Volunteer Initiative overcomes Disappointments resulting in a Productive Saturday.

 Although a little marred by a disappointing Volunteer turnout, the four stalwarts, Tony Marchesani, Doug Hartley, Danny Johnson, and Mikell Evatt,  who did muster Monday morning made notable with creativity and initiative.  For once, favorable weather didn't hinder the projects that needed attending, only the number of hands to tackle an ever-increasing punchlist. 

The priority for Saturday was an attempt up the shrouds to replace the inoperative radar dome on the mainmast. This required a topman with bucket of wrenches to climb the main shrouds all the way to the spreaders.  A bosun's chair could not be raised sufficiently for its occupant to reach that part of the mast.  

Doug running antennae cable back
 down the shrouds. Note the
 ratboard configuration over his head.

Doug Hartley volunteered to make the climb, and, so fully harnessed, with a small tool bucket attached, he started up, closely watched by his deck team,  Doug made it to the top except for the last four feet, where the two shrouds were lashed together, allowing further climbing by stepping on the outside where small ratboards extended outward six inches.  Stepping on them created a torque and twisting motion, threatening the climber's loss of footing. Doug attempted a couple of alternative routes over the top, but was hampered by the same obstacle on both port and starboard shrouds.  Back on deck, in a self-critique, they reasoned that the climb might be successful with an under-150 lb topman, and/or some tensioning of the shrouds to reduce the twist tendency. Both made sense. But they were not easily resolved issues for that day. 

Not to be stalled, the four shifted to their back-up punchlist, and focused on the refinishing of several deck furnishings.   With two sanders, and scrapers, the four took the entire jumbo boom down to wood, smoothed it, and started an 8-step recoating/preserving with Deks-olje D1.  Completing 5 coats, was sufficient, at which the absorption rate required a 24-hour period.  The team then proceeded to all the portside kevels.   

Tony  had observed the previous weekend of a serious cracking of the life ring flag pennant rack, along the deck, and so unbolted the two 3x8 inch wood brackets to take home, and recreate new ones.

Next week, will continue to finish off the existing D1 projects, and add a few different ones.

Rainy Saturday forces a shift to below-decks projects and interrupted Mast restoration momentum.

 This past Saturday was a hoped-for opportunity to maintain the momentum created the previous week in advancing our Mast Maintenance; At end of that day, we had noticeably advanced the work of sanding, oiling both, Fore and Main masts.  Despite the ominous rain forecast, I was counting on the swing-and-misses of past weather forecasts to continue.

Unfortunately, this Saturday the predicted solid day of rain actually did show up, likely dampening potential volunteer activity. Nevertheless, five of us volunteers still came on board, some likely out of simple curiosity for possible projects, or maybe just for some news. I'm hoping that a better weather forecast will encourage a bigger Muster, next time.   

As for news.. there is none.  As of last news, over three weeks ago there was Board-level discussion of the ship's general future, one option as an attraction vessel; unknown if that would be short time or much longer. This is a foundational, mission-related issue that must be resolved before anything else can happen.  There is no news of progress in search for a Captain, and paid crew, prerequisites for prepping for and regaining the USCG Certificate of Inspection.  

On the plus side, on deck we are seeing funds made available to reimburse for hardware expenses, such as lubricants, electrical hardware, paints and coatings, hand tools, abrasives, and other useful stuff. And finally, there is discussion beginning on setting a date and planning for our own Appreciation Day.  Your input is welcome.

As for the five of us that did muster, we laid in on a project started the previous weekend.  Tool maintenance; something accomplished without need to be on deck.. in the rain.

Lobscouse prep in
the Oliver Galley

Bryan Oliver arrived first, bringing a pot of Lobscouse to share at lunch with any other volunteers who showed up.  Ken Fonville, followed by Danny Johnson came down the ladder into the saloon; Danny bringing along a dense sweet Soda Bread loaf, and a caramel cake. At least Lunch was showing much more promise. And Hunter would be grateful for not being asked to hike in the rain round trip to Harris Teeter for provisioning.  Finally, Tony Marchesani appeared, ready to further some electrical cable maintenance.  

Diverse collection of hardware gathered
 from all over the ship, most salvageable

After some direction from Bryan, parts of the crew went forward to the forecastle and set up a station of distilled vinegar, for marinating heavily rusted hand tools, and a second soaking station of WD40 lubricant for soaking the de-rusted and dried tools with the moisture displacing lube and preservative. The other crew scoured the dock tool lockers and tool berths for caches of neglected hardware; drive bits, drivers, wrenches, chisels; anything indicating rust damage.  Tony moved in another direction; to repair some of our extension cords.

New socket finds.

By lunch time, the crew had a piles of tools of all sizes and types, loosely organized and in various stages of vinegar marinating, WD40 preservative soaking, and putting away under our improved organizing discipline.  Tony had discovered an additional bag full of loose sockets and drivers; which he reorganized on socket rails and bags.  

Once lunch was complete, scullery and clean-up operations accomplished, all that was left was to secure tools, clean up work areas and disembark while inspecting Danny Johnson's gangway handrail handiwork.. still working by the way.

Volunteers demonstrate Creativity on Two Projects

Seven volunteers mustered on deck Saturday morning to continue some existing projects and start a few new ones.  The two masts remain a priority due to their extended neglect, and need for sanding down, oiling, and slushing to restore some preservative and protection to them. Progress has been intermittent over the past two months due to poor weather. 

Meanwhile, our two life raft canisters, appeared on the dock, fresh from inspection and restocking of expirables, as did the Fore Staysail (Jumbo) neatly rolled  up fresh from the sailmaker's. Unfortunately it was left sitting on the concrete dock without any dunnage below to allow for ventilation and moisture control.  Bryan Oliver salvaged a small pallet from an neighbor and rolled the sail up onto it.

Meanwhile, last weekend, a creative solution was conceived to the continuous issue of lack of a permanent hand-railing spanning from the dock steps to the gangway. Tide changes that forced the gangway rail to rise and fall, was stymying any fixed solutions, until now.  So, Saturday, with materials at hand, Danny Johnson was set to tackle this project and test our theory.

Weatherwise, this past Saturday was not looking good for advancing our planned mast projects aboard. NNW winds sustained at 10-15 knots, gusting to 20, would make it dicey for swinging about in a bosun's chair, let alone trying to slush a mast with linseed oil without it scattering over the deck.  And so, Bryan  Oliver redirected hands to rigging up a sling and boat falls for swinging aboard the two life raft canisters. Tony Marchesani, Doug Hartley, David Brennan, and Mikell Evatt manned the falls, and dockside taglines to control the lifting, swinging over, and lowering away to the deck where they secured each in their forward and aft deck mounting brackets. 

