Robbins Reef Trip Report, Thursday, July 12, 2018

Crew: Megan Beck, Annie Rech, Nan Smith, Erin Urban

Weather: Sunny, 80’s

Access: We left Miller’s at 9:30 AM and came back at 3:45 PM on the Emily Miller with Rob Stumley as pilot.

Purpose of the trip: We had to remove Peel Away from the Watch Gallery hatch cover and Smart Strip from the two interior ladders.

Task accomplished: Meg tried to drill out the bolt holding the phalange on the port light in Jacob’s room, but she could not. We need better tools.

Then she and Erin took the Peel Away off the hatch cover. It had not properly dried, however, and had at least two layers of paint, one gray and one brown, which the Peel Away could not fully penetrate and remove. The result was a mess, with smeared paint that could not be removed with water or scraping. They did what they could, propped the hatch up on the floor, and cleaned up the mess, and set the hatch back up on the table to dry out for the next trip.

Nan and Annie hit the fourth floor ladder. Though we were using Smart Strip; it had been recommended because it would dry to a powdery layer that could be swept away. The ladders were thick with old paint and rust. But like the Peel Away, the Smart Strip was gooey and wet; they worked on the ladder for a couple of hours, and later Erin helped Annie with the fourth floor ladder, and Nan and Megan hit the Watch Gallery ladder. It was unsatisfying and messy work. After another four hours, the ladders did not seem much better. We had to put the drop cloths out on the railings to dry and then sweep them; all in all, the clean-up was a costly, non-environmentally considerate project. We did what we could to clean the gook and grime from the floors but we will have to replace the ramboard. Then we swept up throughout the lighthouse.

Next steps: We are working on addressing the port lights that open on the fourth floor. We will continue putting a second coat of paint on the stairwell brick and cast iron walls and ceilings. We have to clean up the round ventilation disks in the Lantern Gallery and paint the beadboard. We’ll make sure the dog door is tight, put in new molding around it, and install the threshold. We have to clean up the Lantern Gallery hatch cover, and put it back; and finish stripping and then paint the ladders.

Of great importance is covering the gaping hole in the kitchen wall. Steve Kalil and Scott Van Campen have agreed to do so; Steve is having a cover made at the shipyard and Scott will install it. Josh Pugliese, who is a mason, will then replace the inner brick wall as a donation to the lighthouse project.