spring season starts!

Call Time: 0700

Location: BMB

Task: Get aboard Privateer, prepare to conduct Crane Operations.

Conditions: 65° F, clear skies, light winds & a strong Ebb.

The school's boats don't only work during class time, we operate them before and after school too. This morning Privateer had to be taken off of Governors Island to Pier 16, to assist  with with the movement of the schooner Pioneer's float. In all my time at South Street Seaport Museum, going on 3 years, I've never seen this float  moved out of its place. Today was the day I helped in the process of moving it. What we thought would be a crane operation ended up being more of an assist and tow job. Privateer, our best maneuvering vessel, was the one for the job. Since the propeller can spin 360° we can make the boat move however we want. The Pioneer float is tied up on the south side of Pier 16 with mooring lines that lead back to the Pier. It's held in place with chains. To be able to move it, the lines and chains holding it to the Pier  have  to be dropped. This is where Privateer comes in. Privateer was used to guide this float the opposite Pier, the North side of Pier 15. A large amount of line handling was used for this operation. The float has many bits on which to drop the eye of a line. Utilizing these bits, Captain Aaron would instruct the crew, Capt. Luis Melendez, myself, Malachi H. & the South Street Seaport Museum staff to move this float. There was a lot of dropping lines on bits, making it off after pulling it in tight, then some steering and maneuvering until we had to move to the another part of the float to adjust. 

Privateer helped with lining up the float and ensuring the float made it to the other side, but the Ebb also helped with this operation. The Ebb was pulling the float towards Pier 15. If it were a flood, the float would be pushed up against Pier 16. Knowing the current of the water is a useful skill in times like this, we can use it to our advantage to make our jobs a tad bit easier.

This operation was a great way to start off this spring season. It was a refresher to myself with line handling. As the season goes on, the Harbor School fleet will be doing more and more on the water, from conducting dives to lifting moorings.