Our boat is still a couple of months away from us being able to move aboard and sail away.  Patience has never been my virtue and it’s our 17th wedding anniversary celebration!  So, we decided to quench our thirst and do something we have never done before. Charter a boat.

Which is funny because the first thing we tell people when they ask us for advice on how to get into sailing is:  Look for a sailing club near you, take a sailing course and/or charter a boat.

If you’ve been following along for a while, then you already know we didn’t do any of this when we started.  We bought a boat, then learned how to sail and only joined in our first sailing club race last year.   We’ve also been known to roll boulders uphill, but we don’t advise it.  It’s our public service, we do things the hard way, so you don’t have to.

Typically, we don’t recommend anything we haven’t personally experienced.  Yet we’ve been encouraging people to charter a boat for years.  In theory it’s a good idea but what is the reality?  What is the cost?  Is it worth the cost?

We’re about to find out.  Join us in Phuket, Thailand as we set sail for a week on our first sailing charter.

So we find ourselves in a delicate dance with the elusive winds of monsoon season as we make our way to the renowned Phi Phi islands. Home to some of the best diving in the country, nature’s most ferocious winged tormentors (mosquitoes), long tailed monkeys and stunning ocean meets jungle views.

We’re back in our cruisers paradise of sail, eat, dive, explore, eat, sleep and repeat. It’s all sunshine and curry date nights until the skies crack open and the rain cascades down like a waterfall. Our boat springs a leak and so does does Jason’s exuberance. Apparently, a monsoon is his sirens song.

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So, what happens if you get deathly ill at sea? Or have a serious injury on a remote island? What do you do about regular doctor’s visits while in a foreign country?

All good questions we’ll get to shortly. But first, we’re in Thailand and I (Nikki) needed to see an ENT and get all of our regular checkups done (OBGYN, Dentist, Dermatologist). So we thought why not get it all done and then some!?!

Jason passed out, had a wardrobe malfunction and I got some stuff shoved up my nose. It turned out to be a much bigger (and cheaper) adventure than we expected!

AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION IS WORTH A POUND OF CURE
Just as we maintain our boat to prevent aging and fatigue, we need to maintain our bodies and minds. Something we haven’t been as good at as we would like…but we are working on it! We read The 4 Hour Body years ago and learned a lot from that book. But we recently read Outlive by Dr. Peter Attia and it was such a clear, scientific picture. Preventative health is the key to a long, happy life. It has re-motivated us to get serious about our overall well being. Because we have a lot of exploring ahead of us! We highly recommend the book but here are a few of our favorite optimizing health and well being podcasts (one by the author of Outlive).

The Drive: https: peterattiamd.com/podcast/
Huberman Lab: hubermanlab.com/
The Art of Being Well: drwillcole.com/podcast
Tim Ferriss Show: tim.blog/podcast/
And of course, drink your vitamins! Because it’s almost impossible to get everything our bodies need from food. So we fill in the nutritional gaps with AG1: drinkAG1.com/gonewiththewynns

INTERNATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE
We sailors and digital nomads don’t live in a world built with us in mind. Domestic health insurance doesn’t work abroad and while some countries may have universal health coverage for their citizens, that doesn’t mean they will fit the bill for us travelers (in most cases, they won’t). Even if you are lucky enough to be a citizen of a country with a good health program, it won’t do you any good if you aren’t in your home country.

Thankfully, there are plans tailored for all types of traveling lifestyles. And we are not talking about old-school travelers’ insurance aimed at the typical vacationer. We’re talking legit global health plans for full time travelers and expats.

In 2022 I had my first surgery in a foreign country and filed my first claim with my international health insurance. So, right after that, it felt like a good time to cover the subject of healthcare abroad. The costs, quality of care, and in general share what we’ve learned over the years from our smattering of global medical experiences.

Naturally, we’re always on the hunt for new ideas on how to better manage our floating home and limited resources.

