NHS Winter Retreat

I'm definitely slipping in updating this blog lately - the holiday rush can be thanked for much of that.  We've had lots of visitors to the Dockyard over the last week, but mostly just to check things out and not much actual work has been accomplished.  Oh well.  Now we have a short dash until Christmas and then on into the new year!

But Dockyard work aside, we do have a great event coming up - our winter retreat.  Last year, we just called it a board meeting - as it proved one of the rare occasions that our entire Board of Directors assembled in person to conduct business.  It also allowed our membership to come out and take part in the proceedings and discussions - so that the humblest of us could play philosopher for a few days.  The setting helped dramatically - rather than being cooped up in a board room, activities were held on the top floor of a board member's beach house in North Carolina's Outer Banks - with phenomenal views of the ocean, Pimlico Sound and Hatteras Light.  Everyone was accommodated in private suites, giving the proceedings a more casual, family-like feel, and the heated pool and hot tub were phenomenal, even in January.

This year, we're putting more effort into non-board business with several working groups and discussion forums.  What will those be, exactly?  Well, we hope our members will help us decide that.

Winter Doldrums

Right about now - the post holiday stupor - is what I consider to be my doldrums for the year. The weather outside isn't too bad right now, but that hasn't stopped me from using it as an excuse not to work on the boats. I find that I'd rather stay inside reading and eating, planning things, writing things, and generally keeping sedentary. Sad, yes, I know. I still PT - once a week - but I'm just not easily motivated to physical action right now.

Of course this will pass, and there's really nothing that DEMANDS my immediate attention. And I did spend every other hour shovelling snow right after Christmas (it never snows in Tidewater, does it Elmer?) to keep the boats and strucutres safe and sound. Laziness can be - on occassion, I suppose, in moderation, with proper supervision - a good thing. I just have to be careful not to let it last too long.

BT

I've successfully turned over the duties of Web Administrator (yes, there will be no more back and forth follies yelling at myself wearing different hats) to Alex Lutz. Instead, I plan to focus on drawing connections from Lutz in Bruno (horrible movie, but it has its purpose I suppose) to our very own Lutz in Multi-Media. Although I know many of you don't get the humor there, trust me, you should be laughing. Oh well.

Alex has the complex job of heading up the virtual rennovations I just don't have time for, as well as bringing onboard a programmer or two. I look very much forward to seeing the product of her work when the new website launches just after our Board Meeting on the 23rd.

BT

In case you're getting sick of having to wait until after our Board Meeting to find out precisely what it is we're up to, you could always take a drive down to Avon NC, have a lovely winter weekend in the Outer Banks, and find out then and there all the big things we're hatching. Just saying.

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Confusion reigns, and minions are on backorder

I've just been notified that my job title is probably changing to "Commissioner of Construction, Equipment and Repairs" - I would have liked a few shop slaves or minions, at least one of whom was an attractive woman who could cook, but I suppose I'll settle for the change in title. Crap! That means I have to go change it on all those forms. Oh well.

The Board of Directors is currently busy hacking away at a BIG revision to our organizational bylaws. But before anyone panics, I understand that they are cutting away the bulky admin we never use or have worked around, and clarifying several sticky points we've met in the last year or so. For those who haven't known much about the organization and where we came from, let me summarize:

Several months ago, back in December of 2009 actually, NHS was created from the Lobsterback Society LTD, a group that got its start in reenacting with the main banner of providing all the costumes and equipment for their participants, free of charge. Cool concept, runs much more smoothly than you'd think, but has one core problem - it gets old after a few years. And we young guns don't like being bored, we'd rather find something else to do. So the group adapted and since they were portraying British Rev War Marines anyway, boats and sailors were an obvious choice for expansion. The Monomoy Pulling Boat fell into our laps soon after, and the concept of becoming NHS soon followed.

Now, today, months later and neck deep in projects, goals and new events and activities, the old bylaws written for the Lobsterback Society, which were adapted and slightly modified to make NHS, are no longer adequate. In fact, they don't much fit us at all. The Supply Regulations alone mean I spend hours each week counting everything and forwarding up reports and inventories. Argh. I need shop slaves, or minions, or SOMEONE to do the actual labor while I fill out paperwork (I am sounding like an officer again, I know). But rather than addressing my request, they went back and addressed the problem, and lo and behold, name change and no minions.

