Robbins Reef Trip Report, June 16, 2022

Noble Crew: Andrew Quisling, Sean Sweeney, Erin Urban

Conditions: Overcast, patches of fog and sunlight, 65-70◦s. High winds and rough water.

Access: Left Miller’s at 1:00 PM and returned at 3:15 PM on the Nicholas Miller captained by Abdel Rahmanelmasry making his first trip out to the reef and being guided by Captain George Langer, and brought us back at 3:00 PM with Captain Mike Grodeska guiding him.

Purpose of the trip: The purpose of the trip was to haul out the paint, blocks for the exterior rigging, and more water, to work on the kitchen door, and to clean and assess conditions.

Tasks accomplished: We hauled out and unloaded 8 gallons of paint, 3 jugs of water, and the two boxes of wood blocks on loan to us from the Lilac for the rigging and checked the lighthouse.

Andrew with the door in the sitting room.
PHOTO: Sean Sweeney

Andrew adjusted the mortice in the kitchen door and readied it for the placement of the new $429.00 brass tenon. He brought out appropriate doorknobs for consideration and a tool that will work well getting the linoleum glue off the floors. We will purchase a couple of them for our strong-armed volunteers. It could come off “like butter,” as Laura Kennedy would say.

Sean had never been out before and while photographing he surveyed various areas such as the threshold for the dog door in the Light Gallery, with an eye toward working on them

Erin cleaned the Light Gallery, where the finial is again raining down soot. Some of our towels on the sills were damp. She swept the gallery and the Watch Gallery floor and ladder and started sweeping the stairwell.

Our work was cut short when Andrew spotted the Nicholas approaching at about 2:50 PM. We expected to leave at 4 PM because the tide would be low at 4:41 PM. We learned from Mike that the tide is one foot lower at low tide and one foot higher at high tide during a full moon, and we hurriedly packed up and left. Miller’s always watches out for us.

Next steps: After the new hinge arrives (it is back-ordered) and we ready the jamb and finish the locking installation, we will hang the kitchen door, put a coat of paint on it, and attach the brass plate to the lower panel. When the weather settles down, we will begin the exterior painting. In the meantime, we will haul out the paint, assess and check the equipment, and take care of the things like the finial. We also need help with removing linoleum glue from the floors while addressing the husbandry—at the loving hands of Noble Crew—that keeps the interior of Kate’s Light as she did. When we start the exterior painting, we will leave Miller’s at 2:00 PM on Thursdays and Fridays. Angus needs at least two people per trip to spot and supply him while he is chipping and painting. Volunteers who can and want to help should let Erin know.