Traveling abroad can present unique financial challenges. Whether you’re studying, working, or vacationing, you need a reliable and convenient way to manage your finances when you’re away from home. Wise banking app is an excellent tool that can help you do just that. In this article, we’ll explore how using Wise can help you manage your finances while traveling internationally.

Benefits of Using Wise Banking App

Wise is a digital banking app that provides fast, secure, and affordable international money transfers. Here are some of the benefits of using Wise:

1. Competitive Exchange Rates: With Wise, you can avoid the expensive fees and unfavorable exchange rates associated with traditional banks. Instead, you get to enjoy low fees and mid-market exchange rates that are as close to the actual exchange rate as possible.
2. Convenience: The app allows you to manage your money on the go, and you can easily track your expenses in different currencies. You can also send and receive money with just a few taps on your phone.
3. Debit Card for Easy Access to Cash: Wise also offers a debit card that can be used at ATMs and for point-of-sale transactions around the world. This makes it a great option for anyone who needs easy access to cash when traveling internationally.

Use of Wire Transfers Overseas vs USA

In some countries, wire transfers are the preferred way of sending and receiving money, especially for larger transactions. In other countries, such as those in Europe, bank transfers and mobile payments are more popular. Wise has made it easier for us to adapt to these differences and make international money transfers without having to worry about the exchange rate or high fees.

Our Conclusion About Using Wise For International Banking

Wise banking app is an excellent tool for managing your finances when traveling internationally. It offers competitive exchange rates, low fees, and convenience, making it an ideal choice for anyone who needs to send or receive money in different currencies. Whether you’re a student studying abroad, an expat living overseas, or a traveler exploring new destinations, Wise can help you manage your finances with ease.

Wise (formerly known as TransferWise) has saved us a few times when we needed cash or needed to send or receive a wire transfer on short notice. Our banks at home back in the states were difficult to complete a wire through, especially an international one. With Wise, we dealt with wire transfers in Uruguay, Canary Islands, Germany and in the United States quickly and easily, for both business and personal use, all through one app. The debit card has also saved us when in need of cash or when making a purchase in a local currency. (Trust us, your USA Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express are NOT ACCEPTED EVERYWHERE IN THE WORLD!) Our Wise debit card has worked where others have not.

At sweetruca.com, we are an affiliate of Wise banking app and may receive compensation for any purchases or signups made through the affiliate link provided in this article. However, we only recommend products and services that we have personally used and believe will provide value to our readers.

If you’re planning on traveling internationally, managing your finances can be a daunting task. That’s where Wise banking app comes in. With its competitive exchange rates, low fees, and easy-to-use platform, it’s the perfect tool for keeping your finances in order while on the go. We highly recommend checking it out! By signing up through our affiliate link, not only will you get to enjoy all the benefits of Wise, but you’ll also be supporting sweetruca.com and helping us to continue providing valuable content to our readers.

Ready to take control of your finances when traveling abroad? Sign up for Wise banking app through our affiliate link and start enjoying all the benefits of this powerful financial management tool today. Simply click this link to get started for free!

The post Traveling Internationally? Here’s How Wise Banking App Can Help You Manage Your Finances appeared first on Sailing Sweet Ruca.

The post [Ep. 17] Hot, Wet, and Salty in the Bahamas appeared first on Sailing Sweet Ruca.

Never leave your boat without closing the hatches and windows. It is inevitable that it will rain if you leave them open. It only took us one soaking wet couch to learn this.

2. Get the best refrigerator/freezer system you can!

Boat refrigerators may work great in the states, but the tropics are the real deal. We wish we would have spent as much time before we left on refrigeration as we did on sails and rigging.

3. Expect the Unexpected!

Go with the flow. Something breaks, the weather turns, the mail is lost, or a pandemic locks you down. Sometimes you have to “embrace the suck.” All of the little annoying things that happen usually lead to some really awesome unexpected new experience.

4. Go where the tourists don’t go!

You need to get off the beaten path if you really want to engage the local culture. In most tourist places you are seen as a walking dollar bill. If you get beyond that you will experience the country’s real life, not a glossed over souvenir strip.

Although sometimes it can be intimidating to wander outside the safety of the main drag, we have found most of the locals to be just as interested in learning about you as you are of them. It makes for some great times and excellent memories.

5. Don’t bring so much s@#t!

You know what we are talking about here. All those things you think you need…you don’t need it! We are glad for all of our spare parts, but you really don’t need a favorite shirt number 10 or  that extra pair of shoes. We are racing sailors, so we like to travel light, yet one year and multiple purges later, we still have too much stuff!

