Run-up Week to First Commercial Operations Tests Everyone's flexibility

 This past week was going to be intense.  Two back-to-back "Shakedown" sunset cruises were set for Tuesday and Wednesday, the 28th and 29th, with remainder of the week devoted to preparation to conduct public tours Saturday, and two harbor cruises, all in conjunction with the 250th Anniversary Celebration of the Charleston Tea Party..  

10 Volunteers along with CAPT Davis, and CAPT Hackett mustered on board starting early afternoon to build momentum for a cast-off from the dock at 1600 hrs. It was clockwork. By 16oo, lines were cast off and CAPT Davis pointed her up river into the Wando for a long clockwise circumnavigation of the harbor. The crew raised the foresail, and then jumbo. The rest of the cruise was pleasant and uneventful. By 1830, we were standing off the dock setting fenders and making up dock lines for tying up.  It had been dark for over an hour.  This would be our rehearsal for docking in the dark-the only illumination available were sparse dock lights and a rising full moon. 

As expected, All preparations for docking started early to account for the the crew having to perform their tasks more slowly and deliberately. This was our first experience at night, so tasks like knot tying, measuring distance of fenders to the waterline, gauging the throw of heaving lines were as much intuitive or by feel, than visual. Everyone was tested.  CAPT Davis took his time lining up on the dock, and advancing and backing several times to feel the currents he could no longer see. Dock line handlers double-and triple-checked their highwayman's hitch on the heaving line, or their bowline, even asking a shipmate to inspect their work. 

As it was, during the docking operations,  a few glitches arose but quickly resolved. A heaved messenger line fell short, but was rapidly retrieved and tossed again.  A dock line bowline came loose while made to a dock cleat, but was quickly pulled aboard and remade, and passed back to the dockside.  I think we found that working in the dock tends to increase the level of chatter both on board and dock, making major verbal directions more difficult to hear above. 

Once the ship was secure, Volunteer Coordinator Bryan Oliver mustered midships, both on-deck and dockside crew  for a quick After-Action Review while memories were fresh,  a discussion to identify and reinforce what went well throughout the cruise, and what didn't, with  discussion to identify steps or changes to better manages the shortcomings.  We would be set for an even smoother sail the next day.

It wasn't to be.  On Wednesday morning, CAPT Davis was required to postpone that day's shakedown cruise to Thursday.  Most of the volunteers  signed on to the cruise mustered anyway, thankfully, and laid into the growing punch list of preparations for the weekend.   

On Thursday, CAPT's Heath and Davis made decision to redirect the priority from second shakedown sail to furling sail from Tuesday's cruise, cleaning and preparing the deck a

Volunteers Logan Day, Bryan Oliver, Madison Pulley,
 Kyle, and Laura Johnson harbor-furling the Jib and Jumbo,
 following previous evening's shakedown cruise.

nd below decks to receive the expected numbers of visitors. 

And then the weekend weather forecast changed. Sunday afternoon was showing a high chance of precipitation across the harbor, sufficient to cause the decision makers to cancel the planned Sunday Brunch Harbor cruise.  Friday became the last surge in effort to paint, wipe down, stow, or hide, stuff before tours would begin Saturday morning, and later when passengers would board for the last surviving scheduled Sunset sail that evening.