I spent Saturday buying tools and making an inventory of the various marine gear we need to outfit before we leave on our first voyage. Outremer delivers their boats with a full set of PFDs, harnesses, jacklines and tethers, as well as an offshore distress kit with signal flares of various types, and a first aid kit. I still need to buy man overboard rescue gear, boat hooks and various assorted sailing accessories, which I will do on Monday at the local marine supply.

Robin, Gavin and Lindsay arrived in France this morning after 27 hours of flying from Brisbane, they were pretty wiped out, so we went straight over to Wildling so they could unpack some of their things, test out the showers and begin exploring, and then it was on to a delicious seafood lunch and back to get some sleep.

Lindsay checking out the port helm.

Gavin tested the cockpit lounge to make sure it’s comfortable enough to sleep on.

Enjoying a seafood lunch in the Mediterranean helps to forget the long flights!

Tomorrow we begin the three days of instruction sessions, which includes time on the water each day going over sail controls and maneuvers, and setup and training on the equipment and systems.