42) Transpac 2011 delivery e/m's 24

Hey Dave,

Budget time ... Do you have a list, place to buy & budget for delivery provisioning yet?

Thanks.

Aloha,
    gib

4/2/11

Gib,

I just got more info back from the guys a couple days ago.  I'll try to finish it tomorrow.  

Clive, 

I need your spreadsheet asap. 

Damn your a nice guy . I'm not asking a sole when I get our race food.  Please remember, no refer just ice box.  Make it simple as you may be going to weather.  Costco now has very nice frozen trays of Lasagna and others.  I know a guy who buys a pizza per person per day and that's it.

Aloha,
Gib

Dave,

Here you go.  I looked at it several times - really couldn't think of much additional - very comprehensive already.

Any line where I said more than y/n, I highlighted in yellow.

Thanks for doing this Dave.

Cheers,

Clive

4/3/11

Gib,

I am laughing as I write this. 

My lengthy trip to the So Pac went fairly well in '09 and much of that can be attributed to the Costco provisions they got before they left CA.

But, I sadly discovered that those two really liked, should I say adored, canned asparagus.  I swear I gagged the first time I tried it.  I was being polite and grown up and figured I had to at least try it. 

It is now my mission to rid the world of canned asparagus.  It is a crime against us all.

That is why I put effort into provisions for passage-making.

dammitDave 

4/9/11

Hey, thanks.  It's ironic, but I have an asparagus story too.  Your Berke grandparents, while we lived in St. Paul, would drive Barbara and me to a steep hillside on the way to downtown.  Of course growing wild was canned asparagus, free for the taking.  All four of us would pick some.  So God knows how often we had that green delicacy for dinner. I can still eat asparagus, tho not as often.  What the hell kind of Berke are you, if you can't eat and piss asparagus??? !!

dad

4/10/11

Funny the things you learn.

I really like fresh asparagus.  I have some in the refer right now.  But, that stuff in the can cannot be asparagus.  It was dark and mushy and just horrible. 

David 

OK, you are forgiven for slamming asparagus.  The canned is really the shits compared to fresh.

You are a Berke again...............

dad

4/3/11

Gib,

I want to get a on a pizza boat!  I can eat it everyday, too!

I understand that most of the trip will be pointing.  The food that I have in mind that needs to be made takes into consideration the difficulty and pretty much can be made in less than 10 minutes.  I figure it will only happen in the flat spots.

I am not aware of the cold storage volume and we need you to calculate what it can hold. 

I agree with the frozen lasagna and pizzas and whatever else you think will fit and can be cooked.  The more full the cold box the longer it stays cold.

I do not anticipate a smooth ride and would really prefer to only heat water.  Noodle cups are easy.  Tuna out of the can is a meal.  You know the drill and while walking the aisles at Costco you can figure out what works in the sense of what can be eaten without prep and mess and is actually good for us.  Freeze-dried Mt House is great.  Or, any of those meals in a bag. 

I can cook very well on passages but it takes a lot out of me and am not really planning to be able to cook as much on this run.  We need fast and quick food. 

dammitDave 

All,

Clive has some good questions.  See below.

Bill

Hope you're doing well.  I'm busy organizing/updating my gear/etc.. Have a few questions:

1) Will there be a medical kit on the boat with reasonable emergency stuff?  I'm planning on bringing a few personal items (anti-biotic, over counter pain reducer, etc) but hoping the boat has more comprehensive kit.

I understand there will be a medical kit on the boat.  However, I'm bringing some things also.  Anyone have any medical training?  I've taken Wilderness First Aid.  I have medical contacts we can call (see below).
 

2) I assume we'll have sat phone available for emergencies?

Yes.
 

3) I think I already heard we're using a weather service, is that communication via sat phone/PC?

We're using a routing service for the race.  On the delivery we'll get weather forecast and charts from NOAA.  Wind (GRIB) file from other sources.  All via FTPMail.
 

4) Are you planning to use one of the boat tracking sites once we're under way?

The sites I've used require a transponder mounted on the boat.  We're not doing that.  I would think that we would do that during the race.

I set up a Chasch Mer Facebook page.  We can update it via email.  I thought we'd do a position report and short daily update each day.

5) Do you know if we'll have a night vision scope?

Not that I know of.

Look forward to seeing you in Hawaii!

Me too!  We'll be there soon!

Cheers, Clive

 Los Angeles, California                                                                                            

 April 3, 2011

Transpac 2011 is only three months away, with starts July 4 and July 8. Already it's been a challenging, fast-paced year for the Pacific Basin. Honolulu will be Ready The earthquake and tsunami tragedies in Japan visited lesser calamities upon other locations, including harbors in Hawaii, where a number of boats and piers were destroyed by the force of the tsunami. While extending deepest sympathy to victims at all levels, at Transpacific Yacht Club we want to assure our sailing friends that just beyond the finish line and the Lighthouse at Diamond Head, Honolulu's Ala Wai Yacht Harbor, end point of Transpac 2011, will be ready to host the fleet. There are harbors on Maui that suffered extreme damage, as did Keehi Lagoon on Oahu.  Farther east on Oahu, the combination of the bottom configuration outside Ala Wai and an entrance angled away from the oncoming force protected the harbor from catastrophe. There was no damage to Ala Wai Harbor piers or to those at Waikiki Yacht Club, though the more-exposed Hawaii Yacht Club suffered damage to four piers, including the popular Aloha Dock directly in front of the clubhouse. (Thumbs-up to the many skippers who evacuated the harbor ahead of the tsunami surges.)  HYC's Aloha Dock is often used for race arrivals and is popular for post-race berthing.  Hawaii YC and its insurance agents are currently assessing a timetable for repair (updates to come, as they come). With 60 refugee boats from Keehi Lagoon presently berthed at Ala Wai, we foresee some artful juggling along about race time. We have met more difficult challenges in the past, however, and we fully expect  that a proper Transpac experience will be waiting for all. Transpac meanwhile is pleased to receive word from two Japanese competitors that they still intend to race.  Akio Matsumoto of the X-41, Petite, writes, "We sail for California at the end of April."  Bengal 7  team captain Yoshihiko Murase writes, "We look forward to seeing you." And we look forward to seeing them.  Transpac YC Commodore Bill Lee says, "Many Japanese crews have raced Transpac over the years, and they've brought something special to the experience for all of us.  We wish them the best in 2011."  Other Japanese hopefuls say they cannot commit at this point, and we understand. Our hearts go out along with the hope that, yes, we will see them on the starting line in July.