6. Just go for it!

It is hard to leave the comforts and easy life of what you know. Be it your house at home or the dock in a foreign port. The unknown is always intimidating. At every turn there is another crossing to make, just take the leap. Trust yourself and trust your boat.

Oh, and remember to close your hatches!

The post 6 Things We Learned In Year 1 of Cruising Outside the USA appeared first on Sailing Sweet Ruca.

0:00 Intro

0:36 Bahamas Sailing

We raise our anchor at the deserted island in North Eleuthera Bahamas and head west. We sail through the crystal clear but shallow water of the Bahama Banks to Chub Cay, Whale Key, Bimini, and then on to Miami.

3:49 Gulf Stream Crossing

We crossed the gulf stream with a northeast wind, perfect for some downwind spinnaker sailing on the way to Miami and Biscayne Bay. We hit 10.9 knots of boat speed during some great and fun sailing conditions.

7:00 Stiltsville

We entered Biscayne National Park through the Stiltsville Cut. It was pretty cool to sail between the old houses and buildings on stilts, which have been long since abandoned. This is a tricky entrance and we must be careful as we draw over six feet.

7:25 Coconut Grove Sailing Club

We got the last open mooring ball at CGSG, which thankfully was the only one that would fit our 46 foot sailboat. We were very thankful for the clubs hospitality. What an amazing place with excellent staff and friendly members. It helped that they were a racing club and we had visited there before while racing Melges 24’s.

7:41 Sail Loft

One of the main reasons for coming to Miami was to get our staysail fixed up. When it was originally re-cut down from a #4 jib in Annapolis the sail loft there made a mistake and made the sail longer than the hoist. So we were able to have the sail re-recut and fixed in under a week. We were super thankful to get this done.

8:39 Melges 20 and Bacardi Winter Series in Miami

It just so happened that the Melges 20 Winter Series and Bacardi Miami Winter Series was going on. Was this planned? Well, it certainly was a good enough reason to sail back to the USA and see all of our racing friends. On top of that, the race committee boat broke down, so we volunteered to be the RC boat for the day. It was lots of fun, but there were a few close calls. Luckily no boats were harmed in the filming of this video and SV Sweet Ruca came away without a scratch in her Awlgrip!

12:52 Coconut Grove

We ended our time in Miami with a stroll through Coconut Grove. It is a lovely little suburb on the south side. We took advantage of this time to get our last meals out in the USA for what we be a long time. We were also invited to go to the CGSC staff Christmas party, so we celebrated the holiday in style with our new friends before we sail away again to the Bahamas.

#sailing #boatlife #bahamas #sail #sea #boat #yacht #sailboat #yachting #travel #ocean #sailor #yachtlife #boating #boats #sailingboat #sailingyacht #adventure #yachts #vlogger #youtubesailing #vlog #rescuedog #sailingdog #boatdog #snorkeling #paddleboarding #desertedisland #jboats #saltydog #saltlife #sailingvlog #liveaboardlifestyle #rocna #anchoring #cruising #sailaway

The post [Ep 15] Hard Decisions…Do We Turn Around? appeared first on Sailing Sweet Ruca.

We are sailing offshore from Cape Fear North Carolina, across the gulf stream, directly to the Bahamas. 0:32: Catch a Mahi Mahi Usually, we bring our fishing gear in at night, but this night, we forgot to. Fish On! We reel in a Mahi Mahi in the dark while going 9 knots under sail. Kate fries him up and we have a delicious fresh fish meal.

2:47 Offshore Sailing

We keep on trucking! We are almost to the Bahamas. We can feel things getting warmer, which is much needed. We needed shorts weather, rather than the nasty cold of the East Coast in November. Luckily we didn’t have to dodge any storms or hurricanes, but we did sail through some winds up to 35 knots on the way down, making for an exciting sailboat passage.

9:31 Arrive in Eleuthera

We made it to Eleuthera, the Bahamas after almost a year of hard boat work. It seems like everything is coming together. We navigate the shallow waters, dodging coral heads, on the way to Meeks Island (one of the Bahamas Pig Islands) in the crystal clear turquoise waters of the Bahamas.

10:53 Anchor Down

This is what we went sailing for. Dropping anchor in the Bahamas and cooking some steaks on the grill! Yes! Watch a beautiful sunset with us.

12:04 Good Morning

We wake up in the morning and Kate climbs the mast to get the lay of the land. What other girls would do a mast climb? Kate is a superwoman! The water is glass calm and beautiful clouds dot the horizon. We jump in and dive our Rocna 33kg anchor to see how it is set!

15:02 Paddle Boarding

It is time for some paddle boarding and to explore a beach at a deserted island in the Caribbean! Woo Hoo!!! We made it.

