Insurance cover for sailing high latitudes

Q I'm an enthusiastic PBO reader and have been inspired by articles about people undertaking real adventures.

- Jimmy Cornell

I decided to go for it myself and plan a voyage to the west coast of Svalbard in summer. My boat is an old Rustler. She's safe and seaworthy. My crew and I are sensible and cautious. We don't have high latitude experience but confidently sail anywhere in the British Isles.

I've read extensively on the subject and my view is that Svalbard is actually a lot safer and less adventurous than you might first think. The west coast of Svalbard is warmed by the Gulf Stream, and there'd be permanent daylight during summer.

The longest passage is four days and I would carefully pick a weather window.

From a practical point of view, it seems a realistic option for a British cruising crew with a seaworthy vessel. But the problem is insurance. To assist in my search for insurance, I am:

■Building more relevant experience so I can demonstrate to insurance companies that I have the necessary skills.

■Planning a charter holiday with friends and family in the Norwegian Lofoten Islands. It's well into the Arctic Circle and looks to be a very beautiful area. Charter boats are readily available and I'll get some relevant experience as skipper as well as have a brilliant time with my friends.

■I have been able to arrange insurance to single-hand my own boat to the Azores and back. That will build useful miles and credible experience. It will be another great experience. My wife with meet me in the Azores and we'll have a great time.

■I'm going to book myself on one of the commercially available sailing trips from Iceland to Greenland. Organisations such as Go-West Sailing in Scotland offer such trips. This will add miles and useful experience sailing in Greenland. And I'm sure it will be great fun meeting lots of like-minded people.

■And I'll be doing the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore and Yachtmaster Ocean qualifications.