Spirit of South Carolina's Face dock issues force a temporary move

 You may recall, or not. that around the first week of April, Charleston entrepreneur, Derek Astorino, had collaborated with Volunteer Coordinator, Bryan Oliver, to bring aboard a professional Private Chef on 27 April, to prepare a gourmet lunch for our Volunteers, as part of a Saturday Volunteer Day. The event would be videoed for a YouTube Channel.. (Look for the URL in a soon to be published post).  Video/cooking crew and volunteer crew looked forward to bringing everything together on board at Spirit's dock at the Maritime Center.

So, to complicate matters, two weeks later, Spirit of South Carolina's crew received notice from her host, the Maritime Center that her dock would be undergoing repairs to the barrier panels under the dock, for a period of two weeks, starting 22 April. Spirit would need to find a temporary berth elsewhere.  The complication;  Mr. Baker and a Board were scheduled to come aboard that same Monday, for a harbor cruise on moving day.

Volunteer Crew, Frank Frazier, Dave Brennan,
 Tony Marchesani, Dallas Spencer, and Nate Mack
 (on camera), returning to the Carolina Yacht Club Dock. 

As Volunteer Coordinator, Bryan, exchanged frenzied communication the Capt Heath the Project Manager, a plan was formulated that would require the talents of  four or more Volunteers to assist in moving the schooner off the dock Sunday, to the Charleston City Marina on the Ashley River. 

As this plan was about to be executed on Sunday morning, word came down that the Schooner would not move directly to the City marina, but dock instead, on the floating face dock at Carolina Yacht Club on Sunday, 

On Monday, Mr Baker and the Board would board for their harbor cruise/meeting, with volunteer/ Heath crew, then, disembark at the City Marina.  

Are you following me so far?.. yes, I was feeling the same thing. It was made a bit more complex with a Play-action switcheroo, on sailing day, requiring the schooner, after it's cruise, instead of docking at City Marina,  to instead, return to the Carolina Yacht Club, disembark it's VIP passengers, and remain at the Carolina Yacht Club thru the following weekend.

Our new Event Captain, Bobby Noles
 getting a feel for the helm.

With good flexing by the volunteer crew, under direction of Capt Heath, and our new Event Captain, Bob Noles, Mr. Baker and guests boarded at the Yacht club conducted a successful motor cruise around the harbor and returned to the Yacht Club to disembark. With that, the schooner was left to herself for the remainder of the week, until Volunteers returned this Saturday (today). 

Just as complications were finally resolving themselves a new one arose.  Arrangements had been made earlier in the week with the Carolina Yacht Club to have about 30 of their young members (Opti sailors), come aboard Saturday morning for a tour, (about the same time that our visiting chef would be boarding to prepare his lunch masterpiece.)

Saturday morning, a hardy group of Volunteers found their way thru the maze at the Carolina Yacht Club to muster at 0900 on board. Nate Mack, Ken Fonville, Bryan Oliver Walter Barton, Dave Brennan, Tony Marchesani, Alicia Cameron, Carin Bloom, Ryan Smith with son, Brody, and daughter Kaydin,   

Never underestimate the lure of a gourmet lunch in the saloon to draw a crowd.  Whatever..

The best crew turnout in months bode well for a lot of training and maintenance getting done. And it started out that way. A  1st order of business was to reposition the inflatable "Yokohoma" blivit which had apparently squirted up onto the dock... It needed to go back between the hull and dock. Next a poorly made bowline in the #3 spring line was threatening to come apart.  With spare dock lines left on the old dock, volunteers made do repurposing existing lines to take up the strain, enabling a volunteer to break loose the bowline, re-tie it and make it fast to it's cleat before resetting other lines.  Meanwhile, Bryan led a group of volunteers on a "Check the Bilges " tour of the ship, culminating in a "Pump the Bilges exercise. Walter Barton broke off to finish the two-foot open deck seam just forward of the main mast.

Bryan Oliver with young Opti Sailors from CYC,
 demonstrating line handling.

