Events: what would you like from your club?

[Jim Snyder]

Recently the club hosted two Zoom presentations that were quite successful. Your Board of Directors would like input on what you would like to see more of. Please post your suggestions here, not limited to zoom events, in fact, not limited at all. Two possibilities that are already under consideration are an on the water introduction to surfski and a presentation from the coast guard, including a refresher on radio use. 

[prudenceb]

Both of those sound great!

[alcoons]

I agree with Prudence: both would be very useful.

Suggestion, it would be very helpful in a refresher on radio use to include the limitations of the use of radios from kayaks, particularly how the limitations may apply to our typical environments.

[rfolster]

1 hour ago, alcoons said:

Suggestion, it would be very helpful in a refresher on radio use to include the limitations of the use of radios from kayaks, particularly how the limitations may apply to our typical environments.

Are you talking about functional limitations or legal limitations?

[Doug Cooke]

I think both topics would be interesting. It might be beneficial to get together and review/learn how to program and use our radios. It seems from talking to some folks they really do not have a great handle on programing, monitoring various channels, which channels are best for kayak to kayak coms, proper protocols, etc. We could go for a paddle afterwards to round out the exercise.  Full disclosure; after the last Jewell trip I reread my radio manual and made sure I was more of a master of my radio and it felt pretty good to do so.

[eneumeier]

I brought my radio manual to Jewell, intending to read it, but the company was so engaging I never opened it! A class with the coast guard would be great. Liz

[alcoons]

On 6/9/2021 at 5:25 PM, rfolster said:

Are you talking about functional limitations or legal limitations?

Rob: Thanks for asking. I was referring to functional limitations. Maybe I should have said "experiential results". What and when do radios work and when not? What experiences have paddlers had beyond using radios among the paddling group? While my understanding is that VHF radios work on line-of-sight how does that play out on the water?  Do low islands block line-of-sight transmissions?  Why do I receive the Boston Harbor Coast Guard information when paddling along the north shore?  

As a sometimes solo paddler I am always wondering if my radio will truly be helpful where I am paddling. How to check your radio when you are alone (the free automatic service from Sea Tow was wonderful, but it has been discontinued - https://www.seatow.com/tools-and-education/radio-check), ....

Rob Cooke: Basically I am agreeing with Rob Cooke's great post above - something I also proposed in to an earlier questionnaire.

[prudenceb]

Please move this excellent thread to the General Message forum.   IMHO, this Trips/Events forum is for things that are actually scheduled.  Folks looking for actual trips may not find them as trip posts continually get pushed down by discussion about things that might happen at an indeterminate time in the future. Ditto for the Surfski thread.  Thank you.

Prudence 

[Jim Snyder]

Update:

Surfski workshop is scheduled and full, only awaiting a decent weather forecast. 

I talked with several Coast Guard people about doing an event with the main focus being radio use and was generally unsuccessful. One person I talked to suggested that a harbormaster might be a better fit. I reached out to Bion Pike, Manchester harbormaster, with whom I had had some previous interactions. He would be happy to do a zoom session on radio use, safety, and other subjects related to the role of harbormaster. 

He is available weekdays either at 4pm or 8:30pm. If you're interested, please post here and indicate which time works for you. 

[Benjamin Rechel]

I'll look for updates re. an evening zoom session with the Manchester harbormaster, or whatever else. 

[gyork]

16 hours ago, Benjamin Rechel said:

I'll look for updates re. an evening zoom session with the Manchester harbormaster, or whatever else. 

Ditto