due to inaccessibility to the generator, or port engine "PTO" drive. Fire in the galley required deployment of different firefighting tools.

Once secure from the fire fighting scenario, the crew had time for two deep breaths before hearing the shout, "MAN OVERBOARD!"

Over repeated iterations, crew members reacted to an object suddenly "falling' overboard and reacting. Several tasks had to be completed almost simultaneously.  Shouts of "Man Overboard were relayed through out the ship. The spotter maintained visual sight on the victim while other crew members quickly thru overboard every life ring pendant buoy, in their reach in the direction of the victim to leave the "bread crumb" trail. Hands manned the rescue boat falls to lower the rescue boat, maintaining her on station as the schooner continued thru the water. This time, Laura manned the rescue boat as Coxwain. She grabbed a VHF, PFD's and with her bowman, Dave Brennan, climbed over side, down the 7 feet to the rescue boat. She fired up the engine and took charge of releasing first the stern, then the bow falls and bow line.  

While the boat turned away from the schooner's side heading out in the direction of the pointing spotter,  someone went below to bring up the backboard and cross straps. Another hand retrieved a first aid kit from the Aft Cabin.  Others laid in on the falls, to retrieve the boat with overboard "passenger" plus other thrown items . As the rescue boat returned to the ship's side with the overboard victim, the whole process reversed itself, ending with the victim back aboard, examined, and the rescue boat raised back up on the schooner's sheer plank.  The crew repeated the drill three time, shifting tasks and responsibilities around. As the last drill wound down, Laura, with Capt Heath and rescue boat continued with a series of "touch-and-go's" to fine tune the rescue boat and crew's docking while underway.

 

Wednesday was a "Bye" Day. Capt Davis spent the day aboard the Schooner Denis Sullivan with Captain Chris  Flansberg and his crew picking brains of one of the most senior Captains in the Tall Ship Fleet, running one of the most successful School Sailing programs.

Thursday and Friday , Spirit of South Carolina remained at the dock, primarily due to the shortage of licensed Ship's Officers required to sail her, per our Insurance underwriter's requirements.  Once our Certificate of Inspection is awarded, hopefully this week, the schooner can go back to sailing with just two licenses aboard.

The time dockside was well spent, however.  Volunteers came aboard for half days or all day to learn and exercise their responsibilities at emergency crew drills that would be observed by the Coast Guard inspectors during the COI cruise. Logan Day explored the entire below decks and above to inventory all our PFD's, inspecting for working beacons, and different sizes, finally distributing the across all berths and deck lockers. 

Bryan quietly rejoicing at finally getting
 sturdy railing back on the gangway.

A new hand rail arrived for the gangway, enabling us to retire the old rope rail. Dave Brennan reinforced the rail with additional thru bolts, to make the whole apparatus better than new. 

Capt Davis started the project to cut away the entire end of the Rope/line locker that had rotted out. Over the weekend, Danny Johnson, Walter Barton and Alex Lya took over the project, reinforcing the corner, with timbers and extra plywood, then installing three sets of heavy duty door hinges to replace the old leather hinges that were pulling out. New Volunteer Jake McCain quickly found himself deep in the project. 

As an added diversion, Thursday our Dory was unlashed from her cradle, on the floating dock, scrubbed down and uprigged with her "new" mainsail, cut from an old larger sail donated last year. Capt Davis and his Dad, Peter from NC, cast off to test sail the rig, taking her across the harbor past Patriots Point and back. Somewhere during the cruise, the tiller split along a lamination.  With some good glue and lag screws she'll be ready for Volunteers to take her out again. 

Later Thursday, Bryan Oliver returned home and hauled his own  Beetle Cat down to Remley Point where rigged her up, launched, and sailed down the Wando River to the harbor, docking at the Maritime Center, all under sail. Bryan's catboat, "Sean O." was scheduled to appear at the Georgetown Boat Show this weekend.

Laura pushes out the boom for a breeze
 while Bryan sculls the Beetle Cat off the dock.

