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