I have formally requested from Julie Diaz, interim director of the Galveston
County Park Board that we be allowed to observe MSWE at Fort Travis on the
Bolivar Peninsula. My tentative time table is that we erect antennas Friday
afternoon and take them down on Sunday afternoon in time to be out of the Park
before it closes at Sundown. Details about Fort Travis may be found on the web
at Fort Travis Seashore Park, Bolivar Peninsula, Galveston County, Texas for
your preliminary viewing. If you select the pictures page, the Cabana area can
be seen in the fourth and fifth pictures. These photographs were taken before
Hurricane Ike and their condition is that they have not been restored
completely, but the restoration is under way and the condition that will be
available June 6 thru 8 is not known. Exactly were we will be allowed to set
up and exactly when (or if) will be decided by the Galveston County
Commissioner's Court on or about May 13,
2014. I have asked for the area behind the Cabanas and as a second choice the
grassy area seen to the right (west) of the building shown with the Cabana's
(restrooms and showers). Seawolf Park cannot be seen in any of the pictures,
but the Cavalla and Stewart can be seen to the right of the picnic area shown
on the bank of the ship channel in pictures 7 and 10. The light house can be
seen at the end of the Cabanas and the Boliver Ferry Landing is behind the
buildings about 1/3 mile. More pictures can be found with a Google Search.
Fort Travis Seashore Park, Bolivar Peninsula, Galveston...
The
Bolivar
Peninsula has a long history of
fortifications. Many of them were built on the site of
the present Fort Travis Seashore Park.
View on www.crystalbeach.com Preview by Yahoo
My tentative plan is to set up antennas and a camping area on Friday or
Saturday morning. I am thinking that we will use one of the tri-banders,
probably the one recently donated by River Oaks Stereo, a forty and eighty
meter dual band dipole and a VHF antenna. I own an Alpha-Delta 40/80 dipole
and several military surplus fiber glass masts we can use. I also have a dual
band Mag mount 144/440 antenna on my van and one on a mast that I can bring.
The 40/80 should work well on 15 and possibly ten. The tri-bander should be
workable by three rigs with the tri-plexer owned by BVARC. Bill's worm burner
vertical is also available. Suggestions are welcome.
I have four operators that have mentioned staying the night one or both nights.
We will need to firm up whether the Cabanas will be available or not and what
we will set up for tents to operate and sleep in. The current thinking is
that we would prefer Fort Travis to Seawolf Park if both are available. I have
also requested permission to set up at Seawolf, but the consensus at this time
is that members would prefer Fort Travis because of better restroom facilities,
availability of overnight camping and a better chance of approval. Approval
for Seawolf will need to come from the Cavalla Board of Directors, as well as
conditions and location within the park. The Galveston Seawolf Park Director
has deferred to the Cavalla Board for approval and conditions. Also, Fort
Travis did not suffer any damage from the Oil Spill, so our feeling is that we
would be more comfortable at Fort Travis. Fort Travis is on the Bolivar
Peninsula so will require a
Ferry ride both directions. The Bolivar Ferry is provided at no cost to the
public by the Texas Highway Department. It will add to the time required, but
is a quite pleasant trip.
We will require food and drink for the members who will erect the antennas and
set up the tents as well as tear down. This will require possibly lunch
Friday, supper and breakfast for the night crew, lunch on Saturday, supper and
breakfast for the Saturday night crew and possibly lunch on Sunday. I
understand that the BVARC BOD discussed funding for these meals as well as ice
and drinks for general hydration during the period. I would like comments from
the members so that I can plan how to procure and fund these items. I also
need a head count of members that plan to attend on Friday, Saturday and Sunday
and those who plan to stay the night Friday and Saturday for operation and
securing the antennas and other property.
The Park will probably not charge us, as camping there is part of the County
Senior Services, but that is not firm yet. We will need to provide all our own
equipment, food and drink. If there will be donations by the members, I need
to plan that. The park opens at 0730 each day and closes at sundown, so those
who do not plan to stay the night need to plan on leaving before sundown.
There is a convenience store within walking distance, but I am not sure if the
rules allow coming and going by foot during the night. The abandoned military
facilities may be inspected from outside of the fenced area. The area inside
the fences are not considered safe for the public as there is a lot of broken
concrete and probably snakes and other harmful wildlife.
Willis 'Cookie' Cooke, TDXS DX Chairman
BVARC MSWE Chairman
K5EWJ & Trustee N5BPS, USS Cavalla, USS Stewart
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