Washington Conservation Corps Comes to Adventuress

Today, we were happy to welcome aboard Adventuress the Jefferson County Crew of the Washington Conservation Corps (WCC)!  They brought with them positive attitudes and big smiles--in spite of the rain--for their day of volunteering.  It was inspiring to hear that these passionate 18-25 year-olds are not just volunteering for a day, but have committed to a week of community service in honor of the 25th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.  Adventuress was just one of their many projects this week.

Some of the Jefferson County Crew

Established in 1983, the Washington Conservation Corps is modeled after Franklin D. Roosevelt's Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930's.  The WCC is a program within Washington's Department of Ecology and Americorps.  They have 33 crews operating throughout the state year-round to protect and enhance Washington's natural resources.  So, when you see these folks out restoring habitats or removing invasive plant species, give them a wave and a thumbs up!

The six person WCC Jefferson Crew came to Adventuress at the suggestion of their corps member A.J. Garcia who had volunteered aboard our ship last year.  He suggested it as a possibility for MLK Week and it was well received.

"It's been a cool, positive experience being able to come out today," said James House, Assistant Supervisor for the Jefferson County Crew.  James had come aboard Adventuress when he was in elementary school and remembers the experience warmly.

Many of the corps members expressed that MLK week is exciting because they work on projects a little different than their usual work; like volunteering aboard Adventuress.

Corps member Aliina strikes a serious face!

Today, they effectively doubled the efforts of our regular winter crew.  The corps members were sanding the deckhouse, removing varnish bubbles from the ship's spars and they even got to rust-busting and painting block strops (the metal bands that run through a block).  Needless to say, they were a huge help in our efforts to keep our National Historic Landmark in ship-shape.

So, is a WCC position sounding appealing to you?  You should know that they're not currently hiring.  However, they will be doing their major hiring in the summer for positions starting in October.

Thank you Washington Conservation Corps and the Jefferson County Crew for working aboard Adventuress today!  You're welcome aboard anytime.

Related Links:

MLK Day - www.mlkday.gov

WCC Homepage - www.ecy.wa.gov/wcc

Horn Timber Arrives! First Plank Goes on! Life is Good.

Yesterday evening the horn timber arrived from the Hudson Valley in New York!

The arrival of the timber had been pushed back because the snowstorms in the east delayed milling the tree.  On Thursday January 6, two drivers were able to load the timber and get out of New York just before another winter storm set in.  The timber was delivered yesterday evening, only four days after their departure.

Made of white oak, the timber is around 28 feet long!  Haven Boatworks worked with a company called New England Naval Timbers to fell and mill the tree.  The tree may be over 100 years old.  It seems suiting that the timber will now become part of a nearly 100-year-old vessel, providing strength and security for Adventuress for many generations to come.

Today held another momentous occasion as shipwright Brad Seamans put the first plank on the Starboard Bow.  The starboard bow is being planked with sapele, just like the port side project.

December Shipyard Update

By Zach Simonson-Bond

Phases II and III of Adventuress' Centennial Restoration have been flying by.  December saw some exciting milestones from both the starboard bow and counter stern!

Phase II: Starboard Bow

Arthur Minnerly puts in the last futtock

The most notable accomplishment on the starboard bow is the completion of framing just before December 25.  Shipwrights Brad Seamans and Arthur Minnerly lead the replacement of Adventuress' frames and they did so with excellent attitudes!  Often, you could hear them swapping jokes and speaking in accents and they methodically strengthened the starboard bow.

Their scope of work extended from the new stem, installed last year, to the starboard midships reframing that happened in 2005-2006, and from the top plank to just below the waterline.  Planking on the starboard bow will begin in January, 2011.

Other Phase II accomplishments include the fabrication of a new chain plate and associated strapping which are currently being galvanized before they are secured to Adventuress.

Phase III: Counter Stern

The counter stern project has also had some exciting milestones, namely a strengthening of the entire steering system from the rudder to the wheel.  

Shipwright Andy C. works on the housing

A new rudder design has been completed that will provide more strength and stability for Adventuress' next half century.  An added benefit of the new design is that it will allow the rudder to be more easily removed and inspected in future years.

The rudder attaches to the Edson "worm steerer" at roughly deck level.  The worm steerer is a gear which provides mechanical advantage between the ships wheel and the rudder, making Adventuress easier to drive.  While strengthening the rudder, it was also decided to rebuild the box that holds the worm gear.  Shipwrights Blaise Holly and Andy C. are working on a new housing that will provide increased security for the worm gear and strengthen the entire system.

