Sea Base adventure trip report

[qwazse]

2 hours ago, 69RoadRunner said:

As for the sleeping bags, we have to fly there. Some of these scouts have very large, car camping sleeping bags. I REALLY don't want everyone checking a bag when they can take everything in a carry-on. We fly on the day our trek starts. Lost luggage would be a nightmare. So, I don't want them taking gear that has to be checked.  Those cheap fleece sleep sacks seem to be the answer.

Thanks!

Making the horse drink the water you took the trouble to lead him to. I get it. But as scouters, we need to also double check our motives for high speed, low drag.

Efficiency is all fine and good until some teen tosses and turns in unfamiliar bedding and rolls or sleepwalks overboard! If that happens, that delay at the airport because some kid has to check a sleeping bag will seem trivial. Have a shakedown meeting, let them show you what they're actually bringing. If they've stuffed it in their duffel, you're good. If you've got four guys who can't part with their down bags, have them go together, put them in a big case and check it at their own expense.

Finally, this ain't the Queen Mary. If you're running late getting to Seabase, call from the airport. The captain will just linger at the bar across the street until you get there.

For anyone with more lead time than @69RoadRunner, I  suggest one or more shakedown weekends before the trip. Have the boys come on the outing with exactly what their packing for the trip. Have the QM plan for a nice cookout and breakfast. But at your meeting place, practice fitting each persons' gear in one of those bins they have at check-in lines. Call your airline's local office and see if they will send a volunteer to go through this with the boys. Better yet, have your airport's TSA walk them through boarding and checking. Your Sea scouts might have a lot of pro tips about stowing gear, etc ...

[mashmaster]

Regarding shoes on the boat.  We saw zero shoes allowed on the boats when we were there.  only time we needed shoes was when we were on land.

[qwazse]

@mashmaster, I forgot to ask ... what was the remaining hurricane damage like? Did that affect the itinerary?

[mashmaster]

14 minutes ago, qwazse said:

@mashmaster, I forgot to ask ... what was the remaining hurricane damage like? Did that affect the itinerary?

None at all at the base that I could see.  The only affect it had was at the marina at Marathon Key.  I talked to the manager at the marina and she said that because of the damage she was really short staffed because there wasn't enough places for them to live.  

[69RoadRunner]

9 hours ago, qwazse said:

Making the horse drink the water you took the trouble to lead him to. I get it. But as scouters, we need to also double check our motives for high speed, low drag.

Efficiency is all fine and good until some teen tosses and turns in unfamiliar bedding and rolls or sleepwalks overboard! If that happens, that delay at the airport because some kid has to check a sleeping bag will seem trivial.

We'll make sure to have a watch up all night to make sure nobody sleepwalks into the sea due to an unfamiliar sleeping pad.