And Things Were Going So Well; then a Curve Ball, but maybe a base hit.

Bryan Oliver awards Nick Swarts
 his 50 Hours Pin; Shipmates, Lance and Tony
 provide the boisterous audience.

 First some catching up. A few weeks ago we recognized Nick Swarta, once a new Volunteer, but no longer, after racing past 50 hours of Volunteer Time. He's currently well on his way to 100 hours if  not already, and I haven't checked the Volunteer Log yesterday.  You'll see him often  crewing the small boat as Coxwain.  My lateness excuse was searching for this lost photo. 

Nick's in good company with a much welcomed stream of new Volunteers mustering with us over the past couple of months. 

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It was an exciting ten days-filled with a growing schedule of cruises, a growing roster of new volunteers that needed to be trained, and a sense of an increasing visibility of our schooner to the general public.  

Saturday, the 20th of July Coaches for Character Students,(Sponsored by Baker Motors) and their adult leadership came aboard for a Reward pleasure cruise.  Nevertheless, our crewmembers cajoled several of them into raising the headsails, and do some line handling and coiling.  

No sooner had we secured the ship after  putting our student visitors ashore, than a request came down from the Executive Assistance Office for another Impact Charleston Cruise for  Wednesday, July 24th. At that point the Volunteer program hit the limit all of us were  warning ourselves about- the capacity of volunteers to meet the cruise demand. As early as last year, the conversation around crewing with Volunteers, included an admonition, that to staff three harbor sails a week, would require a bench of at least 40 competent volunteers, with the concept that, out of that bench, a crew of 5 or so could easily be found for any given day.  We're still a ways from 40. And so it was, that Spirit of South Carolina was forced to decline a sailing opportunity for that Wednesday the 24, because of inability to bring aboard sufficient competent crew.  While unavoidable, it was not a good look for us, and reinforced the need for a sizeable build-up of crew capability.

The following Saturday, the 27th a regularly scheduled Volunteer Day was lightly attended, Dallas Spencer brought along his ship's carpenter tool kit, and proceeded to repair the Dory's inside gunwale that had been torn up in a previous incident of weather and a hard dock.  not surpisingly due the the highly anticipated promise of a serious All-Day Training cruise the following Sunday, 4 August, to the Sea Buoy and back, about 49 nautical miles. 

And to make it interesting, our Co-Captains invited aboard a large contingent from the Charleston Offshore Racing  Association. I initially viewed this change with dismay, since it upended plans for serious deck operations training at sea, including emergency drills.   However, the mental picture of  over 22 CORA sailors and skippers-modern day serious sailors, enthusiastically jumping in to learn halyard hauling, coiling, and tending-sailing the hard way.  This was a group from whom insinuations came that Spirit of South Carolina was no longer doing anything,, no longer worth a serious thought.. Ouch!  

This cruise would become a perfect opportunity to change some hearts, gain some badly needed moral support and visibility in the sailing community, and hopefully,, more volunteers.  Brilliant.

As Monday July 29, came along, Capt Heath Hackett, our Project Manager, pointed out the possibility of heavy weather moving up the coast around Sunday, risky enough to force a decision mid-week whether to go or cancel the cruise. 

Two days later, Wednesday a few Volunteers mustered  with our Co-Captains Will and Bobby to hoist one of them aloft for rigging inspection. Sam Sablotsky and brother Levi joined Carin Bloom and Bryan on deck to rig up the bosun's chairs on the peak halyards.  In that session Capt Bobby confirmed that earlier that day, he had declined a final offer from the organization for assuming command of Spirit of South Carolina as Captain.  An agreement could not be reached on compensation. And Wednesday would be his final day.  

Later that day, the Cruise to the Sea Buoy was cancelled.

Setback.

Ramifications extend to our ability to cast off, let alone schedule sailings, and generate revenue.

Insinuations and Allegations?  Who and what the heck happened?!  While tempting, we realistically have no time for them. They are distractions to what we signed on for, that is taking joy in something bigger than ourselves, the idea of stewarding a traditional Wooden Sailing Vessel, one of a kind, learning the skills, culture seamanship that she demands, , the best in us, as Alan Villiers would say.

 Spirit of South Carolina is still here. She still has purpose. We are the ones who board her and bring her to life.  

For a day or so, I was at a loss, but then I paid a visit to Colleen Flynn.

Colleen is the Executive Assistant to Mr. Baker, who leads our governing Board. Turns out she's been named Acting Executive Director,, a job position I thought had been vacant for 3 years. 

Colleen assured me that the game was still on.  Programs- underserved youth cruises, Team building cruises, other opportunities were still being sought, and tentatively scheduled. The serious search was on for a new Captain, and she was working on a scheme she wasn't quite ready to share yet, but had enthusiastic endorsement of her boss, and our Project Manager, Capt Heath.  In the short time we had at her office, we actually covered a number of topics, several of them relevant to Volunteers.   

The conclusion I reached was that she was bringing some new energy into the game.  So, we're holding our course.