Meanwhile, Danny Johnson and David La Zar organized tools, extension cords, and materials on the dock to begin fashioning a piece of 2x 4 into a sliding hand rail. As those tasks progressed, Bryan set up an oiling station for applying coats of "Deks Olje" D.1 preservative sealant, onto the port side kevel cleats, just recently sanded down to bare wood, handing it off to Doug who managed 7 coats on as the day progressed.  

Just as Bryan was about to run out of projects that would justify provisioning for lunch and afternoon work, Mikell pointed out that the winds were noticeably easing off.  White caps had disappeared, and conditions improving for sending hands aloft to continue the mast preparation. A lunch fund was quickly collected and handed off to Hunter who disembarked for his hike to Harris Teeter.  The rest of the crew gathered around the mainmast to rig up a bosun's chair.  

The mainmast posed a particular challenge in that the throat halyard tackles available to hoist up the chair were situated on the aft side of the mast, preventing the crewman in the chair from working around to the front of the mast for complete sanding coverage.  

Mikell checks the shackle of the boat falls
 that will keep him situated on the foward
side of the mainmast.

Four volunteer minds, gazing aloft at the various options, quickly gained consensus on repurposing the forward boat falls, currently holding up the gangway.  It would act as a tagline on the bosun's chair, keeping it along the forward edge of the mainmast, allowing the occupant to sand down the forward hemisphere of the mast. 

 Mikell volunteered to take a sander aloft in the chair and test out our creative theory of managing vector forces on his chair.  It worked like a charm.   

Mikell makes quick work of a forward section
of the mainmast.-now going up.

With hands left to tend Mikell and his chair, David La Zar started a new project, to gather small piles of rusted drill bits and drivers languishing in old tool bags to soak in a plastic jar of vinegar for a couple of days. 

By 1330, Hunter had returned and been at work creating more magic in the galley.. the aromas rising out of the galley hatch became quite distracting, so with relief, he called for lunch, and all hands piled down into the saloon for platefuls of Shepherds Pie.    

Lunch concluded, there remained an opportunity for one last task to advance.  The foremast had been completely sanded last week and was ready for a first coat of linseed oil.  With two volunteers already departing early, the remainder rigged up a second bosun's chair, using the jumbo halyard tackles for the forward hemisphere of the foremast.  Bryan organized a small canvas bucket holding a pint of linseed oil in a plastic jar with an absorbent rag, and climbed into the chair.  They hauled Bryan all the way to the gaff- copper mast cover, as far as the tackles would allow, where he started slopping linseed oil as far around the mast as he could.  In  about a 1/2 hour, Bryan had covered the entire length of the foremast, forward side in a coat of linseed oil, in time.  In the meantime, idle hands weren't idle, and had been securing from projects, coiling lines, securing tackles and other cordage, tools, and materials.  

By 1500, all secure on deck, remaining volunteers disembarked, still digesting huge lunch, looking forward to finishing up the mainmast with the forward boat falls, and on their way ashore, checking out Danny's workmanship on the now-sliding steps-to-gangway hand rail.

Beautiful Wooden Sailboats, just your size Help build one, or buy one. They're in reach

Lowcountry Maritime School shares an overlapping Mission with Spirit of South Carolina

Have you ever day-dreamed of just messing around in boats? I don't mean a souped up loud and fast gelcoated production thing,, but something simple, classic, an ageless style, maintainable, that might even challenge you're ego a bit, but brings you so much closer to  pure form of boating and even seamanship?   

If not, then I'm likely wasting your time. 

But if  you have,, I'd like to point you somewhere you just gotta see.

This beauty's for sale for a really
 fair price, offer, one of several.

In Mount Pleasant, a block behind the Red Drum Restaurant on Pherigo Street, sits a modest boatyard; the Low Country Maritime School. Sam Gervais runs it, along with the resident Wooden Shipwright, Rachel Berquist. Their mission is to inspire the Low Country's young people to reach their full potential through boat-building and exploring.

In one corner, partly under wraps is on its side, the wood core of a custom fisherman is under construction, but in in the other direction, under the quanset canopy and the old shed are the treasures. small wooden craft in various states of restoration, and some finished, waiting for someone to take ownership and sail them away.  In those bays are examples of arcane skills, exquisite workmanship, imagination, hundreds of years of shipbuilding knowledge, wisdom, and personal touch.     

For the past year, Sam and Rachel have encouraged volunteers to join them in special projects; primarily the restoration of donated boats for the purpose of  resale, as a revenue generator for the school. Several of them have been exhibited at the Georgetown Wooden Boat Show.   

Volunteers engage wherever they choose. Rachel assesses your skill set and assign's an appropriate tasks.  In some instances you might go a bit out of your comfort zone, but Rachel is a great coach, and good supervisor.  At the end of a two-hour session you can see what you accomplished, and appreciate what you learned.  

On the 17'foot yawl boat, Charles Sneed, we mostly sanded, filled, and repainted to make her launch worthy and rowable. Now she needs volunteers to set up and step a lug sail rig.  A couple months back we were troubleshooting an ancient Mercury Outboard, successfully getting it to start  up. the motor, and the Herreschoff Eagle cat boat we refinished were recently sold

Rachel demonstrates marking
the Rabbet  on the stem

Currently we're basically tearing down and starting to frame up an Arch Davis plan "Penobscot 14". A traditional lapstraked dinghy. If you show up you'll get as much hands-on as you want. Rachel's been coaching us on the disciplines of symmetry discipline, fair curves, moulding up.  Amazing insights into the magic of turning raw timber into such things of beauty, and utility.  Some of us have been ripping the mould battans that will set the sheer lines for the planks. Before that we were planing the bevel of the stem to restore a symmetry port and starboard, as well as shift the rabbet line to a more fair curve.

C'mon,, I know you're dyin' to learn what I just described.  

Well you can.  Every Wednesday  afternoon for two hours, you can join us at the boat yard for some comaraderie, conversation, and for sure, some boatbuilding.  This winter, it's been from 3 - 5pm, but will shortly change to 4:30PM to 6:30 pm. Bring a beverage or two, to share, 

Perry Gervais scales up from 
the plan to a full-scale frame to verify
 port and starboard symmetry.
He confirmed it wasn't, and
we'll need to mould up another one.

