I am English. I have a GBR passport. This is roughly the same as an EU passport, with a few differences. But I am good to enter all countries as a visitor, and residency should prove easier than someone from the US.

I am an IT consultant, specialising in Disaster Recovery planning. (Yes, I put together worst case plans for a living.) From this I have skills in planning, prioritising, delegation and organisation. I am also a qualified Divemaster. Leadership, teaching, first-aid and rescue are the skills I bring from this.

All the plans I make are multi-purpose. Since the expenditure on a BOL fortress is quite a significant amount, it must be useful even if Z-Day (or other insert-disaster-here scenario) doesn't happen. So the BOL main house will be a combination holiday home and DR site for my main business. The dive boat will be rented out to a dive resort in the Caribbean. The smaller homes will be rented out to workers who will tend the farmland, selling the produce (break-even or small loss) and keeping the place running ready for when the worst happens.

Personal Fitness

Whilst I am in shape enough for the UK Dive medical, I am not in as good a shape as I want. I would like to be up to the "Ranger Standard", 217 (49PU, 59SU, 6CU, 16:00R). Yes, the Ranger run is 5 miles not 2, but it averages out to 8 minutes a mile, which is how I got that time.

Thanks to all the swimming, I have a good abdominal section, so I am not far off that goal. However, I am used to operating with most of my weight supported by the water, which is why my arms and cardio suck a fat one. But I am going to keep at it. Weirdly, I can blitz the chin-up requirement. I guess different arm muscles are used in that one.

Update: I have joined a gym, and made a hideous bet with a friend. Jack Daniels is to blame for one of these things.

"Ranger Standard" is now a milestone in a larger event. The first goal is a straight 300 on the APFT (77PU, 82SU, 13:18R). First past the post wins a days wages from the other.

The second, ultimate goal is dubbed "Military Hell". We take each event from the US and UK Armed forces (Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force) and find the hardest standards, then apply them all.

Push Ups - 57 in the first minute, 27 in the second minute (USN and USAF)

Pull Ups - 20, no time limit (USMC)

Sit Ups - 53 in the first minute, 48 in the second minute (USN and USAF)

3 Mile Run - 8:55 for the first 1.5 miles, 13:18 for 2 miles, 18:00 for the full 3 miles (USN, USAr, USMC)

500 Yard / 450 Metre Swim - 06:38 / 06:28 (depending on pool) (USN)

Static Lift - 116kg / 256 lbs (depending on weights) (UKAr)

These are subject to change once the top UK standards are found. The Static Lift is an entry requirement, not the hardest standard.