FLT CREW OF H25B FAIL TO DETERMINE ALTERNATIVE TRACK PROC PRIOR TO DEP ON THE SFO PORTE DEP WITH VOR OTS.

Narrative

WE RECEIVED CLRNC TO DEPART SFO. CLRNC WAS TAKEN BY PNF (OTHER PLT) ABOUT 1 HR PRIOR TO ACTUAL TKOF TIME. DURING TAXI WE DISCUSSED THE ASSIGNED (PORTE THREE DEP) AND INITIAL PART IS TO JOIN SFO 350 DEG RADIAL TO 4 DME. SFO VOR WAS OTS AND WE SPECULATED ON WHAT THAT WOULD MEAN IF WE WOULD BE ASSIGNED AN INITIAL HDG. IT WAS FIRST TIME FOR BOTH CREW AT SFO AND WE WERE SLIGHTLY PREOCCUPIED WITH TAXI INSTRUCTIONS; ETC. WE RECEIVED TKOF CLRNC WITHOUT DELAY UPON REACHING THE RWY AND WERE ROLLING WHEN WE REMEMBERED THE VOR WAS OTS; SO WE HADN'T ANY COURSE SET UP. WE IMMEDIATELY CHKED IN WITH DEP AND TOLD THEM WE WERE RWY HDG AND THEY VECTORED US THROUGH THE DEP WITHOUT INCIDENT; BUT I AM REALLY ASHAMED OF MYSELF FOR NOT CLARIFYING THE DEP PROC WHEN A DISCREPANCY WAS FIRST NOTED AND THEN FORGETTING AND ACTUALLY STARTING THE TKOF ROLL WITHOUT AN EXACT RTE TO BE FLOWN! CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: ASK AS SOON AS A DISCREPANCY IS NOTED. GET IT FIXED AND OVER WITH. DON'T EVEN ACCEPT A TKOF CLRNC UNLESS YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHERE YOU ARE GOING.