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Health

Mediterranean diet named best diet for 2023

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CNN
 — 

The gold medals are piling up. For the sixth year in a row, the Mediterranean style of eating earned the title of best overall diet, according to 2023 ratings announced Tuesday by U.S. News & World Report. Meals from the sunny Mediterranean also ranked first in the categories of diet best diet for healthy eating and best plant-based diet, the report said.

In two new categories added for 2023, the Mediterranean tied with the cholesterol-lowering TLC (Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes) and flexitarian diets as best family-friendly diet, and with DASH (dietary approaches to stop hypertension) for best bone and joint health diet.

“We’re always looking for more health conditions that we can address. But often there’s not enough scientific data examining diet X and condition X,” said Gretel Schueller, managing editor of health for U.S. News & World Report, who oversees the annual diet ranking.

“However, bone and joint health is an area where there’s a fair amount of scientific literature,” Schueller said. “We also recognize our population is aging so focusing on diets that can increase the quality of life among older individuals is an important element.”

Also new this year: Reviewers only ranked 24 diets instead of the 40 or so diets analyzed in past years. Five diets from the original list — vegetarian, vegan, Nordic, the traditional Asian and the glycemic index — were integrated by judges into the Mediterranean and other diets due to their underlying plant-based principles.

“The take-home message here is the recognition that the Mediterranean diet is really not just about the foods around the Mediterranean,” Schueller said. “You can take the the lessons and the approach of the Mediterranean eating pattern and apply it to any cuisine in any country.”

That approach is reflected within two new diets — Keyto and Pritikin — that were added to the review for 2023, Schueller said. (Yes. that’s Keyto with a Y.)

“We recognize that more and more people are eating sort of a plant-forward or plant-based diet or at least trying to,” she said. “The keto with a Y diet is supposed to be a flexible, low-carb Mediterranean plan.

“The Pritikin diet focuses on low-fat, high-fiber eating of whole foods, and is fairly flexible,” she added. “We are seeing a push towards eating more whole, unprocessed foods, which I think is a great thing.”

Numerous studies have found the Mediterranean diet can reduce the risk for diabetes, high cholesterol, dementia, memory loss, depression and breast cancer. The diet, which is more of an eating style than a restricted diet, has also been linked to stronger bones, a healthier heart and longer life.

The diet features simple, plant-based cooking, with the majority of each meal focused on fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans and seeds, with a few nuts and a heavy emphasis on extra-virgin olive oil. Fats other than olive oil, such as butter, are consumed rarely, if at all, and sugar and refined foods are reserved for special occasions.

Red meat is used sparingly, usually only to flavor a dish. Eating healthy, oily fish, which are packed with omega-3 fatty acids, is encouraged, while eggs, dairy and poultry are eaten in much smaller portions than in the traditional Western diet.

Social interactions during meals and exercise are basic cornerstones of the Mediterranean style of eating. Lifestyle changes that are part of the diet include eating with friends and family, socializing over meals, mindfully eating favorite foods, as well as mindful movement and exercise.

Just as they did in 2022, the DASH and the flexitarian diet tied for second place in best overall diet. Similar to the Mediterranean style of eating, these diets reduce or eliminate processed foods and stress packing your plate with fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, whole grains, nuts and seeds.

The DASH diet emphasizes limiting salt intake in its goal to reduce blood pressure, while the flexitarian diet, true to its name, allows an occasional indulgence of meat or poultry.

A panel of 33 experts examined top diets and ranked them in several categories: Did the diet include all food groups; was it evidence based; are needed foods available at any supermarket; how easy is the diet to prepare, and did it use additional vitamins or supplements.

“We focused on quality over quantity,” Schueller said. “Our reviewers felt there are some diets out there that are so wacky they’re not worth giving time to, such as the Dukan diet, which we no longer rank.”

The worst diet award went to the raw foods diet this year, at least in part due to the lack of nutritional completeness, which has raised safety concerns among the reviewers. Because followers can only eat unprocessed foods that haven’t been cooked, microwaved, irradiated, genetically engineered or exposed to pesticides or herbicides, reviews consider the diet almost impossible to follow.

