The sticks are back!

John Boy is wrapping up his time on Bill of Rights as captain, overseeing the important maintenance project this month that is going to make us look new again for the festival...

The sticks are back! The Bill of Rights is once again a schooner. After several intense hours at the Sierra Pacific Pier the Lower masts are stepped, the booms are resting on their tables, or at least close by, and the Bill looks good again. It's amazing how much of a difference some sticks make.

With all that has happened today I have mixed feelings. I'm looking forward to my time on the Lady, but I am going to miss this crew and even though I hate to say it, I'm going to miss this project. Getting the sticks in a little early has been a huge triumph, considering all the roadblocks we've had to clear.

Project MVPs are:
MV-Bosun- Shawn. Shawn has been throught some of the most overwhelming projects and just stuck to them untill they were done
MV-Shipwright- Scotty Kimmet. Scotty put in extra hours to insure the heel tennon was perfect. He also faceted the top of the mast above the new tressel trees.
MV-Site Manager- Kent Wall. Kent has been a pleasure to work with, never complaining about the clutter of his shop, or the paint drip here and there in his spar lathe. His carpertry skills have been relied upon heavily in the construction of the new tressel trees, boulsters, hounds, and a million other things. Thank you Kent.
MV-Lathe Operator- Matt. Thanks for the new foremast Matt. Matt has also lended a hand in construction of the new fore top, and can get the flat bed to run, something that none of us can do. (I had to tow it with the forklift today)
MV-Volunteer-Jonathan Thomas, and Nate Killops. It's a tie guys I love you both. Jonathan and Nate are the type of guys who work well independantly, as well as have the leadership skills to lead a project.
MV-Local Volunteer- Dan, thank you for driving into the shop and lending a hand, the new leather on the shroud eyes looks great, the patch service under them looks great too, and a zillion other things are in their rights beacause you came. Thank you.
MV-Cook- Natalie. Natalie kept food in the crew and smiles on our faces... I think it was her cooking that kept the Volunteers coming back for more.
MV-Engineer- MacGregor- He knows what you did. Most of it is beyond me.
MV-Lady Crew Member that was here- Bob. You helped keep me sane Bob. You don't know how to weld or are able to whip up a mean leather chafe pad quick like Nick and Yana, but you kept me Sane thank you.

Thank you all for your hard work, those of you I didn't mention thank you too, you were probably just so good at what you were doing that I didn't notice that it ever needed fixing.

Monday I will decend on the Lady like a plague of locust bringing benovlence, compassion, neat deckedness, and better furls.

John Morrison