Volunteers Make use of Lessons Learned improve the experience for Impact Charleston Youth

Only two days later, on 19 July, a slightly different volunteer crew mustered on Friday, at 0900, this time, to take on board another Group from Impact Charleston, for underserved Youth in the City. With lessons learned from our first every Charter and this group. Volunteers were better prepared. 

Friday was to be a regular hot humid day with a light breeze. With an expected full complement of 17 or more youth plus a couple of chaperones, coupled with favorable light conditions, it was perfect for setting three sails, Jib, Jumbo and Foresail. At 0900, Bo'sun Bryan mustered the volunteers on deck and laid out the days agenda. The previous day, they had received an email with the Watch Bill, assigning volunteers to one of two watches under a Volunteer Watch Captain. Each watch would take on a specific responsibility during deck prep and sea stowing, embarkation, casting off and docking, etc. That plan enabled the entire crew to immediately lay in on their assigned responsibilities. The payoff was that all preparation was completed in time to welcome aboard our participants. 

First task was to take down and stow the huge midships Portside Awning.

 At 1030 Bryan met the adult leader at the IAAM to quickly explain the boarding process. Five minutes later, Bryan stopped the group at the "T" of the face dock. He introduced himself and offered the welcome-aboard message with a quick explanation of what they were about to experience. He then asked the Chaperone to split the group in to two equal sizes. Bryan then designated the Starboard Watch and Port Watch and sent them single file to the gangway for boarding. Volunteers on both ends of the gangway ensured a safe crossover. Once all aboard the gangway was taken off, Volunteers took in dock lines, Nick in e small boat nudged the bow outward for a clean break off of the dock. Colleen of the Baker Group, had brought aboard 2 coolers of bottled water, and sandwiches from Jason's Deli. The crowd voted for an early lunch. That was a good decision, in that it eliminated what would otherwise be a major distraction in the last part of the cruise, which required participation by passengers. As soon as the small boat pulled alongside and discharged the shore team. Bos'un Bryan called to "Standby the Foresail". At the dock, volunteers had already "dressed" the head rig, and the foresail, laying out the halyards, casting off downhaul coils, sheets, and sail gaskets. Volunteers organized participants by watch, equally on both halyards and then explained the drill to their team as well as expected commands. This time, the emphasis on a rhythm set by an impromptu Shanty, the Foresail rose slowly up the mast. The Port Watch raised the Jumbo, followed by the Starboard Watch setting the Jib. Next was coiling and hanging. That concluded Teamwork lesson #1. Sail setting evolutions were improving immensely, and some of us wistfully stared back at the still furled mainsail. Soon, as our crew competence increased and crew numbers filled in, we'll be sending up the Mainsail too.. That would be "Full Press". 

Sighting in on Ft. Sumter before
 taking a compass bearing 

 With sails full and drawing, the Watches split with their crew "coaches " across three different learning stations. One group moved aft to the helm for orientation on points of sail, steering, taking a bearing off the binnacle compass. The other watch gathered around a double-block Handy-Billy for a demonstration of "purchase". Volunteers first set up a Tug o' War on a 3 fathom rope. With sides of roughly equal weight, each side with exuberance heaved away trying to force their opponents off their feet. After just a few moments, their watch Captain stopped the competition, declared a winner, then set up a different scenario, this one with a double becket block at one end with a pendant, and a double block at the other end. 

Students line up on the line
tugging against their coach,
who has the 4:1 advantage.

 The group then selected three strong members to take up on the pendant, while one light-weight member elected to take up the standing line leading out of the double becket block. 

 The Volunteer Coach set up each end for ready, set, PULL. Each side dug in and began the strain. Not a few participants were awed as the single person on the standing line, straining herself, was actually pulling inches of line, inch by inch, while the three "strapping lads, were gradually pulled forward, finally across the marker. Simple tools, and physics, ..and teamwork. 

Coach sets  to take up the strain
 against his all of his students. 