The popular keto diet, along with the modified keto, was ranked 20 out of the 24 diets, followed by Atkins, SlimFast and Optavia. These diets emphasize eating high-protein or high-fat foods with minimal carbohydrates and receive low rankings because they are extremely restrictive, hard to follow and eliminate entire food groups.

Despite keto’s low overall rating, reviewers gave the keto diet first place for best short-term weight loss diet, Schueller said, quickly adding that these diets are not considered healthy as a lifestyle.

“These are the diets for someone who’s got a wedding or an event they want to go to in the next few months,” she said. “Will you lose weight in the short term? Absolutely. Will you keep it off for the next two years? Probably not.”

In the category of best (long-term) weight-loss diet, WW (formely called Weight Watchers) came in first, with DASH and TLC tied for second. WW also got top honors in the best (commercial) diet program, followed by NOOM and Jenny Craig.

Flexitarian and TLC shared the gold in the category of easiest diet to follow, while the Mediterranean and DASH diets tied for third.

The DASH diet took top honors as best diet for heart health and for people with diabetes, followed by the Mediterranean, flexitarian and Ornish diets. The Ornish diet was created in 1977 by Dr. Dean Ornish, founder of the nonprofit Preventive Medicine Research Institute in California.

The Ornish diet is combined with stress-management techniques, exercise, social support and smoking cessation, and according to Ornish is the only scientifically proven program to reverse heart disease without drugs or surgery

Want to make the Mediterranean style of eating one of your goals this year? Sign up for CNN’s Eat, But Better: Mediterranean Style newsletter, an eight-part series that guides you in a delicious expert-backed eating lifestyle that’s good for your health.

Read original article here

Health

Mediterranean diet named best diet for 2023

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CNN
 — 

The gold medals are piling up. For the sixth year in a row, the Mediterranean style of eating earned the title of best overall diet, according to 2023 ratings announced Tuesday by U.S. News & World Report. Meals from the sunny Mediterranean also ranked first in the categories of diet best diet for healthy eating and best plant-based diet, the report said.

In two new categories added for 2023, the Mediterranean tied with the cholesterol-lowering TLC (Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes) and flexitarian diets as best family-friendly diet, and with DASH (dietary approaches to stop hypertension) for best bone and joint health diet.

“We’re always looking for more health conditions that we can address. But often there’s not enough scientific data examining diet X and condition X,” said Gretel Schueller, managing editor of health for U.S. News & World Report, who oversees the annual diet ranking.

“However, bone and joint health is an area where there’s a fair amount of scientific literature,” Schueller said. “We also recognize our population is aging so focusing on diets that can increase the quality of life among older individuals is an important element.”

Also new this year: Reviewers only ranked 24 diets instead of the 40 or so diets analyzed in past years. Five diets from the original list — vegetarian, vegan, Nordic, the traditional Asian and the glycemic index — were integrated by judges into the Mediterranean and other diets due to their underlying plant-based principles.

“The take-home message here is the recognition that the Mediterranean diet is really not just about the foods around the Mediterranean,” Schueller said. “You can take the the lessons and the approach of the Mediterranean eating pattern and apply it to any cuisine in any country.”

That approach is reflected within two new diets — Keyto and Pritikin — that were added to the review for 2023, Schueller said. (Yes. that’s Keyto with a Y.)

“We recognize that more and more people are eating sort of a plant-forward or plant-based diet or at least trying to,” she said. “The keto with a Y diet is supposed to be a flexible, low-carb Mediterranean plan.

“The Pritikin diet focuses on low-fat, high-fiber eating of whole foods, and is fairly flexible,” she added. “We are seeing a push towards eating more whole, unprocessed foods, which I think is a great thing.”

Numerous studies have found the Mediterranean diet can reduce the risk for diabetes, high cholesterol, dementia, memory loss, depression and breast cancer. The diet, which is more of an eating style than a restricted diet, has also been linked to stronger bones, a healthier heart and longer life.

