Improved Weather Helps Volunteers tackle the Schooner's Big Rigging

Slowly, steadily, interrupted only by the Holidays, Volunteers have been working on-deck projects to prepare Spirit of South Carolina for her upcoming delivery and time in Shipyard; the 10-Year Deep Inspection- Shipyard required of all USCG Inspected Sailing vessels. This shipyard will require the un=stepping of our Schooner's masts and taking apart the metal fittings, collars, shackles to inspect for rot, fatigue, anything that would compromise the rig for the conditions she'd be expected to endure; in our case, not near-shore/intercoastal, but sea-going. 

In spite of near freezing weather over the past month, Volunteers had succeeded in bringing down the massive gaff and boom spars from the Fore and Main masts, and lashing them to the deck for sea. The foremasts running rigging-sheets, halyards, preventers, vangs, downhauls, had all been down-rigged, measured for length and replacement, coiled and stowed below in the forecastle.  The Mainmasts gaff and huge boom, likely a ton's worth of Douglas Fir, had also been lowered onto the deck.  Now what remained was taking down all the Mainmast's running rigging, blocks and tackles, and likewise labeling, measuring, coiling, and stowing.

This Saturday,  promised a sunny day, no wind and warming temps into the 50's , a welcome change from the past month's blasts.

 Six volunteers mustered aboard, sometimes struggling to keep their footing on 3 inches of frozen snow that remained on the deck and the dock from four previous days of snow and freezing. As usual, the electrical power from the dock had tripped off, requiring 3 separate long walks to the pedestal to reset breakers and try a different sequence of power circuit switch. Hopefully, the bilge pump switch would work weekend.  

Lance sets the tape measure,
while Walter marks off the first ten feet.

Bryan quickly mapped out the tasks to be performed, and noted the additional safety precautions to be attended due to icy decks, and heavy falling halyards they came off the blocks aloft. Lance Halderman and Walter Barton grabbed masking tape, a long tape measure from the tool locker, and a couple of Markers, to layout measured distances the length of the finger dock all the way to the  Museum, about 250 feet.  

The rest of the Volunteers, Wayne Burdick, Danny Johnson, Ken Fonville, Ryan Smith, and Bryan Oliver, took stations to down rig the throat, then peak halyards. Both lines, together totaled just less than 1000 feet of 1 and 1/8 ' diameter three-strand rope, running through massive double blocks, shackled aloft and  on deck, at the already lowered spars.  The rest of the day is best described in the photos below, thanks to Danny Johnson, and Walter Barton.

Ryan unfouls the Peak Halyard fouled by loose lazyjacks,
 while Ken repositions the turning block to allow the halyard to run.

Wayne hauling down the the Peak halyard Jigger end,
 overhauling the peak halyard thru it's four block sheaves
 down to the pile at his feet.

Danny starts the haul of the throat halyard
 from it's pile on the deck
 all the way to the base of the dock
 before doubling back to lay out its total of 405 feet.

Danny Johnson stands by after handing off
 the bitter end of the throat halyard to Lance
 who is feeding it to Walter, building the huge
coil at his feet.

 

Ryan shoulders all 405 feet of 1 inch Throat halyard
down the gangway into the waiting arms
of Bryan below in the forecastle.

Ryan ready to hand down the Throat Halyard to Bryan in the Forecastle Hatch.

Danny Johnson at far end with the peak halyard
having stretched its 526 feet back down the dock
 for labeling and coiling.

With two huge coils of line stowed below and four equally huge running blocks unshackled from their spars, labeled and displayed on a PFD Locker for their next steps of maintenance, Volunteers took on one last volunteer task.  At the request of Bryan Oliver, the crew piled into cars and converged on the LowCountry Maritime Society boat yard where Bryan had brought is Beetle Cat(boat) for its own haulout and overhaul. In short order they had the hull off the trailer, gently sat on the thick soft sawdust stall floor, then tipped over, and lifted up onto sawhorses. For all that, Bryan will offer free sailing lessons, plus a solo, if they can help him get her back on the trailer after a project of sanding, sealing, and repainting.

Lance, Bryan, and Ryan,
with "Sean O."  Bryan's Beetle Cat

Ryan, Lance and Wayne tip over 

Bryan's Beetle Cat for lifting up onto sawhorses.