As the schooner made her mark just north of Fort Sumter, we tacked onto a reverse course for the Ravenel Bridge. Watches switched over their activities, and continued, until Captain Bobby informed the Bos'un that the schooner was tacking and bound for the dock. On that directive, the crew and participants set to taking sail and setting up dock lines. One by one, sails came down in reverse order, Jib, Jumbo, and finally foresail. 

The small boat was sent off with two crew to take lines on the dock and send over the gangway. 

As was he day before, the combination of contrary tides working against river currents made for a confused stretch of water directly in our path to the dock.  Capt Bobby took his time powering forward, then letting the water push her backwards slowly closer, almost backing us up to the dock.  Heaving lines sent across over the heads of our shipmates on the dock enabling them to grab the lines up short and more quickly pull the dock lines across.   As soon as all dock lines were sent across and secured, the shore team was dragging across the gangway, and reaching for the falls swung up from the deck.  In minutes the gangway is set, and, with confirmation by the Chaperone, passengers began streaming up the gangway, spreading along the dock to take a last photo. As the last ones disembark, the crew reverts to securing the deck, stowing gear, and making her ready for the next morning, when some of them will be returning to start all over again.  This time with Coaches for Character, and a group of exceptional students. 

Spirit of South Carolina conducts Three Harbor Cruises in one week.

I don't think that's every been done before, even with a full-time crew. let alone all Volunteers. Tuesday, last week,approximately 25 passengers, all from the Mobile Labs Company came on deck for a Sunset Sail. At 1600, eight Volunteers mustered on deck to prepare the schooner for sailing. We really didn't know until boarding time what sort of experience our passengers were looking for. i.e. were they looking for an immersion adventure in helping set sails, coiling lines, learning about the ship? or were they intending only to be left alone for a peaceful ride around the harbor? While waiting for that answer, Volunteers set about singling up all docklines, passing up and staging all our new sunbrella seat cushions, taking down and stowing the awning, filling our igloo jug with water and an ice "bowl" from the freezer. Our question was answered at 1800 when only two men from the group showed any enthusiasm in helping to set the jumbo. While Bos'un Bryan administered the welcome and safety briefing to our guests amidships, the last of the pizza boxes arrived and were stowed below in the saloon, to be handed out sometime later. Next step take off the gangway. Not unexpectedly, taking off the gangway did not go without a hitch or two, unnoticed by the passengers, but a consequence of a relatively raw crew. Half of us had never taken this schooner off the dock before. The learning curve was steep but they were climbing it quickly, and each drill, maneuver, sail evolution was working more smoothly, safely. During this operation we discovered our gangway hydraulic jack to be inoperable, requiring three hands now, to lift it off it's braces and haul it back alongside the deck benches, cast off the falls and swing them inboard for their shipmates on deck to overhaul and secure. Undocking was made simple by the right combination of river current, tide and wind, enabling us to gain a wide bow angle quickly then power off clear. As docklines were coiled we called forward our three "volunteer" guests, and advised others to get out their camera's for a unique phot op-watching their colleagues haul up the jumbo sail, complete with sweating it the last two feet. Inspite of the inspired effort and success of their colleagues' effort in raising the jumbo, no one else indicated any interest in trying out,,say, the jib, which was already dressed for setting. The rest of the cruise was smooth and uneventful, a welcome late seabreeze coming in lasted into the evening well past sunset. Our guests shared their pizza supply with the crew, much welcomed. Just at dusk, we turned toward the dock, struck the jumbo and made up our heaving lines. Nick took a volunteer on shore in the dinghy, then took station on the starboard bow to steady the schooners' angle. As the schooner seemed to drift imperceptibly towards the dock, a bit too far south, Capt Bobby decided he didn't like the angle, and increased throttle for a go-around. This time you could see our angle spot on, as Will Ventress at throttle and Nick in the pushboat kept her perfectly parallel to the dock from 75 feet away, letting the opposing current and incoming tide slowly push the hull directly towards the dock. At 30 feet Capt Bobby shouted out Throw 4, and Volunteer Harold slung the leaded bag in a perfect arc over Sam's head, where he could grab the line and immediatley start hauling the stern line up to the dock. As Harold took up slack and made fast, Capt Bobby let the current/tide combination float the boat forward, tightening the stern dock line and forcing the ship closer to the dock, where dockline #1 went over the side, a long throw, stretching out the heaving line, and the lead ball bag just barely slapping dock inside the bench. As Will throttle alternately forward, then reverse, #2 Dockline was sent over to stop her drift south, followed by #3 Spring line. The hull sideslipped closer to the dock unti her waist rested squarely under the gangway base. Nick sped the small boat around into the marina, then joined Sam on the dock to help lift and set the gangway. Only two days off until a slightly different volunteer crew mustered on Friday, at 0900

