 If
you want to experience owning a boat, go into a small, dark closet with
a large, wet dog, and tear up 100-dollar bills. Ask any boat
owner if this is true, and you will most likely receive a grim nod and
a wry smile. However, if you are smart, you can experience the joys
and trials of boating life without having to tear through your savings.
It’s simple: sail on someone else’s boat.
Around the
world, large yachts are being built faster than bored people can leave
their jobs to become qualified crew. Since there are more available
boats than available crew, the average person with little or even no experience
can get a free ride on a yacht, as long as they don’t look like an axe
murderer.
There are many
different positions that crew can choose from on boats of all sizes.
At the bottom of the crewing job pile (and the easiest to get) is a position
on a cost-sharing boat. This is where the crew pitches in some money
(usually $20 - $70 dollars a day) to help the owner cover food, fuel, and
marina costs. Beware of the boat that advertises “cost-sharing” of
$1000 or more for a week. In this case, the boat owner is usually trying
to make money and calling it a cost-share instead of a charter. In
a true cost-share arrangement, you are simply paying your own way and the
owner makes no profit from you.
The next step
up for crew would be a totally free ride, where the owner covers all costs.
In this situation, the captain can sometimes be a professional skipper,
or the owner. This free ride arrangement is frequently available
when boats need repositioning or delivery. In exchange for your help
moving his boat, the owner covers food, boat costs, and some will even
pay your return airline ticket home. Other skippers require you to deposit
money with them to ensure you can get yourself home at the end of the trip.
A delivery
is a great way to gain experience and sea time, without having to pay for
it. Sea time is needed if you wish to pursue any sort of a career
on boats, racking up certifications such as the coveted Yachtmaster; which
allows you to pilot a commercial vessel. In addition, after a delivery,
you are no longer inexperienced!
With a little
bit of luck and some experience, you can be paid to live on someone else’s
boat and eat their food. This is a job, so you will naturally spend
a lot of your time working. On professional yachts this means polishing,
sanding, and lots of cleaning; especially on the larger boats where cleanliness
is next to godliness. A paid crew assignment is usually more long
term than a delivery, as most boats prefer at least a one-year contract.
Depending on
the boat, the owner is often nowhere to be seen, probably over in the Cayman
Islands securing his offshore bank accounts. When he does come aboard
with his guests, then the real work begins. If you feel ready
to take this route, there are many crew placement agencies available in
the major ports that can assist you.
Should you
land a paying job, keep in mind that since many boats are registered offshore
your wages may be tax-free. Since all your living expenses are covered,
you can save almost all your paycheck. The top paid yacht captains
on large private yachts over about 200 feet can make $1,000 per foot, per
year, totally tax-free.
If you prefer
not to go at it alone, you can take your significant other with you and
work as a team. Usually one person is the cook, the other the professional
captain. This combination is actually preferred on many yachts, and
doesn’t necessarily have to be a married couple. So grab your chef
friend, Jim, and go find a boat. |
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Previous
articles on sailing:
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Letters
From The Blue Water ~ Three guys, a 41-foot sailboat
and enough
gear and equipment to wrap half way around the world...which is exactly
what we hope to do. Sailing south from California...along Central America
to Costa Rica ...then west across the South Pacific...Australia...Asia...India.
Why? To learn and experience the world first hand, and challenge ourselves
against the vast unkown. To escape the daily routines that blur one week
into the next. To shirk steady secure careers now, in favor of amazing
memories that last forever. - By Colin Reedy
Sailing
The Philippine Islands
In my profession
in the aviation industry I have had several occasions to travel to foreign
lands. By the year 2003, I was able to have an opportunity to work and
live in Singapore; it is one of the cleanest countries in the world; and
a model of economic stability and public policy. I have written a number
of articles on living in Asia, most have appeared in monthly magazines
or website newsletters. However, none of my previous travels and experiences
come close to my time in the Philippines.
ROUND
THE WORLD IN ……….DAYS
3 years ago
now, the urge to travel again became overwhelming. We were doing particularly
well in our adopted home, the small but picturesque town of Wanaka, South
Island, New Zealand, with a beautiful B&B lodge, uccessful computer
centre and my wife, Vickie's founding participation in a comedy theatre
troupe. But we decided that the time had come for a change, definitely
against our better judgment financially! So, the decision being made, we
began the process of selling up all we owned and preparing to move on.
The same had happened whilst we were living in Malaysia. We had spent 6
years building a solid financial base, I with a yachting Company and Vickie
the head of an international school in Kuala Lumpur, when the wanderlust
struck.
Living
In Southeast Asia Aboard Your Own Boat
Sailing and
living your life on the water is something many people dream about. The
new towns and people as you pass by on your boat. The tropical islands
to yourself and the fresh air and free lifestyle of the open sea. If sailing
around the world is something you've thought about then take a look at
some of the ideas the above article explores. Reading it is like sitting
back and letting the cool sea breezes blow over you as the blue water and
green islands pass you by. |
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The
easiest way to get a job on boat is to go where the boats are. Boats
tend to move around the same way every year, ending up at the same places
to avoid hurricanes and follow trade winds. These places are overflowing
with crew hungry boats and are known as “cruising bottlenecks”. Just
show up and get yourself down the marina to walk around the docks, and
start talking. Although Internet crew lists have made it easier to
find a boat without leaving your desk, dock walking is still a great way
to network and get jobs. Doing day-work around the marina and becoming
known as a reliable face helps as well. When night falls, get yourself
up to the “yachtie” bar of the town, and start making friends.
