30 year old searching a hitch

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Henke

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Dear sailors.

My name is Henrik, 30 years old and a traveler.
When I'm out on the road with my backpack I'm as happy as I can be.
I recently came up with an idea of crossing the Atlantic by hitch hiking and I'm about to take action.
I don't have any previous experience from sailing, but I'm a quick learning, strong and definitely not afraid of hard work. I'm also good at cooking, and easy going with loads of humor.

My plan is to get to a marina in Europe or maybe morocco, I just don't where from.
I'm about to take action now, leaving Sweden in a few days.
So if there any sailor out there heading across the Atlantic and wouldn't mind an extra crew member for the journey, please contact me. Or if you can give me some tips on when to go, say,do.. Anything is helpful.
I can if necessary travel to any of the island where I heard many boats stop.

My email is henkeforsberg@gmail.com

Thanks for reading
Henrik Forsberg
 
All the atlantic crossing ports I have visited have had several if not more including very presentable girls and women most with some sailing skills and experience touting themselves around for berths. Not many get taken on.

A boat is a very small place and the risk of taking someone on that will cause grief on a 14 to 20 day passage is high not to mention the responsibilities and formalities required at the other end for one way passengers.

I wish you luck but doubt you will find a berth and of course as far as you are concerned you don't know who you will be joining, as I said 20 days locked together is a big ask even when you know the person.
 
Thanks

Pete.
That was great reading and some good advices too and some good things to think about.
And I'm fully aware that this isn't easy but I wasn't looking easy a easy ride.
I'll keep you posted along my journey.
 
wrong time of year to cross the pond. I would fly to Palma, or hitch hike from Sweden to Palma via ferry port.

If you have any experience you wish to share such as "I am an engineer" etc then these will all put you in good stead when walking around the docks in Palma in September time. With any luck you will get paid for what you do at some point.

Palma would be the place to go!
 
To expand on JamesUks point re time.

The majority of cruising boats will leave Europe (e.g. Canaries ) from November onwards so as to avoid hurricane season so will be heading from mainland Europe september / October.

If you can get to the med, maybe offer to help people out then you might find someone to take you out to gain experience which may make the transatlantic easier.
 
petehb said:
All the atlantic crossing ports I have visited have had several if not more including very presentable girls and women most with some sailing skills and experience touting themselves around for berths. Not many get taken on.
Click to expand...

Some of the said Yacht owners may be homosexual, statistically 1 in 6 will be . . .

Because people only take crew on, who they wish to fornicate with?
 
Henke said:
Dear sailors.

My name is Henrik, 30 years old and a traveler.
When I'm out on the road with my backpack I'm as happy as I can be.
I recently came up with an idea of crossing the Atlantic by hitch hiking and I'm about to take action.
I don't have any previous experience from sailing, but I'm a quick learning, strong and definitely not afraid of hard work. I'm also good at cooking, and easy going with loads of humor.

My plan is to get to a marina in Europe or maybe morocco, I just don't where from.
I'm about to take action now, leaving Sweden in a few days.
So if there any sailor out there heading across the Atlantic and wouldn't mind an extra crew member for the journey, please contact me. Or if you can give me some tips on when to go, say,do.. Anything is helpful.
I can if necessary travel to any of the island where I heard many boats stop.

My email is henkeforsberg@gmail.com

Thanks for reading
Henrik Forsberg
Click to expand...
There are quite a lot of Scandinavian yachts doing the ARC http://www.worldcruising.com/arc/event.aspx every year.
Most will be leaving from Scandinavian ports during the spring / early summer to go down to Gran Canaria.
Maybe some of these boats need an extra hand on he trip down, could be a good way of building experience and getting to know the crew / skipper.
 
May I ask

is there some event that has helped you decide to do this

I have been travelling around the UK and often meet adventurers

most have a reason for uprooting themselves at a time in life when most people are growing roots

D
 
Andrew, you can listen to it on YouTube, as mr webber put it up there himself. It's a good story but not much of advice.
 
Hope you get a berth, but a trade wind transat is a tough ask for an inexperienced hitchhiker. Simple reason, everyone wants to do one and most will pay to do so.

A more achievable goal is to get offshore experience on deliveries. Contact the relevant companies.

Dockwalking - forget it. Better off dayworking in a yard (if you can graft) sanding, scraping antifouling etc..you are then 'in the loop' and may find a vacancy.
 
Jac.
Is any of the Canary Islands as good to just show up and introduce myself?

To everyone.
Thanks a lot for all the replies, any helpful information will be good.
And some just gave me some thoughts and might turn this into something good.
 
I'm not saying that I haven't hitch hiking experience, I've crossed through Europe a few times standing by the side of the road. I just never done it by sea, which is on my bucket list.
 
It's very different - sticking your thumb out on a sliproad vs what is essentially working your passage (I've done a lot of both)

By all means, go to the canaries but you will be competing with people with serious experience who are willing to pay. You'll be very lucky to get a berth.

As I inferred in an earlier post, there are ways to get offshore and potentially a transat, but turning up in Las Palmas and walking the dock with a cheesy grin, zero sailing experience and a thumb isn't one of them.
 
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