Unexpected Surgery Skin Cancer Diagnosis While Preparing to Sail Around The World Episode 110

Hi and welcome aboard @SailingAstridTheWombat We are Gav and Shezz and two and a half years ago we bought our Beneteau Oceanis 430 sailboat with absolutely no sailing experience and jumped straight into the deep end of liveaboard sailing. Our very first passage was just over 700 nautical miles, launching us headfirst into the world of bluewater cruising, learning to sail, and real life at sea. Since that moment, we’ve been fully immersed in boat life, documenting the journey of turning a production cruising sailboat into a capable, self-sufficient home as we prepare for full-time liveaboard life. From major sailboat upgrades and off-grid power systems to everyday maintenance and skills building, we’re learning what it truly takes to own, sail, and live on a boat while working toward our goal of sailing around the world. If you’re into sailing adventures, beginner sailing, sailboat ownership, cruising lifestyle, and traveling the world by sailboat, our journey is all about real-time learning, ocean freedom, and building the confidence to chase long-term world cruising under sail. In this episode of our liveaboard sailing life, things take an unexpected turn when a routine check leads to a sudden skin cancer diagnosis on my lip. What followed was extensive skin cancer surgery that we never saw coming while living aboard our sailboat. Life as liveaboard sailors preparing to sail around the world is usually filled with adventure, sailing, and freedom—but sometimes the journey throws challenges your way that you simply have to face head-on. Join us as we share this very real and personal chapter of our liveaboard sailing journey. From the shock of hearing the diagnosis, to undergoing skin cancer removal surgery, and finally returning to the boat for recovery, this episode shows the less talked about side of the off-grid sailing lifestyle. Living on a sailboat means adapting quickly, and recovering from surgery while continuing liveaboard boat life definitely tested us. While most of our channel focuses on sailing adventures, cruising life, and preparing our sailboat for long-term world travel, this video highlights how health and real life still happen even when you live on the water. We talk openly about the experience, the surgery, and what recovery looks like when your home is a liveaboard sailboat instead of a house on land. If you love sailing channels, cruising vlogs, liveaboard sailing lifestyle videos, and sailboat life content, this episode gives an honest behind-the-scenes look at life beyond the highlights. Whether you're a beginner sailor dreaming of living on a sailboat, an experienced cruiser, or someone planning sailing around the world, this is part of the reality of pursuing an adventurous life. Our channel follows our journey as liveaboard sailors preparing to sail around the world, upgrading our boat for off-grid sailing, installing solar systems, exploring anchorages, and sharing the everyday ups and downs of sailboat living. From sailing adventures and cruising destinations to boat projects and life lessons, we document the full experience of chasing the dream of world cruising by sailboat. If you enjoy content about liveaboard sailing, cruising life, sailboat adventures, off-grid boat living, and preparing a sailboat for long-distance cruising, make sure to subscribe and follow along as we continue our journey. Topics in this episode include: • Skin cancer diagnosis and surgery • Recovering from surgery while living on a sailboat • Real life challenges of the liveaboard sailing lifestyle • Preparing for sailing around the world • Behind the scenes of off-grid sailboat living Join us as we navigate both the challenges and the adventures of liveaboard sailing life while continuing to chase our dream of sailing around the world. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:31 Another Skin Cancer 08:48 Surgery Day 10:20 Arrival at the Hospital 11:33 Surgery Done 12:07 Back on the Sailboat 14:33 Syringe for liquids 15:06 Dressing Off 16:14 Brushing Teeth 17:09 Storm Hitting the Boat 19:50 New TV on the Sailboat 20:25 Feeling Better 21:11 3 Weeks Post Surgery Please leave a comment, like and subscribe to follow our journey. Join us now as we settle into liveaboard life and get our boat ready to take off and sail around the world. As new sailors we want to share all of our learnings and keep it real in our videos. We want to show step by step what it takes to choose a boat, buy the boat and learn how to sail. Our sailing learning curve is steep so come along with us as we learn and grow as liveaboard sailors. We promise you will have a laugh! Welcome aboard Astrid The Wombat Gav and Shezz You can also find us on Instagram and Facebook: Sailing Astrid the Wombat #sailing #liveaboard #sailingaustralia #sailingadventures #sailboat