1. How do you shower on board?
We have a shower on the boat in the head. However, the area in which showering would take place is in front of the toilet itself and would require a Cirque du Soleil balancing acting to reach your toes and don't even think about having elbow room to scrub your hair. And even if you manage to use the shower it can end up putting a lot of moisture in the boat which can then lead to mold issues. No thanks. We'll be showing in the cockpit/on the deck and depending on where we're at we'll either use our Solar Shower exclusively or jump in the water, scrub, rinse and use the Solar Shower for a fresh water rinse. Marina facilities (as rare as we hope them to be) or a bucket for a quick dunk and scrub isn't out of the question either. As you can see we have options!
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How do we shower? Like this. |
We hold 80 gallons of water in the tank and may carry 5-10 extra gallons in jerry jugs as well. We have pressurized water which means that it comes from the tap just like at home, except that you'll hear the water pump kick on if the water runs more than a 10 or 15 seconds. We also have a water heater that we can turn on when motoring or using our generator so we can have hot, and I mean hot, water if/when we need it. If Ron expects me to shower regularly when we're in the North Channel, this little gem might get some significant use!
3. How will you get food?
From stores and markets of course! We'll stock up on foods where it's convenient and get more when we're in places with stores. Although we might find some slim pickings we won't go hungry. People living there have to eat don't they? And I for one am really excited about exploring fresh foods at local markets and trying new fresh, healthy food options. We're also hoping to use all of the great fishing gear we had given to us (thanks again Mike and Linda!!) to catch some delicious, fresh seafood. And I'm looking forward to trying out a Hawaiian Sling to spear some fish (especially those pesky but tasty lion fish), catching lobster and collecting conch. Yeah, it's going to be rough ;)
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As fresh as it gets Image here |
4. How will Lexie go to the bathroom?
Yup, still getting this one...a lot. But it's a very reasonable question and people want to know! You can find those details out in our 'Poopdeck' post.
5. What about health insurance?
Trust me, I got this Come-To-Jesus talk from my dad when I told him we're not going to have health insurance while on our trip. For most people here that seems insane, I know. But we're doing so knowing that we are both very healthy individuals who do not have any kind of chronic or ongoing medical issues that need regular attention. And for those that aren't really familiar with other countries' health care; it's not only pretty decent (which I could strongly argue the opposite for the U.S.) but it's affordable....without insurance. That being said, I am still planning on looking into some catastrophic insurance plans to see if they would be worth the cost/coverage. Boat insurance- YES! Health insurance- NO. Priorities my friends, priorities.
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We don't need no stinking health insurance! Image |