Have you ever wondered what are the major parts of the electrical system for an electric sailboat? In this video, we give you a high level view of that in regards to our boat.  It will cover: 

1) lithium battery configurations 
2) power distribution networks on the boat 
3) electric generation and autonomy 

We also touch briefly on modeling your energy use when building an electric boat. Also, if you are interested in what we used, we use components from the following vendors: Oceanvolt, Victron, B&G, ETA Powerplex, Fischer Panda, Solbian, and Lithiom Werks. We are not sponsored by any of them, but we wanted to share what we decided to purchase. 

There's also a little yellow and black puzzle in the video. Does anyone know how to solve it? See if I was able to do it in the outtake.

​If you like our videos, let us know by subscribing here:
https://www.youtube.com/user/vu360

Real-time photos on Instagram of our trip from where we are currently:
vu: https://www.instagram.com/vu360/
Isabella: https://www.instagram.com/chillabella/

We started our journey to build a fast electric sailboat nearly 5 years ago. It took more than 3 years to complete and now we've sailed it for more than a year. It's finally a dream come true.

Want to find out a little more about? Watch the video and subscribe.
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If you like our videos, let us know by subscribing here:
https://www.youtube.com/user/vu360

Real-time photos on Instagram of our trip from where we are currently:
vu: https://www.instagram.com/vu360/
Isabella: https://www.instagram.com/chillabella/

What does it mean to come join the adventure and the Saga?
 
Beyond adventure and fun, what motivates you?
For us it’s about connecting with people and exploring and understanding our world.  We would like to showcase all the unique lives, stories, and places we explore on the Blue Saga (Saga for short).  Travel has opened up our perspective and we would love to share that.  We live in an amazing world! 

On our journey, we would love to have a positive impact with local communities by helping to cultivate local enterprises and building a global environment that gets better with each generation.
 
Who is right to join the Saga?
Like in any adventure, you have to want to explore, discover, and experience new things!  To join the journey on the Saga, you have to be adventurous at the same time be responsible and helping and adding to ongoing “unscripted” (unpredictable, unexpected) journey.  There’s as much adversity as there are extraordinary moments.  It’s a lot of hard work to create and go on an amazing journey and adventure.  We are always up for it and look for people who love the same.  

Of course, we will be all living in close quarters on a boat and so we need to all get along.  Not every day will be amazing.  So, positivity, empathy, and communication are important.
 
What if you want to add your story to the Saga?  How do I join the crew?
From time to time, we will invite people to come join us.  We will normally invite people we know and would be a good addition to the Saga family, but our motivation is to connect with people.  So, we would love to meet people along the way or those who want to join the Saga family for a longer journey.

If you feel a connection to our story and the journey, feel free to contact us at info@thebluesaga.com.  If you want to join, let us know a little about yourself and why you think you would be a good addition to the Saga.  A video would be great.  In general, we are looking for those who have experience and love sailing and are creative storytellers through writing, photos, or videos.  The only hard requirement is that you have a passport (and no criminal record) that allows you to travel to all the locations we are going to.

If you get an invite, we will have a meet, greet, and sail for a short period.  If everyone is happy, then we can all go on a journey together.  No matter what, we are excited to meet you!

How do we follow and know where the Saga is going?
If you are on this site that's a good start, but we are on social media as well.  We will post our rough time table and inspirational locations on this site and our social media is often the best place to see where we are at.  Follow us on:

• youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/vu360
• vu's instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vu360/
• Isabella's instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chillabella/
• facebook: https://www.facebook.com/svbluesaga 

What happens if the Saga can't meet up with us for some reason?
Due to weather and country formalities (laws), it's always tricky to be certain that the Saga will be at a location on a particular day for anyone to join.  Of course, with enough advance notice, things are much easier to manage.  However, always have a plan B.  What would you do, if you can't sail on the Saga?  In general, the options are 1) to travel to meet us where the boat is, 2) wait until we can arrive, or 3) meeting up isn't possible, execute your plan B and have a lovely holiday.

What is the cost and expectation on board?
As part of the Saga family you will have a bed and travel covered when on the Saga.  Our goal is to use a little fuel as possible in the journey.  So that cost should be low, but everyone will be expected to contribute to a kitty to fund for common expense such as food, travel fees, mooring, etc.  Cost of individual expenses, such as personal things and per person fees are the responsibility of the individual.

