Sailing Nodam

Let's take up anchor and go nowhere

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello listeners, I cannot thank you enough for tuning in.
It is time for another episode of Living the Alternative podcast,
a show dedicated to breaking the norms any way that
we can. Last week's episode we talked about digital nomadism,
and I was so influenced that I just picked up

(00:23):
everything and left. This week's episode, I'm coming to you
from a boat. Not really, but I wish I was.
This week's episode is going to talk about the life
of a nomadic sailor. I didn't want to come home

(00:44):
last time. If you can imagine sailing round from port
to port, picking up what you need, living life at sea,
it would be amazing to constantly be in one trop
or another. No shortage of beautiful places in this world.

(01:08):
Let's die right in. You're going to need a boat.
There are some types and considerations to concern yourself with,
such as mano hole or catamaran. Mano Holes are better
for upwind sailing, more affordable, better sea worthiness in rough weather,

(01:35):
while catamarans are more spacious, stable, shallower draft for anchoring
closer to shore, but are more expensive. Trimarans are fast
and stable, what have limited interior space. Next up, let's

(01:57):
look at some key features. For live aboor sailboats, you
want something around thirty or forty five feet is ideal
for solo sailors or couples, forty five feet plus for families.
Look for a full keel for long distance stability or

(02:18):
a thin keel for maneuverability. You must have enough storage,
ventilation and comfort for long term living. Cabin layout is essential,
and deck space as well as a cockpit. A spacious
cockpit is essential for comfort during long sails. Here are

(02:42):
some essential modifications for self sufficiency solar panels and wind generators,
a water maker and additional fuel and water tanks. You'll
need reinforcing, digging and backup sales, a composting toilet or

(03:05):
holding tank upgrade. Here are some essential sailing skills and training.
You'll want to learn the basics. Enroll in sailing schools
or take certification courses the ASA or the ROYA, etc.
After plenty of hands on experience grewing on boats, renting

(03:28):
or joining sailing clubs, you can develop your navigational skills
with celestial navigation, paper charts and dead reckoning. Modern day
GPS can be used as well as chart plotters and radar,
as well as AIS systems. You will want to know

(03:51):
all about weather and oceanography, understanding trade winds, ocean currents,
and seasonal weather patterns. To interpret the GRIB files and
other marine weather reports. You'll need to know storm tactics,
heaving two, deploying c anchors, and running down wind. To

(04:15):
be completely self reliant, you will need to be prepared
for emergency and have survival skills. You'll want practice man
overboard procedures and drills. Learn how to use emergency beacons
such as the EPIRB and the PLB. You'll want to
know firefighting techniques and have other onboard safety drills. You

(04:39):
want to have a clear abandoned ship protocol and be
proficient in life raft deployment. There's going to be need
for financial planning and remote income as a sailing nomad.
The cost of living at c the boat purchase and

(05:01):
refit costs may vary. There are going to be monthly
costs with maintenance, fuel, food, marina fees and insurance. Sure
to be hidden costs like custom fees and import taxes,
as well as unexpected replacement parts. How to earn a

(05:24):
living remotely well. You can practice freelancing or other remote
work writing, consulting, web development, graphic design. You can have
sailing related jobs chartering, yacht delivery or boat maintenance as
well as sailing instruction. You could be a content creator

(05:46):
with blogging, vlogging, Patreon memberships as well as sponsorships. You
could have an online business with drop shipping, e commerce
or other affiliate marketing. Good old fashioned bartering and local
work will suffice too. You can trade services and do
seasonal work at marinas. Next up, let's talk about navigation

(06:13):
and route planning. Some popular roots for nomadic sailors. The
Caribbean circuit from the eastern coast of USA to the Bahamas,
to Lesser Antilles and then on to Panama. You could
undergo the Pacific crossing from Panama to Galapagos and then

(06:36):
on to Australia. What about the Atlantic circuit from Europe
to the Canaries and then on to the Caribbean and
to the US East coast back to the Azores. How
to plan your roots and avoid risks? Well, you want

(06:56):
to avoid piracy prone areas such as the Gulf of Aden,
parts of West Africa and Venezuela. You'll need to take
into consideration the season and avoid hurricanes and cyclone seasons.
Some countries require clearance and there are other custom regulations

(07:17):
for long term stays. There are tools for a route planning.
You can check out Navionyx or open CPN as well
as predict wind for weather routing. Pilot charts are available
as well as historical wind data for passage planning. You'll

(07:41):
be sure to want to take a HF and SSB
radio as well as satellite communication for real time updates.
A sailing nomad must be self sufficient. You are essentially
living off the grid. You'll want water supply and purification

(08:03):
a water maker, rain water collection systems, or on board
water filtration such as charcoal or other UV sterilization. You
want to think about renewable energy and power management. Deploy
solar panels that are ideal for energy independence. Wind generators
work well in trade wind regions, and hydro generators are

(08:26):
efficient during long passages. You'll want to employ battery management
and other energy efficiency strategies. Let's talk about food and
provisioning long term food storage. You should look into dry
goods or freeze dried meals, as well as preserving food

(08:46):
without refrigeration such as canning, pickling, and fermentation fishing and
spear fishing for fresh protein is going to be a
good option, and you can also look into hydroponic or
microgreen gardening on board for fresh vegetables. Nomadic sailing isn't

(09:07):
about being alone. There are community and social aspects. You
can find other sailors on Facebook groups, forums and apps
like navally and No Foreign Land. You can attend sailing
rallies and regattas at ARC Pacific Puddle Jump, and you

(09:28):
can take in some buddy boating for safety and companionship.
How to balance solitude and socializing well deal with loneliness
and isolation at sea. I suggest board games and music.
You can visit local cultures and engage in a sustainable
tourism While you're on your go. You can think about

(09:51):
hosting and being hosted by fellow cruisers. Let's take a
look at legal in bureaucratic considerations. Some areas may require
visas and immigration for long term cruising, such as the
Shingin restrictions in Europe or the Caribbean and South Pacific

(10:15):
often have long stay visa options. You should check into
countries and deal with the customs paperwork in advance. Your
bode must be registered and insured. You have to choose
a flag either Panama, Bahamas, USUK, etc. And you should
have third party liability and full coverage insurance Health insurance.

(10:39):
Global health insurance is essential for long term sailors such
as Geoblue or safety Wing folks. Unfortunately, that's all the
time that we have for today's episode of Living the
Alternative podcast. I hope you've enjoyed it. Until next time,
I can't thank you enough for listening till then.