UNION-TRIBUNE
August 14, 2008
The crew has finished lunch. The watch is keeping an eye on contacts entering and leaving San Diego Bay.
Last night we headed out off Ssn Pedro with a full, orange moon. I had the 2100 to 2400 watch. My third time at the helm was very improved and I was happy to have only one course excursion of minor note.
The watch is calling out a tall ship ahead and hands on deck are trying to determine which she is.
We have a lot to update you on including many pictures. One quick note - from what I experienced HMS Surprise was the star of the LA FOS show. We had longer lines and guests came almost around the clock to see our ship. I am very proud of our crew for the passion, courtesy and enthusiasm they showed - on deck and ashore.
Time to man lines on the Dog Pound -more soon.
BC
Sent from my iPhone aboard HMS Surprise
The last of our guests left just after 1900 and the movie crew mustered at the waist. We walked up the hill to the San Pedro Brewing Company and got some great burgers, salads and sandwiches. The crew finished quickly and headed up the hill to theater to watch Master and Commander - The Movie. We all watched Al Sorkin and tried to find Pete Sharp, who was an extra in the movie. Pete's 1 second of fame became an topic for some good natured fun.
Ports of Call closes up early so some of us laid to Surprise and talked with guests that continued to walk up after 2300.
Some crew slept onboard again. I am enjoying my dockline mattress and sleeping bag.
More soon
BC
Sent from my iPhone aboard HMS Surprise
Lori woke up the deck sleeping bag crew around 0300. The low was out
so far that our gangway was at risk of scraping the dock. We us
capstan bars to lift the gsngway, then placed hatch covers under the
wheels, raising the shore slight high enough to clear.
Breakfast - cereal, fresh fruit, danish and bagels.
We open to guests and had a number of them wait over an hour before
our starting time. The FOS helped with dockside guest relations and
they deserve a Bravo Zulu for a job well done.
David C and I headed to the Internation guild of Knot Tiers (I may not
have the name exactly right due to 0300 watches). David introduced me
to Joe - the master at this art. Joe showed us how to make a wire
grommet - twice. I asked if I could buy one and Joe gave it to me. I
bought a round of hot dogs, chips and Cokes for Joe, Mike (new chapter
president) and several others.
David and headed back to the boat. I took watched on the Gun Deck,
then took Tamara's watch in the great cabin so she could work on
Monday's watched
Our ship was filled throughout day and evening. Our guests were SO
enthusiastic and many said they would come to Sxn Diego to visit MMSD.
One will start vomiting from Long Beach to volunteer on our crew!
The success of the day went way beyond my expectations. We have
created a new awareness for our ships, programs and crew in San Diego.
More later. JC
Sent from my iPhone aboard HMS Surprise
I had the 0300 - 0600 watch and I got my second half hour at the helm.
It
Is hard to describe the amazing experience at our newly restored
wheel, looking up through the rig to see the stars - and have a
bright meteor come in over our heads.
Tamara was our Captain for 2nd watch and she talked about many
things maritime with us.
Our watch was quiet - even though we spotted many "contacts" entering
and leaving San Pedro and Long Beach
I knew nothing could top my helm experience, but the sea seems to find
a way. With an orange sun rising over the state we were soon able to
see, and hear a pod of dolphin all around us, getting breakfast. We
shared the same area for some time - a special way to end our watch.
I will post another entry after I get some sleep.
BC
Sent from my iPhone aboard HMS Surprise
Sent from my iPhone aboard HMS Surprise
We're aboard, finishing lunch. The Coast Guard will be aboard soon.
The Capt has given us our watch and berth assignments. The deck is
quiet and we are ready to get under way
More soon...
Sent from my iPhone aboard HMS Surprise
HMS Surprise - 10 August, 2008.
A day of training and continuing preparation of Surprise for the northward sail to San Pedro for the Los Angeles Sail Festival. First, up training, a most important issue. Old hands from this past November and May are combined with new crew assigned to the ship for the August sails.