Everyone is expected to contribute to daily chores and there will be responsibilities everyday from preparing to sail, maintenance on equipment to cleaning to cooking.
 
How should I pack to joining the Saga?
Bag
First you should have one “soft” bag that can be folded up and stored away (no hardcases).  There’s limited space on a boat.  So, it’s either you are comfortable or your bag is comfortable.  Don’t let your luggage take over your bed.  Also, less is more on a boat.

Footwear
On the boat we generally don’t wear shoes, especially indoors as the floors are very soft and light.  They can easily be damaged.  Think about two pairs of lightweight shoes.  We recommend one shoe that can be used to walk in the water and go hiking in and second that you want wear to walk around and go out in.

What we recommend is have a pair of sandals that can be used for the boat, water, and hiking and second pair of running/training shoes that you can be active in and still use to wear out at nights.  Yup, everything on a boat has multiple uses.

You should never wear heels on the boat.

Packing for Weather
For jackets we always recommend layers to manage the weather and it depends on what time of year you are visiting.  Simply, I would bring a lightweight no lining rain jacket.  Depending on time of year, you can bring an insulation layer like a fleece jacket or down jacket.  If you are coming in the heart of summer, bring only the rain jacket shell.

You will be exposed to a lot of sun.  We always recommend some kind of sun hat/visor, especially for those time on the beach.  If you don’t have a good pair of sunglasses, this is might be a great excuse to buy a new one.  Make sure it has good UV protection and polarization is a nice feature to have to see the sea life.

Let’s not forget protecting your skin is super important.  We generally recommend good 30-50 SPF waterproof sunscreen.  Don’t worry, you will get plenty of sun, if you are looking for a tan, you will get it.
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Everything Else
Remember you should bring the smallest and lightest things you need.  Some other things to consider:

• Something to capture the memory.  These days smartphones are so good that it is all you will need, but maybe get a waterproof bag if your phone isn’t waterproof/resistant.  We also have professional-grade cameras onboard.  So, if you are looking for better quality pictures, we have you covered.
• Beach towel.  You will need to use this for sitting on the beach and drying up after a swim or covering up.
• Swim suits/trunks.  Probably good to have two pairs.  This way you always have a spare as one is drying up.
• Active wear.  Bring good fast drying clothing that will allow you to go hiking or a morning jog. For water activities, it might be worthwhile to also have a long sleeve marine rash guard to prevent over exposure and chaffing.   
• Electronics.  Only bring what you need, usually a phone and a tablet/laptop.  Best if you can manage with just a phone.
• Reusable water bottles.  We don’t want to create to much plastic waste.  You will need it when we go exploring (sailing, running, hiking, paddle boarding, biking, etc).
• Clothing for a night out on the town.  Again, less is more.
• Snorkel/fins.  Bring your favorite as we don’t have any spares at the moment.  We want to get better at freediving.  So, if you are interested, bring the right gear.
• Life jacket.  We don’t have spare inflatable life jackets.  We suggest you bring a good life jacket you want to wear.  We recommend an inflatable life jacket with crotch strap, harness, and hood.  We will have some basic ones onboard for everyone to meet basic safety, but we don’t recommend them.
• Mosquito spray. 
• Money.  You will need a debit card to get cash as some places will only takes cash.  For the boat kitty, we would only use cash as well.  For all other transactions, a credit card is great and usually the best exchange rate.  Make sure to notify your bank before you leave.
• Marine safe or no phosphate shampoo or soap.  We don’t want to pollute our environment.
• Some travel tissue paper for public bathrooms or cleaning up.
• Hand sanitizer. 
• Medicine.  If you think you will need seasickness pills bring them.  If you have other medicine you need, don’t forget to bring them.  It might be hard to find some particular medicine abroad.
• Flashlight.  We recommend a head light to explore and hike around in the dark.

 
We will have most everything else and glad to share, such things like hairdryer, first aid kits, towels for showers on board, etc.  If you have any questions what to bring, just reach out.

From Thailand, we stopped in Siem Reap (Cambodia) for a few days to see a place we've always wanted to visit, Angkor Wat.  We really didn't know much before we landed.  So everything was a surprise and marvel, which is why we travel.  It was great to learn about the Khmer culture and history and seeing the sites, which is much more than Angkor Wat.

​There's a lot of options to see the sites when you visit Siem Reap and we wanted to give folks a sense of what that is like.  Enjoy the video!