Spirit's Volunteer Crew Explores new skill challenges as the schooner becomes more active.

 Active Volunteers aboard Spirit of South Carolina over the past month must be sensing the shifting of work aboard, on deck and in the rigging. From months of varnishing, scraping, canvas repair, etc, punctuated by refreshers in basic safe line handling and knots, they are now facing situations, that build on the basics being practiced over the past year or so. 

Last month, volunteers learned to work together to up-rig a new awning, and rolling hitches, gasket coils, lines running fair, chafing awareness, were no longer hypotheticals, but necessary, useful tools. Last Saturday, the application of "purchase" in the way of using the ship's block and tackle to perform feats of immense strength, became a tool for improvisation.  The crew rigged a pair of "handy-billy''s-each with four-to-one purchase between the bow and the dock piling, to pull the bow seven feet closer to the dock, essentially multiplying the pulling force of four deckhands 8 times.

This week, new adventures continued.  On Wednesday afternoon, volunteers Bryan Oliver, Walter Barton, Dan Feerst, Dallas Spencer and Nick Swarts mustered on deck with Captains Bobby and Will to cast off and motor the schooner out to the Middle Ground, just south of  Castle Pinckney where volunteers, almost all for the first time, walked thru the drill of "Catting the anchor" with the Anchor Burton tackle, and on que, releasing the anchor into 20 feet, timing the clattering rushing of chain overboard for 8 seconds, to estimate a rode of around 100 feet out before Dan Feerst on the wheel brake furiously twisted down on the wild cat to stop the chain. Stopper on, Capt Bobby reversed engines and set the anchor.  Another Volunteer First. 

the 

Capt Bobby and Richard from Capt's Choice
 set up the new pole into the Yokohama

Two days, later, Friday morning, many of the same mustered at the dock to rearrange, and re-string the three huge Yokohama blivit fenders more securely against designated pilings.  The previous night, Nick Swarts pulled anchor watch, suffering an evening not much cooler that the hot day that preceded. Nevertheless he was there to launch the Small Boat.  With Volunteers in the small boat to screw and bolt new chains onto the existing pole, unraveling and pulling off old, chafing barnacles bridles.  

Capt Bobby and Sam Sablonsky check the position
 of the yokohama against the piling.

Others with Capt Bobby  trucked in a new pole for the third "rogue" yokohama, first towing it over to a floating dock to thread it onto the new pole,, rig chain "leashes on either end, then tow it back into position to chain each Yokohama onto it's assigned piling.   Now we were ready for Spirit of South Carolina to return to dock.  

