We are very satisfied with the course and it has strengthened our believe that preparations and practising is important when it comes to safety. You have to know what to do in an emergency because there's no time to think about it then, or you loose valuable time. The course made us think about the different situations that can happen on our voyage and it made us realize how important it is to wear a lifejacket and lifelines. On our way home we came up with some really strict rules for when to use the lifejacket, almost always! It was so much harder to stay afloat without it that the chance of survival is very slim if you don't wear it. We strongly recommend the ISAF Offshore Personal Survival Course by SSTC! Anyone who are about to do a sailing like ours should do it, and it would be a good idea for the holiday cruisers who like to go offshore aswell. / Captain Ingerup

To prepare ourselves for the big adventure we have decided to take part in an ISAF Offshore Personal survival course at Käringön north of Gothenburg. This course his held by Scandinavian Safety Training Centre. There we will learn things like:

● liferaft handling
● storm sails
● fire precautions and fire fighting
● damage control and repair
● heavy weather –crew routines, boat handling
● man overboard prevention and recovery
● first aid
● search and rescue systems
● weather forecasting
● handling flares

We will do practical exercises with a liferaft, inflatable lifejackets and MOB equipment. This covers about everything the ARC recommends regarding crew training. On Friday the whole crew, including Emelie and Catrine, goes to Käringön for this exciting event. We are really looking forward to this, our first step as an ocean cruising crew, and we will tell you more and post pictures when we get back. / The crew of Cantare

• Sea-me active radar reflector
• Sounder to sea-me
• Cruising Almanac 2009/2010
• Navionics Gold - Europe
• "Cyalume" sticks - for grabbag
• Food rations - for grabbag
• Liferaft fishing kit - for grabbag
• Survival blankets - for grabbag

The ARC equipment regulations state that the liferaft should be equipped with the service pack for rescue after 24 hours. To save some money we have bought our Viking liferaft without this pack and intend to make the needed upgrades by ourselves and put them in the grabbag. Viking wants about 6000 SEK for the extra kit but we think we'll be able to get the things for less than 1000 SEK.

Today I sent an email to the American company asking them what's happening with my battery tray. They have promised to send it to me for free since they never told me that the VHF I ordered had been discontinued and replaced. But that was almost two weeks ago. I got a quick reply from my contact, but he didn't know where it was and had to call the factory. I just hope it gets here before we leave. / Captain Ingerup

We have decided to buy a Viking Rescue Pro liferaft, one of the best there is to get. This is not a decision made by me or Sofia, it's my dad's. The liferaft has to meet the ARC safety regulations, of course there are other less expensive rafts that do, but my dad wants to be sure that we have the best chance of survival if anything goes wrong. Who can blame him? Having his two dothers in the same yacht at the Atlantic Ocean, only the best is good enough. We have ordered the liferaft from Sjösäkerhetskompaniet in Stockholm, and it will arrive in a month or so. Hopefully it will be the least value for money gear.

We have also ordered a DuoGen 2, which is a wind/water generator. While sailing we can troll it behind us and get all the electricity we need for our fridge, lanterns, computer, gps and lights. When anchored we rise it up into wind mode and generate electricity that way. Since DuoGen is a fixed unit there is no long line with a heavy impeller. That makes it easier to get it out of the water and there is no risk of losing it to a hungry shark. This is also due to arrive in about a month. More pictures will come when it is mounted.

/ Captain Ingerup