Contact Sam Gervais at Low Country Maritime School for details, 

or

your faithful Volunteer Coordinator via the Contact Us box in the right column.

  

Ten Volunteers Gang up on the Masts-and it shows!

 If you walked up to the face dock Friday morning you should've picked up small but hard evidence of progress.  The entire section of deck and furniture aft of the mainmast looked brand new, except for the cap rail. That's kudos to Team Hackett for their workmanship. On the dock were resting the schooner's two life raft canisters just returned from inspection and refurbishment. Next to them in a tight neat role lay the jumbo sail, noticeably cleaned up. 

Volunteer Activity this past week actually started on Friday, with the arrival of two of our crowd from out of town.  Todd Cole, from Atlanta arrived first.  Volunteer Coordinator welcomed him aboard with an immediate project to start-fabricating two new fender boards to replace the cracking old ones.  Bryan brought out the 8 foot sections of 2x10 pine  and a pair of saw-horses while Todd went below to gather up power tools, measuring stuff, and return with one of the old boards to use as a model.

Todd Cole checks a cow hitch as he rigs up
his two new fender boards. Steve Rine in
background  is measuring out seine twine, cutting
for his 18 new chafing gear sections.

Later in the morning, Steve Rine rolled in from Gainesville, FL for a day, on his way back home to Pittsburgh.  Steve brought along 20 years of volunteer deckhand experience on the square-rigger-Brig Flagship Niagara, so Bryan basically turned him loose on a separate project,, repurposing one of our old firehoses into 18 sections of chafing gear, cut, fitted with seine twine lacing. As he finished each section, Bryan grabbed a few at a time to start installing on the dock lines.  

By the time in mid afternoon when winds started picking up, all dock lines had been fitted with fresh marling-hitched chafing gear , and two brand new oiled  fender boards stowed under the bowsprit.  

Saturday morning saw the first  good weather day for Volunteers in weeks!  It was sufficient for 9 Volunteers to muster that morning, and divide up into projects Bryan organized the previous afternoon after gauging weather and  volunteer responses.  Bryan was at first understandably a little worried this morning that there wouldn't be any volunteers willing to go up the masts. The previous week, no one else on deck was willing to try the lift up. 

Today was different.  Four different volunteers stood up to going aloft.  That would enable splitting up the mast work into thirds, allowing topmen to be relieved periodically.  

Jim, Bryan, and Nate

While one volunteer passed the hat for provisioning for lunch and turn over to Hunter, Bryan laid out the priorities;  A small team went below to stow in berths the 26 immersion suits that had also returned from inspection/repair. The remainder set up two bosuns chairs on the foremast; one on the throat halyard, the other on the jumbo halyard, enabling coverage around the entire circumference of the mast from for to aft. A third bosun's seat was rigged on the mainmast. 100 ft extension cords were rigged out of the forecastle, power orbital sanders connected and dummy corded to the bosun's chair with a fresh 80 grit sanding disk affixed, and 3 spares stuffed into the small bucket hanging off the other side of the seat.  

Doug Hartley signals to start tugging!

Nate Mack would lead the team up the foremast, with 

Doug Hartley following up opposite Nate in the second seat. 

 Bryan showed the first topmen going up how to secure themselves in the seat with their harness and tether. Next he gathered Todd Cole, Tony Marchesani, Jim Leonard, and Danny Johnson, the volunteers designated to do the hauling-up, and line tending; and walked thru the procedure of lifting, and lowering securing the line to the pin with a locking hitch.

Tony, Bryan, and David team up
 to haul Doug up on the jib halyard.

Finally, they rehearsed the succinct commands to be shouted by the deckhand aloft and repeated back below. Meanwhile, Mikell Evatt was harnessing-up, to set into the seat at the main mast. 

With Bryan satisfied that all hands understood their procedures, safety precautions, he handed over to the seat-sitters, command over their respective line haulers, and  stood back to observe.  As seats were raised to their target start points only one hand was needed to tend the line and lower on command. That enabled some hands to lay aft and help haul Mikell up the Mainmast.  

Dave Brennan on the foremast

By late morning, most seats had come down to rest their rider, and send up a relief to continue the slow advancing down the mast. As Mikell came down, Bryan took his chair and went aloft 2/3 up the mainmast to pick up the trail. Dave Brennan strapped on Doug's fancy bosun's couch and went up the foremast to take it within 15 feet of finishing. 

Nate is anticipating slicing into his monster burrito.

1315- Hunter called for lunch.  For the past 1.5 hours he had been working magic in the galley, creating one of his specialties an exceptionally fat Burrito covered in a tasty verde sauce, really needing no seasoning. Each deckhand coming below was rewarded with one, accompanied by a healthy pile of Spanish rice. 

With the late lunch over, Bryan mustered hands for a final push to a good stopping point.  The foremast only needed a third of one side for being ready to oil down, so Bryan harnessed up to take on that last segment, and designated two line tenders.  Tony, and Jim took some last looks and tugs at the innards of the old trash pump to determine if it could be salvaged, but to no avail.

"remember, its
CLOCKWISE over
 the top of the pin"

He directed the rest to the task of straightening out everything on the decks and below, stowing tools, sweeping of piles of accumulated sawdust from the masts and pounds of nameless bits of debris.

A few minutes after three pm, Bryan came down off the foremast, and mustered all hands one last time for a quick after-action review.  It had been a full day, we'd made good use of every labor-hour, and could boast of three projects completed-on the punch list and two more progressing satisfactorily.  The foremast is ready for its first Linseed oil coat. The main mast needs only another 1/2-hour of sanding to make it ready for same.  At next opportunity the foremast would be oiled, and mainmast would shortly follow. provided volunteers stand up to go aloft. 

That particular adventure quickly became routine for those tried it, but the view! 

Volunteer Kalev Kruuk sends Greetings from Portugal and their own Replica Sailing Ship

 

Here's some news always welcome from our Volunteer Shipmates.  Kalev sent this photo almost 3 weeks ago, and I'm just now realizing the value. 

Kalev Kruuk, who has volunteered on Spirit of South Carolina with his son, passed on this photo of himself in front of a serious sailing vessel from the 16th Century... in Portugal. This vessel is docked at the port for which she is named:  "Vila do Conde". 

Think Ferdinand Magellan. 

Volunteer Kalev Kruuk checking a replica
 of one of the first serious ocean-going vessels
 to challenge "The World is Flat" theory. 

