...The
largest outrigger race on the East Coast...
On
June 23, 2012 the New York City Amateur Radio Emergency Communications
Service (NYC-ARECS) provided
maritime communication support for the Hawaiian Airlines Liberty
Challenge on the rivers of New York Harbor in the middle of
the Port of New York and New Jersey. [Press
Release]
Radio
operators were at this Public Service event for 12 hours from
0630-1830 stationed both on rescue and safety boats, as well as
on the shore with race officials. The mission of the operators
was to be an additional set of eyes and ears on the rescue and
safety boats, and to ensure that reliable communications were
expediently available in case an emergency condition arose on
the water. Team members utilized both UHF and VHF repeaters, simplex,
and VHF Marine radios to communicate with each other, to pass
messages in regard to race setup, race operations, other safety
boats, boats in-transit in the harbor, the Staten Island Ferry
and the US Coast Guard Auxiliary.
As
always, when we assist with events like this, they are essentially
training opportunities for the team. On this day, we were effective
especially when one of the rescue boats' VHF Marine radio failed,
as well as because distance between the boats made their radios
ineffective.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Liberty
Challenge racers with the Statue of Liberty behind them headed
toward Governor's Island and Brooklyn
|
Racers
powering through the water headed toward Governor's Island
and Brooklyn, with the Staten Island Ferry in the distance
|
NYC-ARECS
team members manned the Stop, Caution and (in this case) the
Proceed flags, used when ship traffic in the harbor increased
|
Andrew
with a massive cruise ship steering into the port behind him
at 6:30am. Andrew took some of these great photos! Thank you!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Racers
with the Statue of Liberty behind them
|
There
were multiple helicopters filming the event and broadcasting
this race live on television
|
Team
member John (climbing the ladder) on-board 'Safety 1' one
of the races' command vessels. The Freedom Tower World
Trade Center is in the background
|
Team
member Cesar on 'Photo Boat' passing the NY Sanitation piers
approaching the Brooklyn Bridge
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Charles
manning the flag indicating 'Stop' alerting people to potential
danger
|
John waving from 'Safety 1' under the Manhattan Bridge
|
NYC-ARECS
members switching boats out in the harbor as assignments changed
|
Our
Public Information Officer on 'Rescue 1', watching the racers
who had the Statue of Liberty at their back
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The
team members assisted with deployment of these buoys outside
the federal security zones near the Statue of Liberty and
the Brooklyn Bridge
|
Charles
near the Statue of Liberty reporting positions of the racers
|
A
restful moment for one of the Safety Boats
|
The
U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary assisted with safety, here, we
see the 'Lady B'
|
 |
 |
 |
|
|
Team
member Dennis
on 'Safety 2'
|
Team
member Bill
on 'Safety 4'
|
Charles
and Shelomo on 'Rescue 1; approaching the Manahttan Bridge
from the Brooklyn Side of the East River
|
The
boats were circling on hold as the next race was preparing
for launch
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The
NYPD Harbor Patrol was out with many different boats, this
is one of them.
|
So
was the FDNY Marine 6. This is one of the new boats, "The
Bravest," built after 9/11, 66' long
|
This
is retired FDNY boat "John J. Harvey" who helped
entertain the racers.
|
This
tug and massive barge were typical of the harbor freight traffic
which the racers had to negotiate
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Statue
of Liberty Ferry at Battery Park in Manhattan with the Freedom
Tower in the background
|
A
filming helicopter hovering only 20' above the Hudson River!
|
At
the end of the day, there was a luau at Pier 66 for all the
racers and the staff...
|
This
was 'Rescue 1' aka the “Blue Classroom,” in an amazing
photo taken one month prior to the Outrigger, on the
Hudson, as it escorted the shuttle
|
