tn21 news
Lake Pedder mini-Raid - 5-8 April
Because you joined the tn21 mailing list we thought you might be interested in the mini-Raid we are organising to Lake Pedder for the week following Easter (5-8 April). There will be a meeting to flesh out plans at the LBT Shed this Monday (15 March) at 5.30 pm. Don’t worry if you can’t make – if you complete the Expression of Interest we will pass on anything useful that comes out of it (the EOI form is here: https://tinyurl.com/11matulr). Our intention is to keep the logistics as simple as possible, which means self-catering and no support crew. We will base ourselves at one site near Strathgordon with the option for participants to camp at Ted’s Beach or stay in the Lake Pedder Wilderness Lodge at Strathgordon about 5 minutes from the camp. If we have enough towing vehicles we can bring the LBT kitchen trailer to keep food cool and carry a barbecue. The Lodge has a restaurant so a meal or two there is also a possibility. People using one of the LBT fleet will need to prepare the boat themselves and make sure they have access to a suitable trailer and towing vehicle. The LBT Committee has agreed that the trip should be cost neutral – i.e. there is no expectation that the LBT will either subsidise or make a profit from it, so costs will be shared by the participants. This is the first time the LBT has organised a trip to Pedder - we are treating it as exploratory and if it lives up to expectations there’s the possibility of more trips down the track. The link to the Expression of Interest form is here: https://tinyurl.com/11matulr  |
Photos from the Raid
It is good to have a repository of photos for us all to look back on, and one is being created at https://tinyurl.com/yy49pqy2 . If you have a look you can see that there have been contributions from Andy Wilson and John Snowdon so far. Feel free to forward those of your favourites you are happy to share with the world to sec@lbt.org.au. If you have already set up your own photo gallery just send us a link.  |
Things we may have forgotten to tell you....
You will need something to put your lunch in because no-one likes soggy, squashed wraps but as the world already has enough lunch-boxes we’re not providing them to everyone - so you’ll have to bring your own. If you've already arrived in Franklin and didn't bring one, we can probably find something for you in the shed. On the up-side, you don’t need to bring crockery, cutlery or camp chairs as we will provide them all. If you have clothes or other stuff you won't need for the Raid, rather than dragging them with you, please separate them from the gear you do need and leave them on the mezzanine in the LBT shed in Franklin marked with your name - we have a few spare bags if needed. If you are buying new camping equipment, please remove all the manufacturer’s packaging before we go to Recherche Bay on Wednesday – leave it at home, leave it in the bins in Franklin if you must, just don’t take it to Recherche because if you do someone will have to bring it back for you. Please DO NOT flush 'Wet Wipes' down any toilets during the Raid - even if the wipes claim to be flushable – please don’t put them in the toilet, even the ‘flushable’ ones seem to be indestructible and capable of blocking anything.  |
Getting from Franklin to Recherche Bay on Wednesday
On Wednesday we need to get everyone to Recherche Bay and, as there’s no public transport, we do this by sharing rides. At the end of the day, everyone should be in Recherche together with the truck and towing vehicles. The cars and trailers not needed should be back in Franklin. If you are driving down there and have spare seats, please check that no-one at the Shed needs a lift. If you are towing a boat down, plan to start early enough to get to Recherche Bay, launch your boat, drive your car and trailer back to Franklin and then get a lift back to Recherche. If you are doing the ‘trailer shuffle’ you don’t need to set off at the crack of dawn but you should not leave Franklin later than about 11am as it takes about an hour and 20 minutes each way. Everyone should try to get there by 4pm – remember you will need time to put up your tent before it gets dark. The ride sharing will be largely self-organising – people heading south with spare seats should offer them to others using the tn21 WhatsApp group. Similarly, people needing a lift should post a request on the WhatsApp group.  |
tn21 Whatsapp
In tn19 we found ‘Whatsapp’ was an efficient way of providing information up-dates during the Raid and for sharing photographs etc. We will use Whatsapp again for tn21. To join the tn21 Whatsapp group down load the Whatsapp App to your mobile phone and then send a text message to Deb on 0427 554264 - include your name and that you want to join the tn21 Whatsapp group. You are welcome to join the group whether you are participating in the Raid or are just interested in following progress and seeing photographs as they are posted. We may not always have mobile coverage so don’t rely on Whatsapp for urgent messages – that’s what VHF radios are for. If you can’t use Whatsapp and need information sent to you by other means (morse, semaphore, signaling flags etc) let me know and I’ll put you in touch with someone else.  |
We can’t control the weather
The current forecast for the second half of next week is for winds from the east, which is not good for anchoring near the camp site in Recherche Bay or for the transit from Recherche to Southport. It’s too early to be certain whether the easterly winds will happen - a lot could change between now and then. Over the next few days we’ll be watching the forecasts and working on contingency plans, such as starting the Raid at Southport. We will have a better idea of likely conditions on Tuesday and will provide an up-date at the Welcome Dinner. Don’t head down to Recherche Bay without checking with the Raid organisers first.  |
Welcome Dinner - are you coming?