That happened this past Saturday morning, the 13th, when a volunteer crew ferried themselves in two runs from the dock out to the schooner, still riding anchor in the same position.    Now  for another first.  Volunteers set up the Brake handles on the big bronze windless, locking them in.  Bryan and Dan set the pawls on the starboard Wildcat, where the chain already strained in the grooves. Tony Marchesani cleared the chain anchor stopper hook away, while Capt Bobby slowly motored forward to a spot over the anchor.   With the chain up and down, Four Volunteers manned the brakes and commenced to pumping.  Dallas Spencer demanded a shanty, so he and Bryan started up with "Pump her boys, Pump her dry, down to hell and up to the sky,, Bend your back and break your bones, were just a thousand miles from home.. you get it. We ran out of verses with stiff 40 feet to go.  Pumpers were relieved, and continued the rhythm until  jarred to a stop.  No amount of leaning, jumping, would give another link. The chain was guitar string taut.  A quick report back to Capt Bobby, who concluded the anchor was just very well dug into the muddy bottom.  A throttle forward  quickly followed by a reverse, while pumpers kept up the strain, and a noticeable clanging and pop as the anchor freed, and the chain started rolling again. Bryan yelled back to Capt Bobby, "anchor's aweigh". In less than a minute the anchor broke the surface and hung suspended off the hawse hole.  Now the teamwork took on a new direction. With three on the Burton, standing by, Dallas climbed out into the starboard head rig with the  burton tackle and it's small hook. In two try's he snagged the anchor ring, called for the Burton to take up,, and crew began sweating up the 500 lb anchor to a point where Bryan could  pass a strop thru the ring,  return it back over the cathead, twice repeated, then lashed down.  Now the Burton team gave slack,  slipped the Burton hook out of the anchor ring and caught it onto the rope bridle spanning the anchor's flukes, still hanging vertically off the cathead.  In four good pulls, the Burton team hauled up the flukes just enough to clear the cap rail, where Volunteers positioned the ocean-plaited matt over the battens, and the flukes were lowered down.  Another lashing made over the flukes and a smaller one square-lashing the anchor stock onto the cathead brace. Meanwhile, Capt Bobby had swung the schooner back around and was motoring to the dock and our newly positioned yokohama fenders. Ken Fonville stood by to take lines.  Nick was sent over the side along with another volunteer to be dropped off at the dock to assist Ken. Dock lines set up to run. Heaving lines hitched on, coiled for throwing

With a little pushing from Nick in the small boat, Capt Bobby rode the flooding tide  to less then 20 feet from the dock.  in quick succession heaving lines flew over the dock and quickly hauled over to their appropriate cleat. With her hull centered on the Gangway frame. the dock line team quickly transitioned to  team. Shipboard dock line handlers shifted to the falls to receive the gangway.  The team swung the balky-tipsy aluminum bridge out over the edge settling the outboard end on the ship while maneuvering the inboard end to a position for sliding in it's hinge pole.   Like clockwork. 

Steady Progress is Outpacing Obstacles and Issues

 This past Independence Day Week has been an admittedly mixed bag of high's and lows.  If you were living last week,, with a 10-foot high- day-to-day frame of reference,  mucking around in the swamp of daily sweat and tears, you might have felt your expectations fallen short, Charters planned, some cancelled schedules changed, training sails cancelled,  more focused deckhand training, but crew billets left unfilled. Plus it's just damned hot! More time on the dock, still waiting for casting off and sailing.  A great evening on deck for Fireworks.  That's one perspective,

 But..

If you stood up higher, and gazed around at the 500 foot level (metaphor for a broader reflection of the future and recent history, trends and events-more context).You could not miss these;

Our Volunteer Roster of active volunteers has quadrupled since December. Volunteers are signing up via our Website, and referrals from other volunteers.  Volunteers are seeing Schedules appear. The Ship's operating tempo (human activity measured in labor-hours) at all levels has jumped.   Our planned time underway has likewise soared from Zero for 3 years, to now two or more cast-off's per month(cancellations acknowledged).  Already we are tracking two or more charter bookings per month.  One  significant observation,, if not most significant, is that, with every cast-off, every cancellation, training or maintenance we are learning-lessons. And we, as a crew and as an organization are getting better. And.. though it's still hot, we've got the Awning downrig/up-rig, to a five minute drill.

It's a good course to be steering, and our sail trim is improving.

Now, back to this past week.

All of us had hoped for a July 4th afternoon harbor sail in one form or another.  At best, we would've had a paid charter to sail, but despite Capt Bobby's best efforts to promote a paid charter, it did not come to pass.  Lesson Learned; Advanced Planning  using a City Events Calendar on the table.  The Post and Courier, and City Paper, both hosted ads by local charter sailboats for afternoon/ evening  Harbor sails and Fireworks Viewing. We were not in either.