 Due to the intense project schedule facing Spirit of South Carolina, Bryan opted out of prepping the boat for showing, instead sailing her down to the Maritime Center, docking in the shallows.   Laura Johnson volunteered first to jump aboard with Bryan, just to get the feel of sailing a small boat off the dock and returning safely to the dock totally under sail, no motor.

"Sean O." ghosting out into the channel
 for a decent breeze.

On Saturday as thing were winding down, a welcome "blast from the past"  came down the gangway for a visit.   Ed Marshall, Citadel grad and shipmate  from the Citadel's Semester at Sea in 2018. We shared the 4 to 8 watch. Ed is now an Air Force Para-Rescue Jumper out of Lackland Air Force Base, and in town for a friend's wedding.   Ed was one of 16 cadets who crewed Spirit of South Carolina for a three month cruise through the Caribbean. I just the few minutes he had aboard we filled it with shared stories. 

Saturday behind us, only four days to COI. Now it's searching for things overlooked, unfinished, unknown, that could bite us. 

 

Schooner Denis Sullivan visits Charleston; Volunteers continue Deck reorganization and review crew drills.

 A pleasant surprise greeted volunteers and other passers by at the Maritime Center's dock.  The Three-masted Schooner Denis Sullivan, now out of Boston, had recently tied up to the fuel dock.  She's staying a few days here before continuing her passage south  for some shipyard time on St. Simon's Island, GA, and finally wintering in the Caribbean  doing educational programs. While docked she has invited volunteers over for a visit.  Her Captain, Christopher Flansberg was once Captain of Spirit of South Carolina in early 2015.

Today, Saturday, A good sized group of Volunteers, including a new one mustered on deck at 0900. Volunteer Coordinator Bryan Oliver organized them into separate teams to  attack some nagging issues that needed attention. Mark Held and Danny Johnson took on the project of organizing the paint locker, long a frustration for sailors needing to sort thru the disorganized mess of paints, rags, brushes, adhesives, paint cups and other gear that had grown hopelessly intermingled  over the years. The emptied the locker onto the deck and installed dividers to create five separate compartments. Walter Barton, Doug Hartley and Alex Lya scattered across the dock and deck to consolidate all the extra dock lines, re-coil and stow them in the forepeak. Dave Brennan and Mikell Evatt searched the dock and below decks to locate and capture all the tools that had over time been scattered across the ship, not returned to their designated storage locations.  Will Clark linked up with Capt Davis to start repair of the Rope and Line locker where a corner was literally rotting away.  Meanwhile, Bryan gave a quick orientation to new Volunteer Brayden Licata, before turning her over to the paint-locker team.  

By late morning as projects winded down, Capt Davis went ashore to provision with fried chicken, while Bryan assembled the rest for a walk thru of the three emergency drills that all crew would be required to perform.  Except for the welcome lunchtime hiatus of consuming a mess of fried chicken and lemonade, volunteers took the rest of the afternoon to familiarize their responsibilities according to the Station Bill drafted out by Capt Davis, then rehearse those actions across the Man-Overboard and Fire emergency drills.    

As a final treat, Volunteers watched Capt Davis demonstrate a new knot which all deckhands would be required to master.  The Davis Slippery Pawpaw, as it's been designated, is a quick-release knot specially intended for securing the heavy ball fenders to the lifeline and stanchions. Watch for it in a soon to be released video  in which hilarity ensues as Bryan attempts to demonstrate his mastery, or lack thereof.

The COI is coming up. Last Minute Maintenance and Training in the Works

 An email went out to all Volunteers this morning announcing 25 October(not 23 October as previousl announced) as the scheduled date for the Coast Guard Inspectors to come aboard. Capt's Davis and Hackett have already in their hand's a short list of the most competent Volunteers who will be asked to fill out the crew for the that harbor sail. As it is with any volunteers who must contend with real-life priorities, that list is expected to shift in some way.

