The crew for the first deployment is now complete. Training with the dinghy begins today in the Licata harbor basin, and rescue situations are simulated.

The clearing out work on the ship continued briskly in the last days, yesterday a small material caravan led from the marina in Licata to our apartment above the harbor. Although our ship is spacious, we have rented a house where the crew is accommodated ashore – and where there is plenty of quiet, space and retreat, especially for the important pre- and post-deployment meetings.

Our operations crew went out for the first time to practice rescue situations on the open sea off Licata. This includes not only driving the dinghy in waves, but also the transfer of people onto the ship. For this purpose, a platform was installed at the stern of the TROTAMAR III, which makes the transfer much easier – and thus safer.

We are excited and anxious. We have been working under pressure since the beginning of the year for this moment to set sail for the first time equipped with numerous rescue materials with the destination Lampedusa. The ship will prove itself. We as a crew will prove ourselves. The situations we sail into are uncertain. It is always a matter of life and death. We prepare as good as possible and with the support of numerous experts for all possible and impossible scenarios.

We thank all supporters for their valuable work up to this point. Each of you is sailing a little bit with us. Because only together we will manage to make the journey of the refugees to a better life a little safer.

Solidarity!