Frequently Asked Questions
We get a lot of questions about us, the boat and the trip in general which we are very happy about! Below you can read some of the most frequently asked questions. If you are wondering about something which is not answered below, send it to us in our contact formula and it shall be answered 🙂
What's up with this 'improve the world' thing? Are you guys serious or what?
Yes, we are damn serious! We are no saints, and we don’t expect to do right all the time. But that’s not the point either, because our firm belief is that most people are like us: if it requires too much sacrifice, it probably won’t happen. So the aim is to look into where we can make the biggest impact, with the smallest effort (did we mention that we both studied Economics? :-)) And if something requires a massive effort, we want to make sure that it also have a massive impact.
An example where this may not be the case is that many people think that buying organic products is good for the environment. The truth may be uncomfortable, since organic food production is not nearly as efficient as conventional production. There may be other (good) reasons to buy organic products, such as health benefits, and protection of local streams and fields, but one should just be aware that from a global environmental perspective it may not have any impact (with the risk of even having a negative impact).
An example where this may not be the case is that many people think that buying organic products is good for the environment. The truth may be uncomfortable, since organic food production is not nearly as efficient as conventional production. There may be other (good) reasons to buy organic products, such as health benefits, and protection of local streams and fields, but one should just be aware that from a global environmental perspective it may not have any impact (with the risk of even having a negative impact).
Aren't you just another sailing vlog?
Sailing around the world in a sailboat is not as rare as it used to be, and there are a large number of different sailing vlogs out there. Besides documenting our way around the world, which can hopefully be fun for people to watch, our aim is to provide viewers with new information about how to make changes to reduce our impact on the ocean environment. Besides being entertained, our aim is therefore that you will (together with us) be a little bit more knowledgeable.
Contrary to many other sailing vlogs, we aren’t just about showing you how much fun we’re having (not that there’s anything wrong with that (and not that we are not aiming to have fun :-)). We want to make an honest attempt to document how we can do things better and sometimes that will lead to uncomfortable truths.
Why did you choose an Amel 54?
We wanted something we could comfortably call a home, and which is safe enough to cross oceans. Buying a boat is often a decision about a combination of many things: what you can afford, what is the purpose, what is available on the market, and what you feel comfortable with. Equally so was it for us.
So what’s up with Scott? Does he feel mostly American or mostly Vietnamese?
Scott was only 4 months old when his family left Vietnam and he spent most of his life in the US, so he cannot remember life outside of the US or Scandinavia. In that sense he definitely feels more American than Vietnamese. That said, Scott feels mostly like a “3rd culture kid” and attending a family dinner with Scott involves an interesting mix of English and Vietnamese 🙂
How did you guys meet each other?
We met at a 4th of July party in Stockholm, Sweden in 2017. Scott was there with his friend Steve who was visiting from the US and quickly noticed the pretty Scandinavian girl all dressed in an American outfit, but as is often the case, she was surrounded by a group of guys, so eventually Scott decided to leave. After saying goodbye to everyone, halfway down the stairs and fueled by a few very expensive (and not very good) Swedish beers, Scott came to the conclusion that he would kick himself if he didn’t at least try to talk to her, so he forced Steve to come back upstairs with him, much to the surprise of all the people they just said “bye” to.
Scott’s mission was to get Mie’s contact information and Steve’s role (for which he would be rewarded with an aforementioned expensive but not very good Swedish beer) was to distract the guys around her for 10 minutes. Scott succeeded in “cornering” Mie at the party, with the sole aim of getting her contact information. Mie, being drunk (as Danes usually are), was not too interested in talking to Scott. However, he did manage to get her Facebook details in 3 minutes flat and for a brief moment thought pretty highly of himself. Unwilling to accept a small win, he kept blabbering away and the last thing that happened between them that night was that Mie scurried away from Scott, while saying, with characteristic Danish directness (and accent), “I need to get out of this conversation!”
Scott’s mission was to get Mie’s contact information and Steve’s role (for which he would be rewarded with an aforementioned expensive but not very good Swedish beer) was to distract the guys around her for 10 minutes. Scott succeeded in “cornering” Mie at the party, with the sole aim of getting her contact information. Mie, being drunk (as Danes usually are), was not too interested in talking to Scott. However, he did manage to get her Facebook details in 3 minutes flat and for a brief moment thought pretty highly of himself. Unwilling to accept a small win, he kept blabbering away and the last thing that happened between them that night was that Mie scurried away from Scott, while saying, with characteristic Danish directness (and accent), “I need to get out of this conversation!”
Being summer, both of them travelled abroad for a few weeks and trying to salvage things, Scott reached out and apologized…twice. Luckily for Scott, Mie’s memory from that day was a bit fuzzy and she didn’t remember getting really annoyed, but she did remember that something about him piqued her interest.
Having learned his lesson about blabbering too much, Scott quickly changed the subject and suggested they meet up. Two months after the first encounter they went on their first date in Stockholm (which is another story in itself), and have not been separated since.
Why do you often put SV in front of the name Tengah?
SV simply means Sailing Vessel which is the ship prefix for boats powered by wind.
How do you fund this trip?
Coming from parents who aren’t rich, we worked very hard in school/university and then did reasonably well in our respective careers, which is a big part of it. Quoting Jeff Bezos, we attribute our success to half luck, half timing and the rest being brains. With that said, we are both very cautious about how we spend our money (some would call us cheap 
). This is both to make our money last longer, but also with the aim of pursuing a lifestyle where less is more, and where we do not consume more than necessary. In a world where we are subjected to a constant flow of commercials and ideas about how we should look and dress, this is not easy. And Scott definitely finds this easier than Mie!
). This is both to make our money last longer, but also with the aim of pursuing a lifestyle where less is more, and where we do not consume more than necessary. In a world where we are subjected to a constant flow of commercials and ideas about how we should look and dress, this is not easy. And Scott definitely finds this easier than Mie!