[PUP] Fwd: [kensblog] Update # 15 - Countdown to Fubar

[John Ford]

I'm going to try and catch some of you who may not be following Ken's
blog.  I'm reposting with his permission.

John Ford
PUP Admin

Begin forwarded message:

> Greetings all!
>
> The countdown is on. In just five days, barring weather surprises,
> fifty-three yachts will depart San Diego on the first leg of our
> journey to La Paz Mexico. This is an amazing number. If there has
> ever been a larger long-distance power boat rally, Im not aware of
> it. Our goal is to cover the approximate 1,100 mile distance in
> approximately 16 days, including time in port.
>
> I was asked a few days ago: Ken. I keep hearing you are going on
> the Fubar Rally. I know what Fubar means, but what is a rally? Is it
> a race?
>
> Although I have participated in one rally (Nordhavns Atlantic
> Rally) and am an escort vessel on the Fubar, I wasnt exactly sure
> how to respond, so I looked it up on Wikipedia. The word rally had
> lots of different definitions. All definitions, except the one that
> pertains to boating, have a lot of great information. For boating,
> there is only one short sentence: A long-distance non-competitive
> race or passage-in-company for cruising boats.
>
> As short as this definition is, only the latter half applies to
> rallys as I know them.  A rally is a passage in company for a
> cruising boat. This ties out with a survey I did a couple months
> back. I asked all the participants why they were doing the rally,
> and the #1 response was because it would be fun to travel with
> other boats! The rally itself reflects this goal. Virtually every
> evening in port or at anchor includes some sort of social event. A
> lot of long-term (and, long-distance) friendships will be established.
>
> The #2 reason given for rally participation was Safety. This is a
> real issue. I would be very surprised if 100% of the boats that
> depart San Diego arrive in La Paz without incident. Well be moving
> a collective 56,000 miles (53 boats at 1,100 miles each) along the
> Pacific coast of Mexico. I know personally that it is very
> comforting to be surrounded by a group of very smart people. Theres
> a good chance that if I have a problem I cant solve, there will be
> someone who has the knowledge or tool Im seeking. The west coast of
> Baja is mostly barren and uninhabited, with essentially no marinas
> between Ensenada and Cabo San Lucas. Fuel availability is limited
> and random. Its a wonderful country, but it can also be a
> particularly difficult environment if things go wrong. As I said,
> Ill be surprised if there arent some hic-ups along the way, but
> Ill be even more surprised if the entire group doesnt arrive
> together.
>
> If I were to add a third item to the list, it would be that it is
> awesome having someone else research and figure out all the
> logistics. Entering a foreign country aboard a boat, for the first
> time, can be intimidating. There are local customs, procedures,
> currency, legal, language, visa, cultural and other issues which
> require planning. When participating in a rally, this burden is made
> simpler for a boater. The rally organizers have worked hard finding
> space in marinas for the group, arranging for fuel, facilitating
> customs, etc. This rally has been in the planning phase for over a
> year. Ultimately, each captain is responsible for his own ship, and
> shouldnt just blindly follow the plan as laid out by the rally
> organizers, but any way you look at it, a rally does make life
> easier when venturing into unknown waters.
>
> Perhaps there are rallys that are races, but this is clearly not one
> of them. Every boat on this rally could make the run in under five
> or six days if they really wanted to, but this trip isnt about
> speed. Its about companionship and safety. Its about meeting new
> people to cruise with, adventuring places we might not have
> otherwise, and moving our skills as boaters up another notch.
>
> Although power boat rallys are a fairly new phenomena, there are
> sailboat rallys that have been around for a long time. In fact, the
> Baja HaHa, a sailboat rally with a whopping one hundred seventy-
> eight boats has just left San Diego this week for Cabo San Lucas.
> Theres an even bigger sailboat rally, claiming two hundred and
> forty boats that goes across the Atlantic each year, The ARC Rally.
>
> My boat will be an escort vessel on the Fubar, but I still have a