As these unforeseen issues were being resolved, but before the Bilges Tour had completed; the next complication appeared;  a force of 40 or more highly motivated young sailors crowded the face-dock waiting for permission to come aboard for a tour. While the rest of volunteers pitched in to wrestle these issues, Ryan Smith and Tony Marchesani shifted gears to head up the Bilge Pumping drill.  Bryan Oliver and Carin Smith organized the 40-odd young sailors into two watches. Starting at opposite ends of the deck, for the next 45 minutes, Bryan and Carin led their charges on a detailed hands-on tour of the ship, sprinkled with stories, halyard hauling, helm setting, compass reading, and knot-tying. 

Timing it perfectly to noon, All students were sent ashore with best wishes for a good race, and Volunteers hastily lay below into the saloon for a look at what had been wafting up thru the hatch from the galley. 

Chef Reggie and Adrian in the galley
 explaining his approach to this lunch.

What lay in front of them, expertly arranged along the saloon table was an attractive assortment of fruits, and cheeses, a dessert of Brownies, and Chef Reggie (Not the basketball player) and his team mate Adrian, plating out a most savory roast pork-belly laid over a rice with a sauced mushroom that made even mushroom haters change their minds.

Volunteer/diners compare tasting notes

 Learn more about  Chef Reggie Miller and his organization. During the lunch,  Volunteer Coordinator, Bryan Oliver expressed the appreciation of all diners around the table by awarding Chef's Reggie and Adrian each, an "Appreciation Copy" of Chef Hunter's book, "The Complete Galley Guide"

Bryan doing his part to finish
off the last strawberries.

Two weeks; Growing rate of Volunteer Activity

                                                                                               

Volunteers Active April 13-20; a review backwards;

If you've been following this blog and wondered recently, why the time lapse between blog postings, chalk it up to lack of depth in the journalism staff. We're a one person show. I aspire to one day operate this blog with a staff of a few people who like telling a story.. Until then we'll work this blog around my absence, which in this period is amounting to 3 straight weeks. This latest posting comes from an idyllic piece of ground out on the plains of western Oklahoma, just a few miles from the Texas panhandle. Two of my brothers and a couple of Army buddies are encamped in RVs' on a desolate 160 acre square patch laid out as a  shooting range. But while that was taking shape,..

Friday morning,, April 20th,  at the same time as I was I loading up for my two-day drive, four Volunteers  were setting up and staffing a Volunteer Recruiting Table at the Charleston Race Week.  Nate Mack and Walter Barton coordinated on Friday to deliver two card tables, two chairs, a 32-in Screen TV monitor and the ship's laptop, to the Aircraft Carrier Yorktown's middle deck.  They set up at one end of the carrier deck in front of a stage, where three other "vendors" Charleston Community Sailing, Charleston Model Sailing Club and Veteran's On Deck laying out their own information displays. 

Old Salt

At the same time, we collided with "Old Salt" Volunteer, Dan Machowsky, setting up a table for the Knot Tie'er's Guild, of which he's a founding member. Dan crafted much of the advanced marlinspike ropework on board during its construction, including several bullseye grommets, stropped blocks, and the schooner's rope ladder.                                                            

 Mark Held (a bit early) and Phil Frandino on 1st watch,
 scan the horizon for anticipated crowds
 of visitors to our  display.

By 11 00 Walter Barton and Phil Frandino took the first 3-hour watch. This was also the first public appearance of our newly printed Tri-fold brochures.   We brought forty for handouts, and a display copy of Hunter's "The Complete Galley Guide." The TV monitor looped a group of YouTube videos with 50 minutes of Spirit of South Carolina footage. (You can see the same footage by accessing the Blog Video playlist link. At 2:30 PM, Mark Held relieved Walter at the table, and  finally shut it down at  1700 , disassembling and store all our gear under the stage.  Reports received, already indicated that the organizers and placed all of us in a poor location for the expected foot traffic around the facility. Only a few visitors passed by the displays, and one stopped to browse the material.  The next day, Saturday, was equally as bad.  Ken Fonville set up and staffed the display from 11 to 2:30, handing it off to Joyce Harvey who closed out the event at 5 PM. 

