A huge amount of preparation is required for our next adventure. Selecting crew; courses to prepare the ones not experienced; dental and medical checks; travel documents for all crew; Carmen at HelloWorld Gladstone prepared with all details of crew for last minute flights; Insurance coverage for global rescue (hopefully not required); Insurance cover for high altitude restricted areas; clinics through UK, Norway, Svalbard for medical checks; Arctic clothing; provisions list including a good rum or whiskey to celebrate crossing the Arctic Circle; yacht preparation – a spare for every possible thing that can break; safety equipment all compliant; navigation equipment updated; ability to download weather reports wherever we are; visas and customs entry requirements for France, Wales, Scotland, Norway, Svalbard; return documentation; refreshing our knowledge and reading all books on sailing north; using cameras, videos, go-pro, drones, our IT guy Geoff on-call 24/7 for internet – iPhones, iPads and laptops! Not to mention finalising finances, homes and business here before we leave. Leaving that all up to our son-in-law Grant. All made possible by our son, Aston who is doing a brilliant job of managing the ‘Monster’.
Leaving our two girls, Shona and Ashleigh who we will miss … till the plane lifts off the tarmac in Gladstone!!!
Our grand’children’, Habana and Huxley who we will miss a little further into the flight. See you all in 7 months.
Thanks Aston, for everything!