Ailsa Craig island summit

I have reposted this under a more helpful title, so that those who want to come don’t miss it.

Jimmy M3EYP has been busy gathering expressions of interest for this trip, and has firm intentions to join from four people (two groups of two) to join our family of four. That would leave four places on the boat which can take up to twelve, so it looks like we could be in a position to book an exclusive trip.

This would be good, because we could have the extra time needed on the island to do the climb and activation, rather than rushing straight down to get the boat back with the rest of the tourists after two hours ashore.

Once I’ve got a firm list of 12, plus maybe some more on standby if demand is greater, I will get back in touch with the boatman to discuss dates, prices etc. I don’t know if the date would need to be slightly flexible with regard to weather, tides etc. All I know at the moment is that it will happen in the dates 9th to 14th August 2009.

So if you are interested, reply to the email Jimmy has sent you (he has sent several to potentially interested parties), or email me (via http://tomread.co.uk), or say so in this thread.

73, Tom M1EYP

In reply to M1EYP:

Hi Tom & Jimmy

I have just arrived back home (after a long flight diverted via Manchester)to find a message from Phil G4OBK on my answer-phone.

Please reserve a place for him on the trip to Ailsa Craig Island.

I have put this on here so that you can confirm if he has a place, and he will be able to read this on his continuing trip around Europe.

If successful he will contact you on his return to the UK, in about 1 week.

73
Roy G4SSH

Yes that’s fine Roy. We now have 9 “definites” (as much as that can be in terms of not knowing the exact day or price yet) and one “probable” - MM0FMF. Not heard from GM4COX yet. As it stands, there are two places left. As soon as I get firm intentions for these, I’ll get back in touch with the boatman to discuss dates and prices.

Thanks for the 40m contact Roy.

Tom M1EYP

In reply to M1EYP:

Don’t forget Tom that once you have confirmed the people and the boatman it still depends on the WX whether anyone can land or not!

Andy
MM0FMF

Hi Dad,

Don’t forget that we also haven’t heard anything from Glyn GM4CFS yet as well as Jack GM4COX.

Jimmy M3EYP

We now have 10 “definites”, not counting the “probables” or “possibles”. That means that only two berths remain. There is also a “special SOTA event” in the pipeline as well!

Tom M1EYP

In reply to M1EYP:
Hi Tom

Put me down as a definite - at present I can be flexible with the dates you mentioned. Will talk to you when I get back re timings and planning etc

73 Phil

NP Phil, thanks to a message via Roy G4SSH a few days ago, you are already included as one of the definites.

Tom

Hi Tom,

I’m interested in the visit, I am away for the first part of the week, but am available from the 12th if it ends up being after this date.

Do you think it would be just handies, or could you get away with a beam, remember the one I took to the SP fun day?

Would anyone on your list be passing J36 M6, to share fuel costs?, it’s quite a hike for one summit.

Regards

Nick (G0HIK)

I’ll let you know as soon as I do re the date. I would expect it to be in the first half of the week though.

We should all be prepared to activate using only handheld, and maybe handheld beams or rucksack antennas. Hopefully more will be allowed, but we must be prepared to activate in very low impact style if that is what is required.

Tom M1EYP

It definitely won’t be the 9th. So it will be somewhere in 10th to 14th August. An email reply from the boatman has asked me to confirm final numbers and date with him the week before. I’ll probably do this a fortnight before, as I’m on holiday in another part of Scotland in the first week of August.

It would be a good idea for all the ‘definites’ to email me their mobile numbers for communication in the days leading up to the event. Go to my website http://tomread.co.uk and click on my photo. At present, there are two places left, although interest has been expressed in them from several parties.

Thanks,

Tom M1EYP

I now know that the price will be £300. So between 12 of us that would be £25 each. We will have three hours ashore on Ailsa Craig, so sufficient time to climb to the summit and activate, all being well.

Please email me your mobile numbers if you are coming on the expedition. I will need to be in contact with you that way in the days before to confirm the exact date of the expedition. Even if you are not ‘definite’ yet, email me your number. With 10 ‘definites’ and 5 ‘probables’/‘possibles’, we could well be oversubscribed, and need to have a ‘reserve’ list - which would be useful if anyone has to drop out last minute.

Tom M1EYP

In reply to M1EYP:

I hope it will be possible to do something on HF, Tom, as VHF handhelds probably won’t get you much further than the nearby coastal resorts! Have you considered an FT817 with a mobile whip on 40 with a resonant counterpoise lying on the ground?

73

Brian G8ADD

Obviously Brian, we hope to do full HF, SSB & CW, but will be sensitive and respectful of whatever is requested of us on the day (or before). At the worst, with a handheld and RSS, we should still make G, GD, GI and GM, so not too bad hi!

Tom M1EYP

Reminder for all those intending to join the Ailsa Craig expedition, to email me your mobile numbers - unless I already have them. I will need all contact details within the next week.

At present, we have ten confirmed participants, so two berths still up for grabs. However, I know that GM4COX, MM0FMF and perhaps one or two others would like to join if/when they can confirm their availability.

Fingers crossed that we are due some benign wx over the next few weeks, or we will have to dream for a while longer yet!

Rgds, Tom M1EYP

Participant number 11 has just signed up so just one place left, and I will have to start a reserve list. Thanks to everyone who has exchanged cellfone numbers with me. Mind you, hope this wx sorts itself out, or we are going nowhere! Then again we have a flexible five day window in which to do it, so hopefully that will increase the probability of success.

Tom

In reply to M1EYP:

I’m going to drop out I think. The problem I have is that I’ll have just got back after the best part of 3 weeks out of the office and I know that I’ll have too much on to take a day out. I hope to bag at least one W6 peak while I’m here so I’ll swap that for my GM/SI peak.

Andy
W6/MM0FMF

Hi Tom,

What date did you decide on?

I’ve not seen this on the reflector, I’m still interested.

Nick

Hi Nick,

No individual date has been decided upon. It will be one of the dates from 10th to 14th August, chosen as last minute as possible in consultation with the boatman and with regard to the weather etc. That is why I need to exchange mobile numbers with everyone interested.

But place number 12 is still going begging if you want to claim it.

Tom

Hi Tom,

Is your e-mail address good on QRZ?