As frustrating as those two days had to be, it wasn't wasted;  we learned a few lessons. Such a recruiting project was feasible, and easy to reproduce, and "Location, location, location....." All the traffic was actually outside , on shore, adjacent to the access gates. 

The previous Saturday, the 13th, Tony Marchesani, Nate Mack, Dallas Spencer, Ryan Smith, Dave Brennan, Walter Barton,  Nate Mack mustered on deck to take on a couple of punch list items and advance Ryan into some deckhand skills check-off. The near term priorities were obvious,, cleaning up, stowing, and arranging for the upcoming Tommy Baker  and Board members' cruise, advance the water leakage around the  Mainmast partners.  and long long overdue 2d coat linseed oiling of the two mast.  Walter took on the project of pumping teak deck caulk around the two bases of the foresail sheet horse, then  reefing and pulling out two feet of disreputable caulk forward of the fife rail and then sandng, stuffing with cotton, and caulking over the seam again. 

Ryan Smith and ground crew
set up to hoist him up the foremast.

The rest gathered around Ryan who had volunteered to don the hazmat suit and be hoisted aloft the foremast in a boson's chair and linseed-oil the foremast. With the rest of us on the jumbo halyard and  chair tagline, Ryan was hoisted all the way to the trees with a bucket of linseed oil and a rag.. every three feet he called out "On deck!  lower away 3 feet." .."that's well, make fast.", 

Ryan already half-way
 down the mast

In less than a half-hour, Ryan had successfully slopped linseed oil over the entire mast,  Next big task: rubbing on Vaseline, but that'll wait till next time. 

Meantime, On his own, Walter attacked the caulking issue around the mainmast, brushing, sanding.  He laid a bead onto the  face plate, then sanded the vertical edges of the sanded out groove.  At that point, the dampness inside the seam wall prevented further action until it was dried out.  Walter taped over the open seam to protect it from moisture and additional grime until it could be properly caulked.   

Dallas brought aboard his second wooden block project, showing much promise. 
  

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A Significantly Shortened Volunteer Day, Due to the Cooper Bridge Run Reprioritizing things.

 I'm sure that some among our volunteer crew participated in the Bridge Run. Hat's Off!  A commendable accomplishment in  finishing it, and also in the discipline of conditioning for events like this on deck. Wayne Burdick, Ken Fonville, Dallas Spencer, Alicia Cameron, and Dave Brennan, started the first part  of the afternoon getting an update from Bryan on events and progress.  

Weekend Update

We were still waiting on our Recruiting  brochures. Ben Walker had found away to 'break the glass" and regain control of our Facebook page. so that's starting to look hopeful.  We've had three leads for charters or docksides, all revenue generating, over the next four months. Now chasing them.  A Captain is apparently identified, but not confirmed yet.

Dallas brought with him a handcrafted double stropped block of Ash and Sapele he had created. complete with a strop served and slushed. This promptly inspired a series of proposed projects thrown at him.

Bryan introduced  an idea for better managing and executing on small tasks, easily accomplished by just one or a few, at any time on deck, meaning any day of the week. It's called, The Daily Punchlist (not necessarily daily, since some may always be left over for the next volunteer the next day. Unlike the Ship's Maintenance Punchlist, with thirty entries on a page ranging from single person work to complicated multi-day tasks, this is a handwritten list complete with instructions as needed, for volunteers less than familiar with the ship, self-managed, you complete the task, you check it off, leave your last name so you can get the credit.. . So, if you've got a couple hours time, come on board find the clipboard hanging over the saloon table, and choose a job that suits your skills and time available. Also, send a text that you're on board, to Bryan Oliver at 314.409.0433, so I'll know you're aboard if the Dockmaster become suspicious. Don't forget to log your hours. 

The Saturday crew taking a break
after successfully recovering
 the small boat and securing it on deck, 

For the rest of the afternoon we concentrated on an essential drill, unknown to probably all the volunteers, since it has not been practiced since 2019.  "Recovering and securing the Small Boat" on deck, and Launching it."  It's a normal component of the  Man-Overboard drill, since generally, the small boat will  be secured on deck when underway.  The exception will be with a private charter where deck space is a premium, and the small boat will likely be towed. 

