Preparations for the Lady L

A lot of work has been done on Heath’s yacht – which has been moored in Scarborough Harbour since 2018 – to turn her from a vessel suitable for coastal cruising into a blue water yacht.

Lady L, named after his wife, Lucy, is a Beneteau Oceanis 40 and is 40ft long with three cabins.

A generator, water maker, satellite phone, wind charger, solar panel and battery banks have all been fitted in preparation for the challenge.

At sea, the crew will take fourhour watches and Heath plans to blog each day about their experiences.

“I am a bit of a homeboy,” Heath said. “I do like my home comforts. I think the thing I’ll miss the most is a lovely comfortable bed and quiet night’s sleep.”