The diet features simple, plant-based cooking, with the majority of each meal focused on fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans and seeds, with a few nuts and a heavy emphasis on extra-virgin olive oil. Fats other than olive oil, such as butter, are consumed rarely, if at all, and sugar and refined foods are reserved for special occasions.

Red meat is used sparingly, usually only to flavor a dish. Eating healthy, oily fish, which are packed with omega-3 fatty acids, is encouraged, while eggs, dairy and poultry are eaten in much smaller portions than in the traditional Western diet.

Social interactions during meals and exercise are basic cornerstones of the Mediterranean style of eating. Lifestyle changes that are part of the diet include eating with friends and family, socializing over meals, mindfully eating favorite foods, as well as mindful movement and exercise.

Just as they did in 2022, the DASH and the flexitarian diet tied for second place in best overall diet. Similar to the Mediterranean style of eating, these diets reduce or eliminate processed foods and stress packing your plate with fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, whole grains, nuts and seeds.

The DASH diet emphasizes limiting salt intake in its goal to reduce blood pressure, while the flexitarian diet, true to its name, allows an occasional indulgence of meat or poultry.

A panel of 33 experts examined top diets and ranked them in several categories: Did the diet include all food groups; was it evidence based; are needed foods available at any supermarket; how easy is the diet to prepare, and did it use additional vitamins or supplements.

“We focused on quality over quantity,” Schueller said. “Our reviewers felt there are some diets out there that are so wacky they’re not worth giving time to, such as the Dukan diet, which we no longer rank.”

The worst diet award went to the raw foods diet this year, at least in part due to the lack of nutritional completeness, which has raised safety concerns among the reviewers. Because followers can only eat unprocessed foods that haven’t been cooked, microwaved, irradiated, genetically engineered or exposed to pesticides or herbicides, reviews consider the diet almost impossible to follow.

The popular keto diet, along with the modified keto, was ranked 20 out of the 24 diets, followed by Atkins, SlimFast and Optavia. These diets emphasize eating high-protein or high-fat foods with minimal carbohydrates and receive low rankings because they are extremely restrictive, hard to follow and eliminate entire food groups.

Despite keto’s low overall rating, reviewers gave the keto diet first place for best short-term weight loss diet, Schueller said, quickly adding that these diets are not considered healthy as a lifestyle.

“These are the diets for someone who’s got a wedding or an event they want to go to in the next few months,” she said. “Will you lose weight in the short term? Absolutely. Will you keep it off for the next two years? Probably not.”

In the category of best (long-term) weight-loss diet, WW (formely called Weight Watchers) came in first, with DASH and TLC tied for second. WW also got top honors in the best (commercial) diet program, followed by NOOM and Jenny Craig.

Flexitarian and TLC shared the gold in the category of easiest diet to follow, while the Mediterranean and DASH diets tied for third.

The DASH diet took top honors as best diet for heart health and for people with diabetes, followed by the Mediterranean, flexitarian and Ornish diets. The Ornish diet was created in 1977 by Dr. Dean Ornish, founder of the nonprofit Preventive Medicine Research Institute in California.

The Ornish diet is combined with stress-management techniques, exercise, social support and smoking cessation, and according to Ornish is the only scientifically proven program to reverse heart disease without drugs or surgery

Want to make the Mediterranean style of eating one of your goals this year? Sign up for CNN’s Eat, But Better: Mediterranean Style newsletter, an eight-part series that guides you in a delicious expert-backed eating lifestyle that’s good for your health.

Read original article here

World

Israel and Lebanon reach historic agreement, settling a years-long maritime border dispute

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CNN
 — 

Israel and Lebanon have reached a historic agreement, leaders on each side said separately on Tuesday, settling a years-long maritime border dispute involving major oil and gas fields in the Mediterranean.

The United States has been trying to broker a deal between the neighboring countries over the 860-square-kilometer (332-square-mile) area of the sea that has been under dispute for years.

It includes the Karish oil and gas field and a region known as the Qanaa prospect, which are expected to fall into Israeli and Lebanese waters respectively under the deal. Israel has said it would begin extracting oil and gas from Karish and exporting it to Europe imminently.

