Only three of us mustered last Saturday morning the 8th. Weather was, well, simply perfect. so we found reasons to stay up on deck. After some initial commiseration regarding our all feeling like orphans, which quickly washed away on reflecting we were standing aboard this schooner like we owned her, were essentially on our own, to set our own priorities,, maintain?, train? or play.
Maintain? It was becoming a challenge to organize work priorities. All the major pre-shipyard punchlist items had been resolved, now it was looking for other, long-standing issues, long ignored, but needing resolution; all important but not urgent: The forecastle head, the bent stanchions, scraping and varnishing everywhere, deep cleaning below decks, oiling the pinrails, sampson posts, and riding bitts. The mast hoops could use some scraping and re-oiling. Plenty of other stuff that might as well wait until Shipyard.. Last Saturday, Walter, Lance, and Ken Fonville did finishing touches on Dory's big blue sheer stripe, now looking sharper than ever. Afterwards we pulled out the bag of practice ropes for knot skills and walked thru the rules, and conditions for a fair and fun knot-tying competition. We are finding the techniques and secrets knotting in quick succession.. easier than it looks, with some practice. Wait.. is this "play?"
Train? We're about totally downrigged, so nothing hands'on in that area.. But then there's harbor navigation, hard chart navigation, we have two sextants onboard, then there's the Bloom Six-Knot Challenge.
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| Prepping Dory to be swung outboard into Boston Harbor for some joy-sailing |
Play? Well, it's all mostly play anyway. am I right? Still there's some deserved time to specifically enjoy where we are. That's part of the reason Dory is with us. Now she's only two volunteer sessions from rigging up and launching her into the water for the first time in many months. If you want to take her out, just show up and volunteer!
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