When undertaking any new adventure, it is important to not only have goals for the outcome but also a clear assessment of where you stand going into the project. That’s why we insist on a series of pre-departure checks before we begin.
The baseline in this case is bare minimum legal and regulatory, such as do we have the required documentation, licensing and equipment to successfully begin the journey and if challenged can we produce the required information to the authorities. In this journey, that consists of materials to comply with the U.S. Coast Guard and State Law Enforcement agencies in addition to a clear understanding of how to interact when in the presence of Active military vessels as we will be passing through (or near) several of the Nations premiere facilities on our journey, beginning with the Norfolk Naval Base at the mouth of the Chesapeake.
In addition, we need to complete checks on our systems which keep us moving, connected and safe. These require daily checks once we certify we are we have met the requirements for our journey to begin. If you’re new to this and haven’t customized your own (you will!) try this great one from boatsafe.com
Remember the minimum requirements don’t guarantee our safety or success, they are just a starting point that every adventure must begin with. In the next post we’ll discuss the next level between required and nice to have.