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nirgal
10-23-2004, 12:44 AM
Here Ya go :)

The planning for the Annapolis trip continues. Here's some more details
that I was able to learn.

Remember the important dates and times:
Monday, 25 Oct at 1630 on CONSTALLATION: Mandatory Crew Orientation and
Safety Drills
Tuesday, 26 Oct at 0600: Report aboard to prepare to depart

There's a ceremony involving schoolchildren casting off the last line at
CONSTALLATION's departure. We should be prepared to help out with this,
keeping in mind the sensitivity of this as a public event.

The trip will be postponed if the winds are predicted to be greater than
15 knots during the trip. If you're in doubt, call me at
(cell) after 0500 on 26 Oct and I'll tell you what I know.

The first weather prediction that I've heard for 26 Oct is for mostly
sunny condtions with highs in the upper 60's. Keep your fingers crossed.
If you're listening to the marine forecasts, the one to pay attention to
is Chesapeake Bay from Poole's Island to Sandy Point.

Things to bring:
In addition to the list of suggested items for your seabag (which I've
reprinted at the end of this message), some other items include:
-- binoculars or camera, if you'd like to use them.
-- medications, if you need them during the day or evening. Remember, it's
going to be a long day.
-- goverment issued photo ID, required.
-- uniform shirt. All the CONSTELLATION staff will be wearing their kacki
shirts. I suggest we also wear a kacki work shirt. There are CONSTELLATION
patchs available for about $2.00 from the gift shop, which you could sew
on overnight Monday night. The uniform shirt might be important, to
identify crew in case of an emergency.
-- flashlight or headlight. There won't be any lights below the gun deck;
the berth deck and rigger's bench area will be dark.
-- If you have a family-band two-way radio, you might want to bring it. I
saw some mention of their use in the OP PLAN.

Paul says that we can ride the shuttle bus from the Living Classrooms
Foundation in Baltimore to Annapolis on Saturday, 30 Oct. at 0800 (the
rigger's regularly scheduled work day). However, this is a small van, and
can only hold a handful of us, in addition to the regular CONSTELLATION
crew. The bus on Monday, 1 Nov at 0500 (the return trip) is a regular
size school bus, which we should all be able to fit onto. Don't
know when the van returns to Baltimore on Saturday, but it's probably at
the end of the day. Paul can arrange passes for folks to drive to the USNA
on Saturday, 30 Oct, but I think that it's going to be a madhouse, as the
Academy plays Delaware in football at home that day.

Please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions. Looking
forward to working with you all.

-Kevin
--



Seabag --
As a suggestion, here's what I'll be bringing aboard CONSTELLATION for the
trips:

--Complete change of clothes, in case I somehow end up in the drink.

--Warm clothes or jacket to cope with whatever the day might bring. It
always feels colder in a breeze.

--Complete raingear, including boots of some sort. Remember, we have to
do this, on these days, regardless of the weather.

--Safety harness (which can be worn over raingear). We shouldn't need
this at all, but I'll bring a chest-type harness anyhow. The harnesses
currently aboard should also be available, so this might be overkill on my
part.

--I'll be wearing my multipurpose tool (Leatherman), knife and
marlingspike, all on lanyards to my belt. I've got some extra
marlingspikes, if anyone would like to borrow one, but no sheaths for
them. Improvise.

--I'll make up some netting needles or foxes of #60-72 and #9 twine for
each of us to carry, for miscellaneous uses.

--Waterbottle might be handy, but there'll be food and drink aboard the
ship, and we shouldn't be busy most of the time, in the mid-point of the
voyage. Remember, "Only fools and passengers drink (alcohol) aboard ship."
I think Dana said that.



Love on ya :)

3 days 3 days!!!!

HoneySuckleBlue
10-23-2004, 12:49 AM
Casting off with school kids is always fun

...are you wearing boots?

nirgal
10-23-2004, 12:53 AM
Nah, If it's a rainy day, I may bring a pair.... I'd rather be barefoot :) with dry socks awaiting. I don't have any decent rain gear either, but the weather looks good so far.

HoneySuckleBlue
10-23-2004, 01:04 AM
I don't have a khaki work shirt...now I'm worried.


(that picture is neat, who are you talking to?)

nirgal
10-23-2004, 01:09 AM
If you get the Connie shirt, it's kaki, thats all I have.

That's Joe Vithado, we were sitting in his yard in Fiji eating fresh guava from his trees.... different lives :)

HoneySuckleBlue
10-23-2004, 01:30 AM
How do you know Joe?

nirgal
10-23-2004, 01:40 AM
He was a friend of a friend of a cab driver that picked us up and took us to his house to stay :) The cab driver hooked us up with some locals (who didn't speak english) and we got a ride out to a deserted island in a leaky boat at night to camp for 4 days......

HoneySuckleBlue
10-23-2004, 01:52 AM
Ooh, man. That sounds like an adventure! do you have pictures from those four days?

nirgal
10-23-2004, 01:57 AM
Some where yeah, not many though.
Actualy it was a taste of hell :D
The tropics aren't for us cool weather types. It was so hot all we could do is pass out and sleep till dark, then the mozzies came out and the giant toads that litteraly covered the ground :D, the water was as warm than the air and full of coral poison... I haven't had coconut milk since :D

HoneySuckleBlue
10-23-2004, 02:24 AM
Doh, that stinks, tropics suck much butt.

lol, you lived on coconuts?

nirgal
10-23-2004, 02:32 AM
The only water source was an old cistern so we filtered the water but it looked so icky that we had to boil it too. nothing like a fire in 90deg heat :D
So to suppliment the water we collected green coconuts, (one of the locals had shone us how to peel and pierce with a sharp stick) and drank coconut milk..... good fo the first couple of nuts but bleech.....
The tropics are nice for an experience though :D
If you have an airconditioned space to hide in sometimes

nirgal
10-24-2004, 03:14 AM
Here are a few pics I found...
That's me by the cistern
The others are looking back at Suva Bay on Viti Levu

HoneySuckleBlue
10-24-2004, 03:43 AM
Yeah, you just keep showing me those pictures...those clouds are amazing!

:)

nirgal
10-24-2004, 03:22 PM
You oughta see it in person......
Night Storm Coming over Armidale, NSW (sorry about the scratches) :)

HoneySuckleBlue
10-24-2004, 03:56 PM
Mebbe some day:D

nirgal
10-25-2004, 12:10 AM
Yea, right..... :p