The changes as I've seen them drafted encompass cutting out the Supply Regulations entirely, and significantly reducing the amount of regulation. Should be interesting.... more to follow.

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Other explosives available

This Wednesday at the Dockyard, we're working on trailers. Our other projects are either in a state of pause (glue and/or paint drying) or awaiting further guidance. Maintenance of the land vehicles is critical, especially when lights are smashed off by rogue stacks of timber hiding behind trailers, wires get eaten by corrosion monsters, and mechanical parts make strange grinding sounds.

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BT

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Discussion about historical costumes continues. As I have mentioned before, we are now starting to recognize these as less and less germaine to operations as participants find other ways to contribute. They have a place, but it is not in record temperatures and tripple digit heat indexes. This, however, comes in the midst of ongoing sourcing for new 1812 US Marine uniforms.

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Therefore the debate and discussion shifts to events and activities that will 1) increase visibility, 2) increase participation, 3) accomplish our base mission, and 4) ditch the costumes. The two major discussions are centered around a couple semi-radical departures.

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First, that sailing ships - their display, operation and maintenance - best reach the above goals. Available resources do not permit us to even consider these goals within the next decade, and so we have always focussed on the periphery, hence ships' boats. However, the primary setback is related to human interaction - our analysis of feasibility is based on some sort of historically accurate interaction with the subject, namely going aboard, touching articles around the deck, learning about the big picture and the details, and conversing with the crew. For this, one would in fact have to produce a full-sized ship. But what about a scaled down version?

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Several scaled down sailing ships have been produced around the world. At one time they were even a popular gift exchanged between royalty. Yet it clearly does not meet the parameters of what we do, with respect to human interaction. Nor does it seem to meet our long-term operational needs or a good investment make - having little marketable value as a watercraft. Our friends in Ship's Company Inc, a nautical reenactor group, are owners of a scale Baltimore Clipper, which sees little active use. It didn't work for them, why should it work for us? What would we use such a thing for?

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It is funny that I had this conversation with Mr. John Millar last year in discussion about our projects. He recommended something similar to me, and I admit I scoffed at the idea. Most of the craft so far produced have been pretty hokey, after all. Couple this with the aforementioned arguements and you'll be about ready to $hit can the discussion as crap.

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But I am among the chief supporters. Let me explain.

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Crowds of spectators at naval events, harbor festivals go there with some expectation - real or subliminal - of seeing sailing ships, in one form or another. Whether it be artwork or actual tall ships visiting, the image of the tall ship is one that cannot be separated from anything we do. And yet unless actual ships are present, looking out to the water is inevitably dissapointing. Even our beloved launch, still under construction, cannot cut the dash as a full rigged ship sailing grandly by. My own experiences aboard HMS Rose and the brig Niagara educated me about the marvels of sailing ship maneuvers, which are far more complex and capable of putting on a great show. Yet even when real ships are present, they seldom maneuver in view of spectators. A large-scale ship could do that, even in 1:5 scale. Couple that with operating batteries (guns) and you have the potential for a great show. Granted, spectators can only observe it from a distance.

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As existing precident I point to the recreation of the ironclad Albemarle that adorns the Plymouth NC Civil War event every year. It's a little hokey (no offense guys!) but it puts on a great show that interprets the actual battle much better than any number of people sitting behind tables with models. Granted, it is not a sailing ship, but the operational precident is there.

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The projected ship in the discussion is a 1:5 scale model of the US Sloop of War HORNET - because she is the only sailing ship whose lines and rig I have in CAD and can readily manipulate in reduced scale. At 26-feet long on deck, she draws three and a half feet of water and her rig extends her length to more than 40 feet long and 30 feet tall. Her crew is projected at a minimum of 3 and maximum of 8 and could manipulate her sails and port and starboard batteries from seated positions where only the tops of their heads would be visible to a distant crowd. Breech loading guns would utilize shotgun-like shells for fast reloading (there are 10 guns per side to reload at a time!) and would be locally fired via lanyards fitted to a firing pin/primer based action.

