Gone to Sea! Spirit of South Carolina Breaks free of the Jetties!

 Woohoo!  For the first time since 2019, Spirit of South Carolina broke free of the coast.  Saturday morning, the 21st,  was an almost perfect day, fair winds-easterly, but less than 10 knots. We could've made good use of another 5 to10.  We did make good use of some other welcome help.  Coming on deck for the first time in four years, Ship's Cook, Ray Krugger and former First Mate, Charlie Porzelt came aboard to help out and provide some valuable perspective from their extensive experience aboard other tall ships as well as Spirit. 

After a muster at 0830, and organizing into 3 watches, the crew of  18 volunteers set to sea stowing the deck, launching the tender,  "dressing all four sails" and taking off the gangway. Under joint command of Bobby Nobles and Will Ventress,  we cast off around 0930 and made straight down the channel for the jetties. In another first, the crew raised the tender all the way onto the deck for sea-stowing. 

 Leaving Shutes Folly (Castle Pinkney) to starboard, Capt Bobby directed Bos'un Bryan to set the Main.  All three watches teamed up on the halyards downhauls, vangs, and sheets, raising all  four sails by the time we glided past Ft. Sumter.

Under Full Sail outbound past
 Sullivan's Island

 Now motor sailing to get beyond the jetties, the waters were still quiet until the last rocks passed our transom.  The  harbor ripples immediately increased to offshore swells, and Spirit of South Carolina began a subtle role, combined with a rise and fall.  The wind stayed constant around 10 knots, but dead on our nose, , forcing us to tack away from our charted course for the Sea Buoy- 19 nautical miles Southeast from Sullivans Island Light. So, Capt Bobby put the helm down, the crew hardened up sheets, and, under full sail she bore off to the South-Southeast on a beat. 

Now, for those of you have sailed you know that, though sails are all set and drawing, the work is only half-done. Our crew was largely newer volunteers, more than a few first-timers and visitors, so our "older salts", Nick Swarts, Nate Mack, Dave Brennan, and Carin Bloom took charge, The experienced hands each gathered three or more "waisters" around them, and together they coiled, and ballantined  15 separate piles of cordage now tangled in heaps the length of the deck.

An almost perfect Flat Coil
 of the Main Sheet

Once the deck resumed an orderly appearance, Bryan organized the three Watches around the three "stations" or duties of a standard Watch;  Helm. Forward Lookout, and Boat Checks.   For the next 90 minutes each group learned and practiced the responsibiliti


es, procedures, and protocols of "Standing Watch."   

As the Watch round-robins were concluding, Sea Cook Ray had taken charge of organizing the lunch provisions below in the salon. As the watches concluded, he roared up to the Bos'un that lunch was ready below. Crew eagerly piled down below for  sandwiches and beverages. 

As watches completed and secured from lunch, all had some time to just gaze around, back to the coast, now 10 miles to the northwest, and mostly below the horizon. The sun was warming  and intense, softened by the constant breeze, and the ship's 4.5 knots. Our sea state had grown to rolling swells of two feet, creating in the deck a siginificant yaw and roll, guaranteed to give every soul on board a "Sailor's Gait"  once they returned to terra firma. 

By 1500, Capt Bobby conferred with his officers on their progress.  As pleasant as the sail was we weren't making the progress needed to make the sea buoy and return to port by 1700.  Capt Bobby called to tack the schooner.  With even our new volunteers, crew quickly found and stood by their sheets. As Capt Bobby brought her head up into the wind, the headsails were first eased off, then backwinded to help get the bow across the wind.  the Fore and Main were sheeted in tightly, then allowed to pass over as the bow swung thru the wind.  Headsails then passed and sheeted in. Almost like clockwork. Amazing what an afternoon does.

One new drill remained to be exercised.

Mate, Charlie Porzelt conferred with Bos'un Bryan on state of the Preventer rigs, the tackles that would hold out a boom "preventing" an accidental jibe.. After Bryan's assurance they were operational, Charlie called out to rig the foresail preventer. Once set, the crew moved aft to the Mainmast and repeated the drill.