And if there is one thing we have learned over the years, it’s that most of us will commit to almost anything if it saves us time or money.  But it can’t come at the cost of comfort or convivence.  In other words, the world isn’t going to move to foot pumps for water to save money on electricity.

But, if you can guarantee some solar panels will pay for themselves and then provide years of free electricity, then who wouldn’t want that!?

So, when a long-time viewer and patron reached out about a remote island in Thailand with luxurious villas that have been off grid for over 20 years…we knew we had to check it out.

And wow, it really is the most impressive and inspiring off grid systems we have ever seen.  We’re talking about a serious little slice of paradise completely designed and engineered to work with nature from the ground up.

I really love their mantra, If you take care of nature, nature will take care of you.  

Our minds are now reeling with ideas for our boat and hopefully you found a little inspiration too.

If anyone happens to know of a small version of the grey water treatment to remove soap, we would love to know about it.  Or a small, boat friendly hydroponic system, we’re all about that too.  While we can make sprouts (easy to do) and we have grown herbs in the past…most countries do NOT want us brining in any soil or seeds.  So we always have to give them away before we sail away.  So the idea of having a simple hydroponic system that we could use for fast growing plants like lettuce, would be very cool and eliminate at least the soil issue.

MORE ABOUT THE RACHA’S ENVIRONMENTAL EFFORTS

https://www.theracha.com/environment/

It’s our long-time friends Nick and Terysa’s new boat Ruby Rose 2.  They have been documenting the build of this boat for the past 2 years (an extra-long wait thanks to covid) and naturally, their videos have created a lot of hype, buzz and anticipation.

But Nick and Terysa were monohull sailors, and this is their first Catamaran.  So, the burning question is, does the boat live up to the hype?  Does it meet the expectations they set?  We are super keen to find out!

Because there is the anticipation (something we are experiencing now) and then there is the reality of the completed vessel.  How does she sail?  How is the layout?  How are the systems?  Soooo many questions…and we get some brutally honest answers.  Because let’s face it, no boat is perfect.

Join us for the very first passage aboard Ruby Rose 2 in Thailand.

Congratulations Nick and Terysa, Ruby Rose 2 is a beautiful boat.  She will fit you like a glove in no time.  Thanks again for having us aboard for such a big adventure!  We are looking forward to sharing an anchorage one day very soon.

MORE ON NICK, TERYSA & RUBY ROSE

• youtube.com/@sailingrubyrose

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MUSIC IN THIS VIDEO

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  Artists – Alex Grohl, Teo Laza, Kicktracks, Steve Poloni, Katrina Stone, Francesco DAndrea

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WE COULDN’T MAKE THESE VIDS WITHOUT YOU!

Thank you for watching! Ups, downs, and all around, we share it all. If you like what you see, there are lots of ways you can show your support.

Nothing prepares you for the overwhelming process that is getting to know a new boat and new systems. Even if you’ve been sailing for years, mistakes are inevitable, and things will break. It’s all a part of the learning process.

Then, of course, there is the art of making it a home.

This week, you get an intimate peek at this awkward phase as we fumble our way through the shakedown sail. Join us for our final sail aboard Ruby Rose 2.

Thanks again to Nick and Terysa for having us aboard for such a big adventure! It’s the beginning of a new chapter and we’re looking forward to seeing where this one takes you.

MORE ON NICK, TERYSA & RUBY ROSE 2

• youtube.com/@sailingrubyrose

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MUSIC IN THIS VIDEO

• We Use Artlist: Get 2 Months for FREE with this link: https://bit.ly/artlist-GWTW
  Artists – Marc Robillard, Hanjo Gabler, Russo, Michael Shynes

CREATIVE ASSETS IN THIS VIDEO (SFX, TEMPLATES & PRESETS)

• https://bit.ly/motion-array-GWTW

WE COULDN’T MAKE THESE VIDS WITHOUT YOU!

Thank you for watching! Ups, downs, and all around, we share it all. If you like what you see, there are lots of ways you can show your support.