Bayshore Discovery – Intensive Learning @ MFS

Bayshore: The Final Day

March 29, 2019March 29, 2019Bayshore Discovery

Most of our work on our fifth and final day at the Bayshore Center was a continuation of tasks we’ve posted about before, like varnishing and painting, but one job was both brand new and epic. It was “all hands on deck” to carry the sails from their storage loft through the Bayshore office,...

Bayshore: Day 4

March 28, 2019March 28, 2019Bayshore Discovery

Today was an exciting day at the Bayshore Center. The Meerwald had been covered all winter with huge PVC hoops and tightly stretched plastic, creating a workspace on deck sheltered from rain and wind. Today we got to take it all down as, bit by bit, the gorgeous sunshine covered the deck for the...

Bayshore: Day 3

March 27, 2019March 27, 2019Bayshore Discovery

Today’s work mostly involved following up on yesterday’s tasks. Lots more painting of deck boxes, oiling of blocks, and picking up of trash. The only new jobs were polishing the ship’s bell and carrying old sails (it took about 20 people to carry each one!). So for today’s blog entry, we asked each student...

Bayshore: Day 2

March 25, 2019March 25, 2019Bayshore Discovery

“Keeping the Rot at Bay” For our second day at the Bayshore Center, we tweaked our schedule a bit to be more efficient. We’d work straight through until a later lunchtime and then leave right after lunch. But the first order of business upon arriving was checking out Cashier, the sunken boat we’d seen...

Bayshore: Day 1

March 22, 2019March 22, 2019Bayshore Discovery

“Aw, Shucks, We’re Back at Bayshore!” After a bit over an hour on the bus and the traditional stop at Wawa, we arrived at the Bayshore Center in Bivalve, NJ. By the time we got there, the rain had stopped, but the wind was picking up. Looking out over the water, you could see...

Finishing Touches and Pizza

March 29, 2018March 29, 2018Bayshore Discovery

So today at the boat we added the finishing touches. We painted the rails, the boxes that hold all the sailors’ equipment, and the name plates for the boat. We finished sanding at the Bayshore center, a task that took most of our workday. Other members of our group used small pickaxes to remove...

Don’t Oil the AJ Meerwald All Willy-Nilly

March 28, 2018March 28, 2018Bayshore Discovery

Celebrating 13 years of MFS students sanding, oiling, and painting the AJ Meerwald, and learning about the history of an important part of South Jersey. First the work … Today we oiled, sanded, and painted the ship known as the AJ Meerwald. The AJ Meerwald is a oyster schooner located in Bivalve, NJ. Bosun...

Day Three Painting at Bayshore

March 27, 2018March 27, 2018Bayshore Discovery

Day three with Bayshore! Today we switched locations — Mr. Cotter’s group headed to the Bayshore Center with Bosun Liz, while Dr. Mosher’s group went to the boatyard with Captain Johann. The scenery was different, but the jobs were similar — sanding, painting, and oiling to get the A.J. Meerwald ready for its inaugural 2018...

Oiling at the Bayshore Center

March 26, 2018March 27, 2018Bayshore Discovery

We set off this morning for our second day of Bayshore Discovery Project work. As we did Friday, half of the group went to the boatyard and half to the Bayshore Center. Both groups spent time sanding, oiling, and painting in order to get the AJ. Meerwald ready for spring sailing. Oiling at the...

picture of the AJ. Meerwald at full sail.

MFS Bayshore Trip – Sanding and Service

March 25, 2018March 25, 2018Bayshore Discovery

Today we had our first day of the Bayshore Intensive Learning trip. Our main goal each year is to help get New Jersey Tall Ship AJ. Meerwald ready for her summer sailing season. Because water, sun, wind, and salt are tough on boats, our work generally involves stripping the old paint and varnish from...

Bayshore Last Day: Wrapping It Up

March 31, 2017March 31, 2017Bayshore Discovery

Bayshore Last Day Today, our last day at Bayshore, we did a number of different jobs! The morning started out with pretty chilly weather, but thankfully, it got sunny in the afternoon, and ended up being a beautiful day. Learning to CUT LINE … Three of us, Amanda, Kyle, and Jalen, were given the...

Bayshore: The Sun Appears!

March 29, 2017March 29, 2017Bayshore Discovery

Today at Bayshore was extremely productive. Upon our arrival we proceeded to remove the winter cover from the Meerwald. We removed the cover and took away the pipes holding it up. We then proceeded to paint a glossy white coat on the Meerwald’s cabin and rails. It was absolutely beautiful later in the...

Bayshore: Rope in the Rain

March 28, 2017March 30, 2017Bayshore Discovery

Bayshore, Day Three Today was super rainy, making boat painting difficult. Instead, we spent time with ropes! Arrival At the beginning of the day, we played Two Truths and a Lie as an icebreaker game. Then the group split into two groups and then resumed our painting projects from yesterday. The larger group,...

Bayshore: The Work Begins

March 27, 2017March 27, 2017Bayshore Discovery

Ship-Shape? Not Yet! Today, we got into the real nitty-gritty of the work getting the A.J. Meerwald ready for her 2017 sailing season. Scraping, Sanding and Painting.. We stepped out of the bus, and were once again “delighted” by the salty smell of rotting oysters and the Delaware bay. It was a little chilly,...

Bayshore Intensive Learning First Impressions

March 26, 2017March 26, 2017Bayshore Discovery

Bayshore Adventure Begins! Today we toured the Delaware Bay Museum, hiked through the marshes, and climbed up and down the boat. Read on for more details. Smells Ring Bells Bayshore attendees all agreed that the most memorable things about our first MFS Intensive Learning day were the smells. Upon exiting the bus, we were...