Top Ten Disasters that Never Happened !

[Piper'sGirl]

The boat-theft issue is something I've been thinking a lot about lately. We live in Beaufort, NC and have never locked our dinghies (although for dinghies we use kayaks without motors, so they might not be too appealing) or our cabin, and we have left the boat unattended for days at a time. So, I admit that I might be a little naive to the real dangers of the world, given our relative safety in North Carolina...

BUT... it seems unbelievable to me that a crew could sleep through someone boarding their boat, entering their cabin, stealing their things and leaving. My partner and I are up periodically through the night, even at anchor and even in the calmest weather. He is up more than I, but even with my narcolepsy and deep sleep I have trained myself to wake up if it starts raining or if I hear strange noises. It seems that owning a boat is like having a child- your sleep is never the same.

[imagine2frolic]

My biggest fear was the fear of missing out on everything. Before I left S.F. for Mexico friends would always ask "aren't you afraid?" My answer being "yes I am, I am afraid of not going!"

My wife's biggest fear was losing sight of land. Seeing land no matter what the distance made her comfortable. She couldn't swim when we began. I tried to explain to her 50 miles, or 50 feet it is the same. She eventually learned to swim, and is a much more comfortable sailor.

I drug her around on this little float for a week with help of a friend. Into caves, and all over the BVI. The following year in the Bahamas she was a little fish. Great post!

[David M]

Dave,
I have always found your writings to be good stuff. Keep up the excellent work.

[maxingout]

Originally Posted by David M

Dave,
I have always found your writings to be good stuff. Keep up the excellent work.

David,

Thanks for your generous comments. I am a plodder when it comes to writing, but I still enjoy trying. If I had to make a living by writing, I would probably starve.

I haven't been doing so much writing lately because I have been creating podcasts. I just uploaded 120 podcasts to PositiveSelfTalk.com, and that took more than a month to accomplish. I work eight hours a day at the hospital, and then I come home and put in four more hours recording podcasts.

Now that the podcasts are uploaded, I will spend more time on the cruisersforum.

Last week, I got to see the final cut of the Red Sea Chronicles, and it's going to be a top notch DVD of our Red Sea adventures. I just listened to a preview of the Red Sea Blues recorded by my son, David. If you would like a sneak preview of the Red Sea Blues, you can click on the following link: www.maxingout.com/credits.htm Follow the link and you will end up in the Window's Media Player. Enjoy.

I still have too many dreams and not enough time. Life is too short to not live my dreams.

[BeBalu]

Very good read, informative and interesting.

[maxingout]

Originally Posted by BeBalu

Very good read, informative and interesting.

The link that I had posted to the Red Sea Blues is no longer active for some reason. My son put the Red Sea Blues up on youtube - it's a fun song - a collaboration between him and me. He is a musician, and I wrote most of the words. Sorry about the bad link. Enjoy.

YouTube - Red Sea Blues

[JudyDO2011]

Thank you everyone for responding to this discussion about epilepsy and cruising. I am getting ready with my husband to leave next August (2011) for cruising on our sailboat to Mexico, the Caribbean and the Med. And dang it, my seizure disorder, which I had thought was a one-shot event in 2001, reappeared last weekend during an ordinary trip through my local grocery store. I am back on (and adjusting to) anti-seizure medication. I am so hopeful that this is the last seizure I ever experience. I'll be looking for cruiser discussions via this forum and others on health insurance, getting prescriptions filled outside the U.S. and how folks are dealing with chronic health issues while sailing fulltime. Regards to all and fair winds.

[YOGAO]

Judy,

I am wishing you well on this adventure and managing the challenges of sailing with epilepsy.

I have Type 1 diabetes, which is a disease that can only be treated with insulin. Therefore, I must have insulin available at all times, plus I need to have a glucometer that allows me to test my blood glucose 6+ times/day. The glucometer requires specific test strips (use once and dispose). The insulin is delivered via an insulin pump that has its own set of proprietary bits and pieces. IOW, I have a bunch of prescription stuff I need to have on hand in order to go cruising. Here is how I handle it.

Extra Supplies - I worked with my insurance approved pharmacy benefits management (PBM) company to get as many items as I could before leaving. I was able to get a one-year supply of insulin, 9-months of testing strips and 9 months of pump supplies. It wasn't easy as the PBM was extremely stuck on the idea that they would only provide a 90-day supply. One of the keys was to ask for a "vacation override", another was to speak with a manager and to realize that I had to reasonably stick to my guns.

Guests - Our guests became our delivery mechanism as supplies started to run low. To date, this has worked really well.

Mail Forwarding Services - Depending on the medication, you may be able to have a mail forwarding service like St. Brendan's Isle get your supplies to you.

In-country pharmacy/hospital - Again, depending on the medication, the country that you are going to may have some/all of the medicines required. Diabetes is a global disease. I know that virtually every country that I am likely to go to will have insulin in a pinch. Epilepsy is global as well, and there must be some web-based support networks where other epileptics discuss their travel experiences.

Trips back to the US - I have been coming back to the US briefly each year to check in with my doctor (required to get the prescriptions renewed). Each year, I get another round of supplies. Yes, it is a bit of a hassle, especially wrangling with the PBM each year, but well worth it in the end.