Less than two weeks go and counting

The skipper writes: Here we are, just two weeks to go and we are nearly ready. Just the last little admin bits.... Pegasus has had a little bit of a refit prior to the off and is now fully laden with spares and lines and all the little things we might need along the way. We even had the mainsail adjusted slightly. There are so many little things. We need to fly the national flag of every country we visit, not normally difficult to find but Estonia and Lithuania are not commonly available in U.K. shops! Thank you ebay! Just had a last minute meeting with Phil about the instruments he's bringing and to the Liverpool lads to see how their fundraising is going. Everything looks good and we are about ready. The next entry might well see us on our way. Don't forget you can find out more about the boat at www.islandcutter.co.uk

Preparation

The skipper writes: So things proceed a pace. Pegasus is working hard as the season rolls around to the start date and in between times we have been doing the hundred and one things a project like this throws up. The boat is weighed and measured for her time correction factor. This is done to enable a disparate fleet of ships to race on a level playing field. All the relevant forms are filled in and the process of applying for visas for Russia has got underway. It all feels like a bit of a nightmare but its a small price to pay for such an extraordinary experience......

How it all began

The skipper writes: Tall Ships 2009 is going to the Baltic, new ground for both Diggs and Amy, skipper and mate of Pegasus so this should be exciting. Finding a crew hasn't proved to be too difficult...seems lots of people want to try this.
First to join us was folk star Phil Beer. Over discussions during a recording session, he expressed his wish to do a voyage just like this one and signed up more or less on the spot! Vanessa joins us after we met her on the quayside in Swansea and Tom we met at a folk festival. The remainder of the crew came from The Princes Trust in Liverpool after a chance phone call Amy had with her sister! It is thus how a motley crew is recruited!