We need to know how many to cater for – if you haven’t done so already, please follow the link at the end to let us know if you are coming to the Welcome Dinner on Tuesday evening (6.30 for 7.00pm) at the LBT shed. If you have friends who aren’t doing the Raid, but would like to come to the dinner, let us know ASAP by following the link at the end of this up-date. The dinner is included for participants and all registered support helpers; for people not doing the Raid, guest tickets are $30 each. Even if you are doing the Raid as a participant or helper, and think we should know whether or not you're coming to the dinner, please fill it out anyway - it will help us with the catering and reduce the chance of either wasting food or someone going hungry. Conversely, if you are doing the Raid but can’t make the dinner use the last question on the form to tell us you won’t be there. Tell us whether you are coming to the dinner here: https://tinyurl.com/yxcwz8ak  |
Safety equipment on boats
If you are bringing your own boat on the Raid you must make sure you have all the safety equipment required by Marine and Safety Tasmania (MAST) - https://mast.tas.gov.au/safe-boating/safety-equipment/. The first few days of the Raid will be in waters classified by MAST as ‘Sheltered Waters’. North of Dover we will be in ‘Smooth Waters’ (https://mast.tas.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Operational-areas-December-2020.pdf). Please make sure you have everything required on vessels operating in Sheltered Waters (https://mast.tas.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/200348-MAST-Minimum-Safety-Equipment-Sticker_10-Aug.pdf). Before departure all boats will be inspected for safety including safety equipment. As well as the equipment on the MAST list all Raid boats must carry a VHF, as this is the main means of communication within the fleet, and a heaving line with a fender attached in case of person overboard. In previous years MAST has exempted open boats without engines from the requirement to carry a fire extinguisher. If you need anything when you get to Franklin there is a well-stocked chandler (Franklin Marine) next to the LBT shed.  |
Charging phones on the Raid
During tn21 there will be a lot of people on site every day. Charging facilities will be limited and priority will be given to charging the marine VHF radios and the phones needed for our safety and logistics systems. Next priority will go to mobile phone external battery packs – and if it comes to the crunch larger capacity battery packs will have precedence over smaller packs as they will be a more efficient use of charging opportunities and can be used to keep several phones going. So if you want to increase your chance of having a phone that works during the Raid, get a good external battery pack and share the power among your crew mates.  |
tn21 – countdown to the start
The LBT shed is a hive of activity in the lead up to the Raid and a few boats have already started to collect here. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday we will finish preparing the LBT boats and sort all the equipment needed to support the camps and fleet. The truck arrives on Monday ready for packing and later on Monday afternoon we will need many hands to erect the marquee before an informal ‘bring something for the BBQ and something to share’ dinner at the shed on Monday evening. The Welcome Dinner at the shed on Tuesday evening (26/01) is the first organised event of the tn21 Raid (6.30 for a 7.00pm start). If you are joining the Raid, either as participant or helper, please try to get to the dinner as we will provide information to help you get to our first camp at Recherche Bay the following day. If you get to Franklin earlier and can spare some time to help you would be very welcome and put to good use.  |
1-10 of 25