Well folks, mixed emotions were the order of the day for those who answered the call in November to come to the Tam and pump out her bilges. Mixed emotions because fond memories came flooding back of our youth and downright despair when we saw the condition of the some of the steel indicating a complete lack of maintenance. There was quite a bit of rain water in the bilges, the pumps chugged on and on for roughly an hour and a half. The general consensus was that the water was getting in through the hatch in the stern leading to the shaft alley. We opened the hatch cleared debris from the gasket seal pumped out the bilge's and resealed the hatch.

The Bilge Rats

We will have to go back and continue to work on the vessel ourselves until she goes into the yards this winter. A good time was had by all today, fittingly Veteran's Day. Most present were Coasties, however, Jim Wassmuth from Staten Island served on the Navy ATF Nipmuc ATF 157. Jim was more concerned about saving an ATF then he was concerned about her being Haze Gray or white.

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