We only had time for one tray and barely sufficient hands to operate. Our crew standard, from a standing start with the shout "Man Overboard", is just under two minutes.  We gave ourselves a generous time to walk ourselves thru the evolutions.  It's a quintessential team-building experience.

Look for it next time you come aboard.

Denis Sullivan arrives; Volunteers provide Support.

Tuesday, the 1st of April, the Schooner Denis Sullivan, Captain Chris Flansburg, 14 days out of St. Croix, arrived in port with a student crew of Ashley Hall students, and tied up to Spirit of South Carolina.  

"Bos'un With a Donut"
 (notice a more firm grip on the donut
 than the glass.)

On our deck to receive her and take lines were four of us Volunteers;   Dave Brennan, Nate Mack, Me, and Maritime Center Dockmaster, Chris.   We had been tracking  the schooner for over a week on her passage north. Weather delayed her off the Bahamas for a day.

Denis Sullivan is a representation of the typical 19th Century Great Lakes Cargo Schooners. She was conceived and built in Milwaukee, WI by a combination of professional shipwrights and over 1000 volunteers, and launched in 2000. In 2022 she was purchased by World Ocean Classrooms to replace their schooner Roseway, now in shipyard in Mystic for a major restoration effort.

Click here for more on
 Denis Sullivan

The "rafting up" operation went flawlessly, Volunteers rigged up our gangway's "drawbridge" extension to accomodate disembarking students shouldering backpacks and seabags. Throngs of excited parents, classmates, and friends filled the dock, as the 20 young women single-filed up the gangway with their seabags. As the crowds thinned,   Denis Sullivan's crew transitioned to doubling up their docklines, securing the deck, and going below to clean up. The original plan had been that they would cast off and redock at the fuel dock, which, of course had no gangway,, and return to our side Wednesday to host their reception for Ashley Hall students and parents. 

Bos'un Bryan reunites with Capt Flansburg
of Denis Sullivan;
once Master of Spirit of South Carolina

However, with favorable weather conditions predicted, and sufficient fenders stuffed between the two similar-sized ships, Capt Flansburg and Bryan agreed for Denis Sullivan to remain rafted up the duration of their 3-day stay in port, allowing crew and visitors more accessibility to the dock, via our gangway.  

With advice from Volunteers to the crew for best dive bars and burger joints nearby frequented by mariners (Big John's and Big Gun) They hurried into their civvies, grabbed dirty laundry, and scattered out to East Bay Street and beyond. 

After weathering some rough weather late Tuesday into Wednesday afternoon, The planned parent reception aboard Denis Sullivan went-ahead as scheduled;  Four Volunteers, came aboard to man the gangway, and bulwarks, assisting guests young and old across from the docks, over our rail and onto the deck of Denis Sullivan, where their celebration of their seafaring achievement was recognized. Ashly Hall's Head of School, and their Director of Studies Abroad, were greeted by the Executive Director of World Ocean Studies, parent of Denis Sullivan.

               

Nate, Bryan, and Dave, take a rest after taking
 and tightening up all lines from Denis Sullivan

While Volunteer's primary job was safety of guests, we did get opportunities to casually introduce them to Spirit South Carolina, for many, the first time they knew of it's existence. Yes, there was volunteer recruiting going on too, and a few Ashly Hall students expressed great interest in joining the volunteer crew.  

The other ulterior motive: From 2007 -2012, Spirit of South Carolina hosted several groups of Ashley Hall students, for days to weeks. It was a successful program cut short by the Schooner's bankruptcy. It never recovered.  The School however has recently expressed interest in renewing that relationship. If so, it will not likely take shape for another year.

Today, the day after the reception, Walter Barton, and Bos'n Bryan helped Denis Sullivan cast off lines and see them off to Savannah, GA, and Thunderbolt Shipyard, the same from whence sailed Spirit of South Carolina just over a year ago. They will undergo some maintenance before sailing north to Boston for the summer.