This from Wikepedia:

In its most developed form, the carrack was a carvel-built ocean-going ship: large enough to be stable in heavy seas, and capacious enough to carry a large cargo and the provisions needed for very long voyages. The later carracks were square-rigged on the foremast and mainmast and lateen-rigged on the mizzenmast. They had a high rounded stern with aftcastle, forecastle and bowsprit at the stem. As the predecessor of the galleon, the carrack was one of the most influential ship designs in history; while ships became more specialized in the following centuries, the basic design remained unchanged throughout this period.^[1]

One and a half Milestones Surpassed this Week. And One Mast starts its road back to wellness.

 For the past three weeks, Capt Hacketts's crew from Captain's Choice Yacht Management Services have been laboring-seriously scraping, cleaning, sanding, varnishing and painting large swaths of Spirit of South Carolina's deck, furnishings, and brightwork from midships- aft to the cockpit, . As of this past Friday, when our Investors/Board Members met on deck for a look-over and lunch, she has not looked this good since she was launched. And they're not done yet. The crew has been gradually advancing forward, the saloon butterfly hatch glazing (windows) suffering from delamination, have been lifted out, and new ones ordered as replacements. The bulwarks below the cap rail is being scraped and prepped for new coats of Sandtone paint. 

 Below decks, a Diesel engine expert has been steadily restoring the engines and generator to peak operability, and a Marine electronics specialist has been rewiring and testing the navionics, VHF, and radar.  

Word has it that her suit of four sails are on schedule for restoration, cleaning, and repairing. They may leave for volunteers the final task of patching the smaller areas.

Neither have Volunteers been idle. As the past few weeks since returning from Thunderbolt Shipyard, volunteers have beaten out three straight weekends of poor weather to make strides in getting all the sails rolled and swung over onto the dock for transport. All 27 mast hoops removed, sanded, linseed-oiled and remounted on the masts. As rainy weekends disrupted plans for going aloft, volunteers mustered below with lengths of line, and learned to whip ends, secure strands with constrictor knots and splice eyes in both ends; all to replace the worn rope sections of lifelines at the shrouds. 

Bryan introducing his Master Class
 in crafting the Excellent Eye Splice

This past Saturday, a rainy morning continued to force volunteers below for other projects.  While Tony Marchesani, and Jim Leonard, dropped down into the forecastle to string up hang all the berth curtains, Bryan Oliver gathered Danny Johnson, David Lazar, Mikell Evatt,and Ken Fonville around the Saloon table for lessons and practice in turning an eye splice into the end of a line, with aid of whipping or constrictor knots to control the rapidly unraveling strands and yarns of newly cut "Vintage" 1/2' rope. Meanwhile, Hunter hiked off to Harris Teeter to provision for a crew hot lunch. 

By noon, a clearing sky was helping dry off the deck and rigging, so while Tony and Jim finished up in the forecastle and started troubleshooting the frozen trash pump, the rest began installing their newly eye-spliced rope lifelines at the shrouds. Some looked better than others, but for first attempts they all met the standard for functionality and durability.  so there., and just in time for a robust lunch of Chicken Teriyaki over rice with fresh steamed green beans. 

Ken and Bryan assessing the bosun's chair
 soon to haul one of them aloft.

After lunch, with weather clearing, Bryan Oliver looked around for volunteers willing to go aloft up the foremast in a bosun's chair with a power sander to start in on the first stages of restoring our UV-damaged wood surface.

  

Seeing none he promptly strapped on a harness and with help of Ken Fonville, Mikell Evatt, and David Lazar, climbed into an already rigged up bosun's chair and started up the mast. 

Bryan with his trusty Makita Orbital
 slung low, starts up the mast.

Dragging up 100 feet of extension cord, David and Mikell hauled him up to the copper sheathing, where Bryan powered up the orbital and began a series of swipes as far around the mast as possible, and downward about two feet, before Mikell and David lowered him three more feet, and the process repeated. After about 40 minutes in the chair, Bryan had used up two sanding disks, and sanded down most of the top third of the mast, leaving a ragged stretch down the front of the mast where he couldn't reach.

 

Tony, Mike, Ken, and David
on the throat halyard
 pulling Bryan up the mast.

It was time to come down.   With a proven process tested, and hopefully consistently better weather, and of course, additional volunteers for the adventure, the goal is to return both masts to operation in next three weekends. 

The Milestones- almost forgot.

Friday morning, Spirit of South Carolina received two crucial visitors;  a Marine Surveyor, commissioned by the Insurance Underwriters, and Cdr John Loughlin, USCG.  Their purpose was to officially inspect the vessel and assess the progress in resolving issues discovered during Shipyard in Thunderbolt. 

After conducting their joint inspection and concurring, they informed Capt Hackett that they would complete a satisfactory report for the Insurance underwriters, and the Coast Guard would clear the vessel for her final milestone which would be to sail for her COI.  

He's up there somewhere. 

 

One milestone ; attaining a satisfactory Marine Survey Report; and half-way to the next big milestone of sailing for her Certificate of Inspection.   All great news, since the failure in any of these areas would be too dismal to contemplate. 

Enough with the Mast Hoops!

There are probably three maintenance projects on board, that, by their duration and tedium tend to draw a groan from deckhands when the time comes to take them on. To discourage more colorful sailor-pejorative descriptions, we will agree to label them, "The Triple Challenge."   In no particular order;

•  Refinishing the Cap Rail, 
• Scraping, oiling, and slushing the masts, and 
• restoring mast hoops. 

We have Capt Hackett's team to thank for taking the cap rail off our hands. They've been hard at work, sanding down and refinishing all the bright work on deck as well as repainting the aft cabin trunk, and other superstructures.  

Mikell Evatt and Laura Johnson stoked for
the last step;  getting the freshly oiled mast hoops
 back onto the masts.

This past weekend, five volunteers, Danny Johnson, Laura Johnson, Mikell Evatt, Jim Leonard, and David Lazar wrapped up another of Triple Challenge; the reinstallation of freshly restored mast hoops.  Three Saturdays past, was the de-installing of 27 steamed oak mast hoops from both masts. Two Saturdays ago- the sanding, oiling,  and now the reinstalling of 24 .  

Why the odd number?  The Mainmast had always been short three since that squall on the Bermuda passage back in '17. During deinstallation we discovered three to be "sprung", that is, stretched to a point of cracking, thereby compromised and unusable.  

Each hoop consists of two six-foot oak bands, steamed and coiled within each other like a laminated wood hoop, held together by six copper bolts.   

