Time is really running. It is hard to believe that in only six weeks we will be on board of Maria S. Merian. The preparations for the cruise started basically with the submission of the proposal one year ago. After approval of the ship time, the permissions, so called notifications, for the work in the territorial waters had to be obtained, most of them up to half a year prior to the cruise.

For a cruise like this starting in Las Palmas (Spain) going to Mindelo (Cape Verde) permissions from Spain, Portugal, Marocco, Mauretania and Cape Verde are needed. Paperwork over paperwork and the folders are filling up. In the meantime flights, hotels, insurance and visa for all 22 participants were obtained and many forms filled. Luckily most of that is done by now, and we just need to fill our container.

In the next few days we will pack almost 6 tons of equipment. You have to realize that there are no shops in the ocean so we have to take all kinds of things with us - it is really bad luck to realize on board that a power supply, some screws or the right reagents are missing.