Yard Update!
Savannah, GA
Ship’s Log written by Deckhand Educator and Program Coordinator Rachel Whetten
April 24, 2024
Hi everyone! It's been a minute since we posted, and lots of exciting things have been happening on the boat!
We are currently in Savannah on our extended maintenance period. We spent the first week here in the water mostly taking down the topmasts and all associated rigging.
Now we are on the hard, and the parts of the boat which are hard to reach while in the water (ex. propellers & shafts, thru hulls, bottom paint) are all being looked at and worked on. In addition, we have sanded the topmasts down and refinished them, and are working on servicing all topmast gear (tarring/slushing stays, and servicing blocks).
Our shipwright has been here working on some bigger projects, including one that the crew is very excited about: taking out the monkey deck! The foredeck now looks very spacious and weirdly open, because, that's right, the monkey deck is gone!
One of the other things I have been excited about is that we have been going through everything on board, organizing and inventorying it. Everything, from tools, to extra blocks, paint, lines, has all been taken out, inventoried, and organized. It feels good to know exactly what we have on board.
Our days have been spent completing small tasks which add up to big projects. I love this part of the season, because it always feels like I learn so much about how the boat is put together, and I love the dedicated time we get to give our boat the love she deserves. She does so much for us, it's nice to do something for her in return. Maintenance has always felt like that for me.
I have learned how to use a power washer, how to operate a scissor lift, tons about tools, and rust busting, and I got to break out other familiar skills like sanding and painting, tarring, slushing, oiling, etc.
So far it has been very satisfying to see everything happening. Looking forward to the next few weeks, to see what else we can accomplish with this time.
-- Rachel
