Introduction:
Thank you for considering spending some time on board TS Pelican of London during the forthcoming maintenance period. The Ship’s crew really appreciate all the time and energy provided by volunteers to assist with the maintenance and improvement of the vessel.
To ensure that you know what to expect during your time on board, and that you bring appropriate clothing, this kit list has been developed by the ship’s Professional Crew.
During a maintenance period, things on board Pelican are very different from what you might have experienced during a voyage, and it really helps to have the right things with you.
Clothing:
- Many of the tasks that are carried out during maintenance periods are dirty jobs – this could include painting, chipping rust, dealing with oily or greasy materials, mud in the bottom of the drydock, or other messy things.
- Any clothes you bring with you may be ruined with stains or muck from maintenance tasks, so we suggest leaving your designer shirts and expensive gear at home.
- Hardwearing, practical clothing is best:
- Work trousers, cargo trousers or tough jeans are ideal
- Multiple layers including t-shirts, long sleeved work shirts, smocks or fleece jumpers work well
- All clothing should be comfortable and appropriate to the climate the ship will be in. If in doubt bring an extra jumper or extra layers.
- During a maintenance period in the UK you may wish to bring thermals to don underneath your outer workwear in case of cold weather
- We recommend everyone brings a woolly hat in cold weather or a sun hat/cap in hot weather. You may be outside in the elements for several hours at a time.
- The ship’s crew have a stock of boilersuits/coveralls (in medium sizes) and some old oilskins which are available for maintenance tasks. You are welcome to borrow these, but feel free to bring your own if you prefer.
- We do try to make laundry facilities available to volunteers who are working on board, but for operational reasons this might not happen every day. Bring enough clothing for about a week if you expect to be staying with us for that long.
- There is usually the opportunity to go ashore in the evening after the day’s work is done. You may wish to bring a clean set of clothes and shoes for this activity.
Footwear:
- Work boots or safety shoes with proper toe protection are a very good idea for anyone involved in ship maintenance. Some of these are now quite inexpensive whilst also providing a good level of comfort and warmth.
- If you are expected to do really muddy work in a drydock (or similar) we can provide wellington boots on board (mostly in the larger sizes).
- Please do not bring flip-flops or sandals to wear on board at any time.
Personal Protective Equipment:
The ship will provide other PPE such as work gloves, dust masks, goggles and ear defenders as appropriate to the task you are undertaking. If you have your own items like this you would prefer to bring, feel free to do so.
All Professional Crew and Volunteers working on board the ship must use the ship’s own lifejackets and safety harnesses. These are always provided as appropriate.
If you are not sure what PPE is required for a task, or how to correctly use it, please ask a member of staff.
Tools:
- The ship will provide the tools required to complete generic maintenance tasks.
- If there is a tool you are unfamiliar with you will receive a briefing from a staff member before you start using it. If in doubt, please ask.
- If you have your own tools – perhaps you are a tradesman or have specialist equipment that you are prepared to bring with you – of course, this is OK, but please discuss this with the First Mate or Chief Engineer when you arrive so we can ensure all power tools that come on board are in a suitable condition and all jobs are carried out in an appropriate manner.
- For all volunteers who will be working on deck, it is very useful (but not essential) to bring:
- A multi tool (such as a Leatherman, Gerber etc)
- A small torch (headtorches are popular)
- A small rigging knife and marlinespike can also be very useful (if you expect to help with rigging maintenance).
We do not expect you to rush out and spend money on this stuff before you join us for maintenance, but if you have these things already; feel free to bring them with you.
Other items:
- We would always recommend bringing a refillable water bottle.
- Please do not bring sleeping bags
- The ship will provide a duvet, pillow, mattress protector and pillow protector for each bunk; if you can bring your own single fitted sheet, single duvet cover and a pillowcase that would be much appreciated. The ship does have a few sets of bedding but not enough for every volunteer to use.
- Please bring your own toiletries and a towel
If you have any questions about what to expect during a maintenance period, or what to bring with you, please get in touch.
BSW 20/9/23