Close-up of restored Mainmast Hoops
 reinstalled; note the bolts
protruding from each hoop.

To be properly maintained, each hoop must be removed from the mast by first, unscrewing each of the six copper bolts, bagging them and their nuts, carefully, without springing them, twist the tightly coiled strips off the mast, as you would removing a key from a split ring. Next step; sand the black grime off the outside, inside, and sides of each.  Finally, using clean rags, slosh two liberal coats of linseed oil onto all surfaces of the mast hoops, inside and out ensuring a good soak in for preserving and protecting.  

Finally, each hoop must be re-sprung/threaded around the mast, then tightened to align all six bolt holes.  Given number of volunteers available these past three Saturdays, (approx 5), this component of the Triple Challenge consumed about 40 labor hours.  

We're not yet whole. In the next six weeks, we hope to have delivered from Massachusetts, eight new mast hoops, that will be sprung onto the masts, enough for 15, plus a spare on each mast.            

 It's not that we've saved the best for last, it's just that winter weather has done it's share of creating unsafe conditions for going aloft for the remainder of the Triple Challenge.  We're hoping this coming Saturday will promise some tolerable weather that will enable volunteer deckhands to go aloft in bosun's chairs. 

 Project Manager Preps Ship for First Visit by Board of Directors- and the Marine Survey.

While Volunteers, and his own crew take on the Triple Challenge and beyond, Capt Hackett has been looking to preparations for the Ship's upcoming Marine Survey.  It's been three years, with a significant portion of that, spent out of the water.  Marine Insurance underwriters don't view those circumstances favorably in a traditional wooden vessel, and therefore are insisting on a comprehensive survey, before granting dockside or go-to-sea insurance coverage.  That date has been set, but not yet shared. All that of course is prerequisite to Spirit of South Carolina's preparation for regaining her USCG Certificate of Inspection. 

One step at a time.

Mast Hoop Maintenance and Advancing Marlinspike Skills

 

Horrid foggy windy raining absolutely disgusting weather. Yeah? So?  What sort of person would turn-to in those conditions, and muster together just for maintenance, and some time on the water? 

Sailors,, in this case traditional wooden ship sailors, the type that recognizes there's things that must be done to preserve, and keep their ship well-found, and that weather conditions are just another variable in Mother Nature's tool bag challenging our ship's crew  to look to the best in themselves.  

And so, six of us,, Danny Johnson, Laura Johnson, Tony Marchesani, and new volunteers, Scott  and Jim Leonard, along with myself, mustered together in the forecastle to take on projects aimed add advancing our readiness for sea. Last weekend Volunteers down rigged a total of 27 mast hoops off both masts.  Three of those were condemned for salvage due to being "sprung" (distended and cracked). The rest needed to be sanded down to wood then coated with two applications of boiled linseed oil.

With the weather in a total mess on deck, our only feasible workspace would be below decks.  Earlier in the week, Bryan had set up hoop oiling station in the forecastle, spreading out  a large ground cloth over everything, and staging cups, rags, and a gallon of boiled linseed oil. Somebody went aft to bring back one of Capt Heath's power sanders to complete sanding of the remaining seven hoops on deck if the weather window cleared for a 1/2 hour. 

Bryan explaining the mast hoop issues
 to Scott, Tony, and Laura

The workspace in the forecastle wasn't conducive to more than 3 people, so Bryan split the group in two, leaving Tony,  and Laura, to work in the mast hoops in the forecastle.  He led the other group of three to the Saloon around the table to practice some graduate-level marlinspike skills.  After two hours, just before lunch, the groups would switch stations, so that all would get the chance to practice learn and practice some skills, as well as advance the mast hoop maintenance project.

In the saloon, Bryan positioned Scott, Danny, and Jim around the table and described the situation, passing out diagram's copied from Garrett's book "Arts of the Sailor" in the ships library.  The ship was in need of some additional "lizards" (short length's; 3-feet) of line, with eye splice on one end and either a toggle, or double wall and eye knot made into the other end.
It would require the exercise of three new skills;  a common whipping, a constrictor knot, turning an eye splice, and making a double wall-and-crown end knot. 

Bryan laid out a long length of 3/8" three strand rope, and demonstrated where and how to whip the rope at the ends, or to-be ends.  Once everyone had actually whipped their ends, the rope was cut into three three-foot lengths.  

Next, Bryan explained the purpose, and circumstances for making a constrictor knot as a quick temporary substitute for a whipping, particularly at the point where a rope's strands would be unlaid, and to seize up the end of each strand. 

With each rope length properly whipped, Bryan demonstrated the making of a double wall and crown knot (or Man Knot), on one end of each rope length. It would would serve as a "stopper" ball when slipped through the spliced eye on the other end.  Uses aboard this ship or any other are plentiful.  The photo at right illustrates its use in securing coils of line.  Using the demonstrator knot, Bryan used it to mark out the size eye on the other end of the rope. Now the last skill was introduced, the five tucks of strand into the standing end of the rope, in another half-hour, with an occasional untangling and restarting, the group had produced two satisfactory "lizards". 

At this point Bryan called for the station switch;  Tony and Laura in the forecastle, were relieved  by Scott, Jim, and Danny of their Mast Hoop finishing tasks and sent aft to the saloon to learn how to create the last lizard.

Our finished product; a "Lizard" secured
to the starboard foremast shroud's shear pole
 holding up  the coiled jibsheet

Activity ceased around 1230 just long enough to push the projects to one end of the saloon table so that all could sit around it with a big bowl of hot New Orleans Gumbo and french bread, frozen left over from the previous week-a perfect antidote to the wet mess howling above us on deck. Over lunch, new volunteers Scott and Jim listened as Bryan provided an orientation, introducing the Volunteer Log, skills checklist, and typical volunteer roles.

Once lunch was completed, some of the group cleaned up the mess area from lunch. And began putting away tools  and other hardware. Tony and Scott assisted Bryan in screwing the paint locker's heavy lid back onto the Locker.   Following a triumphal group photo with their work, volunteer crew stood down, and hurried thru the rain back to the parking lot and home.

The crew Jim, Scott, Bryan dripping wet,
Tony, and  Laura with their product; 
 three functional "lizards"

 

Mast Hoops; Consider the lowly but frustrating Split Key Rings-

 Split Key Rings! Those frustrating little fingernail torture tools- Who out there really enjoys engaging with those  things?   We're forced to it with the acquisition of an new key, or disposing of one and the distasteful to dreaded experience of prying, pinching,  and coaxing open just enough space to slip the key eye into it, and force it twice around the circumference of that sinister circle before finally freeing it? Sometimes, there's even a little blood spilt.