Volunteers organizing to stabilize the
Yokohama fenders against their pilings.

Meanwhile, the last critical maintenance issues have been addressed on board.  Maintenance projects are shifting more to the routine upkeep projects, many of which are long overdue.  Standing rigging is getting a top-coat of "Fluid Film" preservative, as a modern day more persistent alternative to traditional Stockholm tar and turpentine. Masts are finally to be oiled and slushed with vaseline.  

Walter Barton and Dave Brennen oiling the Saloon's
leather settee cushions 

Berth mattress covers are being washed and relaced.  Leather settee cushions are getting a rubbing of Mink-oil.  Also, the stuff to make her more attractive; Hull painting, and oiling of kevels pinrails, and  bits are underway. We will soon need to  re-guild some of the gold-leaf relief in her name boards and transom.

And, notably, volunteers seem to be adjusting to a change, the implementation of "Sign-up Genius", an online application that streamlines scheduling of Volunteer Days, Sailing Days, Events,-just about anything, and allowing volunteers to easily sign-up, or modify their plans for attendance. They will see events further out in the future, hopefully increasing participation.

Tall Ships America; There's a whole world of us out there. Worth Exploring

 In case you didn't already know.  There's an entire national, and International organizations dedicated to stewarding the world of Tall Ships and their mission as education at Sea.  Their activities are worthy of your notice, as they also offer scholarships for sea training, Billet Banks for job searching, Grant's and other funding for ships and crews.  

The link here to "Running Free"  is the Newsletter of Tall Ships America.

Click on the image for their website:  tallshipsamerica.org

Between the Harbor Sea Trials,,, There's still a lot To Do

A little maddening it feels, to suddenly decelerate from a pace of three sailings in one week, down to nothing.  Since the 2d week of September, when Spirit of South Carolina slipped her lines for the first time since arriving home from shipyard last January, our schooner seems to have returned to dormancy, quietly riding against the huge yokohama fenders,, waiting.   

Well, she's not been exactly dormant.  In the ensuing weeks til now, volunteers and Capt Heath's project team aboard have been unusually active.  The total of four sea trials run in September proved their worth in  uncovering a number of issues to be resolved before the COI examination. From running rigging not running fairly, hardware improperly stowed, sail rigging requiring tuning up,  "more mast hoops", to crew training issues, station bill assignments.  Its nothing really surprising given the total of three years the schooner had been laid up.  

And so, on Saturday, five volunteers mustered aboard to attack "the Punch List" the to-do list that seems never to shorten, as new issues are added almost as fast as old ones are checked off.  This is the part where sailors pay the dues, but gain the skills and knowledge of the ship that makes them tall ship sailors.

Captain Davis took charge, mustering all hands around the main mast to assist as he climbed the shrouds and lowered the torn flag from the spreaders. Once secure, volunteers broke into separate projects. Mike Evatt, Danny Johnson and David Brennan inventoried the 30 recently laundered berth mattress covers, matching each custom cover to it's assigned berth  and lacing them onto the foam mattresses. Walter Barton  located a tub of mink oil and lay below in the saloon to oil down remoisturize and restore flexibility to the six long buffalo hide leather berth cushions. Doug Hartley and Alex Lya teamed up to dive into and reorganize both the tool and paint lockers on deck. It's a particularly daunting task, since each locker seems to fight off most attempts at lasting organization, with each crew maintenance project.  

The principle obstruction, however, that is preventing the schooner from casting off and sailing more frequently, is the insurance requirement for three licenses to be on board. So, as Capt's Davis, and Hackett kluge together three licenses that coincide with good weather, and volunteer availability, the schooner will sail again. 

Sign-Up Genius- A New "App" for signing up for Volunteer Activities.

  Meanwhile, Volunteers will momentarily receive email notice of opportunities to sign-up for slots during the week, and on Volunteer Day, Saturdays, to work necessary maintenance projects, work on deckhand skill-building, or helping coach others, particularly our growing number of new volunteers mustering with us.