A New Challenger

February, 2005 proved to be an exciting month for the Challenger, as we acquired a new primary
training vessel, a 95 foot former coast guard cutter!

Below you can take a virtual tour of our new ship and get an idea of her current condition before
we begin our improvements

A Walk Around the Outside

The new Challenger is 95 feet long and 20 feet wide. That's 13 feet longer and 3 feet
wider than the 82.

			The port quarter as seen over our sister ship, Cape Romain	"The 95 Club". The Cape Jellison (S.S.S. Challenger), and Cape Romain (S.S.S. Intrepid), spending their retirement from the Coast Guard together.

The Main Deck

The main deck of the new Challenger is solid, but pink just isn't our color. It will be
re-painted and a different style of non-skid applied.

The Bridge and Navigation Center

The bridge of the new Challenger is equipped similarly to the 82, except this
vessel is equipped with a gyro compass, in addition to the magnetic compass,
which can give our crew the experience of working with true and magnetic
courses, as well as taking bearings and manually fixing position, which is much
more difficult without a gyro compass.

The helm and magnetic compass. Engine controls under the cover to the right.	Another view of the helm, and the passage into the Nav Center	Controls for the windshield wipers, and digital gyro repeater to left.

One notable advantage this vessel has over the 82-footer is a completely separate room
for the navigation crew to do their work and training. The nav center is immediately adjacent to the bridge,
and equipped with a chart desk capable of holding an open, full size chart, a computer desk, and much
more storage than was available on the 82.

This room will also be outfitted with its own complete set of electronics on which
the navigation crew can train without affecting operations in the bridge.

Passge from the bridge to the nav center.	The chart desk, large enough for a full size chart	Computer table and computer.

 The Galley and Mess Deck

The galley and mess deck are equipped similarly to the 82. We can seeat
the same amount of crew or more on the mess deck.

Looking from the mess deck into the galley.	Mess Deck		Shelving space, small refrigerator, and ice maker.

The Crew's Quarters

Currently this vessel sleeps 10 crew, however they are all together, unlike
the split crew's quarters on the 82, and they have their own head. This
compartment is in for a major upgrade. Once done, she will sleep at least
12-15 crew in this compartment.

Looking in from the galley	The starboard side of the quarters.	The Crew's head and shower.

The Engine Room

A far cry from the spacious and simple engine room on the 82 footer, this
engine room has four V-12 diesels, two electrical generators, a sound resistant
booth, and nearly all of the ship's mechanical systems.

This engine room will provide our crew the opportunity to learn new, more
complex systems, as well as experience the process of building an engine
as one of the four main engines is currently disassembled for repair.

Cummins power!	The No. 1 main engine, starboard forward.	The No. 2 main engine, port forward.	The No. 3 main engine, starboard aft, currently disassembled
A view to the crankshaft.	Our collection of engine parts for No. 3	The No. 4 main engine, port aft	The forward of the two generators, this one has been named "Constance"	The generator status panel
Electrical distribution panel	Engine and generator alarm panel

  The Forepeak and Lazarette

The forepeak (forward line locker) and lazarette (general storage compartment)
on this vessel are larger and in better condition than those on the 82. Each
compartment is due for a thorough cleanup and organization.

Looking down into the forepeak	The work bench in the lazarette	The starboard side of the lazarette and one of our mates.	The port side of the lazarette

Photos by Tim Basaker and Layne Davis