2003 Southwestern Rendezvous
Naval Station Ventura/Pt. Mugu

Officers and Crews of the Antelope Valley Ship-11, SSS-Spartan, joined forces with Long Beach Ship-1371 for the 2003 Southwestern Rendezvous, an annual international competition at the Naval Station Ventura (Point Mugu, CA) over Thanksgiving weekend.

Combined crews at formal inspection

Some of the events include the Obstacle Course (shown), Swimming, First Aid, Compass and Relative Bearings, Charting, Scuttlebutt (rig and raise a 55 gallon drum), Knot Relay, Sailing and Motorboating (shown), Rowing, Mystery Nomenclature (shown), Radio Operations, Code Flags, and more...

Obstacle Course Judge walks the course with the crew.

Ship-11 crew attacks the overhand bars while White Shark enters the parallel bars exercise.

TACKLING THE WALL!
Teamwork in action.

Tackling a quiz.

Judge explains the Mystery Stuff event.

The Mystery Stuff.

Spartan and White Shark crews waiting for the next field event.

Good Bos'n.

Inspection and Hell Drill.
Following the Uniform Inspection is the Hell Drill. As the National Fleet Commodore gives drill commands, Fleet Officers eliminate crew members one by one, as the miss a step, fold their hands wrong, don't react quick enough, or otherwise goof up in the eyes of the Drill Officers. Bragging rights to the last man (or woman) standing.

Who will be the last one standing?
Hundreds of crew line up for the Hell Drill.


Bos'ns Mate Barry avoids eyeballing a Fleet Officer as the field is narrowed.

No coaching of their crews by the Ships Officers and Advisors is allowed during events. All adults must "volunteer" for field duty, as event judges, security watch, etc. If your Bos'n likes you, he signs you up for the waterfront events. Guess where we were?


Ship-11 Skipper Cuck Hoey on the docks. Always volunteers for the toughest duty!

SSS-11 Skipper judging the Small Boat Sailing competition.

The sun slowly sets over Ventura Harbor as the Small Boat Sailing event winds down. Skipper Chuck judging at far left. It doesn't get much better than this!

Setting out to sea at great personal risk, SSS-11 First Mate Steve Hofbauer judges the Motorboating, Anchoring and Ground Tackle event.

The highlight of the weekend; the formal Landship cermony and the presentation of the awards. Crews present in their Class A uniform, some in traditional Dress Blues or Whites, others in various non-traditional uniforms. Ship 11 stands in their dungarees. We are in the process of obtaining our traditional Dress Blues for future events.

Ship-11 At Ease!

Ship-11 before awards ceremony. L-R, Skipper Chuck Hoey, Bos'n Mate Barry, Seaman Petros, Seaman Hoey, Yoeman LePage, Chief Petty Officer Hofbauer, First Mate Steve Hofbauer.

SSS-11 Yoeman LePage, one of the Sideboys for the formal ceremonies, salutes the WLACC Fleet Commodor as she boards the Landship.

Skipper Hoey stands with his crew at the line up for Landship and Awards ceremony.


The entire WLACC Fleet.