Michael Moradzadeh February 27, 2010 |
Planning and Prep
1. Lists
· We do three lists: Speed, Safety, Comfort
· Sometimes, things overlap, like a watermaker
2. Know your priorities
3. Know your budget (family discussion time)
4. You can trade $$ for time
5. Friends may help you
· People are fascinated by this stuff
6. Friends may lend you stuff
Haul the boat
7. Do it at KKMI or Svendsens, our sponsors!
8. Fair the bottom. Flatten the through-hulls
9. Check the rudder
10. Note (on a diagram) where the through-hulls are
11. Take a side picture in case you need to haul out somewhere else
12. Check the rudder
Crew
13. Choose (or join) crew that shares your goals
14. Don’t be the only one that knows how to do something
15. Leave whiners on the dock
16. Leave Mr. “Safety Rules Don’t Apply to Me” too
17. Agree in advance on alcohol consumption: Dry? One per day? One per meal?
18. Have a plan for gear storage
19. Have a “pecking order,” at least for the Skipper and watch captains
Comfort
20. Comfortable crew = rested and ready
· Rested and ready = better performance
21. Cushions/Beanbag… Important for cockpit
22. Pipe berths are a great place to sleep
23. STAY WARM. Long Johns & foulies, for the first three days
· Good breathable foulies
24. Gortex seaboots (Goretex socks are good too)
25. Pack changes of clothes in sealable baggies inside sea bag.
26. Keep the inside of the boat dry (sponge, chamois sham-wow).
27. Deck shoes or sandals for daytime on 2nd half of trip.
28. Full-brim floppy hat.
29. Have better hygiene than the rest of your crew
· You’ll only THINK it’s better
Food
30. Familiar, tried recipes work best
31. Ginger is your friend
32. Frozen, precooked entrees, one per crew, is cozy
· 80 lbs of dry ice will keep stuff froze for ~9 days
· Pre-freeze with dry ice then add more on day of trip
33. Frozen take-out works well too (Paul’s Biryani)
34. New shelf-stable foods are convenient, if you like ‘em
35. Safeway.com delivers
36. Container sizes – get stuff in 1-2 day quantities
· (no open gallon can of olives)
37. SPAM might be food, Vienna Sausages are not.
Water
38. Pressurized Water can mean Lost Water
39. Decide in advance your water plan
40. Showers? Staying hydrated? Watermaker? Tell the crew.
· Use and carry bottled water.
· Thermos/AirPot of hot water
41. Instant coffee/cocoa/tea available*
42. I love my Spectra Watermachine
43. Stay Hydrated, my friends.
Comms
44. Your friends and family at home want to hear about you
45. Start a blog. We will stream it. (SailBlogs.com is good)
46. WinLink, SailMail, or Iridium mail work well, if you have practiced.
47. There will be a radio test. Participate.
48. Be able to get weather reports, GRIB files, or you will lose.
GEAR
49. Spinnaker Net blocks wraps. Sail more confidently
50. AIS is simply wonderful
51. Battery operated drill (saw bit/grinding wheel for drill are good too)
52. Fast dry 5200.
53. Waterproof duct tape. Gorilla brand is good.
54. Save space by flaking spinnakers
· keep them, one each, in trash compactor bags till you need them.
55. Ship un-needed stuff over
Practice
56. Overnight is good. Over 2 nights is better
57. Get out on the ocean. It’s different
58. Race. Long sails are good, long races are better
· Spinnaker Cup
· Midnight Moonlight
· Ditch Run
· Out 50-75 miles and back overnight, full crew,
start at 4:00 p.m.
59. Practice shorthanded.
· On a watch schedule, you are always shorthanded
60. Nothing like a MOB drill on an overnight to focus the mind.
61. Use something you can live without.
Departure
62. Start your Bonine a couple of days early
63. Take time to thank those who supported you
64. Take care of legalities
65. Power of attorney, will, library card renewal
66. Be "out of office" earlier than the day before departure
67. Turn on email vacation response earlier than day of departure
68. Pack/Stow the boat a day earlier than you were thinking
69. Get a good night's sleep before
70. Start watch system at Mile Rock
Night
71. Guard your night vision (consider eye patch)
72. People who wear white headlamps should be beaten
73. Hail ships when you see them
· They are bored and will talk to you
74. Squall strength builds over the course of the night
75. Night is when the serious racers beat the casual ones
76. Look at the stars, just LOOK at them!
77. Know where the Moon and Venus are
· You won’t accidentally try to call them on the radio
78. Know how to find Spica
· It points the way to Oahu in the summer
Course
79. Your goal: finish before competition. Cover your fleet.
80. South almost always has more wind.
81. North is shorter.
82. Read Stan Honey’s article.
83. Know your polars (buy ‘em from USSailing).
84. Straight lines are short, but slow
85. Have agreement on tactical driving, gybes. DDW = SLOW
86. It’s all about CMG, baby!
87. Wrong way = SLOW too
Fun
88. Bring a video camera
89. Have a half-way party
90. Crew shirts
91. Fishing is fun – a hand-line will do it for you
92. Special Meals are fun too
93. Participate in Childrens Hour
94. Movies? Sure! Jaws? No.
Arrival
95. The sail through the reef is exciting, but safe
96. The sail from the reef to KYC is a great reach
97. Get maps and Oahu guides at, say, AAA
98. There are coupons for many tourist spots
99. Make your on-shore accommodation plans now
100. Polynesian cultural center is very nice
· Don’t be afraid to be a tourist
At Kaneohe
101. Be sure to thank our hosts
102. Attend EVERY SINGLE EVENT
· We expect sell-outs on all events. Buy early
103. No “seat saving” at Awards ceremony
104. Small boats – Crane Day is Saturday, if there is one rented
105. Get your stuff from the Container
· Did you not ship anything? Have a MaiTai
The Return
106. Shipping? Set it up now!
· Easier from Mainland, trust me
· Contact me for Shipping resources
107. Crew Selection on Return as important as trip out
108. Now you can pick friends, trainees, etc
· But commitment to shared goals and safety remains #1