Stay with me here,, I"m actually going somewhere with this.. 

Now, what if you found yourself having to slip that key ring, not thru the  little eye of a key, but around a dowel almost the same size as the diameter of that cursed split key ring?!  Impossible you say?  Tell that to Mikell Evatt, or Tony Marchesani, Todd Cole, Dave Brennan, or any number of other schooner sailors. They can show you exactly how it's done.  

That's exactly what Volunteers took on last Saturday, and continued this past Saturday, when they stretched and twisted off a total twenty-seven 23-inch diameter wooden mast hoops from both fore and main masts.  Think humongous split key rings that need to slip off and back onto a mast-something nearly as large as their ring circumference.

What for, you ask?  Those mast hoops serve a critical purpose as an early version of a sail track on a mast, lashed to the luff edge of a sail and sliding up and down along the mast. They take on the sun's UV and an enormous amount of strain , being constructed of 8 feet of thin oak batten stripping, steamed and coiled into four-ply hoops, held together with screws around its circumference. Being wood, subject to wear, they require maintenance, the application of boiled linseed oil to seal and preserve the wood from moisture.  

So, periodically, Schooner sailors must  down rig all the mast-hoops to rejuvenate them by first, scraping off grime and UV damage to bare wood, then applying two liberal coats of boiled linseed oil . That's the bragging point for any schooner sailor's "rite of passage" their experienceing

Mikell Evatt (left) and Tony Marchesani
teaming on removing the six bronze bolts
holding together the tightly wound mast hoops.

 the classical mundane-but essential - along with the exciting. 

Saturday morning, Dave Brennen, and Tony Marchesani, mustered loosely in the darkness of the Saloon (skylight covered with tarp due to windows removed for replacement.) Tony organized  around the primary task of taking off the remaining fifteen mast hoops from the foremast, then sanding to wood, all 27 hoops(fore and mainmast), preparing for taking on two coats of boiled linseed oil before being sprung back onto the mast and made fast with bronze thru bolts.  

While David searched for tools and sandpaper,  Danny Johnson, Mikell Evatt, and Wayne Burdick  came onboard.  Danny brought with him a new volunteer, Jim Leonard, who pitched in on sanding hoops as they came off the foremast. 

Wayne Burdick, back to us, and Jim,
studying the
 remnants of the old awning

Wayne Burdick split off from the rest with his own project; creating a technical drawing of a new midship's awning to replace the massive frayed, ripped and torn sunbrella fabric that has shaded the midship's deck for the past six years, surviving two hurricanes and countless tropical storms and and rain squalls. It's poor state, drew Capt Heath to rule that a replacement was needed rather than an attempt at Repair-by-Volunteer.

Mikell Evatt extracting
a tight fitting bolt while
 Tony steadies the hoop.

It was a pretty cold morning with an onshore breeze of course, temperature's in low 50's. Work was initially slow in momentum searching for the right sockets drives  and other tools to remove each of the six long bronze bolts fastening each hoop together.   Tony took up a collection from five volunteers  for lunch, and passed on to Hunter who hiked up to Harris Teeter to provision for what would be a big Mack and Cheese Lunch, prepared largely in the dark using the ship's generator since shore power was apparently inadequate to handle both power tool operation on deck and the ship's electrically powered galley stove/oven. Having taken all the measurements and dimensions from the old awning, Wayne departed to finish up his rendering in the more appropriate environs of a work-study.  

Jim trying to reshape an "unstrung" hoop
 in preparation for sanding it.

By early afternoon the remaining volunteers secured tools and materials, after having dismantled all 15 mast hoops from the foremast, and sanded 2/3 of the total of 24 serviceable mast hoops in preparation for applying two coats of boiled linseed oil before re-installing on the masts.  

Volunteers Back on Board, setting an ambitious tempo and sending a powerful message.

 With giving only four day's of advance notice for a Volunteer Saturday,  an email blast went out, on Monday the 23rd January to the entire 151 member contact list.  

I'm not sure what it was, maybe the enticement of donuts at muster, and a bowl of Seafood Gumbo for Lunch, or a break from mid-winter, Saturday morning boredom, or a chance after more than 10 months, to be back on the deck of our Schooner and renew the camaraderie of shipmates focused on a worthy mission.  

Whatever it was, I was grateful to see sixteen! stalwart Volunteers muster in the Salon, Saturday morning for an erstwhile reunion, an opportunity to hear latest news and near-term plans, and then lean into some urgent projects.  All the more notable in that many were already juggling commitments to Race weekend or other community activities, yet managed to fit this meeting in to their schedules.

Ken Fonville, Wayne Burdick, Nate Mack, John Whitsett, Danny Johnson and Laura Johnson. and their recruited friend, and his young son Nate, Dave Brennan, Doug Hartley, Charlie Malone, Tony Marchesani, Todd Cole, Mikell Evatt, along with Hunter, and myself, mustered in the Salon, grabbed a donut and drew from the big coffee thermos Hunter had prepared, and gathered around the salon table.  Bryan recapped the passage north to Charleston, then transitioned to conveying news from Capt Hackett, and his intent for the ship and our participation over the next few months.  Capt Hackett, I learned, will remain as Project Manager for Tommy Baker and the Board for the next few months, seeing Spirit of South Carolina's return to total operational capability. That means carrying students and passengers; with a Full-time Captain.

The news recapped in something like this:  

During the passage northward, Capt Hackett used his time in extensive conversations with Capt Andy Hudak, our Delivery Captain, to formulate a plan of priority projects aimed at making the schooner ready to accept a visit of the Board of Directors. Given a goal of two-three weeks from now, the ship's deck areas, on deck and below would be ready for visitors.  Her mainmast will be up-rigged. Bright work(shiny stuff-varnished, etc) on deck will be refinished. Below decks will be ready for occupation. He has committed three-to-four of his employees full time to concentrating on the brightwork and cleaning areas.  He asked of the volunteers to attack the spars, and rigging. Yeah, its a tall order, and he appreciated what he was asking.