Leland with the transom blank

Meanwhile, shipwright Leland Gibson has been making a transom "blank."  Essentially, it is a curved board that the transom will be cut from.  Leland has been laminating boards together, two sapele with a top layer of teak, in preparation for the new transom!

Last, we're excited to announce that a large piece of white oak, 25 feet long, has been identified in New York for the horn timber.  It will be shipping in early January.  Shipwright Blaise Holly has already made the pattern for the timber and waiting eagerly for its arrival.

Maintenance
Regular maintenance is also moving steadily forward.  The inclement weather has kept our volunteers mostly under cover.  As a result, they have completed the disassembly and cleaning of Adventuress' blocks, the soles (or floors) of the ship are getting many protective coats of varathane, and the ship's spars have been scuffed in preparation for varnish!

Dont forget!  We have a Volunteer Work Weekend coming up at the end of January.  Come join us and help prepare Adventuress for her next sailing season.  The Work Weekend will be on Jan. 22 - 23.  Click here for more info.

Thank you all who have volunteered or donated during these projects.  You are keeping Adventuress in the best shape of her life!

Brad removes excess fastener material

Nate and Tom working on blocks!

Volunteers, Futtocks and Gift Memberships!

By Zach Simonson-Bond

There has been a lot going on in the office and on the boat since Joshua's last update. We've picked up some new volunteers, the starboard bow project is roaring along, the Counter Stern Restoration is well underway, our usual maintenance projects are getting checked off and we're now offering Holiday Gift Memberships!

New Volunteers

We're honored to have three more volunteers for this winter's restoration. Jane Burleigh is back with us! A familiar face aboard Adventuress, Jane has sailed aboard our ship for three seasons and is contracted for Spring 2011.

We've also picked up Levi J., a superb addition to the team. Levi comes to us from Chicago bringing with him a great attitude and a lot of tall ship experience. He sailed aboard the schooner Windy before coming to Adventuress and he's excited to learn more from the Haven Boatworks shipwrights.

Last but certainly not least, Nate Seward has returned to us from the sloop Clearwater in New York. Bo's'n, sailmaker, rigger and sailor extraordinaire, we're lucky to have Nate back for Phases II and III of Adventuress' Centennial Restoration, and as crew in Spring 2011.

Phase II Update: Starboard Bow Progression
By the end of November, the shipwrights of Haven Boatworks had replaced 18 futtocks (futtocks make up a frame). Since then, they have put in another 32 bring the total to 50 futtocks replaced. These guys are good!

"All of the new futtocks will be in by Christmas" said Haven shipwright Brad Seamans, who is leading up the starboard bow reframing.

Brad Seamans installing futtocks

Brad believes the frames will be faired off (smoothed) and lined off (lines drawn to indicate where planking goes) so that planking can begin begin shortly after the new year!

Phase III Update: Counter Stern Restoration
Shipwright Blaise Holly has been working diligently on the Counter Stern restoration. In November, the project began by removing the original horn timber, which is essentially the backbone of Adventuress' stern. It will be replaced with a single 25 foot long piece of wood! Blaise has been laying out the pattern for the new horn timber while we wait for the log to arrive.

The work on the horn timber necessitated the removal of the ship's rudder. This presented an excellent opportunity to rebuild the rudder while it's off, so we'll be doing that too.

Refinishing fo'c's'le sole boards

Maintenance
While Phases II and III are underway, we are simultaneously pursuing our regular maintenance projects. Our Winter Mate, Ryan Short, has been leading those projects with great success.

"Things have been going well now that we have a couple new folks on board," said Ryan. "More work is getting done!"

Aided by the occasional drop-in volunteers, the winter crew has completed an impressive list so far including: repairing the fo'c's'le hatch, servicing Adventuress' many blocks, constructing a cover for the mainmast, and refurbishing the fo'c's'le sole boards.

Holiday Gift Memberships!

I would be amiss if I didn't mention our new Holiday Gift Memberships! Give the gift of sailing aboard Adventuress in 2011. You can purchase an Individual Gift membership for your special someone, or a Household Gift Membership for a whole family.

Click here to purchase a $50.00 Individual Gift Membership

Click here to purchase an $85.00 Family/Household Gift Membership

Shipwright Blaise Holly and volunteer Jen G. remove fasteners from inside the lazarette

ASTA Auctions Tall Ships Adventure

Our friends at the American Sail Training Association (ASTA) are doing a eBay auction to support sail training programs all over the states. Spaces aboard tall ships across the country are up for bid, including a spot our historic vessel. Give a kid the gift of a Tall Ships Adventure aboard the aptly named schooner Adventuress!

