Welcome Newbies!!

So thrilled that interest in our dear ol’ gal has perked! As I said to you while onboard, since you are spending your free time with us, it is my responsibility to make the time not only as enjoyable for you possible, but more importantly F – U – N, yes, you heard it right:

and more fun, fun, fun!!!

I mean, the Surprise Crew certainly wants you to come back! We have so much to do and a ship-load of fun to be had, afterall!

So, what has been going on with our gal of late?

On the previous episode…

You may have noticed that we have been somewhat on a kind of hiatus. This is only due to the recent recruitment of new volunteers and the training courses that are in progress. Our not-so-regular volunteers are going through the training to refresh their memories for skills and information and our seasoned volunteers are the ones teaching the not-so-regulars and newbies.

That is not to say that nothing has been done on our gal…we are still moving forward with our de-rig of the main!

That one way up there!! before strike crew ready, rrrrrrrr

On July 1, our crew was discussing the best time to bring down our t’gallant yard. Being the brilliant crew that we are, we decided why wait any longer? So, we rolled up our sleeves and brought it down that day!

it begins!! working the lines aloft to assist

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We have since taken off the sail, assessed it for damage and salvability, removed all the rigging and starting renewing the footropes. JKerl has taken off all the old parceling and service, wire brushed them, applied dura-flex lube and re-parceled and reserved the eyes so far.

Blocks and lines have been removed, measured and logged and the blocks are going in for servicing to our very own BlockHead Rich (said with love!).

Diehard Joshua has climbed on high to take ever more pictures of our t’gallant mast to prep us for it’s descent – the next step in the de-rigging process. With this information, a plan is being discussed and will be implemented for the big day of striking the Main t’gallant mast!

On this episode…

For those of you who are not in the 101 class and want to work on our gal, we have the t’gallant footropes that need parceling and service. Don’t worry if you don’t know this rigger’s skill – we on the Surprise are all about spreading our knowledge to others!

did someone say worm?!

Worm

Worming is designed to fill in the channels (the cutlines) between the strands in order to keep water out and to allow tighter, smoother wrapping of the next layers by giving the rope a more cylindrical shape.

Parcel

The line is then “parcelled” by wrapping it in a spiral fashion with a guazy material covered in beeswax or more traditionally with long overlapping strips of thin canvas that are saturated in a tar mixture. This is wound by slightly overlapping the previous wrap to create a shingled effect which prevents water from entering. As with worming, parcelling is applied in the same direction as the twist (lay) of the line being covered.

Worm and parcel with the lay; turn and serve the other way!*

Serve

The outer layer of protection is formed using twine wrapped as tightly as possible around the line, each progressive turn of the twine laid as close as possible against the last, covering the line completely. Following the rhyme above, it should run against the lay of the rope; this alternation helps prevent sideways chafe from opening up the protection.

Tar

Once wormed, parceled, and served the service is saturated with a mixture of Stockholm tar, boiled linseed oil, and Japan drier and just a touch of varnish for good measure. This concoction provides a final layer of protection from the elements.

*There is always some debate regarding this little ditty of a rhyme: does other way mean against the lay? Well, the answer is yes. And no.

It is all about perspective really.

If you turn and serve the other way by starting at the SAME starting point as the worming and parceling, then YES, you are to “go the other way” – against the lay.

BUT, if you turn and serve the other way by starting at the point you ENDED your parceling, then NO, you are simply going the other way and are going WITH the lay.

It depends on which end you start your serving whether you are wrapping with the lay or against. If you look closely and dissect the two images, you will see these distinctions.

Coming soon…

Back to work…striking the t’gallant mast is next!

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