Tips:

• Spread out temple viewing, if you have time.  Otherwise, it can be overwhelming.
• Definitely partake in the sunrise or sunset even if there are a lot of people.  It's still a great wonder and fun to people watch.
• Bring your own lunch when visiting the sites, if you want to save money, but eating at the sites do help the local families.
• Tuk Tuk rides are a lot of fun and quite safe, but if you want a more self-guided tour and pace, biking seems like a great way to see the sites and is also quite safe.
• Be prepared for the heat.
• Bring proper attire for the temples, which means covered shoulders and no knees showing for the ladies.

If you like our videos, give us a shout out by subscribing here:
https://www.youtube.com/user/vu360

Real-time photos on Instagram of our trip from where we are currently:
vu: https://www.instagram.com/vu360/
Isabella: https://www.instagram.com/chillabella/

​-Vu

Our time in Thailand was filled with some major highs and some of the lowest moments of our journey.

We’ve been to Thailand before and this is the 3rd time for me, but this would be the longest either one of us would have spent in Thailand.  Our plan was to travel from north to south and use 3 places as a home base so we weren’t constantly traveling.  When you are nomads it’s nice to have some extended period of stability.  That was the plan.

With any thoughtful plan, expect to adjust as life throws you a curveball.  As we landed in Chang Mai I felt really ill with extreme fatigue and weakness that I’ve never felt before.  I thought maybe after months of not working out, lots of fatty foods, and irregular sleep had caught up to me in some way.  I was sure some rest in Chang Mai would cure it, but as I rest more, the worst it got.  After visiting an elephant sanctuary were I felt my chest pounding and my body giving out on me, I needed to figure out what was wrong.  Nothing like this has ever happened to me.  Isabella and I were both really worried.  Was I having some form of a heart attack?  Every bad thought race through my mind, especially since we were not sure how to deal with the situation in a foreign country.

We both kept an active monitor of my condition and noting any changes.  We didn't want to be surprised, especially since we didn’t know how to reach emergency services or communicate with the local people.  We had to figure out how to visit a doctor, maybe a specialist, along with a bunch of other things as well.  We had plans to travel around northern Thailand that we had to limit.  Our apartment stay was coming to an end and we needed to figure out how to extend without moving while I was in this state.  We wanted to see a doctor before we move on to potentially more difficult regions for healthcare (or determine if we need to head back to the States).  And I was also worried about going to a hospital in southeast Asia as my experience when I was backpacking through Vietnam many years before was not good.  Where do you even start to find an English speaking doctor and specialist in Thailand?

We were surprised.  Many Thai hospital sites were in English and you can make an appointment from the site, including picking a specialist.   There were expat sites that gave feedback on doctors.  It seems like many doctors spoke English.  But how much will everything cost?  We have international health insurance, but it was essentially catastrophic coverage with high deductible.  And I wanted to do a comprehensive cardio check-up, which in the US would cost thousands of dollars.  When we got to the hospital a cardio nurse checked me in, went over cost for different service upfront, and discussed what she thought would be best, which we could adjust based on the doctor's consultation.  I was shocked.  The price for a full suite of tests, including some very expensive ones, came out to be about the price of a fancy meal on an evening out.  It was affordable.  What was even more extraordinary was the experience.  There was always a nurse or a guide to help you around the hospital so you don’t get lost when doing the tests.  The facility was modern and quite nice.  They were in constant contact with me on ETA for different things and was apologetic when the doctor was only 5 minutes late.  The doctor was friendly, candid, and world-class.  I am sure not everyone's experience is like this, but it was pretty perfect.

The diagnosis was a little embarrassing.  My cardiovascular system was extraordinary healthy.  I knew that this could be a potential outcome.  If that was the case, then what I was feeling was likely a consequence of my flu I had a month before.  The doctor also confirmed that it is common people have these type of symptoms after a severe flu.  So after being cleared physically and it allowed me to start being active again, pushing through the extreme fatigue whenever I felt it.  After a short period of working out and being active, I quickly recovered.  Knowing is half the battle.

After recovering and adjusting to the remaining time, we traveled to Phuket and Bangkok.  We explored different islands, learned freediving, visited many temples, and ate a lot of amazing food (check out our video blog here).  Thailand is not only a beautiful place to visit (checkout pictures above), but it has great modern infrastructure.  I guess that’s why there are so many expats living there.

-Vu

P.S.

