Thanks to the many friends who have expressed their good wishes and interest in our blog. We are tying up a lot of loose ends before we go--

After we got Veneeni two years ago and this voyage drifted from dreaming to planning, we joined the Blue Water Sailing Club, a great group of sailors and friends who share a love for sailing off-shore. As mentioned previously, safety has always been an interest. When Commodore Roy Greenwald (who does the Bermuda Race single-handed) asked for volunteers, we agreed to take responsibility for running the Club's biennial safety-at-sea symposium. The course is given to support skippers and crews participating in the Marion-Bermuda Yacht Race, and the Marblehead-to-Halifax Race. It sounded like good preparation for our trip too!

So, as we prepare to head out into the blue water, we are also finalizing plans for a new and exciting safety-at-sea program. I am mentioning it here because many of our sailing friends, whether or not they are going to race to Bermuda or Halifax, may want to take the course and expand their horizons. Working with experienced members of the club, we designed an exciting new program that covers several advanced topics of interest to all bluewater sailors, including specific race preparation. The new program, entitled "Bluewater Sailing--Safety and Fun Offshore", fully-sanctioned by US Sailing, builds upon the highly regarded Offshore Safety at Sea course offered on-line by US Sailing.

The new BWSC program emphasizes hands-on experiences in fire-management (yes, putting out REAL fires), emergency signalling (ever used those flares?) and communications, and off-shore crisis management, along with advanced training in storm management, unexpected damage to the vessel, and evacuation procedures. The program includes survival strategies and in-the water training (with full foul-weather gear, PFDs, and life-rafts--oh my!). The family-friendly curriculum will cover a variety of topics essential to making a fun and safe offshore passage, whether racing or cruising.

Everyone who successfully completes the on-line US Sailing Offshore Safety at Sea course and the full hands-on training will be eligible for US and World Sailing Offshore Safety at Sea certification, which is now required for 30% (at least two members) of the crew of every vessel competing in the Marion-Bermuda Race. Together with a host of BWSC members who many sea-miles and Bermuda races among them, we are working with Capt. Bill Biewenga, a US Sailing Certified Moderator, with more than 250,000 sea-miles under his keel, to deliver this special event.

The course will once again be held at the University of Massachusetts Boston campus on March 9-10, 2019. Stay tuned for additional details and be sure to sign-up early, as places will be limited.

When: Saturday, March 9 and Sunday, March 10, 2019 8:00 AM- 5:00 PM
Where: University of Massachusetts - Boston
100 William T. Morrissey Blvd.
Boston, MA 02125

We have had great fun working on this with so many friends. We hope we may see some of you there. Get more information and register at the Blue Water Sailing Club, https://bluewatersc.clubexpress.com/

Stay tuned for new about the latest addition to Veneeni's crew!

Greg and Anne
Aboard S/V Veneeni