clean and ready to run: indy 7
After a long hiatus from operation over this past blistering winter, Indy 7 is ready to get underway. Just prior to the winter, Indy received it's Coast Guard inspection and passed with flying colors. During the winter Indy stood docked at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in the rain, sleet, ice and snow. So one could imagine that prior to getting back into operation there might be some maintenance that need to be done. The initial maintenance done on Indy was the installation of a new spring into one of the engine's oil filters. It was a simple process but it had it's hiccups. I had initially dropped a washer in the bilge and was wrist deep trying to recover the washer. After that hiccup, the vessel's visual appearance became the next priority.
Over the next several days the Waterfront Club, which meets on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, sanded Indy in preparation for a fresh paint job. Manual sanding with sand paper in hand and elbow grease takes a number of Waterfront Club members to get the job done. Several students, including myself, also volunteered their time during spring break to sand, prime and paint parts of the hull as well. When the seats of Indy were primed, senior Vessel Ops Student Waleska Montilla said "It looks like cheetah print!" and I had to agree. With the contrasting light and dark brown tones, the image of a cheetah came to my mind as well. Once all the initial prep was done and the vessel was painted, Indy 7 was officially ready to embark on a journey to SUNY Maritime for the April 18th Safety at Sea Seminar.
The trip began at Pier 101 where Indy was docked and all of the maintenance described before had taken place. After all of the usual start up checks were complete (Coolant Level, Oil level and Transmission Fluid) the vessel was ready to make way and start heading to SUNY Maritime via the East River. ETA was approximately 1600. We arrived in ample time, upon arrival we were greeted by two Harbor School alumni on one of Maritime's Rescue boats. We tied Indy off to a mooring as we disembarked from Indy and onto two of Maritime's Rescue boats and afterwards, we were escorted by current Maritime Students down to the South Street Seaport. It was quite the journey.