4/4/11

I've taken CPR and Basic First Aid.  As I understand the TP requires a well-stocked first-aid supply for the race and it should be there for the delivery.

In the '07 TP the transponder for ShipTrack failed fleet-wide and Gib renamed it ShitTrack. 

I saw the Spot item worked perfectly on the last Baja-Haha:

As for night vision, the route we are taking is not a shipping route nor fishing grounds.  The only traffic we should encounter will be withing 50 miles off the coast of CA running parallel to the coast.  The northwest is dense with fishing boats and we need to stay away.  Hopefully we'll get a straight shot to LB.  The only unlighted boats I have ever seen were primarily everywhere but CA.

Our biggest concern is whales off HI and CA and those cannot be seen at night anyway. 

For the record, the Pacific high has not moved north yet and I expect to head into the wind/waves for 10 days before we get a beam wind.  It will be rough for the 1st 3 days out of HI and very wet. 

Bill, take a look at the high and its recent track and tell me what you think. 

Dave

Dave - yes, the CA coastal traffic is why I asked about night vision. 

Have taken CPR and basic first aid a while back.

Clive

Dave,

I was checking TSA re flares and CO2 for PFDs.  I know you told me you've had no problem with either,but looks like current TSA rules prohibit flares in carry-on or checked.

I'm going to plan on buying some when we get to Hawaii (whatever's available).

Clive

Clive,

I see that flares are an issue.  Mine are inside my PFD and I am going to check it as is. 

Dave

All,

Ok, first a disclaimer:  I'm not the TV weather guy.

Since it is April the Pac high is not expected to have moved north to its summer position.  That generally means if we traverse south of the center of the high and try to make a straight shot to LB we will point the entire way.  Wet. 

But, I do not advocate trying to go over the top of the high.

Any opinions?

I'd like to have a general idea of what our route is intended to be.  I don't want to get 1k miles offshore and adjust.

On another note, Gib has made mention that Costco has lots of frozen food.  This means there is lots of frozen food storage and an oven that works.  I think we need to plan for simply-prepared food; it appears that it will be rough for a majority of the ride.  I am not one to try and cook when the rail is in the water.

dammitDave 

Hey,

I've attached an image of the suggested routes from Cornell's book.  We should expect to go as high as the lat of San Fran this time of year.

The high is fairly stable, but it does interact with lows coming from the west.  Its center is about 40N now.  We won't go above the high unless it's in an unusual position. 

One good thing about the high is that it tends to keep the bad weather to the north.

A good weather site is http://www.passageweather.com.

I'm all about simple for the food plan.  Easy, one pot meals work for me.  I don't think frozen food will last the entire trip, but it would be good for at least the first half.

Do you have a final version of your provisions spreadsheet?

Bill

4/5/11

Bill,

I attached the xls.  I'm not sure how to do all the volumes but I have listed the consensus.  I admit it is much easier to provision for a cruise than a short run.  I originally thought I wanted to make pancakes but now don't want to; it is a long process and I don't think it will be worth it.  I do intend to make pasta with garlic/tomato/pepper/oil for a change of pace; easy 1 pot meal.

I agree about the frozen food issue and figure we would eat it as it thaws; stuff on top first.  I think Gib might put his 2 cents in about what to get when he cruises the aisles at Costco. 

As for weather, Yes I have Cornell's and I have several other sources that I am looking at.  It seems we are on the same page.  I have taken active roles in weather research on past runs and know enough to pay attention and that is why I am asking you questions. 

In '06 I weather-routed at the comfort of my desk for a friend of mine from CA to Hilo and was the back-up to his weather routing service.  I learned a lot about the eastern Pac and HI and have some interest in it.

What I see right now is that we will skirt the southern section of the Pac high.  When we depart HI we will pretty much go due north (not s-southeast) until we get a favorable n-westerly.  I don't think the n-easterly will be ours to work with. 

I am concerned that we will enter the high and lose the wind.  So, in my mind I am accepting staying low enough and having to point for a very long distance.

Dave

Dave,

I was checking TSA re flares and CO2 for PFDs.  I know you told me you've had no problem with either, but looks like current TSA rules prohibit flares in carry-on or checked.

 Clive

Yep, its a dilemma. I think the risk is the additional check baggage screening/dogs vs a couple of years ago.

Clive


Apr 4, 2011 06:38:10 PM, dave.berke@sbcglobal.net wrote:

I see that flares are an issue.  Mine are inside my PFD and I am going to check it as is.