With that guidance, he asked me to develop my idea of project plan/Punch list of projects and tasks that needed completing to meet the Ship-ready objective, along with a Bill of materials to support it.  I shared that plan Saturday morning with Volunteers, particularly the important and urgent projects that Capt Heath was depending on Volunteers to complete first.  Of immediate importance;  

1. Down-rig all sail, bundle and hoist over onto the dock, to be picked up by Heath, Monday, and transported to North Sails for refurbishment/restoration.
2. Hoist and swing over the two life raft canisters onto the dock for transport for  annual inspection, restoration.
3. Disassemble all mast hoops to be sanded, restored with boiled linseed oil and remounted.
4. Send hands aloft (bosun chairs) to sand down, then linseed oil, and finally grease both masts, equivalent of 4 trips up each mast, to restore their preservation capabilities and lubrication for raising and lowering sail.

Lauren controls the Halyard tagline
 while Bryan hauls the bottom
 of the mainsail roll over
 the dock for lowering. 

After a breaking down the first project into tasks, and assigning responsibilities, our crew turned-to midships on deck. Some climbed below into the forecastle to unleash and prepare to push the huge mainsail up thru the hatch. Others lined up on deck to pull, and stretch it's 48-foot length aft on the deck and cinch it into a tight roll. Nick climbed onto the foresail gaff to unshackle the foremast throat halyard and rig it for hoisting the rolled-up foresail. Danny, Laura and Doug returned to the dock to take control of the tag line being rigged from the halyard shackle, to be used to pull the hanging sail over onto the dock.  Once the sail had been lowered onto the dock, four more volunteers joined those on the dock to push, shape, and force the pile of canvas into a folded pile that could be lashed together for loading onto a truck.

Bryan watches Wayne
unlash the foresail clew.
 Tony, and Nate examine
their next task removing
the spiraled sail lashings. 

 Bryan and Todd tie together the
two ends of the foresail before
swinging it across to the dock.

Meanwhile remaining volunteers began down rigging the foresail, taking off her spiraled lacings, unshackling the clew and tack, and carefully lowering her harbor-furled shape down from the boom onto the deck to be rigged, hoisted and swung over to the dock, just like the mainsail.

 

Laura, Danny, and Doug lash
the foresail together for transport

Todd, Nate, Ken, and Tony downrig
 the Jumbo

The remaining two sails, Jib and Jumbo, once separated from their halyards, downhauls, luff hanks and downhaul rigging,  were much smaller and easier to manage.  By Lunch time, all four sails had been hoisted over onto the dock, rolled and lashed together.

Volunteers; Tony, Laura, Mikell, back row
Todd, Doug, Bryan, Wayne, Danny

It was unfortunate that previous plans forced about five volunteers to depart, at noon, without getting their hard work's reward,  leaving six of us to pile down into the salon where Hunter had just laid out about four gallons of Bryan's serious New Orleans-style seafood gumbo and rice for lunch (yes, there are styles).  Even with seconds, we made work of only half of it.

After clearing the table, our remaining crew turned-to on deck again to take on the next -project, hoisting and swinging across, the two life raft canisters.  Using the same foresail throat halyard for lift, Wayne Burkan quickly rigged a bridle around the first life raft canister, then tended the lifting halyard while two of us with the tag line crossed the gangway over to the. dock and hauled her across.  Wayne took charge of the lift sequence for the second canister, which was sent over in short order.

Mission accomplished for today, ready for transport.

By 1430, Volunteers had accomplished quite a lot, All mustered off except for Tony and Todd, who stayed around to start on disassembling the mainmast mast hoops, getting a head start on the next volunteer project.

Saturday was a great day for our corps of Volunteers; It sends an example to those who might wonder, that we are still here and staying an effective force for the benefit of our schooner;  prepared to take up where we left-off ten months ago.  

For the next few weeks,, a turn-out like today's will make short work of what we have to do.  

I'll be sending out requests for anyone who can spare a few hours during the week, in addition to our again, regularly scheduled Saturday Volunteer Days. Hope to see you on deck then.

Big Thanks to Danny Johnson, and Nate Mack for all the great photo's. 

She's Home

 After almost 10 months in shipyard at Thunderbolt Marina, GA, Spirit of South Carolina cast off  Friday morning, 20 February, at 0730,, following a TowBoat US tug, down the Wilmington River  to Wassabaw Sound. 

Captain Andy Hudak was in command. An experienced schooner Mariner, Capt Andy was on board for a second try after the aborted attempt the previous week for insurance issues.  This time he brought along his daughter, Gray, on a high school  break, who immediately laid in with the Volunteer crew.  

Volunteers, Bryan Oliver, Eli Bundy, Nate Mack, ,  already a veterans of the previous attempt, and Gray formed the  Volunteer Contingent.  Todd Cole, who was onboard for the first attempt, couldn't quite make it this trip, driving in from Atlanta, given the short notice

Capt Heath Hackett, the Project Manager, joined by three large motor yacht captains/systems specialists, and, of course, Hunter, made up the rest of the crew of 10.

Crew all drove in late the previous evening, in time to find a berth, throw in their gear and themselves with it. Muster would be at 0700, about the same time that the Towboat US would pick us up and guide over the bar. The ship herself was already sea-stowed and ready for sea, from the previous attempt, only needing to disconnect shore power, and cast off dock lines. 

And we did just that, after a breakfast Hunter put together of scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage, muffin selections.  All hands piled on deck, pulled shore power.  Bryan assigned volunteers to dock lines who took them in with help of the tow-boat captain waiting on the dock.  Capt Andy did a tight 180 degree maneuver in middle of the ICW channel to point her southward, and we were off.  

Weather was predicted to be fair, with a less 10 knot NW breeze on our beam as we headed up the coast. It would stay that way until our left (NW) turn into the Charleston Channel, when the wind would be on our beam

Excitement was already in us, since Andy announced his attention to set sail-all of it (Foresail, Jumbo, and Jib), once we made the outer mark of  Wassabaw sound.  He might have had second thoughts given our small crew, had he realized that Spirit of South Carolina carried another 500 Square feet more of foresail, than Harvey Gamage or most other schooners of similar rig.   

 As we motored down the river towards the Sound and open sea, Heath lead his team of Engineers on a tour of the ship, and her systems, particularly bilge pump operation. After wards, Bryan oriented the hands on the standard disciplines of boat checks, managing the rough log, and disciplines of standing watch.  

Bryan demonstrating a flat coil
on the foresail sheet.

Immediately following boat checks orientation, the crew  rehearsed the drill of "dressing the Foresail"-preparing the sail for raising by casting off gaskets, running aft the halyards,  coiling down the gaff vangs, downhaul, and foresail sheet.