#sailingvlog #bahamas #gulfstream #sailing #atlantic #bahamas #caribbean #sail #sailinglife #sail #sea #boat #yacht #sailboat #yachting #travel #ocean #boatlife #sailor #yachtlife #boating #summer #boats #sailingboat #sailingyacht #adventure #yachts #vlogger #youtubesailing #vlog #rescuedog #sailingdog #boatdog #snorkeling #paddleboarding #desertedisland #jboats #saltydog #saltlife

The post [Ep 14] Gulf Stream Crossing p2 – Sailing Offshore to Bahamas: Land Ho! appeared first on Sailing Sweet Ruca.

0:00 Annapolis

We start out this youtube sailing video where the last one left off. We left the dock at Bert Jabins in Annapolis, Marlyand in the cold November rain! We had a deadline though, our goal was to be at anchor in the warm, clear blue waters of the Bahamas to celebrate Thanksgiving.

0:31 Chesapeake Bay

The Chesapeake Bay was a mess on the way out. We dodged fishing gear and huge cargo ships and freighters as we motored upwind to make our weather window. The next morning we were sailing, almost to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, the outlet to the Atlantic Ocean. After months of being coupled up in a boatyard, we have finally headed to sea again. We raised our sails and reached down the coast, headed toward Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.

1:19 Cape Hatteras

Late that leaving, or should we say early the next morning, we rounded Cape Hatteras in the dark. We dealt with the choppy and confused seas driving at weird angles by the relentless current. We made it through, rounding America’s Great Cape at roughly 2:00 AM. The next morning, as if to celebrate our achievement, we were greeted by dolphins swimming off of our bow. Our first Bow Dolphins on Sweet Ruca!!!

4:20 Dolphins & Fishing for Mahi Mahi

After we crossed into the Gulf Stream the next morning the conditions subsided. And, at times even went to flat calm. We decided to do some fishing and nailed our first Mahi Mahi. Thankful to the gods of the sea for the fabulous dinner. Fish tacos for days!

7:34 Cape Fear, North Carolina

After our first offshore fishing experience, we saw the weather was shifting. To get ahead of it, and make some time in the calm, we decided to tack back to shore and head to Cape Fear, NC. A wonderful little town on the Intercoastal Waterway. We stayed the night and re-filled with diesel and icecream!

8:33 Gulf Stream in Big Breeze

We headed back out to do battle with the Gulf Stream once more. It was the only thing left between us and warm weather. The problem was, the wind was blowing from the direction we wanted to go. We saw big breeze up to 35 knots and Kate experienced a bout of seasickness as we had spray into the cockpit.

12:21 The Morning After

We made it through, but we weren’t to the Bahamas just yet. The trip would continue. We show you what the inside of the boat looks the morning after bashing into big seas offshore. Bluewater sailing at its best. Kate talks about her seasickness and Curtis is having fun discussing autopilot. He is really happy he is finally wearing shorts, a sign we are sailing closer to the Caribbean!

#sailingvlog #capehatteras #gulfstream #chesapeakebay #sailing #atlantic #bahamas #caribbean #sail #3rdreef #sailinglife #sail #sea #boat #yacht #sailboat #yachting #travel #ocean #boatlife #sailor #yachtlife #boating #summer #boats #sailingboat #sailingyacht #adventure #yachts #vlogger #youtubesailing #vlog #rescuedog #sailingdog #boatdog

The post [Ep. 13] Gulf Stream Crossing – Sailing Offshore to Bahamas in November appeared first on Sailing Sweet Ruca.

Kate gives a detailed explanation of how the rudder bearings work, and why we are changing them out.

1:47 Gooping

This is a really big project, including lots of fiberglass work and “gooping”. Meaning, it’s messy! We use lots of different glues and sealants as we time-lapse the rudder bearings back in the boat. We also add an extra fiberglass layer, with the help of Beasley Marine making them extra secure offshore. https://www.beasleymarine.me/ – Their website is lame, but their composite work and knowledge are top-notch. If you need composite, fiberglass repair, or carbon fiber work done on the east coast, Mike Beasley and his experienced team are highly recommended!

2:47 Rudder Installation

We slide the rudder back up into the boat. Carefully aligning it. We narrowly miss the wind generator with the travel lift as we maneuver the boat over the rudder. The rudder quadrant, steering cables, and autopilot are bolted in and tested.

5:38 Roxy the Sailing Dog Meets a Deer

We took Roxy for a walk in the local park. She saw a deer for the first time. She was a bit confused, and we think she thought it was another large dog that she could play with. It was really funny watching her try to jump and play with the whitetail deer.

