Maritime travel requires a unique set of considerations. Not only do you have to be prepared for a medical emergency, but you must also have confidence that every system of your vessel will operate without fail as a logistical issue can lead directly to a safety issue. Once you cast off help is an hour to days away.
At Remote Medical International, we often work with maritime, fishing and yachting clients to help them update their medical capabilities before heading out. At this time of year, we see a lot of clients with expedition yachts preparing to head from Seattle north into Alaskan and Canadian waters to enjoy the summer’s incredible recreational opportunities that are available to the self-sufficient boater. Remote Medical International often teams up with our neighbor and friends at S3 Maritime to ensure our yachting clients can travel without worry. Paul Zimmer, the owner of S3 says it best, “Due to the long range and remote locations that these vessels travel it is important that they are as well prepared and as self sufficient as possible.†The S3 team is composed of experts in long-range yacht systems; they refer clients to Remote Medical International for medical support. As our offices are two blocks from S3’s offices on the water, it’s a pretty convenient arrangement for the boat owners.
It was due to this partnership with S3 that Remote Medical International met Chance Strickland, captain of the M/Y Steadfast. Since 2002 the M/Y Steadfast has traveled as far north as Alaska and as far south as Peru in the Pacific and spent some time in the southern Caribbean. “We mainly focus on sport fishing when possible and do quite a bit of diving and exploring when we can. We average about 10,000 miles of running a year up and down the coast and I try to focus our time away from the more populated areas. Some of our favored spots include the Galapagos Islands, South-Eastern Panama, and Pelican Alaska,†says Chance. Through his travels, Chance has become involved with an organization called YachtAid Global, a non-profit whose mission is to utilize luxury yachts to move school and medical supplies to communities in need.
Through YachtAid Global, Chance and the Steadfast have worked with many of the communities they visit to provide assistance when needed. “My motivation for getting involved stems from the principles that YAG follows,†Chance says, “To be able to bring some help to the remote communities we visit allows us to enjoy a personal connection with the people we wouldn’t have otherwise. By providing assistance with school supplies, medical aid, or food we can give back to the places that provide us our wonderful memories.†Chance is currently gearing up for another YAG mission, this time to Belize. The Belize Emergency Response Team provides assistance for those in Belize that cannot necessarily access the medical care that we in the United States consider standard, and is likely to respond to any medical emergency within the yachting community. The Steadfast will be transporting crucial and desperately needed medical supplies to the BERT crew.
Remote Medical International is committed to helping in any way we can. Join us Tuesday, April 12th , when RMI will host a happy hour social at Eastlake Bar and Grill to raise funds for YAG’s work in Belize. All proceeds will go directly to purchasing medical supplies for the Belize Emergency Response Team that will be hand-delivered by Chance and the Steadfast crew. If you are in Seattle Tuesday night, stop by to meet with Remote Medical International staff and alums for a fun night of camaraderie that will benefit a good cause. We hope to see you there!