As Spirit of South Carolina approachedd the turn around the outer marker, Capt Andy directed Bryan to "Dress the Foresail".  At approximately 0930, we rounded the outer marker and set a course of 060 degrees up the coast.   Bryan shouted down the deck, "Hands to set the Foresail".. Capt Andy walked forward and divided crew across the throat and peak halyards, while he "called sail" and managed the weather gaff vang.  Next he quickly explained the sequence of the sail set evolution and the commands they would likely hear.  Bryan had mentioned to him the additional weight of 500 more square feet of canvas the foresail was carrying, heavier than the typical schooner foresail. With that in mind, Andy explained his tactic for belaying the peak halyard at some point and sending all hands to the throat halyard to sweat it the rest of the way up the mast.  Once made fast, all hands would then line up on the peak halyard and sweat it up the rest of the way. 

Once the Foresail was fully set, sheeted in and drawing nicely on a beam reach, I pointed up, and shouted out what they'd just accomplished. I won't lie to you-for a second there, I enjoyed the amusement of our motor yacht sailors, hands on their knees, gasping, and exclaiming. It took a bit for them to gaze up at the sail.

   Once they saw their result, to their credit, together, they readily jumped into the next tasks.  We set the jumbo, and the jib, in quick succession, they learned to sweat the line, take the line to a pin, coil and hang, then looking for other tasks. We were quickly forming a crew.

Eli and Gray leading the way to lunch

With all sail up, trimmed for a beam reach we shut down the engines and experienced for the first time for many of us, no sounds except creaking of the boom and gaff jaws around the mast, some rigging stretching, and blocks clacking.  With seas less than a foot, there was no additional background music was waves breaking, but it was cool enough.   

Hunter announced a lunch buffet of sandwich makings in the salon, Capt Andy organized the crew into 3 watches, six hours on and six off, beginning after dinner at 2100. 

Eli not quite ready to
 relinquish the helm

Crew members voluntarily relieved each other on the helm, or went forward on lookout.  Others left idle walked thru the ships checklist on a boat-checks tour, and started filling in the Rough Log.

As dusk approached and Hunter called Supper was ready, I was slightly surprised, that Capt Andy hadn't yet called to take in sail.  Conditions, had remained nicely consistent, and forecast to remain so, but on our previous attempt he explained is plan to take in sail at night and resume motoring out of an abundance of caution.

Hunter performed his usual magic on his shoestring budget, laying out a Chicken Teriyaki, rice and green beans dinner.  The watch was officially set at 2100, and we were still under sail.  The night would've been perfect if not for hazy highy cirrus starting to obscure the otherwise well-defined star constellations.  It remained that way all night as we sailed on thru all three watches until approx 5:30 AM as we approached the Charleston Sea Buoy. Being off watch, I decided to dress up, hearing muffled clomps of feet across the deck, scraping of a block along its horse.  

Capt Heath easing the Foresail
 Peak Halyard

On deck, most of the crew was already on deck, just to help, and were standing by to take in the Foresail.   All sail came down in sequence, interrupted by occasional fouling of a line that required clearing before the lowering could resume..

 All this executed, in pitch black night, of course except for occasional headlamp with a volunteer/motor yacht  pick-up crew, of widely divergent levels of experience.  Youngest crew members, Eli, ands Grey, in harnesses  and gaskets draped over their shoulders, scampered out into the head rig disappearing in the darkness, to lash down the flogging jib, way out on the pointiest end of the ship.  

Capt Andy at Sullivan's Island Light off starboard
-final approach into the harbor

At 0700, all sail securely lashed down and under power, we'd made the left turn into the channel. Captain Andy was coordinating on VHF with two massive container vessels wanting to pass us in the channel on opposing courses. 

 Dawn, and 0730 we approached Sullivan's Light.  Bryan was point out to anyone who would listen, the spot 3/4 mile NNW of "red 14 buoy", the site of the Hunley sinking. 

By 0830 we approached the Maritime Center and bore off onto wide circle that would slowly takes us within 200 yards  where Capt Andy, assisted, coached by two of the motor yacht Captains would slowwwly drift down onto the dock, alternately burping the starboard, then port engines to maintain her optimum stern-first angle of to the dock as we edged closer. I could overhear Capt Dave standing next to Andy, coaching on finessing each engine, tweaking here and there to slowly push her closer. Now our Volunteers on dock were identifiable.  Ken Follett, Doug Hartley, Christian Lawyer, and Dave Brennen, had already responded to Nate's Texts the previous night, that they would  be available to take lines.  

Nate Mack directing
securing of his #4 dock line

20 yards off, Nate Mack heaved the # 4 line over, as Christian hauled the dock line in and took it over a cleat, Gray,  made a perfect toss of  the # 2 messenger line across the water where Dave grabbed it and dragged aft to secure initially on a piling.  Next, Bryan tossed #1 over the dock, nearly hitting the boat on the other side. Ken grabbed it and dragged it towards the south end to get it onto a piling, 

 Finally, Trey, one of Heath's Captains, tossed over # 3.  For the next five minutes, Andy played throttles, warping back and forth to gradually line up midships with the gangway opening.  All lines adjusted off pilings to cleats, fenders stuffed in between the hull and the huge rubber "yokohama" blivets; crew turned to rigging up and running out the gangway. Nine months in shipyard work had thoroughly discombobulated the pinrail arrangements, creating minor confusion looking for boat falls to hoist the gangway.  

That completed, dockside volunteers joined crew onboard to help harbor furl the foresail and jumbo.  

As the last few bits of deck tidying up, Bryan went below and returned with an object.  There's a story behind it.  

It seems, that  once a few weeks back when the schooner Harvey Gamage was still here, Heath was on board conferring with her Captain.  He had related this conversation to me, about how he was for two hours, standing  on this guy's "pirate ship" working out some details.. "Pirate Ship?" I respond  feigning horror, and sadness at, once again, the impression of these beautiful vessels reduced to the stereotype of a Disney movie prop.  Well, I couldn't just let that go.

Captains, Dave and Trey, look on as
Bryan awards Capt Heath his
"Pirate Ship Operators Manual"

So, On behalf of the Ship's Volunteers, in appreciation for the time and effort that Capt Hackett has so far, invested in this "Pirate Ship", we presented to him before departure something useful for someone in his position;   a copy of "The Pirate Ship Operator's Manual and Standard Operating Procedures", along with a Certificate of Appreciation, granted by His Majesty Neptune, Ruler of the Raging Main,, and so forth.

  .