> lot of planning and learning to do between now and when we leave
> port next Wednesday. The logistics of cruising with that large a
> group puzzles me. Im not sure how we plan to handle all of the
> various speed boats. Looking through the list of boats, there are
> some which probably wont be comfortable traveling at under 15
> knots, and others that wont be comfortable above 7.5 knots. I know
> that the rally organizers have this all thought out, and that there
> is a plan. I just cant tell you yet that I know what it is.
>
> My short-term focus is on getting last minute repairs made to the
> boat. Our air conditioning has been fragile (for lack of a better
> word). In the Pacific Northwest this wasnt a big deal, but after
> the rally, as we head south to Costa Rica, the air conditioning will
> shift from being a convenience to a necessity. Ive been getting
> hourly updates from the boat, on this and a few other items, and all
> is on track for a 100% operational departure. Starting Monday well
> be fueling and loading on provisions. On Tuesday there are a series
> of briefings where well go through all of the logistics, and on
> Wednesday, we leave the country!
>
> Im sorry to report that my wife Roberta and our dog Shelby will not
> be along for the ride.  Roberta has been working on a book (non-
> fiction, about the Irish Immigration), and wanted some quiet time to
> get some serious writing done. Shelby was forced to choose between
> the boat and our home in Cabo. I was crushed, but she picked Cabo
> and Roberta. Oh well
>
> On the other hand, Im pleased to report that we will have on board
> my father Dave, my son Chris, Jeremy Henderson (a Project Manager
> for Nordhavn), and Jeff Sanson (who oversees the boat when Im not
> aboard). Over the next few weeks as I publish my blog updates Im
> sure Ill be referring often to these fine people, so perhaps a
> quick bit of background on each is worthwhile:
>
> Dave Williams  My father and I have a tremendous relationship.
> Aside from having known him literally all my life, we have played
> chess via the internet virtually every afternoon for many many
> years. He has been struggling with some serious medical issues the
> past couple of years, but the doctors have been working miracles,
> and both he and I are looking forward to his being on this trip.
>
> Chris Williams  My son Chris is recently back from Tokyo, where he
> has lived for six years, going to college there and art school.
> While going to school he supported himself working as a software
> engineer. Neither Chris nor my dad have ever really spent time on a
> boat. Chris has always had a fascination with maps, and I think the
> chance to play with all the navigation electronics on the boat is
> the real reason he is going.
>
> Jeremy Henderson  When I first met Jeremy he was an assistant
> project manager working on the Nordhavn 68 project. Hes a bright,
> resourceful young man, and my understanding is that he is now a
> project manager on the Nordhavn 47. Jeremy and I spoke many times
> daily while our boat was being built, but I really dont know much
> about his boating skills. My belief is that this will be his first
> major run.
>
> Jeff Sanson  Technically, Ill be the captain of the ship. But,
> behind the scenes, Jeff will be the guy Im looking to for guidance.
> Jeff is a professional captain who runs a yacht management service
> in the Seattle area. Should things go wrong, on my boat or
> elsewhere, Jeff will be a handy guy to have around (an
> understatement!)
>
> This said, my hope is that we will be the most boring boat in the
> rally, and that the majority of my future blog updates will focus on
> the other rally boats, and the wonderful country we are visiting.
>
> Thats it for now. Its time to stop writing, and start packing. My
> next report will be from San Diego! As always, if you know someone
> who you think would enjoy receiving the rally updates, have them
> subscribe by CLICKING HERE.
>
> Thank you,
> -Ken Williams
> Sans Souci, nordhavn68.com
>
> PS I just noticed that Nordhavn has released the latest edition of
> Circumnavigator Magazine, with our boat on the cover, and a 16 page
> article about it inside!!! I havent gotten a copy yet, but it
> should be fun reading. The latest copy can bedownloaded from
> Nordhavns site. Although, probably theyll give you your own real
> copy free if you order a boat.