SHTP Seminar WEDNESDAY 6/16

[BobJ]

We're there skippers! The out-of-town boats are arriving and final arrangements are being made to send you on your way to Hanalei Bay.

Our final SHTP seminar will be WEDNESDAY June 16th (not Monday) at the Oakland Yacht Club in Alameda:

Dinner (optional) at 1830 - Elaine (OYC manager) is buying extra food so we can come early and eat what they're providing for their Wednesday night race crowd. Cost is $10 - pay at the register upstairs when you come in.

Our Weather Seminar will start promptly at 1930, DOWNSTAIRS in the Regatta Room. Our own Rob "Tiger Beetle" MacFarlane and Greg "Outsider" Nelsen will have their laptops plugged into the digital projector and will show us what's likely to be going on out on the race course. They'll also review Skip's outstanding material from the SSS Forum. They'll talk about different approaches for light, medium and heavy-displacement boats and will "walk backwards" from crossing the ridge back to the start, so you can see how the decisions you make in the first few hours can determine the outcome of your race.

I'll also update everyone on the final schedule leading up to the start.

The next day (Thursday) all boats need to be at the Corinthian Yacht Club in Tiburon by 1800. Let's race to Hawaii!

[Oceanslogic]

Let's Race To Hawaii!!!!

s/v Blue Moon
Turboed International Folkboat

[BobJ]

One thing we'll discuss at the beginning of the seminar is the Communication Plan, which is now linked on the Race's web page.

In working with the USCG on the permits, it is clear we don't want any boats missing multiple Position Reports. If you are not confident in your SSB installation (and electrical system), rent a sat phone NOW with a post-paid minutes plan and make arrangements with a shore side contact to send your e-mail reports to us. If your SSB works fine and you don't end up needing the sat phone, it won't cost much extra since the minutes are the most expensive part. (It's also nice to have for your ditch bag.)

Pass the word on this.

[Critter]

Hmmm ... Bob, does this mean the CG is going to be monitoring the website looking for missed checkins? Barbara on Islander was out of touch for days on end in '04. Would CG have launched a SAR for her in the current atmosphere?

I'm hoping my SSB works OK, but I won't be surprised if I miss a few checkins. So I guess I'd better plan on a satphone. Even though these 3-figure expenditures in the last week are just about killing me ... and threatening marital harmony.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a rental? I'm looking at Globalcom.

Max

[BobJ]

Max, based on prior years I expect both CG Districts (or the JRCC) will be monitoring the position report postings on our website. If a boat misses more than a couple of position reports in sequence, I expect they will call us to talk about it. They would not automatically launch a SAR.

My experience in the last two races was that nearly every boat made every check-in, mostly via SSB. My concern is heightened this year because of the high percentage of first-time SHTP'ers.

If you've been able to test your SSB transmissions and know much about your equipment and electrical system, you should be fine. I know what you mean about the $$$.

As we've discussed before, if you have an older ICOM SSB, I would take a spare microphone - that seems to be the weak link in them.

[Critter]

As we've discussed before, if you have an older ICOM SSB, I would take a spare microphone - that seems to be the weak link in them.

I already discovered that the mike doesn't stand up to having its cord tangled around my foot when I'm burrowing under the radio. I dissected and resoldered the connector as well as ordering a new mike, so now I have two.

[ronnie simpson]

really looking forward to this seminar.

[Jeff Lebesch]

[QUOTE=Critter;3371

Does anyone have a recommendation for a rental? I'm looking at Globalcom.

Max[/QUOTE]

Try www.ocens.com, I bought my phone and email service from them and they are very responsive. I have also rented from All Road Communications www.allroadsat.com. --Jeff

[Culebra]

Max, I bought a phone from roadpost.com and although I have not rented from them, they seem to have decent plans and I was very pleased with their service. Turnaround is very fast.

Paul

[ajgoldman]

Rob and Mark, thank you so much for Wednesday night, you guys did a great job! I know we all left with a good sense of what to expect out there (at least for the first few days) and a good overall game plan for the race. I even have my A buoy set :-)!

See you guys at the start!

AJ