I had an odd feeling about me today. A confidence I hadn't felt before. My prior exeriences aloft had been pathetic, my kness to drum rolls the moment my foot would touch the footrope. Today was different though. I had been on Surprise long enough with the same group of people that simply with that, going aloft seemed a reasonable effort. Also, one is limited to what one can learn trapped on the deck. The fact that I've lost 40 plus pounds since the last time I attempted laying aloft didn't hurt.
Without hesitation, I opted for the course yard, but asking at the same time of Greg Carothers that he babysit me while up there. I also went up last, ensuring I would be located close to the shroud, in case my knees hadn't forgotten there old rythym. "STEPPING ON STARBOARD!" With an acknoldgment by the other topmen, the new footropes seemed sturdy beneath my feet. With the other pluses mentioned previously, the knees weren't knocking. I felt more comfortable aloft than I had ever felt as we put the mains'l in her gear, asking questions all along the way.
During the training, the crew bumbled about slightly, as you might expect, re learning and re grouping. But it wasnt very long and we had remembered our steps along the process. For me, I had had a good day of training until the moment Captain Welton gave the order to clew up the t'gallant. I was on the sheet, made the dreadful error on the sequence of events and proceeded to ease the port t'gallant sheet. "WHO LET GO OF THAT SHEET?!" Ugh, me, your mainmast port pinrail captain. I quickly hauled it back down and got in sync with things, refocused on what I was doing.
With sails doused, back aloft to furl. Again, comfortable.
With the training for the morning finished up, it was now time to start hammering out as much repair and refit still left to do. I found myself with David Litzau and Bert Creighton on the prow, creating a game plan for relashing the starboard boomkin. The boomkin had been broken a month prior. By the time we had figured something out, lunch was called. For me, my children were on their way down, my day of volunteering was at an end.
As I left, Scott Herndon was out on the now-lashed boomkin, re-rigging the block and stays. The remainder of this week at home will be spent making sure I have everything I need for 5 days aboard Surprise. Economics, logistics and the plain and simple desire to live 5 complete days aboard ship have HMS Surpise as my home address from August 14th to the 18th.
Cheers,
Brad Holderman
Aimee Kay
MMSD Volunteer Crew
Joe RadwanskiMMSD Volunteer CrewAs the departure date for the HMS Surprise sail to Los Angeles approaches my anticipation increases. My crewmates, I am sure, are feeling the same. To many, an offshore transit is a welcome respit from our busy lives. I welcome this diversion. All of us at the Maritime Museum have worked hard for this. It is just wonderful that, after all this time, our ship is entering another chapter of it's life. And I am pleased to be a part of it. It's nice to see we will have a near full moon to sail under. How delightful. I feel a certain amount of excitment about this gathering of tallships in LA. It is always a sight to behold and now we can participate. It is interesting to meet the crews of the other ships as they each have their own distinct charachter. No doubt everyone will have a good time and there will be the usual hijinks I'm sure.Then we get to do it all over again right here at home in San Diego. I'm also looking forward to this parade sail as my son Kyle will be able to join me as a junior crew member. We joined the volunteer crew together and we are both very happy to be sailing together at last. The whole family will be at the Maritime Museum helping with the FOS over the weekend. It should be lots of fun. San Diego Bay is a great place for this and the weather should be perfect as usual.
After muster on the Star of India we began work on HMS Surprise,
getting her ready to sail north in August. The detailed restoration of
the ship's wheel continues, and the crew worked on and below deck. The
aloft crew worked on each mast today.
One of our major duties aloft has been lowering blocks to the deck,
then taking them to the Berkeley's workshop where the blocks are
inspected and worked on. Once the blocks are back in good workingorder they are sent aloft and we bend them back on. Some are rather
large, providing the needed purchase to their line. Everything is
labeled as it comes off the boat so we can return the blocks back to
their proper places in the rig.
Below are a couple of pictures of Surprise's wheel (from the Mainm'st)
and the work aloft.
