Robbins Reef Trip Report, Thursday, July 5, 2018

Crew: Megan Beck, Eileen Montanez, Michael Parise, Annie Rech, Nan Smith, Erin Urban

Weather: Sunny, 80’s, brisk winds, rough seas

Access: We left Miller’s at 9:45 AM on the Julia Miller, captained by Bart Coma, and came back at 3:30 PM on the Emily, captained by Tony Semple.

Purpose of the trip: We had to continue painting the stairwell, dressing doors with a plane and installing hardware, working on the dog door, and scraping the ladders. We also wanted to caulk the beadboard in the Lantern Gallery and work on the round windows that open on the fourth floor.

Task accomplished: Nan cut in and Megan rolled on the second coat of paint the stairwell from the kitchen to sitting room and they cut in and patched from the sitting room up to the equipment room. Michael dressed three doors with a plane, and they now close. He also installed a mortise, plate, and doorknobs from the lighthouse on the equipment room door; we can now lock it if necessary. Eileen caulked the entire Lantern Gallery. Annie finished prepping the fourth floor ladder and started on the Watch Gallery ladder. In order to free the dog that was frozen, Erin applied white lithium grease to it and the whole door, and after three applications, Michael was able to loosen the dog. He then applied epoxy sealant to the whole door and the area below it, which is iron.

In our attempt to remove the wood centers that were installed in the windows in Mae and Jacob’s rooms on the fourth floor and the stairwell when the lighthouse was sealed, we removed the wood centers and discovered that the rims in the two rooms are missing. We lined the three apertures with plastic, put the wood centers back, and screwed scrap wood around each window to keep it the wood in place.

We took up the ramboard in the Lantern Gallery, vacuumed that gallery and the Watch Gallery, and swept up throughout the lighthouse.

Next steps: We have to address the round windows that open on the fourth floor, locate rims, install glass, and re-install them in order to have ventilation up there. 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 can then put the Lantern Gallery hatch cover, which we painted, back. With a new solvent we will apply to the ladders, we expect to be able to get them ready for epoxy and paint. We have to replace the rusted hinges on the cellar door. We have to strip the Watch Gallery hatch and varnish it.

In order to prepare estimates on replacing the promenade railings, for which we may get some funding, Megan measured them.

Of great importance is covering the gaping hole in the kitchen wall. Steve Kalil and Scott Van Campen have agreed to do so; Steve will have it 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.