CREW PROPOSAL

The PASSAGE:

It is planned that in late June a crew of four will sail from Miami north along the

coastline until reaching the area of Block Island or Narragansett Bay or else the most

northerly destination attainable in six consecutive days. Weather and other

circumstances permitting, the planned route

1) will initially follow the “approximate axis of the Gulf Stream” (as depicted on NOS coastal charts) from Miami to the area of Diamond Shoals off Cape Hatteras, NC and

2) will be prescribed by a general objective of maintaining a distance of

from five to fifteen Nautical miles offshore from the Cape Hatteras, NC

area north to the eventual conclusion of the passage.

The portion of the route from the Jupiter, FL area to the North Carolina capes will

involve a gradual increase in the distance offshore up to a maximum of 100 nautical

miles in the area off Savannah, GA and Charleston, SC. The planned route selection is intended to maximize the favorable push of the Gulf Stream. The route will be altered to significantly reduce the distance offshore if there is a forecast of inclement weather which, at that time of the year, can generally be expected to approach from the west and bring the heaviest conditions out of that direction as well.

The BOAT:

1985 J/30 in reasonable overall condition with the following relevant features:

1) the engine is in excellent working order and the fuel system is fitted with easily inspected and replaced fuel filters,

2) the electrical system is rudimentary but entirely capable of supporting the required COLREGS illumination, navigation electronics, VHF radio, and chart table lighting with approximately 90 –120 minutes of engine time daily,

3) the standing rigging was renewed and the chainplates were replaced in APR 2001,

4) Garmin 120XL 12Volt GPS and a Garmin E-trex hand-held GPS,

5) new (2001) VHF with a 3db gain antenna mounted on the stern rail,

6) electric and cockpit-operated manual bilge pumps,

7) Lifesling Type V PFD (with Personal Rescue Strobe attached) mounted on the stern rail,

Additionally, the following preparations have been or will be completed in anticipation of the passage:

1) 6 sails will be on board including two mains (each fitted with two sets of reefpoints),

2) a rental 4-man liferaft and a rental offshore EPIRB will be onboard - the raft will not be mounted on deck but will be carried on the cabin sole in the salon,

3) a rental satellite telephone will be on board which will be utilized to communicate position/status/progress reports to persons responsible for “following” the passage who will also provide weather forecast summaries for use in developing routing decisions. Additionally, cellular telephones will be utilized to take advantage of the times when the planned route calls for proximity to cell-phone sites such as in the areas off Florida, the Carolina Capes, the DelMarVa shoreline, etc.

REQUIRED of the CREW

1. Availability:

The crew must be available for approximately seven consecutive calendar days between 20 JUN and 04 JUL. This will allow the planning of a passage of six consecutive days and also allow a day for preparatory logistics by the whole crew in Miami.
The passage is tentatively scheduled for 22 – 29 JUN but the plan is subject to significant alterations resulting from crew availability, the onset of unfavorable weather and unforeseen difficulties in preparing the boat.

2. Equipment: The crew must bring their own

1) offshore-suitable PFD

2) safety harness with tether

3) foul-weather gear & sea boots

4) warm clothing

5) gloves

6) pocket flashlights

7) sunscreen

3. Funds: The crew must

1) fund their own transportation to the boat in Miami and from the end of the passage to their homes

2) provide $150.00 to help defray the cost of approximately 21 meals.

The EXIGENT CONDITIONS of the PASSAGE:

The crew must be able to sustain a passage of at least six days duration during which it can be expected that

1) they will be on deck for a minimum of 12 hours out of every 24 and

2) they will participate on a 24-hour basis in the sailhandling required to maintain a target boatspeed of six knots.

The boat is not fitted for offshore cooking and all meals will be cold, either in cans or boxes or “ration packet” form . The icebox will not be iced but will instead be used for unrefrigerated provisions. The boat will carry 14 gallons of potable water which results in a ration of approximately three quarts per man per day for all purposes for six days underway (however, additional beverages will also be embarked). It will be unusual to obtain 8 hours of sleep in any 24-hour period and whatever sleep is obtained will be in a cramped and noisy environment.

The OTHER CREWMEMBERS:

This proposal was sent to five persons who are known to be in reasonable health, who have owned their own sailboats and who have otherwise acquired some life’s experiences which have involved subsisting on the “shit sandwich”. These guys can generally be relied upon to demonstrate resilience and resourcefulness in dealing with the unforeseen under exigent conditions.

The APPEAL:

When was the last time you had your ass properly “kicked”? You know you need this to happen to you every now and then!! This could be a pretty righteous sail. Just imagine how motivated and full of the “right stuff” the other guys in the crew must be if they agreed to go along on this harebrained ride in the first place after reading all the stuff above. Be sure and bring a camera. You must be able to substantiate at least a small portion the wild shit that you are going to spin to your friends about this trip afterwards.

Please contact Joe Goulet with your reply or questions at (954) 430-1020 or [email protected].