“The final version of the offer is satisfactory to Lebanon and meets its demands and preserved Lebanon’s rights of this natural wealth,” Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun said in a statement hours after receiving Israel’s final offer through US mediator Amos Hochstein.

Aoun said he hopes the agreement, which is yet to be signed, will be announced “as soon as possible.”

Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said: “This is an historic achievement that will strengthen Israel’s security, inject billions into Israel’s economy, and ensure the stability of our northern border.”

The draft agreement meets all the security and economic principles laid out by Israel, Lapid said.

The Israeli prime minister will convene the security cabinet on Wednesday followed by a special meeting of the government, he said.

Lebanese officials have said the deal does not mean any “treaty” will be signed with Israel and this agreement is not a step toward normalization of relations between the two countries, which are technically at war.

Earlier Tuesday, Lebanese negotiator and deputy parliament speaker Elias Bou Saab told CNN that “Lebanon felt that [the deal] takes into consideration all of Lebanon’s requirements and we believe the other side should feel the same.”

Meanwhile, Israeli chief negotiator Eyal Hulata said: “All our demands were met, the changes that we asked for were corrected. We protected Israel’s security interests and are on our way to an historic agreement.”

On Tuesday, Lebanese Energy Minister Walid Fayyad also said the French energy company Total, which owns the contract to explore Lebanese waters, would start working on the Qanaa prospect “immediately.”

Talks gained momentum after London-based oil and gas exploration company Energean arrived in June to begin development of the Karish field on Israel’s behalf. Although the Energean ship is well south of the disputed area, part of the field is in an area Lebanon had claimed.

Hezbollah, the powerful Iran-backed Lebanese Shiite milita, had threatened Energean’s gas rig if they started producing gas before a deal had been struck.

On Tuesday, Hezbollah declined to comment when contacted by CNN, but the Iran-backed armed group has previously said it would abide by any agreement signed by the Lebanese government.

The historic agreement does not affect land borders, but it is likely to ease security and economic tensions for both nations.

Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Thursday that an agreement “will circumvent us from a definite war in the region.”

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US

Iran seizes 2 Greek tankers in Persian Gulf as tensions rise

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard seized two Greek oil tankers Friday in helicopter-launched raids in the Persian Gulf, officials said. The action appeared to be retaliation for Athens’ assistance in the U.S. seizure of crude oil from an Iranian-flagged tanker this week in the Mediterranean Sea over violating Washington’s crushing sanctions on the Islamic Republic.

The raid marks the first major incident at sea in months as tensions remain high between Iran and the West over its tattered nuclear deal with world powers. As Tehran enriches more uranium, closer to weapons-grade levels than ever before, worries mount that negotiators won’t find a way back to the accord — raising the risk of a wider war.

The Guard issued a statement announcing the seizures, accusing the tankers of unspecified violations. Nour News, a website close to Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, just a short time earlier warned that Tehran planned to take “punitive action” over Greece assisting the U.S. in seizing oil days earlier from the Iranian-flagged tanker Lana.

Greece’s Foreign Ministry said it made a strong demarche to the Iranian ambassador in Athens over the “violent taking over of two Greek-flagged ships” in the Persian Gulf. “These acts effectively amount to acts of piracy,” a ministry statement said.

The ministry called for the immediate release of the vessels and their crews, warning the seizure would have “particularly negative consequences” in bilateral relations and in Iran’s relations with the European Union, of which Greece is a member.

An Iranian helicopter landed on the Greek-flagged Delta Poseidon in international waters, some 22 nautical miles off the coast of Iran, the ministry said.

“Armed men then took the crew captive,” it said, adding that two Greek nationals were among the crew.

“A similar incident has been reported on another Greek-flagged vessel, that was carrying seven Greek citizens, close to the coast of Iran,” the ministry said.

A Greek official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss details of the attack with a journalist, identified the second ship as the Prudent Warrior. Its manager, Polembros Shipping in Greece, earlier said the company was “cooperating with the authorities and making every possible effort to address the situation effectively.”