The back-up plan for seven of us who had signed up as crew for that afternoon, was just a training sail. Unfortunately, by the morning of the 4th, the SignUP roster for that harbor sail showed mostly New Volunteers, and "never-evers" remaining on the crew roster, not a desirable proportion for training, and operating a traditional sailing vessel in a busy harbor at the same time.  Subsequently, several motivated  but mostly rooky volunteers mustered Wednesday afternoon with nowhere to go. Bos'un Bryan easily converted it to a New Volunteer orientation and basic deckhand skills check offs. 

Three new volunteers  US Navy sailors, Lance Halderman, his SO, Kyra(a civilian) from San Antonio, Maxwell  Dale, Alden N., and Martin Bull mustered on board at 3 pm.  For the next three hours, Bos'un Bryan conducted orientation on Volunteer Roles, the Volunteer Log,  and then on deck for safe line handling, coiling, bowlines and dock lines, intended to make them competent for the next planned sail which was scheduled for Saturday Morning 6 July. 

By 1800 the deck crew-in-training had weathered the hot afternoon, and were ready to get below for some additional Volunteer Administration under the blasting fan in the saloon. At that time, Deckhand Alumni, Danni Feerst came on deck, and volunteered to about-face and go provision for sandwich makings from Harris Teeter. 

By 2000 hours, as dusk arose the breeze cooled, the deck started filling with guests.  Harold Wilkins, and spouse, Walter Barton, Mark Held and wife, Wayne Burdick too, Capt Bobby, joined our new volunteers on deck, set up our stash of 7 operational deck chairs along the port side cap rail to watch the display.  Danni Feerst also on deck, generously invited another seven members of the public standing on the dock, to join us on deck.  The show started with a startlingly impressive display around 2115, and lasted a good half-hour to 40 minutes. 

 .Saturday morning was planned out at a Volunteer Training Sail, just volunteers aboard for a no-stress, team-building/skill-enhancing/ well-spent morning on the water.   Once again we faced a cancellation; this time, we were short a second license on board, required by USCG Regs.  The change of plans to transition to a training day were communicated sufficiently early to allow participants some flexibility back into their own weekend plans.   

Nevertheless, nine volunteers  most from the previous Thursday, to put into action their training.  Bryan arranged the morning to be performance oriented.  Having walked thru safe line handling, and undocking and docking. Bryan assigned volunteers to each dock line, and on shore. After a cursory review of  commands and actions, with emphasis on repeating commands, and minimizing chatter. Bryan and crew executed a complete undocking operation, from "Stand-by Dock lines" taking off all four lines (the doubled ones. we stayed tied to the dock for this exercise). to "Coil and nipper-up". Time for some hydration under the shade of the awning.

 The next drill was to rig up the dock lines just retrieved,  bend on heaving lines, and "Stand-by lines". Bryan set the sequence that might  be directed from the quarter deck, for warping the schooner into the dock. In that sequence, Bryan shouted out the commands for sending each heaving line over waiting heads of volunteer shipmates, one at a time. The drill was only completed after each dock line had been made to a cleat,  all lines properly tensioned with dock line commands.. "Check," Hold!",  "Ease",; heaving lines recovered and gasket coiled. Another break in the shade for hydration and an after action review.

"Haul Away Together!" with 6-to-1 purchase, an easy pull

And for extra credit, Bos'un Bryan led the crew thru the rigging of two 'Handy-Billy's" to pull the schooner's bow closer to the dock, forcing the stern out and allowing adjustments of fenders to the pilings.  

With the next break and more hydration, the crew listed their menu preferences for Bryan and Capt Bobby's run to East Bay for a carry-out lunch.  

Last task was to secure the deck, put all trash ashore, clean up the galley and finally trice up and furl the awning back onto the foresail gaff.  

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