One Small, Big Step on Matthew Turner

Dear members of the Call of the Sea community,

Looking back over the seven years that brigantine Matthew Turner was under construction, it would be very difficult to say that one step of the building project was more important than the rest. Last week, however, one step was hugely significant for Call of the Sea, given that our ships remain battened down in the slack tide of the pandemic.
With restrictions beginning to ease on construction in Marin County, one of our long time volunteers, Roger Fuller, was able to leave his home, carry his own tools, put on protective gear, and step onboard Matthew Turner to work in the chart house by himself. He performed complicated electronics/software work needed for instruments and alarms to function to their full potential. Roger worked in compliance with Marin County Public Health & Safety Protocols required for small construction projects.

In preparation for additional work in the coming weeks, we drafted procedures that tailor the Protocols for our job sites (vessels, dock, and shop), designed appropriate signage, and are purchasing protective equipment and supplies that are required. Volunteer Joel Lewitz has stepped up to be our “purchasing agent.” Our neighbor across from our shop, Reason Bradley, has offered to make face shields for our workers, just as his Marinship Emergency Medical Manufacturing Group has generously provided to front line healthcare providers, first responders, and food bank workers. You can support MEMM’s charitable efforts here.

Call of the Sea Volunteers will be allowed to work on our sites only if specifically authorized to do so . There will be limits on the number of workers that c an be present at any one time. Once a job is authorized, assigned workers will be required to strictly comply with the Protocols. Volunteer Neil Gibbs has agreed to serve as “Safety Officer” and will appoint an on-site safety supervisor to assure compliance.

As Roger stepped off Matthew Turner, the boat tipped only slightly, causing a small ripple to move gently away from the hull and disappear before it reached the slips on the other side of the channel. Elsewhere along the Sausalito waterfront, gentle wake waves from distant ships could be seen heading toward shore, passing rotting pilings that supported docks abandoned long ago. We could look back and wonder, “What went wrong, why are those docks in ruin?” Or we could look forward to the day when the strong wakes of Seaward and Matthew Turner, each under full sail and carrying a deck bustling with passengers fully engaged and excited, come combing toward the shore.