6:15 Mast Mods and Installation

We modified the carbon fiber mast and rig to include a removable Dyneema inner forestay. This would allow us to have a cutter rig when we wished, and change back to a sloop as needed. A staysail jib which will also double as our storm headsail is hanked on and flies in high winds, or with double headsails when reaching. Once again, we enlisted the professionals at Beasley Marine for this composite work.

7:43 Back Together and In the Water

We finally get the boat back together and the travel lift comes to launch the boat on a cold November day. Thanksgiving is approaching as we prep for our next ocean sailing passage.

10:03 Tech Talk

We take a few moments to talk about how all the boat work we did in the yard has held up over the last 4000 miles as we have sailed to the Bahamas, USVI, BVI, Grenada & West Indies. We touch on the rudder bearings, carbon fiber mast, LifePO4 batteries, solar panels, boat life, and more.

#sailingvlog #annapolis #sail #sailing #sailinglife #sail #sea #boat #yacht #sailboat #yachting #travel #ocean #boatlife #sailor #yachtlife #boating #summer #boats #sailingboat #sailingyacht #adventure #yachts #vlogger #youtubesailing #vlog #rescuedog #sailingdog #boatdog

The post [Ep. 12] Back Together appeared first on Sailing Sweet Ruca.

0:23 Boatyard Fire

There is a fire in the boatyard, just one row upwind from our boat. It was a potentially dangerous situation that our friend Brian on the boat next to us noticed first and sprung into immediate action. We were working on our electrical system and could smell that it was an electrical type of fire. Worried that it was us we quickly shut everything down on our boat and gave it a full inspection. It was on another boat, but it is a sad story. The owner of the boat had been preparing his yacht for a circumnavigation for five years. He was due to finish and launch this winter. Errant current in an undersized solar panel wire likely caused the fire based on our visual inspection. The good of the story, fellow liveaboard cruisers in the marina saved the day, and likely the boatyard with their quick response.

0:53 Trip Home

We ran a few errands in Annapolis before heading home. We had to drop off our mainsail and #4 jib at the sailmaker to have an additional reef installed, reinforcements put on, and cut down the #4 to a storm staysail which would hank on our to-be-installed removable inner forestay. First, we had to return our borrowed jeep to our new friend and fellow Annapolis boater and boatyard neighbor Eric. Thank you!!!!! Then we picked up our rental car to make the 1000 mile road trip back to Toledo Ohio to see family and go to the Chicago Mackinac Awards party.

2:35 Chicago-Mackinac Race Finish

A short clip of the finish of the 333 mile long 2019 Chicago to Mackinac Race. In July, we sailed aboard Jim Weyand’s 1D35 Turbo sailboat Chico 2, hailing from Bayview Yacht Club in Detroit, MI. Kate was a driver and I was the navigator. For more about our experience on the race, see the link to our blog: https://sweetruca.com/routing-for-the…

4:26 Chicago-Mackinac Trophy

We traveled to Chicago to attend the awards party for the race in November at the Chicago Yacht Club. We were very happy to meet up with our friends from the Chico 2 crew and accept the 100+ year old Chicago-Mackinac Trophy along with the rest of the team. There just aren’t enough good things to say about Jim and his team of amazing sailors. Official results: https://cycracetomackinac.com/results…

5:38 Mast Removal

Our time in Chicago and home with friends was awesome, but now we had to shift modes from vacation and party mode back into boatyard work mode. We were doing some major re-fit work to our monohull sailboat in preparation of further offshore voyaging. First up was removing the carbon fiber mast and rig to install the Dyneema inner forestay. This would allow us to shift between a sloop and cutter rig as needed. It would also centralize the sail plan in big breeze if we were to encounter a storm in the ocean.

9:19 Rudder Removal

Next up was removing the rudder. We had decided to replace the rudder bearings. Ours were serviceable as is, but knowing that we plan to put on 25000 miles, we found it prudent to do sooner rather than later. Bert Jabin Yacht Yard in Annapolis would make our work easier as well, rather than trying to do these major projects in a far-flung tropical island.

11:54 Rudder Bearing Replacement Part 1

After we had the rudder out, a major job requiring heavy machinery. It was time to remove the old bearings. They simply had to be pounded out. Before we install the new bearings, we first must change the bearing race on the rudder itself, from composite to stainless steel. This required quite a bit of cutting, grinding, and sanding. It is always nerve-wracking to cut into such expensive parts.

#sailingvlog #CYCRTM #sail #sailing #sailinglife #sail #sea #boat #yacht #sailboat #yachting #travel #ocean #boatlife #sailor #yachtlife #boating #summer #boats #sailingboat #sailingyacht #adventure #yachts #vlogger #youtubesailing #vlog

The post [Ep. 11] What Could Go Wrong? – Champagne Sailing, Parties & Boatyard Grit appeared first on Sailing Sweet Ruca.