This is why we are so behind in our videos and blogging last month and of course Isabella caught a cold just a week back.  So we continue to be behind.  Life of a nomad isn’t always just amazing sunsets and beautiful places.  😉

We left Thailand on the very last day of our visa.  Thailand is such a unique place and we wanted to stay there as long as we could (without getting an extension).  In those 30 days, we had an opportunity to travel Thailand from North to South, seeing the many sites, enjoying beautiful beaches, meeting great people, and tasting a variety of amazing food.  And the food is oh so good!

​So we decided to put together our top 5 comfort food that we found ourselves constantly going back to.  What do you think they are?  What are your favorites?

If you like our videos, let us know by subscribing here:
https://www.youtube.com/user/vu360

Real-time photos on Instagram of our trip from where we are currently:
vu: https://www.instagram.com/vu360/
Isabella: https://www.instagram.com/chillabella/

-Vu

After leaving Japan, we decided to stop by Hong Kong to visit friends and enjoy Chinese New Year.  

It was a little bit of a whirlwind week with jammed packed activities everyday.  We tried to capture almost everyday in the video blog, except for the 3rd day of new years which we spent mostly at our friends' homes.  Hopefully it gives you a sense of what it's like leading up to the new year and what it's like afterwards.  Chinese (Lunar) New Year celebration doesn't end at the countdown, but rather it signifies when the celebration starts.  

If you like our videos, let us know by subscribing here:
https://www.youtube.com/user/vu360

Real-time photos on Instagram of our trip from where we are currently:
vu: https://www.instagram.com/vu360/
Isabella: https://www.instagram.com/chillabella/

-Vu

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We spent over a month in Japan.  It gave us time to explore the dessert scene there.  If you like desserts, there really is no place better than Japan.  It blends the best desserts from all over the world!

For this episode we focused on our favorite desserts while we were in Japan, the desserts we find ourselves craving and has that 驚かす(adorokashi) factor.  Don't know what that means?  Check out the video.

Let us know what you think and what your favorite 5 Japanese desserts are? 

If you like our videos, let us know by subscribing here:
https://www.youtube.com/user/vu360

Real-time photos on Instagram of our trip from where we are currently:
vu: https://www.instagram.com/vu360/
Isabella: https://www.instagram.com/chillabella/

-Vu

Even if you are familiar with Japanese culture, it might be a shock the first time you visit Japan (photos above are from all over Japan) and Tokyo. Even the second time around it was still true. I’ve been to Japan and Tokyo many years ago and this time living here for a month gave me a new appreciation for the Tokyo life, which I didn’t get from a shorter visit.

Japan is known for being a discipline and respectful society. Although you do feel that presence, it is definitely an incomplete view of this multifaceted country. Today Japan is a vibrant country, evolving with the times and yet still holding on and celebrating its heritage. Although, it doesn’t fear embracing food and culture from around the world. A matter of fact, in each case it brings a very distinctive Japanese twist. Some may argue even better than the original it appropriated from. We don’t disagree.