Greek officials did not identify the nationalities of the other crew onboard the vessels.

Both vessels had come from Iraq’s Basra oil terminal, loaded with crude, according to tracking data from MarineTraffic.com.

A U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters, said it appeared the two ships had come close to — but not into — Iranian territorial waters Friday. After the hijacking, they drifted into Iranian waters. The ships also had turned off their tracking devices, another red flag, the official said. However, neither had issued a mayday or a call for help, the official said.

Iran’s seizure on Friday was the latest in a string of hijackings and explosions to roil a region that includes the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of all traded oil passes. The incidents began after then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the U.S. from Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers, which saw Tehran drastically limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.

The U.S. Navy blamed Iran for a series of limpet mine attacks on vessels that damaged tankers in 2019, as well as for a fatal drone attack on an Israeli-linked oil tanker that killed two European crew members in 2021.

Iranian hijackers also stormed and briefly captured a Panama-flagged asphalt tanker off the United Arab Emirates last year, as well as briefly seizing and holding a Vietnamese tanker in November.

Tehran denies carrying out the attacks, but a wider shadow war between Iran and the West has played out in the region’s volatile waters. Tanker seizures have been a part of it since 2019, when Iran seized the British-flagged Stena Impero after the United Kingdom detained an Iranian oil tanker off Gibraltar. Iran released the tanker months later as London also released the Iranian vessel.

Iran last year also seized and held a South Korean-flagged tanker for months amid a dispute over billions of dollars of frozen assets Seoul holds.

“This incident is assessed to be a retaliatory action in line with a history of Iranian forces detaining vessels in a tit-for-tat manner,” maritime intelligence firm Dryad Global warned. “As a result, Greek-flagged vessels operating within the vicinity of Iran in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman are currently assessed to be at a heightened risk of interception and it is advised to avoid this area until further notice.”

Underlining that threat, Iran’s semiofficial Tasnim news agency warned in a tweet: “There are still 17 other Greek ships in the Persian Gulf that could be seized.”

Meanwhile, the Guard is building a massive new support ship near the Strait of Hormuz as it tries to expand its naval presence in waters vital to international energy supplies and beyond, according to satellite photos obtained by The Associated Press.

Talks in Vienna over Iran’s tattered nuclear deal have been stalled since April. Since the deal’s collapse, Iran runs advanced centrifuges and has a rapidly growing stockpile of enriched uranium. Nonproliferation experts warn Iran has enriched enough up to 60% purity — a short technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90% — to make one nuclear weapon if it choose.

Iran insists its program is for peaceful purposes, though United Nations experts and Western intelligence agencies say Iran had an organized military nuclear program through 2003.

Building a nuclear bomb would still take Iran more time if it pursued a weapon, analysts say, though they warn Tehran’s advances make the program more dangerous. Israel has threatened in the past it will carry out a preemptive strike to stop Iran — and already is suspected in a series of recent killings targeting Iranian officials.

___

Paphitis reported from Athens, Greece. Associated Press writer Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran, contributed to this report.

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Business

What it’s like to live on a big boat

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Even with boat sales and charters booming, yachting remains an enigma for most people.

CNBC spoke with several yacht owners who agreed to answer all questions — with no topics off limits — about the yachting lifestyle and perhaps more importantly, how much it costs.   

The owners

Nim and Fabiola Hirschhorn are in the U.S. Virgin Islands aboard Luna, their 45-foot, 2019 Lagoon 450S catamaran. The couple operates all-inclusive crewed charters in the Caribbean.

Sophie Darsy and Ryan Ellison are in the Azores on Polar Seal, a 2007 Beneteau Oceanis 40 outfitted for ocean sailing. Several years ago, the couple learned to sail, quit their corporate jobs and now chronicle their life at sea.

How much does a decent yacht cost?

N. Hirschhorn: It depends on a few basic parameters. Is the boat secondhand or new, what year was it built, is it a monohull or catamaran, is it an ex-charter yacht or has it always been privately owned … do you want to simply coastal cruise or do you want to cross oceans?