Now on a broad reach with wind over the starboard quarter, Spirit of South Carolina was at her best point of sail. Approaching six knots, even in the light breeze, she rode across the swells splitting then with spray exploding off the weather bow, and water boiling into the leeward scuppers, and sliding back off just as quickly. 

Hands to the headrig to furl the jib.

Shooting the jetties too soon - we were still relishing the ride, Capt Bobby directed crew to start taking in sail. Under Charlie Porzelt's direction, newer volunteers on the halyards did a decent job of lowering away while other shipmates lined up along the booms to flake as the sail lowered. 

By the time the tender was rigged and launched for docking, all sail was lowered and furled. New Volunteer Madison on dockline #3, reared back and let fly her heaving line in a perfect arc stretching it high over the head  Charlie Porzelt waiting on the dock;
. a first-time ever Perfect throw.  With

And... We're Back! and picking up a little speed.

 Nobody likes Dead-Air,, Radio stations hate it because it influences listeners to switch channels. Dead air in electronic communication on a network is at least, annoying, and at worst, a bit frightening, because listeners suddenly get silence where before there was information, direction, knowledge, or just plain chatter,, all a sudden,, quiet.. "something must be wrong, or we would've been warned."  

So, yeah,, after 24 August,, the Volunteer kind-a sorta went dark,, for 3 weeks.  My bad.  I doubt I warned anyone sufficiently, that I would be heading out on a two-week trip up to New York for my classmates' 50th year reunion, after-which, Jane and I would continue north up the Hudson River into the Adirondacks for some sightseeing.  

That did not mean there was nothing to write about.   Volunteer Saturdays continued, Special projects were taken on and advanced. Volunteers surpassed their 100 service hours (Dallas Spencer,(actually back in July,) and Ryan Smith-50 service hours.   New Volunteers tested the water.  and something else, notable..  Captain Bobby returned to take command; with that, a sharpened focus on priorities, like fixing once and for all those yokohama fenders.. getting more volunteers sharpened up to sail the schooner off shore. and building up revenue-generating charter sails.

Being incommunicado most of my vacation, on purpose, I had much catching up to do, starting with the two-day drive back home.  

The September 21st  Training Sail to the Sea Buoy is very much on, and signups are still open.  We'll take up to 30. There will be a waitlist. Priority aboard will go to the most competent volunteers, to build initial 1st string of Volunteer crew, capable of training other volunteers, Volunteers who will be able to return, not on their way out.  

Between now and then, there are needs for volunteers in small numbers to support the next five business day afternoons on board, with a Baker Motor Company's Teambuilding   Facilitator.  Details are sketchy, but I'll find out soon enough when I show up, how 'we'll support. 

We will cast off for a short period of time only to clear the dock space to make a final repair solution on those Yokohama's. That will require volunteer crew aboard ship, at least 9, and a separate crew of volunteers dockside and in the small boat, with tools to affect the final fastenings.

I'm supporting Capt Hobby's intent for a second. day-long Training Sail to the Sea Buoy. Hopefully a week or two before October 18. when our first really big show will occur.

Spirit of South Carolina is coordinating with the Festival committee of the Georgetown Wooden Boat Show, for us to make an official appearance. We will anchor outside the harbor (too shallow at their dock). We are marketing to fill up 10-15 berths with guest crew,  to complement our own, and pay for the privilege.     Volunteer crew will man every aspect of that four day cruise,, the passage to Georgetown, the anchorage and ferrying of guest crew ashore,  training of guest crew to perform crew duties, and the passage home.  Volunteers will signup  for that long weekend, in segments, depending on how much they can commit.   This will be our largest  and most public show to date; an off-shore passage, with passengers,, guest crew, learning from us, and receiving an unforgettable experience. 

  The ship isn't just wasting away; on the contrary.  our optempo is accelerating.     -