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For a sense of scale, her main topsail alone would measure roughly 8 feet tall by 9 feet wide at the mainyard. A 150 lb person can actually ascend the rigging to the level of the tops without dangerously upsetting her stability, though this would only be done for maintenance and furling out of the public view - therefore they need not wear costumes! Transportation is a challenge, but could be accomplished on a suitable trailer. Launching at conventional ramps, as well as assembly and breakdown of her rig present many challenges yet unanswered.

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Alone, she is large enough to make quite a show. With other ships of the same type, she could fully reenact sea battles with astounding accuracy and realism, as well as simulate battle damage.

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Go ahead, call me crazy. It's nothing new.

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The great products we're pushing...

No fullbore Friday today, sorry kids. I'm tired. Not tired as in I need sleep but tired as in worn, as in I've been breaking my backside all over creation and want a rest. When I get to this point the rancor starts coming out, I get cynical and a little off-kilter. Some of you reading know what I'm talking about. Though if you've ever seen me grumpy and been afraid, you'll not want to be anywhere near Amityville this weekend.

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Hard work continues around the Dockyard, though this weekend I am taking a little R&R and headed west to look into a boat of my own (does this boat crap ever end? What can I say, but I'm obsessed).

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There has been some discussion lately about the type of product we're producing, not for our members on whom we are continually focussed, but for the public at large. So far, we've been actors of sorts, dressed in historical costumes and interpreting history, to whatever end we're able. And we have fun doing that. We also offer participation, but that enters into the realm of membership, rather than public product.

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Of prime interest is the upcoming War of 1812 Bicentennial, which is sure to be a major coup for general interest in US history over the next several years. There is much talk of adapting our costumes for 1812 representation, and obviously most of our equipment (boats, basic clothing etc) is just fine for that. There is also much closed-conversation brain storming about breaking out of the funny costume mold. After all, it seems that every time we do something out of costume, we end up with more volunteers, who then decide "wow, this is great - now all we need are costumes" and tada - more costumed participants. But there is so much more that can be done with this no-costume idea, and I'm eager to pursue those, especially as the heat of the Pirate Festival nearly did me in.

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And of course to all of the other groups who kind-of do what we do, I'm sure it looks the same - the upstart guys who don't know how to do it right are pushing a pretty product ahead of their evil agenda to topple the world. Yeah, guys - that pic is for you!

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You can't spell SLAUGHTER without LAUGHTER

Amongst all the work going on with the 25-foot Launch, and getting her inner keel ready for lamination, and preparation for the pirate festival, I've been getting some questions about our representation of battles, skirmishes and combat in general - along with some criticism of how we do so.

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First, this is a job for our PR Director - so go bang down his door when you don't like my answers!

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The Blackbeard Festival in Hampton July 9-11 has been the underlying cause of most of these questions and criticism, so let me summarize. The festival commemorates the 1718 capture of Edward Teach, aka Blackbeard, and his crew near Ocracoke, NC. It is a story stepped in folklore and popularized in the modern imagination by pirate movies. But the true story is much more complicated and interesting than any work of fiction I've read recently. Not only was Blackbeard a 'bad guy' - having captured and plundered dozens of ships and been responsible for countless deaths - but the colonial authorities that captured him were at best sloppy in their administration and accountability and at worst corrupt and self-serving. It reminds me of an 'Enemy at the Gates' type situation - where you're really not sure who to root for, the Nazis or the Communists. This happened - hell, still happens - more than our history books would like to admit or bring to light.

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Most criticism I receive revolves around the indignity of glamorizing piracy in an age when our sailors are still fighting them in several areas of the world. There are also a few that say that pretending to shoot at each other and fall down is silly and infantile. Hmmm. Both opinions are valid and agree with my own, but do not apply to what we're doing in Hampton.

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BT

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Our representation of the historical battles of 1718 is inherently flawed. We are using uniforms and equipment appropriate for 1770-1790, fifty years too late. Our boat is made of fiberglass, and her hull form is only appropriate back to the 1760's. We have short hair, we wear combat boots, our clothing is machine sewn, we brush our teeth and we use deodorant.

