Sail Plans

Pilots routinely file flight plans for flights longer than a day trip, and doing so for a cruise is similarly prudent. Below is the sail plan for my cruise to Alaska this summer. Additionally, I create a spreadsheet with a complete itinerary, notes about tidal gates and contact numbers for marinas where I expect to stay. I also project fuel consumption and identify fuel stops where I expect to refuel.

This is particularly important for orienting crew (and their families) so they understand procedures on the boat as well as contact numbers in the event of emergencies or shanges in schedule along the way.

Finally, I provide crew with documents explaining what they need to know about traveling aboard Ripple, and what personal gear they should have:



Alaska 2018 Sail Plan

S/V Ripple (WN 2423 NE) Skipper and owner: Stuart Weibel
(26 ft gaff cutter, white topsides)
MMSI #: 338183643

Notes:

  1. Travel reservations should put you in the crew-change location on the DAY BEFORE segment departure. No overnight accommodations should be necessary: Ripple will sleep 3 in a pinch for crew-changeovers
  2. Know the schedule change policies of your carrier before making reservations.  I will make every effort to be at the appointed place at the appointed time, but weather rules.
  3. Ripple’s position will be trackable online at https://www.marinetraffic.com, but only when we are within VHF range of an AIS repeating station.  If we are not visible, it does not mean we have sunk. Ripple's MMSI: 338183643
  4. Cellular connectivity is available in many, but by no means all parts of the route. There are areas where communication is inaccessible for as much as several days. I will be posting status updates (and pictures) daily via facebook whenever possible.
  5. Check your carrier for charges in Canada: for T-Mobile, there are no additional charges for service in Canada.
  6. Please leave a copy of this document with your emergency contact.
  7. Please confirm the applicability of your health insurance in Canadian territory or simply away from home. Also, please inform me privately if you have any medical conditions that might require attention or medications on the trip.
  8. In the event it is necessary to contact Ripple while the vessel is out of contact, contact Coast Guard Search and Rescue, and they can try to contact us via VHF Radio Relay:
    1. Canadian Coast Guard Search and Rescue, British Columbia:
Phone 1-250-413-8933, Cellular #727
    1. US Coast Guard Rescue Coordination Center, Juneau:
Phone: (907)463-2000


Itinerary

Segment 1     Seattle to Ketchikan

Depart Seattle May 28
Arrival Ketchikan June 19

Segment 2     Ketchikan to Sitka

Arrive Ketchikan:     June 19 (8:10 PM)
Provisioning day June 20
Depart Ketchikan June 21
Arrive Sitka June 28
Crew departs from Sitka June 29 (7:05 AM)

Segment 3    Sitka to Juneau  

Arrive Sitka: June 28 (10:57 AM)
Provisioning day June 29   (May be possible to do provisioning day before)
Sail from Sitka June 30
Arrive Juneau July 11
Crew depart from Juneau   July 12 (3:35 PM)

Segment 4    Juneau to Ketchikan

Travel to Juneau July 13  ( )
Depart Juneau July 14
Arrive Ketchikan July 21
Crew departs Ketchikan July 22 (   )

Segment 5     Ketchikan to Seattle

Travel to Ketchikan July 21 (   )
Provisioning day July 22
Depart Ketchikan July 23
Arrive Seattle               August 18
Crew departs Seattle August 21  ( )

Safety equipment and procedures

The following safety equipment is available on s/v Ripple:
  1. Auto-inflatable PFDs (2); standard PFDs (2)
  2. Fire extinguishers (3): 1 cockpit, 2 cabin extinguishers
  3. Emergency signalling flares and flare gun
  4. VHF Radio with DSC capability
  5. AIS transceiver.  AIS technology projects your position, heading, speed, and other information via VHF signals (roughly 20 mile distance) to all other AIS-equipped vessels, and displays the same information for other vessels within range on our chartplotter. Relay aggregators and satellite reception make AIS targets visible globally. Ripple's MMSI: 338183643 should be visible on https://www.marinetraffic.com
  6. Reboarding ladder - always on the stern for immediate deployment
  7. Block and tackle for extraction of swimmer from the water
  8. Jack lines and tethers
  9. Emergency throw ring
  10. Chartplotter
  11. Autopilot
  12. First aid kit and medications

Crew orientation will include discussion of how and when these devices will be deployed, as well as basic boat handling, engine starting and stopping, approaching and making fast to a dock, a mooring buoy, and setting a secure anchor.

In settled weather in a secure anchorage, anchor watches are not necessary; in unsettled weather, you won’t need help staying awake ;-).

Additional Crew Advisories

  • If your segment includes crossing the US-Canadian border in either direction, please familiarize yourself with the pertinent rules and regulations https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voyage/ivc-rnc-eng.html
  • If you are subject to motion sickness, or are unsure whether you might be, consult a physician or pharmacist about appropriate remedies.  I have seasickness medication on board, but it may be in your interest to explore this for yourself prior to the trip. In general, the Inside Passage does not involve exposure to heavy seas, and no one has gotten sick aboard Ripple, but if you have concerns, better to be safe than sorry.


                          Emergency Contact Information

Emergency Contact Phone Number(s)


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