The Hirschhorns operate charters in the Caribbean, with four-night trips for two guests starting around $12,000.

Courtesy of Sail Luna

Luna was purchased new for $650,000; however, we know plenty of people who live on boats that were purchased for $30,000-$80,000.

On average, you can purchase a seaworthy mid-range 45-foot monohull that can sail around the world for $100,000 to $150,000 and a catamaran of the same size for around $250,000 to $500,000. Of course, there are boats at both ends of the spectrum and at every price point in between.

A rough guide to entry-level boat purchases

Cost Size Year built What to know
$5,000-$20,000 20-30 feet 1960s to 1980s Will likely need maintenance that could easily cost as much as the boat
$30,000-$60,000 30-40 feet 1970s to 1980s Unlikely boat will be ready for cruising; budget at least 25% of the boat’s value for post-purchase repairs and upgrades
$70,000-$110,000 40-50 feet 1990s to 2000s An entry-level modern boat or an older larger boat; here cost is a balance of age, size and equipment
Source: Sophie Darsy

Are there other costs to know about?

Darsy: The purchase price is only a portion of the budget you need to acquire a yacht. Once we took delivery of our boat, costs came faster than we knew! 

American Ryan Ellison and Frenchwoman Sophie Darsy, who are now both Swedish nationals, bought their boat for $90,000 in 2016.

Courtesy of Ryan and Sophie Sailing

In the first three years that we owned Polar Seal, we spent at least $40,000 to equip her for cruising and ocean sailing, including:

  • A cockpit enclosure to keep the cockpit dry: $7,000 
  • New sails: $8,000 
  • A dinghy and an electric outboard [engine for the dinghy]: $5,000
  • A water maker to make freshwater from seawater: $2,000
  • Lithium batteries and parts to power appliances: $6,000
  • A new autopilot: $2,000
  • A life raft: $2,500
  • Safety and communication equipment: $3,000

If you want to buy a boat, keep at least 30% of your budget for maintenance, repairs and upgrades.

We also have annual costs for boat insurance (between $1,000 and $4,000, depending on location) and travel and health-care insurance when we are out of Europe ($1,500) as well as plane tickets to visit our families (around $2,000 per year).

How much do you need to make — or save — to live on a yacht for a few years?

N. Hirschhorn: Think about what it costs to live on land — what kind of lifestyle do you live? Do you like to eat out at fancy restaurants and buy nice things? Chances are you will do the same when living on a boat, which means that your lifestyle will often cost the same. Will you anchor — which is free — or stay in marinas? Will you be on a sabbatical living off savings or do you work along the way? Are you a family or a couple?

Nim Hirschhorn said he pays $90-$300 per night to dock his boat in marinas in the Caribbean.

Courtesy of Sail Luna

We have friends who lived aboard a 1984 47-foot monohull for two years with three kids. The boat cost $90,000 and they lived off $50,000 a year cruising the Caribbean and anchoring the entire time.

Personally, we live on about $100,000 a year. I know couples living on $1,000 a month, and families living on $3,000-$6,000 a month. It’s not unusual in our community to hear that living on a boat and traveling the world costs less than living on land.

How much does location affect costs?  

Darsy: In 2019, we spent the winter at a marina in Spain where we could benefit from an advantageous rate ($300 a month). But food was very inexpensive ($300 a month). We took advantage of our time at the dock to undertake some major boat projects and our maintenance budget went way up — $15,000 of upgrades over six months.

But we rented a car at virtually no cost thanks to a local deal, and our “fun activities” budget went almost down to zero, as we enjoyed inexpensive restaurants and bars with friends all over southern Spain.

Yacht owners have budgets too, said Sophie Darsy who along with Ryan Ellison, spend about $3,500 a month for boat maintenance, data plans, groceries, the occasional marina stay and activities such as diving, windsurfing and car rentals.

Courtesy of Ryan and Sophie Sailing

In comparison, when we made a three-week detour to Bermuda, groceries and restaurants were very expensive. But, we spent those weeks on anchor and did not have to pay for a marina. We spent nothing on maintenance or repair. We spent the remaining weeks of that month at sea, and since we spent no money during those two weeks, we made our budget.