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So where do we claim to represent history? In the attitude of our participants during the event. In preparation, they'll be read brief passages describing historical procedures such as the press gang, naval enlistment, and civilian reports of the 'dastardly acts' of pirates. They'll also be given the same motivation as the original pirate hunters - rewards for capturing the pirates. Not to mention a summary of the benefits of looting the pirate's 'booty'. They'll be fully sold on the notion of working for the King (government, not me) as a potentially lucrative occupation. And even if we create these factors artificially, their representation may shed a little light on the truth behind the folklore, both for spectators and the participants themselves.

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The pirate crews, I might add, are even more up to speed on this than we are. While they admit that their principle income is derived from crime, they are quick to point out that theirs are fully democratic crews, with constitutions, elected leaders and equal shares of their plunder for all members. Bet not many people on the street would know that.

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So in both sides, there was good AND bad. See that for what it was, and you're starting to understand history and what we can learn from it.

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Aside from the passing of knowledge and learning is the DOING. Participants will be focused on what we are doing vice what we are wearing. I'm sure that the cut of a waistcoat was not high on the list of priorities for engaged combatants in the 18th century, just as it is not on ours. Sailors and marines alike will think TACTICALLY and do their best to use the limited resources and information at hand (satellite imagery wasn't a common asset in 1718). And to make the challenge all the more difficult, they'll have to capture the "pirates" - without actually hurting anyone - including spectators watching two feet away.

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Learning to use assets within their limitations, exploit the limitations of our opponent, exercising rapid operational risk management decisions on an individual and unit level - you can't tell me there is no professional development in this for our sailors and marines. From the rank and file to the leadership elements - this is not only a past time but a chance to hone skills learned in the military but little exercised in combat, or even mock-combat.

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And most importantly is a little laughter. Not only because it's in the blog title but because it is essential to ensure participants have FUN and therefore absorb information more effectively. The same is true for the public - when they're laughing they're paying attention. When they're yawning, they're zoning out just as they did in history class, which might be why they've never heard of Governor Spotswood, Lieutenant Maynard or Edward Teach. So you'll forgive the bad Monty Python jokes (last year it was from Quest for the Holy Grail: "you stay here until I come and get him"), the occasional raucous cheers and bad singing. But if even one spectator walks away saying "hey hon, did you know the navy used to do that? - just kidnap people off the street" then we've won.

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BT

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If anyone has any questions about the validity of learning about the history of piracy, many of our active duty sailors and marines have met REAL pirates face to face. Ask us.

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Storm has passed, now back to business!

Apologies for the communications blackout after the Bay crossing, but I'm back from NYC and ready to roll!

Little has been going on at the Dockyard, with the exception of a lot of packages coming in. In fact, after the Monomoy was cleaned up after Conquer the Chesapeake, everyone kind of took a bit of a break to rest and recouperate. I'd like to think that includes the boat - with a sprung leeboard and a missing oarlock, she needed some time to recover too.

First things first - EVENTS. Our next event is Norfolk HarborFest, this coming Saturday, from 1500 to roughly 2200. The plan is to launch the boat at Harbor Park (where the Tides play) and row over to Nauticus, get out and enjoy the festivities including tall ships, concerts etc, get some attention rowing around, hang out in the harbor for the fireworks that evening and then recover the boat again that evening. Looks to be a fun event, with some opportunity to bring a few friends and family out for boat rides (as space permits). Let me know soonest if you can make it out.

NHS participation in the Blackbeard Pirate Festival, scheduled for July, has been cancelled. This for two reasons, namely 1) funding for this specific event is short, both in what the trustees are willing to allocate and in what the event is willing to donate, and 2) two sizeable donations have been made to facilitate a resurgence of work on the 24-foot launch, a project that has languished for two years. It costs a good deal of money, time and logistical organization to get out for a major event such as the pirate festival, and in this case the board of directors has decided that finances dictate we withdraw. Sorry pirates, maybe next year!

