8/6/2018 items necessary for offshore passage

Not following this list can seriously impact your safety, comfort and enjoyment. Please go through this sheet twice carefully. Once when you first receive it and again three weeks before the expedition.

Two months prior to the expedition:  4 color copies of your passport photo page

Your gear must fit in two bags: a soft-sided duffel bag no larger than Henri-Lloyd’s Storm Barrel Duffel, (max. length 30”, max. girth 60”) and a medium-sized frameless knapsack similar to Gill 30 Liter or Grundens Gage Liter Rum Runner Waterproof. The knapsack is useful for hiking and shore trips.

You must be able to easily carry your duffel and knapsack yourself: Total maximum weight for all of your gear is 30 Ibs. on tropical legs. You’ll weigh your bags on the dock, leaving ashore anything over 30 lbs. This is no joke! No satphones, tracking devices, suitcases, hair dryers, camera bags, bags with wheels, metal framed backpacks, folding luggage carts, guitars or excuses, please. Nearly everyone brings more than needed. Each person has two small lockers for clothes and toiletries plus shared lockers for shoes & foulies. Folding and organizing clothing in Eagle Creek Cubes or Zip-Loc bags saves space. 

• West Marine: 800-538-0775, www.westmarine.com. 
• REI: 800-426-4840, www.rei.com

Foul Weather Jacket, Safety Harness and Tether

• Gill Men’s Crew Lite Jacket or Columbia Women’s Arcadia. If you chill easily, WM’s Third Reef is a more substantial option. Marmot PreCip Pants work well and take up no space. Foulies over four years old or hiking/skiing gear rarely work for ocean passages. Jacket must have a hood.
• Safety harness: West Marine Ultimate Safety Harness with bag to stow it in. We provide individual PFD's.
• (Opitional) Tether: 6’ long non-elastic with snap shackle inboard: West Marine Standard Safety Tether.  (Opitional)

Tropical Clothing 

• 4 nylon running shorts that are loose-fitting, comfortable, and quick drying. Nike & REI have good options.

Please do not bring long, baggy, belted or pocketed shorts as they are bulky and difficult to dry.

• 1 pair quick-drying nylon shorts with pockets: Hook & Tackle Beer Can shorts or similar.
• 1 pair long nylon pants, quick drying: Columbia Men’s PFG Backcast, Henri Lloyd Women’s Sorrento Pants. 

 Do not bring jeans or cotton sweat pants or shirts which are bulky and inappropriate for the tropics.

• 1 lightweight collared short-sleeve shirt for guys: Columbia’s Super Bahama or similar This style is much cooler than a cotton t-shirt in the tropics, protects your neck from sun and is appropriate for clearing customs.
• 1 lightweight, long-sleeved, ventilated, collared sun protection shirt: Columbia Tamiami Fishing Shirt.
• 4 loose-fitting, short-sleeved, lightweight non-cotton running shirts: REI Tech T or similar. 
• Sun hat with tie down: Tilley Airflow, Columbia Sportswear Bora Bora..
• 2 Baseball caps with tie-down clips for deflecting spray in heavy weather
• Lightweight modest skirt or dress for women. This is important for cultural sensitivity in some countries.
• Underwear, suggest 4 sports bras for women
• Swimsuit (running shorts work best for guys, please no long cargo shorts with pockets and belt)

Footwear

• 1 pair of NEW, never-worn-on-the-street, neutral soled boat shoes or sandals, not to be worn ashore. Technical/performance deck shoes or Teva Omnium sandals work better than moccasin-type boat shoes.
• Comfortable, sturdy, lightweight, fast-drying, non-leather running or walking shoes, sandals or Crocs.

Miscellaneous Gear

• Lonely Planet Travel Guide available from your local bookstore or Amazon.com.
• 2 medium flat sheets (not sleeping sacks) and two pillowcases (pillows are provided).
• 2 medium PackTowl or small hand towels, maximum size: 16” x 24”. (Larger bath towels are difficult to dry, bulky and present a fire danger on our engine room drying line) and washcloth. 
• Waterproof watch with light. 
• Waterproof LED Headlamp with red & white lights plus extra batteries. Best, by far and only waterproof headlamps: Black Diamond Storm Waterproof or Princeton Tec Vizz. Waterproof headlamps leave hands free for reefing, hourly logbook entries, etc.  This is VERY important for your safety and not an option.
• Waterproof sun and lip screen.
• Polarized sailing sunglasses with keeper strap.
• Two pair reading glasses, if used.
• Passport. 4 color copies. Two months prior to joining the boat.


• Three paper copies of your flight itinerary and color passport photo page for immigration. VERY IMPORTANT!
• Credit card PIN number for cash advances in local currency upon arrival. Notify credit card company of the countries you’ll be visiting so fraud alert doesn’t prevent you from using your card.
• Antibiotics: As with any expedition-type adventure in an isolated area we ask that you consult your doctor and obtain a broad-spectrum oral antibiotic for treating skin, throat, and eye or ear infections.

Seasickness: For the first 24-48 hours of any ocean passage many of us are queasy, if not seasick. We have found that eliminating coffee and increasing water intake to two liters daily for two weeks before joining the expedition greatly reduces the chance of seasickness and dehydration. We recommend you bring:

• Emer’gen-C or Berocca Vitamin C & mineral electrolyte replacement: Amazon.com or health food stores.
• Transderm Scopolamine 1.5 mg patches. You must first try this drug on land, before joining the expedition. 
• Compazine (generic name: prochlorperazine) 10 or 25 mg. suppositories (12 suppositories, NOT TABLETS) which has proven to be by far the most reliable prescription seasickness remedy. 
• Stugeron (cinnarizine 15 mg tablets) available from www.CanadaDrugsOnline.com

Travel and trip cancellation insurance, www.csatravelprotection.com.

Please arrive at least 30 hours before the start of the expedition.