Click the image below to visit their eBay auction site:

Here's their press release:

Just in time for the Holidays! ASTA offers Tall Ships® Adventures Auction on eBay

More than a dozen ASTA member tall ships, including the USS Constellation, Pride of Baltimore II, Appledore IV, Lady Washington, Hawaiian Chieftain and A. J. Meerwald are holding an eBay auction of life changing experiences this month as a holiday gift alternative. Vessels which specialize in training young people about life through work aboard ocean-going sailing ships, are auctioning single-day and multi-day excursions aboard their vessels.

The Tall Ships® Adventure auction will raise money for expansion of national sail training programs overseen by the American Sail Training Association (ASTA). Funds will also support ASTA's popular TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE® series of events, which bring world-class traditional sailing vessels to ports across the country for public tours and trips.

The auction will run through the end of December, 2010.To bid on a Tall Ships® Adventure excursion or voyage, visit www.sailtraining.org and click on the "Give the Gift of Tall Ships® Adventure" link.

Give the gift of adventure this holiday season!

The American Sail Training Association is the recognized hub for tall ship activity, information and expertise in North America. A 501(c)(3) non-profit organization focused on youth education, leadership development and the preservation of the maritime heritage of North America, ASTA organizes the TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE® Series, manages scholarship programs to make sail training experiences more affordable for young people, grant programs to assist crew of ASTA member vessels with the costs of professional development courses and licensing requirements and publishes SAIL TALL SHIPS! A Directory of Sail Training and Adventure at Sea.www.sailtraining.org

Holiday Jingle #1

Purchase an Individual Gift Membership for that special someone, or a Household Gift Membership for the whole family!

Click Here to Learn More about Gift Memberships

Shipyard Update!

By Capt. Joshua Berger

Since hauling the ship out of the water on November 3, Adventuress crew, volunteers and the shipwrights at Haven Boatworks have been hard at work. We are fully engaged in arguably the most extensive shipyard period that Adventuress has ever seen.

We have embarked upon Phases II and III of the Centennial Restoration, as well as extensive winter maintenance projects. Here is a an update:

Phase II: Starboard Bow Restoration
As the scaffolding was erected, Haven Shipwrights, assisted by Adventuress crew and volunteers, began tearing windows into the starboard bow. In order to map out a strategy, planks were taken off in order to assess the frame condition beneath. Everything seemed as we had expected from our work last year on the port side and we quickly engaged in a plan. To date, we have removed all the planking we will need, already replaced 18 futtock sections, and have removed the old chain plate.

Phase III: Counter Stern Restoration
With careful planning and direction from Haven, we now have a good scope of work for the Counter Stern portion of the Centennial Restoration that includes the replacement of almost 25 feet of Adventuress' horn timber. This is a tremendous project that will undoubtedly bring life to the ship for many generations to come. This repair necessitated the removal of the rudder and will give us a great opportunity to refresh its associated metal work and bearings.

Rigging:

In addition to the extensive effort to prepare Adventuress for the next century of her life, Sound Experience has embarked upon an exceptional and rigorous full inspection of the rigging and spars. In collaboration with the U.S. Coast Guard, we have proactively engaged in an expanded inspection and inventory process, including the full cataloging of each component of the ship's standing rigging, running rigging and the spars.

As part of this thorough assessment, we decided to pull Adventuress’ mainmast in order to inspect the iron and wood condition aloft. On Monday, November 8, led by several hitches and a supportive crew, the mast came out without a glitch. We are happy with what we have found thus far. We will continue to develop a strategy for this winter's, and future, rig-repair and replacement.

Winter Work Weekends:
On the weekend of November 21 - 22, we had 25 generous and hard-working volunteers come help finish building the winter cover. They also began to breakdown and clean of all the running rigging blocks. The cover was pulled over the ship just in time as almost six inches of snow fell the next morning! Thank you to all those that came and we look forward to seeing you all again next weekend, December 4 - 5. Please join us!

All and all, it has been a fantastic and exciting start to a winter full of hard work during true winter conditions (thank you El Nino). Praises to our Winter Mate, Ryan Short; Winter Engineer, Jessup Coffin and dedicated Crew, Jen Grod. It’s not easy work and the conditions are difficult, but these folks are devoted and passionate. What a community we continue to build!

More updates later…

Capt. Joshua Berger
Schooner ADVENTURESS

Shipwright Blaise Holly removes the horn timber

Hoisting out the mainmast!

Once, there was a mast here!

The AMAZING winter volunteers