BT

Secondly, MEETINGS. I want to start a regular weekly meeting. We'll either conduct training, work on small maintenance projects or take the boat out, depending on what we need to get done and how many people we have. Also depending on numbers, we may fire up the grill/smoker for some barbecue. Our first meeting will be this Wednesday, 9 June at the NHS Dockyard. Contact me for directions and details.

BT

Another product of this past weekend's board meetings is that the headqarters of the NHS Marines may be moving back to Danville VA. Seems the marines don't like hanging around the tars in the dockyard. Ha! Well, its not final yet, but provided the Logistics Director and Commissioner of Supply can work out the funding and logistics, you folks in Danville will be right in the thick of marine country. I am very much looking forward to sending you all back your mess kits and camping gear- good riddance!

BT

Last note for today is a word about the 24-foot Launch. After languishing for two years "on the stocks" she has been picked up for completion by the end of this year. I'm glad to see the renewed interest, and hope that many of you can join us in the dockyard to get 'er done. For details about the design, see the last blog entry. One thing is sure - I've got dibs on coxswain of that beauty when she hits the water!

That's it for now - more to follow this week as I get back in the saddle.

Will

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So how do we pay for all this?

Working late yesterday someone asked me "how much does all this gear cost? It looks expensive." Yes, it is. Safety gear is one of those things that you learn not to skimp on. And as we break everything out for inspection and overhaul, more than a few people are wishing they were wielding power tools instead. But the point of fact is that you don't plan for the trip, you plan for the mishap. That is what we call in the Navy 'Operational Risk Management' - by careful evaluation of the risks and the probablility they will ocurr, we can make appropriate preparations to mitigate them. So for those who balk at the endless stream of lanyards to be replaced, just remember - someday you may find youself in the middle of a great body of water all by yourself, floating there with the aid of your trusty PFD. Do you think you'd care about whether your lanyard is still attached then? Exactly.

The base point of the question, our funding, can be answered fairly easily. The Monomoy Pulling Boat is owned by the Military Sealift Command, and as such, there is an expectation that they will ensure she has all the required safety gear. They've come through in fine form - providing all the gear in those huge OD green bags. From anchors and rodes to PFDs, flares and emergency radios, we've got it all thanks to our friends, the professionals at MSC. Funding for upkeep of our other gear and for produciton of replacements where required is being drawn from a fund established by the NHS Board of Directors, which is allocated from the Annual Operating Budget. In case you are wondering, it's tiny compared to what we turn out - if my memory serves, this year it was under $1,000.

BT

Tonight we have the scheduled SART test (Search and Rescue Transponder) which should be fun. Disregard USCG helos hovering over the Dockyard...

BT

Four more days until the first launching of the season...

Will

Costumes and Uniforms

Yesterday we managed to get all major projects in the Dockyard to a stopping point, so we could clean up and prepare for the varnish party this weekend. Tonight the weapon of choice is the broom and the mighty mighty shop vacs. Anyone who is planning on coming out, bring sanders - palm, random-orbital, belt, etc. Anything you can conveniently bring. We have four in the 'yard, but we will need more.

BT

So last night I was brought into a discussion between the PR Director, Commissioner of Supply and four Trustees. If you're not sure who these people are, read back a few days, I explained it (told you I was getting lazy, online at least). The conversation had to do with the new events coming up this year - where 2 out of 3 currently set up have been determined as "no costume" events. The hope is to work our programming outside the exclusive realm of reenacting, to a place where reenactors, recreational boaters and the active duty communities meet. To that end, there were some terse words exchanged relating to historical dress, relating to a decision last month in the BoD that historical replica clothing in organizational property were to be referred to as "costumes".

Most people who are not part of the reenacting hobby would describe it as one in which "people get together, put on historical costumes, and hold events" (quoting my friend Jeff, a non-reenactor). That's pretty accurate. Reenactors see it differently, using the words "uniform", and "muster". Some take it pretty seriously - in fact, I know a guy who was buried in his "uniform" and put his reenactor unit and rank on his tombstone. Ummmm.

