Monday 15th: work work work

I am writing from my new bunk, which is where I'll be sleeping for the next week on The Gazela. I moved my things in a day early, before most of the crew, to get a head start on researching this trip.



Members of the crew have been working hard for months to get the ship ready for trips like this. Today, there was an afternoon rain that brought all painting to a halt. However, members of the crew were hauling chain forward to the bow of the ship for the anchor.



















The anchors will be retrieved out of storage from the Barge. (The Barge is located near the Gazela at Penn’s Landing.) As you can see from the pictures, the Barge is a very cool place. There is anything you could want in there. Sails also arrived today that were in storage all winter.























The whole starboard side of the ship is all painted. The port side, had many more planks to be added, so it is still being caulked.







Members of the crew were working on the Mizzen gaff. They had to replace the old Mizzen gaff due to a brake during a day sail down the Delaware river.



















The Plan for Wednesday is to leave for the pump out station at 8:00am There, we will be pumping out the waste tanks, then get under way. This will take about two hours, so we will be officially heading out at 10am.




























This trip is a work trip. Therefore, we will be focusing on rigging the sails and painting while we are on deck.

We are heading for the C and D ( Chesapeake and Delaware Canal). We hope to enter the C and D Canal by 3:00pm that Wednesday. We’ll play it by ear whether we anchor or not.(this depends on how fast we are able to go.) Our goal is to be at the mouth of the Potomac River by first light on Friday.


'til next time,
-Abby Fazio