Monday, February 8, 2010

Gerry's Survival course!

Well here is the first picture of our two new crew! Dave from Hong Kong on
the left and Pete from Minnesota in the USA on the right..what do you recon?
Have they got what it takes? Will get the full details up shortly in the
crew section of the web site, but for now I can say we are looking good...it
is the first time that I have met both and I am really happy..they may be
shocked?? But that is the fun about adventuring and expeditions, meeting new
people.

Gerry Fitzgerald who runs the " Offshore Maritime Training Centre" survival
course is a friend of 20 years and runs an outstanding course. We all had
more than a laugh when he was talking about tolerance being vital to assist
in survival if you ever find yourself in a life raft. You are all cramped
up, have little water and food etc and live ontop of each other..then we
started to realize we actually may have more of everything in a liferaft
than being in TBB..she is really a little boat?? So today it was all theory
and popping a couple of flares...tomorrow we are in the pool to play with
the life raft.

The other funny thing that happened today was that we got to eat some of the
food we are taking on TBB..out of date ships lifeboat buiscuits!!at least
they are softer than the Ships Biscuits we baked a year ago!!

3 comments:

Richard in Maryland said...

Here's an idea,
As training for the trip, assemble the Bounty boat final crew, sail/motor offshore and have everybody get in a liferaft for three days. Then get picked up. After that experience, the Bounty boat will seem like a spacious yacht!
I have a feeling interpersonal dynamics are going to be a huge part of this adventure.

Good luck!
Richard W

Patron of Sheffield Institute Foundation said...

Dear Dave & Pete,
Welcome to the Expedition,
thanks for joining this noble cause
Enjoy yourselves
Cheers Stuart Keane

helene said...

Oh my god... why did I never hear of you before? If you need crew some day, if you are mad enough to have me onboard, I am certainly mad enough for such jumps in the fifth dimension!
Wonderful, fantastic, awesome... bravo, and I envy you.

Helene, a 64-yr old brand new sailor, now going (sailing on Baloum Gwen - see website -, with good skipper and experienced mate) down Greenland west coast, up Greenland east coast, then Iceland, Ireland and France. Nothing, as compared to your "stroll"!