Look, I know I am going to piss people off with this, but reenacting is a hobby. We do this because we like to; it's how we choose to spend our spare time. When you start taking it too seriously, you can cross boundaries - like mixing up who you ARE and who you are PRETENDING to be. A number of people are confused why NHS is planning on crossing Chesapeake Bay, without commemorating some event or another. The answer is because we can. In shorts and t-shirts we're going to be ourselves and use some antiquated technology to get across a rather broad (16 nm) stretch of water. In the process, hopefully we can help the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and Virginia State Parks with their respective goals. At the very least, it'll be an experience- one that we don't have to credit to anyone else.

So as far as I am concerned, they are costumes. Thank you, gentlemen of the board - good call.

Dismount - SOAP BOX!

Will

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In the spirit of the weekend, a word about government

HA! You thought I was going to get political here, didn't you!? No, I like being Dockyard Superintendant too much to stir up a bees nest like that. But I know some people have been asking exactly how the Naval Heritage Society works - after all there are no dues, fees that are impossibly small and only for the events you attend, and no voting amongst the membership. Rather than have to answer this fifty more times over, I'd rather just point to the blog. So hello, folks, you've arrived at my laziness.

NHS was founded on the premise that most of the people we wanted to recruit - active duty sailors and marines, retired sailors and marines, students, young people, etc - didn't want to have to throw thousands of dollars into a hobby to participate. But they'd show up and pull an oar or march with the best of 'em - and with more energy, too. Membership established, growing, constantly changing - check. So if they don't pay who does?

Being the astute business people that we are (or aspire to be) we then hunted down ways to raise money. This meant bringing onboard people who were willing to make sizeable donations to NHS to buy uniforms (historical costumes), clothing, supplies, materials etc. Most of this is achieved through donation of unwanted items such as old reenacting gear, crap around the house, junk automobiles, etc. Our staff sells the donated items we don't want on eBay and cha-ching there's money in our account, credited to the donor.

Now, crediting the donor is important. If they donate $500 or more in cash or gear (which is measured in what we're actually able to get for the unwanted stuff, and comparable prices for the stuff we keep) they become a Trustee of NHS. Those people vote to elect the governing body of the organization - the Board of Directors. Every subsequent $500 they dontate gets them another vote. Why does this matter? Well, it matters because each Trustee has an opinion on what they would like to see done with their money, and if we ever hope to keep raising money, we have to listen. Electing their representatives means they can nominate who they want (including themselves) to make the actual managerial decisions.

Managerial decisions. That sounds so cool! But no. The Board of Directors is comprised of up to seven people, each elected by the Trustees. Right now, three of the positions are filled by Trustees. Four positions are filled by people who haven't made a donation. The positions are as follows: Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Financial Director, Logistics Director, Historical Director, Public Relations Director and Secretary. I'm sure you can figure out - generally - the function of each of those people.

At any rate, they send a constant flurry of emails back and forth, discussing how to govern NHS more effectively. There is a standard letter sent out by the Secretary to all prospective directors that states "be prepared to answer 5 to 6 emails a day, and receive two to three phone calls". So there's a lot of discussion going on there constantly. What does it mean to govern NHS 'more effectively'? It means to work out ways to realize the goals and intentions of the Trustees while ensuring members are having fun and keep coming back. And there you have the membership vote - they vote with their feet. Without participants, nothing gets done. Without donors, we fall apart. It is a delicate balance, and a lot of responsibility.

And then there's me - the Dockyard Superintendant. I am responsible to ensure all of our boats and related equipment are ready for events, and that our new construction projects stay on budget and on schedule. I am appointed by the Logistics Director and report directly to the board of Directors, as does my counterpart - the Commissioner of Supply. He is responsible for all clothing, provisions, supplies etc. We are referred to in NHS bylaws as 'functionaries' - that is, it is our job to make sure the policies of the Board of Directors get carried out in the day-to-day operation of the organization, and we're ready to rock when an event rolls around.

So I hope that answers the majority of questions out there on how that all works.

BT

ALL HANDS this coming weekend is the last major working weekend before re-launching and Sea Trials for the Monomoy Pulling Boat. Come on out to the Dockyard and lend a hand.

Will

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