It’s an expressive society stemming from a culture that values not trying to standout. So, it creates this awkward and amazing individual expression. Sometimes it is seen as playful cosplay, but often it’s a bold statement that is more subtle in fashion, hair style, or make-up. Although you can argue Japan is a conservative culture, there is much more than a fringe that is pushing and transforming the country that is impacting every aspect of life. There’s no place to see that transformation better than Tokyo.
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So, what are some things you need to know to visit or live in Tokyo? We covered some of this in our Tokyo video blog and we have some additional complimentary details below.
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• Travel pass – in Tokyo, if you are here for a while, it’s best to get a Suica card and add money to it. There’s a deposit for the card, but you will get most of it back when you leave. It’s also good when you travel to many of the areas outside of Tokyo. This means you don’t have to constantly run to the ticket machines. If you are here for a shorter trip or plan to do visit several cities using the intercity rail, then getting a Japan Pass before you come to Japan can save you a lot of money. For instance, you can get a 7-day unlimited Japan Pass for a similar price to a around trip to Osaka from Tokyo. The flexibility of an unlimited pass can be really nice. Unfortunately for us, because we decide so last minute to come to Japan we didn’t have time to order it before we left. You have to receive the ticket outside of Japan. You can still get other passes if you are a visitor to Japan, but they are not nearly as deeply discounted.
• Getting around Tokyo – there are multiple train lines operating in Tokyo (map). You can transfer for free within a line, but if you switch lines you will be charge for that transfer each time. So, if you want to save money, it’s best to use one (or few) train line to get to your destination. What we do is we take one train for the longest segment we need and we walk the rest of the way, but we like walking. This can reduce your daily cost transportation cost by 50% or more. Per the above, you can pay for these with the Suica card, which we highly recommended.
• Restaurants – there are two unique ways to pay that you might not know about. First, you will notice in some of the Japanese restaurants that there are vending machines where you select and pay for everything in advance. For each item you order, there will be a ticket that prints out. For these machines, you always insert the money first and then select what you want. Once you are done, then hit the button to return your change (most time it’s obvious). If you need to study the menu first, do that before you get to the vending machine. Otherwise, you will hold everyone up. If the vending machine doesn’t have English, sometimes they have an English menu and you select based on the button position or picture. The second common way is that they will provide you the check immediately after you are done ordering. When you are ready to pay, you go to the cashier to pay. You will notice that many Japanese restaurants are small and they optimize to help get people in and out. So, if it’s really busy, it’s probably best not to linger. It helps these smaller restaurant, which we find are our favorites.
• Tipping – tipping is not a cultural norm in Japan. If you try to tip, you may create confusion (because they don’t understand what you are trying to do) or insult the person (treating them as panhandler). So, no tipping is necessary.
• Bathrooms – first the Japanese toilets and bathrooms are modern day miracles, if you know how to operate them. Although it can be intimidating. The toilets usually feature heated seats and a bidet, especially in the hotel and home. You don’t have to use the bidet feature, but at least understand how to flush the toilet. Most toilets have handles and buttons on the toilet and allow to flush in low (small) or high flow (big) flushes. Since many of the toilets are electronic, the flush button may be completely separated from the toilet either on a control console on a wall or on an arm to the toilet, which usually has many buttons. This is where you need to recognize two Japanese characters: 大 for a "big flush" and 小 for a "small flush". So why is it so amazing? The best toilet is almost fully automatic, the lid comes up with a touch of the button, the seat is warm, the bidet sprays and dries, toilet paper is pleasantly scented, you stand up it automatically flushes, and lid closes. All of this while you hear bird chirping or ocean waves. Come on! That’s taking a mundane thing and making it like going to a spa.
• Public trash cans – you will not find a public trash can on a Tokyo street. They were removed in the 90s after a terrorist group used the trash cans for a sarin gas attack. The trash cans never came back. You can sometimes find a trash can in the train station usually after you enter the pay gates. Otherwise, some people bring plastics bag with them to keep trash in. Recyclable cans and bottles can be places in recycle bins next to vendor machines, which are usually easy to find. Don’t push trash in those bins.
• Garbage and recycle – Tokyo like many other cities has a strict regiment when it comes to the trash. It’s important to understand that if you plan to live in Tokyo or any other Japanese city. The first thing to note is that you have to sort your trash. Tokyo isn’t bad, there’s only really 4 different categories: combustible trash (red), non-combustible trash (blue), recycle bottle and cans (green), and paper (green). In some cities or wards, there are upwards of twenty. You also have to put out the right category of trash on the right day.
• Grocery store – convenient stories usually will pack your bags for you, but if you go to a bigger grocery store, they will expect that you do it yourself. The protocol is pretty easy. The cashier will transfer your groceries from one basket to another as they scan each item and then provide you with plastic bags. Once you pay for the groceries, you take the basket and the bags to a counter and pack them yourself. It’s quite an efficient way to get everyone through the line quickly.
• Vending machines – you will see vendor machines everywhere in Tokyo. Most are drinks, but there are a lot of different ones. Don’t be afraid to use them. They are really convenient, fast and sometimes better prices than a store. The nicest thing is a warm drink on a cold day when you are doing touristy things. Our favorites are the hot milk coffees or milk teas on a cold winter day. They are so good!
• Sunglasses – we came in the driest and thus a sunny time of the year for Tokyo, winter. We had some really sunny days and it would be hard to find anyone wearing sunglasses. Culturally, it seems like sunglasses are deemed not necessary and can seem pretentious. We are not totally certain about this, but it’s what we read. Although, I don’t think people are offended if you do.

That's it for our tips. If you have any questions, feel free to comment below. I swear we fall in love with each place we visit. I know both Isabella and I didn’t want to leave Japan and Tokyo. We love Tokyo!

-Vu

​Grocery Beer Price Index: Grand Kirin 330ml 228 yen ($2.11)