Cruise Guidelines DRAFT
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Below are some
guidelines that will make our Corvette Cruises more enjoyable.
There are three roles
on cruises:
The Cruise Leader
The
Cruise Members
The
Cruise Tail Gunner
The
Cruise Leader:
1.
Maps out
the cruise which include possible rest stops and eating places.
If the cruise is overnight, the leaders books overnight
accommodations.
2.
Provides an
itinerary of the cruise with ideas of timing to various stops.
This includes the departure time for the cruise.
3.
Reviews the
itinerary at club meetings and before departure.
4.
Always know
who the Cruise Tail Gunner before departure.
5. Leads the cruise. The Cruise Leader will be the lead car in the caravan. He/She ensures that all cars stay together during the trip.
6.
Will adjust his/her speed accordingly to make sure all cars stay together.
The leader should
never drag-race out of a parking lot or from a traffic
light leaving others
behind. The lead cars should accelerate fast enough for the most
cars to get through a traffic light (for example) but not so fast that you
might think they were drag racing. He/she
should drive at an appropriate speed to let everyone catch up and then
speed up to cruising speed.
7.
Will be
patient and flexible. Not
everything goes as planned so be open to changes.
8.
Communicate
and acknowledge on a regular basis with cruise members by using a 2-way
radio.
NOTE:
It is recommended to have a 2-way radio so all cars can
communicate between cars and with the leader.
Channel 5-0 works on both FRS and GMRS radios. We will be using this frequency on our cruises.
If you do not know how to change the frequency on your radio,
please contact the event coordinator or leader of the cruise. And to avoid
embarrassment, please make sure your radio is not on Vox (voice activated
transmitting). This means
whatever you say is transmitted over the radio.
The
Cruise
Members:
1.
Will make
sure that their car has a FULL gas tank and ready to go.
2.
Will be at
the departure location on the set departure time. This is the time we are
pulling out of the parking lot – not the time to meet.
Please be at the departure point at least 15 minutes before
the departure time to go over last minute details, etc. Most get
there about 30 minutes early.
3. Listen to the important instructions from the Leader carefully before departure. This is to review the trip and also let you know of any changes. Do not have side conversations when instructions are being given so everyone can hear them.
4.
Follow the
cruise leader and do not pass them.
5.
Drive
at an appropriate speed but keep a safe
distant behind the car in front of you,
6. Will not purposely slow down and then speed up (Rubber Banding) so they can drive faster. This is not considerate to the person behind you and there is more of a chance to loose members of the cruise and lets other drivers in between the cars. Not everyone likes to drive fast. There are times that there will be some Rubber Banding on the cruise but this is not intentional.
7.
Will STAY
TOGETHER
as much as possible.
8. Communicate with the leader and other members when needed. Such as: if you need to stop; if the cruise loses members; if you or others are stopped at a traffic light; if you need to relay another members message to the leader; etc. This helps the leader know when he may need to adjust his/her speed or pull over so everyone can catch up. Note: Recommended to have a 2-way radio.
9.
Will be
patient, considerate and flexible to any changes that may need to be made
during the cruise. Don’t
give the Cruise Leader a hard time. They
have spent time and effort planning the cruise.
If you don’t like it, you can plan the next one.
NOTE:
If you want to break off on your own, contact the cruise leader and
the cars around you so they know that you are leaving.
The Cruise TAIL GUNNER:The tail gunner is the last car
in the line and after the lead car, this is probably the most important
car in the caravan.
1.
"Communicates
via 2-way raid with the leader to let him/her know what is going on in the
line…ie, has someone pulled over, did cars get caught at traffic lights,
have all cars made it out of the parking lot and on the road.
2.
Makes sure
the leader knows if another person takes this role during the cruise.
List of Terms and Recommendations: The information below is from the Permian Basin Corvette Club web site. I have tried to put most of the information in each role responsibility.
Cruise Caravan: All cars in a Corvette Cruise.
"We can sometimes have
a bunch of cars in a caravan. To facilitate getting through traffic
lights, it is helpful to get in 2 lanes (if possible) so twice as many
cars can get through the light.
After we get through
town we can get back in single-file line.
Please be courteous and let the other cars back in line.
We are all friends here.
Inevitably we will get
separated by traffic lights. As soon as practical, the lead group
will pull over (in a safe location) and wait for the others to catch up.
This is where 2 way radios can really help – especially if there are any
turns.
When we have a large
number of cars it is important that we communicate what is going on.
We sometimes get stretched out on the road. Even though the portable
radios say they are 10 mile or 30 mile range, they don’t reach that far
when in a car. We sometimes have to pass information up and down the
line.
The cruise leader will
give out important information at the beginning of the cruise/day, after
stops, at the end of the day (for long cruises) etc.. It is
important to gather up and listen to the leader. Some of us aren’t
as loud as others and it is hard to be heard if there are a bunch of
“extra” conversations going on.
If you need to stop
while on a cruise, don’t be afraid to speak up.
There may be others that would like to stop as well but they are
hesitant to say so.
When you have a bunch
of cars in a line you end up with rubber banding. The further back
you are in line it seems like you have to speed up and slow down.
As a cruise leader I
use my cruise control to maintain a somewhat constant speed. But
cars will speed up and slow down – even on cruise control.
So the cars may
stretch out and contract as we go. This can be exasperated when
encountering slower traffic.
While the leader will
maintain a speed close to the speed limit, cars toward the back MAY have
to drive a little faster to catch up from time to time.
If you don’t want to
do this, you might want to work your way towards the front of the line.
The leader should
never drag-race out of a parking lot or from a light leaving others
behind. The lead cars should accelerate fast enough for the most
cars to get through a traffic light (for example) but not so fast that you
might think they were drag racing. He/she
should drive at an appropriate speed to let everyone catch up and then
speed up to cruising speed.
You need to try and
stay up with the car in front of you and also keep an eye on the car
behind you. You may need to lay back a little so the car behind you
can catch up.
I’ve been on cruises
(not led by our group) where the leaders take off at full speed. Not
only is this not a race, you end up leaving part of the group behind and
they will probably get lost.
This doesn’t make it
any fun. When you end up
being the leader of the left-behind group you start to get nervous you
will get lost.
Again, I will push for
2 way radios. They help.
Corvettes were
designed to go fast. The
newer Vettes are capable of speeds well
in excess of 150 mph. We
do try and drive with the flow of traffic and within prudent speeds for
the road conditions and speed limits.
There are some members
that are not comfortable driving fast.
The cruise leader should pick a speed that is appropriate for the
members of the caravan. If
you are not comfortable with the speed, please speak with the cruise
leader.
Some members of the
club have more experience driving Corvettes fast (ie, around curves).
If you feel the car in front of you is driving too slowly, you can
pass them (when it is safe to do so) and get in line in front of them.
REMEMBER – don’t pass the cruise leader unless you have made
arrangements with them ahead of time.
If you want to drive
really fast, you should talk to one of the race coordinators about getting
your car on the track. That
way you can safely drive your Vette fast.
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