Tuesday, May 24, 2005

Check out the new sticks

http://ladywashington.org/archivemay2005.html

I (Kim) will be returning to Bill of Rights this Friday. We'll be getting ready to head out to Westport next week and greet Lady WA and Lynx!

Hopefully I can get to a computer this weekend and put a bunch of new pics/info on this site!

Unless, of course, I could get Nathali, Shawn, Phineas, Nate or Mark Toy to send me an update......

Saturday, May 21, 2005

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

Friday, May 20, 2005

Erin & Bhodi Live!

Mark Olson, the Lady Washington's official webmaster, donates unfathomable amounts of time and money into supporting the brig Lady Washington and all things affiliated with her. He's professionally trained in wooden boat design and has served in many crew positions, including first mate, aboard the brig.

Mark just posted an update regarding our departed crew, Erin Doak and Bhodi Sherridan.

Thanks to Yuri's instruction, I have learned how to post links on this blog! Yuri is alumni brig crew as well, currently working as a shipwright in the British Virgin Islands. So now there are links to our affiliates and to the websites put up just for Tall Ships 05.

Thursday, May 19, 2005

Update from John Boy

Bill of Right will be finally give up her title: "Best looking barge in Grays Harbor" The Masts(new fore, old main) will be going in Saturday Morning around 10am at the Sierra Pacific pier on the Chehalis river in Junction City. Capt. Christopher Trandell will be arriving tonight and stepping back to the wheel for the big day. The Bill of Rights Crew meet with Capt. Victor this week who is hoping to by the Bill. His plans include community service programs, as well as courses for college credit on board during the school year. If Capt. Victor decides to buy Bill then he will be taking her to Puerto Rico, so watch the ASTA billet for that trip.

Wednesday, May 18, 2005

Welcome Back Nate!

Our beloved crewmember from the Lady, Nate Killops, as well as alumni Lady crew Phineas (AKA Michael) Macgregor and of course John Morrisson are here, eating some of Natalie's great food, along with Shawn (not pictured). It's so great to see Nate back after his long european trip!
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photo courtesy of maintenance volunteer Jonathan Thomas. Thanks Jonathan!

Monday, May 16, 2005

Bill of Rights Needs YOU!

John Boy reports...
The work on the bill is going well, we havn't run into any major road blocks yet, and are hoping to put the sticks back in her early.Scotty Kimmet is arriving tomorrow and will be out shipwright on the project for the next week or two. He'll be chasing rot, rebuilding our skylights on the cabin top, and faciting out new foremast. He will aslo lead the shop crew in building the new tressel trees, hounds, and the like.We're into the big push for the next week preping for the sticks to go back in, so if any one has some extra time and would like to come down and help call me at (360) 589-2299.

John Boy

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Elissa

Here I am, tarring the main course brace pennant on Elissa in Galveston. The t'gallant and top pennants were easier than the main! I attempted to haul the block inboard with a gasket around the shroud, then I tried to lift the stiff served pennant over the yard, so I wouldn't have to hold it while tarring it. I would have done better if I'd tended myself in a bosun's chair!
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Saturday, May 07, 2005

The Way North

Here's our great volunteers Roy & Deborah, cranking on the winch to haul our anchor out of Drake's Bay, CA
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Here's Bosun Shawn mending the staysl while underway.
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Here's Shawn again. What do you suppose he's rigging to the main boom while underway? (Hint: mainsl blew, and we have extra headsls! Oh Jeez!)
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GHHSA Operations Manager Mark Toy in all his 18th century glory!
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The well-loved Cottrell Brothers performing a not-so-sad Burial at Sea
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Friday, May 06, 2005

The Boy is in charge!

John Boy said...
Bill the Barge!Bill's sticks are out, down, and a new one coming off the lathe today. Les is going to try and sell her old foremast to the mouse and make some money on her. We're all doing well here... Although JP is leaving us tomorrow morning and will be sorely missed. Tomorrow is a big day for the Bill. We are getting 22 men, 2 teams, from Washinton Department of Corrections-- Yay Orange Jump suit day. So today has been mostly prep work for tomorrow. We'll be having them Scrape, Sand, Wire brush, haul, lift, paint, oil, shovel, and whatever else we can think of. Cheers to all my old crew.
Love ya Kim
John Boy

In case you are not wont to open "comments", I have copied and pasted this informative comment from The Boy, as he's running the show down in A-Town! Hopefully we'll get some updates from Natali, Shawn, Mark Toy and whoever else is helping fix up our girl Bill.

I just finished 3 days of volunteering aboard the 1877 barque Elissa down in Galveston, Texas! Read more about that here. Their new rigger, Dave Mowr, wanted me to pass along a greeting to Bill captain Christopher Trandell, as they used to crew together aboard AJ Meerwald. Dave is the most experienced tall ship sailor they have at Elissa. He recently crewed aboard Denis Sullivan with Karen "Jellyfish" Clapp, as well! Sounds like they had fun.