How has the pandemic affected yachting?  

N. Hirschhorn: It is more complicated … some countries have their seaports closed for visiting yachts, and some ask for entry protocol that might include preapproval and quarantine for up to two weeks on board.

Some countries do not accept all nationalities and travelers from specific origins, which makes it difficult when we may have three to four nationalities on board. Other countries are welcoming only vaccinated travelers.

Covid test requirements mean “we can no longer island hop,” said Nim, adding that frequent rule changes and test result delays have made yachting logistically complicated.

Courtesy of Sail Luna

Darsy: The pandemic has made sailing between countries a little more difficult, but while our options were extremely limited in 2020, we have had much better luck in 2021.

Like the housing market, the boat market exploded in 2020 and 2021. It seems like everyone and their neighbor wants to buy a yacht … the prices have also increased in a way never seen before. Our boat has increased in value to the point that if we sold it today, we would not lose any of the capital we put in it.

Is having young children compatible with living full time on a yacht? 

F. Hirschhorn: There is no reason why children of all ages can’t live on a yacht. There are many families living on boats on the water and they are usually very confident, intelligent and worldly kids who thrive in this lifestyle. In the Caribbean especially, there are hundreds of “kid boats” [boats with families living on them].

Is there Wi-Fi out at sea? 

N. Hirschhorn: Yes, we have a few layers of service. We have cellular data service that can pick up a signal up to 20 nautical miles offshore. Since we usually sail between the Caribbean islands, we are usually always connected. We also have two other satellite-based systems with limited Wi-Fi, but coverage all over the globe.

Darsy: Nope! We only have Wi-Fi at port or on anchor, when we have a data plan for the country that we are currently sailing in. Out on the open sea, we have satellite internet that enables us to download weather forecasts and basic emails, but definitely not watch Netflix or listen to Spotify! 

Is seasickness common?

Darsy: A lot of sailors suffer from seasickness, and I am particularly prone to it. The trick is to prevent it. Once the nausea settles, you can’t get rid of it. 

We know many boat owners who are not wealthy at all. It’s just a different lifestyle…

Nim Hirschhorn

Captain of Sail Luna

My top tips are:

  • Take medication the night before departure and get a good night of sleep.
  • Drink a lot of water and eat a lot more than you normally would; low blood sugar accelerates seasickness.
  • Keep yourself warm; invest in sailing clothes and gear that will protect you from the elements, as being cold will send you to a nauseous hell in no time.

Is skinny-dipping allowed?  

N. Hirschhorn: No, we need to abide by local laws and customs; however, in the Mediterranean nudity is far more common.

Darsy: It isn’t rare for us to be alone on anchor, off a desert island. No one is watching, so … 

What is the most common question you’re asked?

N. Hirschhorn: Many ask us if we have a home on land. We love seeing the surprise on their faces when we explain that Luna is our home.

European countries are “easy” to travel between, but the Caribbean can have “archaic” and costly processes for yachts, said Darsy.

Courtesy of Ryan and Sophie Sailing

Darsy: All my friends have asked me if I am ever scared of encountering a storm or big seas that would capsize our boat, and honestly before we left, I was! 

But now I know we always leave port when we have a good weather window. In three years, 13,000 nautical miles and two ocean crossings, we’ve only sailed through gale-force winds once, and we did perfectly well.

What is the biggest misconception people have about the yachting lifestyle? 

N. Hirschhorn: Some people think that a yacht owner is a millionaire. We know many boat owners who are not wealthy at all. It’s just a different lifestyle that comes with many bonuses, but also many sacrifices.

Darsy: People believe that we are very rich, that we come from wealthy families or that we make a lot of money. None of this is true. We saved a lot of money, made some sacrifices, and continue to do so … and we stay on budget. 

When we were employed full-time, Ryan and I brought home comfortable salaries, and we lived the “two income, no kids” dream. We now make less than half of what we earned then and live with half our old budget … but our lives are a lot richer.

Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

 

 

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