Progress Report from Robbins Reef
Robbins Reef Trip Report Trip Report, February 24, 2022
Noble Crew: Annie Frangipane, Leslie Petosa, Louise Petosa, Erin Urban
Weather: Overcast, windy, temperatures in the 30s.
Access: Left Miller’s at 11:45 AM and returned at 1:45 PM on the Nicholas Miller captained by Bruce Belschner.
Purpose of the trip: The purpose of the trip was to check on the lighthouse. It was 42 degrees inside, and everything was light, tight, and bright.
Tasks accomplished: We replaced the padlock on the front door and checked the cellar and upper floors, which were dry. We wiped down the windows in the Light Gallery and replaced the towels we keep on the sills because they were damp from condensation on the windows. The finial was again raining down grit so we swept the gallery floor. We swept the promenade as best we could. The fan was humming. Everything outside was fine.
Next steps: Angus McCamy will paint the middle, white panels of the exterior. We are set with equipment. Angus can work after 3 PM till sunset on weekdays. We need Crew help with rigging the platforms and spotting him as he works. John Tretout and his staff of Armorica Sales donated five 5-gallon buckets of the paint which we will haul out as needed.
We will secure the locking fixtures and doorknobs to the front door and install them and the door. One by one we will remove the windows in the Light Gallery, clean the metal channels, and reinstall the windows with marine-grade caulk. Someone tall has to scrape and paint the inside of the finial., or perhaps we will have to seal it.
We have to replace the Watch Gallery door with a sheet metal-plated door that we can secure properly; we now have to rope it closed. We also need help with installing the restored kitchen door and working on removing the linoleum glue from the floors.
There are many jobs around the lighthouse, and if you would like to help, please let Leslie Petosa, Erin Urban, or a friend you may know on the Crew know. We go out on weekdays about once per week in fair weather usually for 6-hour stretches. We will go out with Angus as stated above, and perhaps you could alter your schedule to help. Glen Miller and his staff make all this possible and we thank them all!