After years of preparation, the time finally came to take Kaihanu offshore!  In a blur, Tom and I spent a couple months getting Kaihanu ready for her Cat 1 inspection. Cat 1 is a New Zealand special. It’s essentially an audit of the boat and the crew. The boat needs to have all the required safety gear present and current. The crew needs offshore sailing experience, which Tom had, plus courses on offshore first aid and advanced sea survival as well as the ability to use and operate the equipment.  This process was nerve wracking but, in the end, we sailed though! Soon after, the weather window opened, we said…