Easier than throwing it up there.

Dire: Easy to get. Next port you can get it. The R is a very loose sort of R - it has obvious legal applications at sea.

Anyone have any other stuff to do before we move the thread along, possibly to the point where we are out looking for the Benito Juarez or making port in Havana?

Sounds good to me.

Yaarh, lets go search for the Juarez.

Seeing as we have made contact with the Juarez, what are we going to do now? I am referring to a plan of action. Or would everyone perfer to just wing it (shuder)? Should we do this stealthily or just run (and climb) in with guns blazing? Some combination?

I suggest that we come up with some plausible reason to approach the freighter (like maybe we are in need of assistance?) and then launch the grapples and climb up and take what we came for by force, all the while with drone covering fire. Alternatively, we could launch the drones first and have them create a distraction while we move up rapidly and then board. What do you guys think?

I am on IM with Penta. I have been working with the protractor to plot courses and intercepts. Assuming us on a heading of 180, we turn hard starboard to 275 and ~42 minutes to intercept.
~30 minutes to visual confirmation and ~38 minutes till the stormcloud can begin jamming there signals.
Anyone else use IM?

I was originally preferring a night op as well, but we can't just shadow the ship all day.

As to Carlos coming over, I'm kinda of the same mind. We are a small crew and not every position can be filled.

I had been hoping for us getting ahead, doing a sneaky little dive with the underwater gear, come up alongside as the freighter passed, clamp on, climb aboard, sneak into the hold and see if we can free a few pallets without the crew noticing, and maybe drop a few waterproofed boxes overboard during the night for us to pick up later after the freighter cruised on.

Probably a challenge to board the freighter that way. And numerous other complications. But you can always revert to plan A(ssault).

I must say, I love seeing the debates - and no, I'm not using them to plan against you.

@All
Ok, DireRadiant and I worked this plan out in IM today. I'm happy to IM with anyone else who has ideas or work them out in OOC.

@Penta
We would like to know about access points and the range of their radar system from the plans we purchased.

They have standard marine radar - I'd say 30km range.

Access points: 4 hatches, port and starboard, fore and aft of a long external deck, which is 40' above the water line.

The plan sound good. Just one question: how are we going to get our weapons across to the Juarez without damaging them? Are we going to use the gyrojet pistols and water carbines instead? (IIRC we did get some with the Thundercloud...) If that is the case, it is unfortunate that Carlos is unfamiliar with such weapons. He would be more of an asset if there was some way he could get his AK over to the Juarez.
Oh and one more thing: Penta, does use of scuba gear require the Diving skill or could one make do with Swimming? Carlos lacks the former. Of course he could default to body for diving checks if necessary, right? (I guess what I'm trying to say is that I don't have any clue how diving works. This is probably cause the BBB doesn't really go into any detail besides listing the skill.)

@Narse
See Gunner Blythe IC posting about his preparation of his non underwater weapons. You just will not be able to fire them underwater with out some issues.

You will need Diving to use SCUBA, but if we are being towed just under the surface, the task roll may not be so difficult.

FYI Sea Chests are places typically rectangular shaped and go inward abit, on a ship's/boat's hull that allow the intake of water for various ship boards systems. Typically more than one system uses a Sea Chest, like more than 3.

Some Sea Chests also discharge waters/fluids too. When divers worked on my ship's hull the Sea Chest locations and the complete turn off same were important. Now when enemy divers came to play war games, they used Intel gained from various sources so they could avoid those Sea Chests and keep the divers from being sucked in.

How are we going to get up 40' of hull to a hatch?

WMS

Ready here. Ziploc freezer bags all filled and ready to go.

Are we still waiting on people, or should I bump?

Ok things may/will be at strange for me the next few days, my daughter in law is getting an induced birth of a grandson, so I be away from my computer access for large amounts of time. I will be at the hospital, spending time there.

If I can I will post, but will not have the mental focus to do it in details,

Sam

Congratulations (if a little early). My last three children all had to be induced - our prayers for a safe and health birthing. All three of ours went very well and I hope yours does as well.

I think the baby is far more important then needing to post. Take care. Inducing is always fun, like those contractions really need something to make them even harder and more painful! But it's better then spending days in labor. My last one had to be induced, she was fine, though the after affects of the induced labor were a bit scary. After getting the drip it was a bit fast, baby arrived before any of the doctors on shift could make it to the room. Poor doctor arrived to make the delivery, and he was late.

My fourth (second one induced) came so fast when she was ready that the nurse and I delivered her... Doctor couldn't make it back down the hall fast enough.

Congrats!

Babies are infinitely more important than posting; Congrats, WMS.

Okay, since we look to be ready, I will write a post when I get home.

Actually, maybe no. Everybody's doing diagnostics and prepping. Will you guys be making the first move or sending out recon, or do you plan to let the ship come to you?

Doesn't look like BishopMcQ has posted yet, or for several weeks for that matter. Just thought I'd point that out. Hopefully he's still with us.

Also how should we go about initiating the dive sequence/heading to the Juarez. I for one would feel really uncomfortable posting something along the lines of: So, Carlos starts swimming off towards the ship...

Oh and WMS, congratulations.

Bishop has not posted to anything for nigh on a month. I'm sure he will be back and just got tied up with RL. He is missing from one of my games as well.

I think you all should post the dive sequence, as well as how you're handling the drones (altitude? Speed? Etc etc etc).

Redjack: Are you going, stopping, going, stopping? Or changing course as you move?

I would say proceeding at full speed, then every five minutes slowing, rising to check position and adjusting course, then diving and back to full speed till we're within a half mile or so.

Cap'n Periscope.

So you know, such a burst-stop-rise technique increases your chances of detection by a lot. You look a lot less like some random thing.

I'm not planning on breaking the surface with anything more than the antenna...?

This is me resurfacing. Is there still a spot for me?

Fairly well, my breast stroke is slow but steady. Freestyle is my preferred stroke.

I meant on sonar, Redjack.

Bishop, welcome back. Of course there's a spot for you.

Not sure I'm tracking.... I assume our size should keep detection from being a problem until we are close enough that Johnny hacks the other ship...?

To an extent. However, sonar works on -sound-. The sound of the engines spinning up, then going, then stopping, then going again will be distinctive.

Sounds like I'll need to hack the engine must sooner than I'd thought.... Like at a range of 5 kilometers. That will negate the need for us to adjust trajectory multiple times, we only need to come up once. Then hack it, load up an agent to monitor the radio, sonar and engine diagnostics while we close range.

I suppose.

Are we still game on or on hold for the holidays?

I'm still here, but it isn't really Franklin's part which is why I'm quiet.

Same, I'm just kinda waiting to see the story.