Best way to gain miles/experience post-RYA quals?

[Buck Turgidson]

Absolutely. But you'd unlikely have been accepted as crew in the first place, nor would you have learnt as much as you did, had you not got your initial training/experience.

Absolutely, but that's not the point of the post. I was trying to highlight that these forums may also be a good place to find opportunity.

 

[lw395]

I have both received and given opportunities for experience as a result of being a member of an old fashioned sailing club.
If you've never tried racing, it's worth a look as it can be very varied and there are always places for people with a good attitude.
Some of it is not very serious in the lower third of the fleet, but can still be a good way to meet people and get known as a safe pair of hands etc.

The other thing to do is to join one of those groups who club together to charter various yachts.
Some employers' sports and social clubs also do this.

 

[laika]

Pilotage in tricky waters, anchoring, and berthing/unberthing in random harbours are among the more challenging bits of sailing you may get little or none of on, say, an ocean delivery trip
[...]
Probably advantageous to mix different types of opportunities, but more important to think critically about what type of issues/experience you have and haven't gained.

Very true and I would agree that from an everyday yachting/RYA skills standpoint the thousands of miles you pick up as crew on a trans atlantic passage are significantly inferior to a fortnight port-hopping round the channel islands and back. That being said (and consistent with what you're saying here) it is a *different* experience and should compliment the OP's dayskipper as it did for me when my previous experience had been mainly limited to the north sea and channel and passages no longer than 72 hours.

 

[sail sail]

I've crewed on 4 different yacht deliveries for Halcyon Yachts and am booked to join them again on another trip this spring. Their skippers are all top professionals and I have learnt so much from them. Joining yacht deliveries is a great way to get out there on the water and see the world. I suggest that you sign-up with as many delivery companies as you can and see what they have to offer.

Yacht Delivery Crew | Halcyon Yachts | International Yacht Deliveries

 

[Billyo]

Crewbay is the best free site, I've had 14 off there in the last year. Ive found Findacrew is waste of time and crew seekers expensive.

 

[anoccasionalyachtsman]

I have both received and given opportunities for experience as a result of being a member of an old fashioned sailing club.
If you've never tried racing, it's worth a look as it can be very varied and there are always places for people with a good attitude.
Some of it is not very serious in the lower third of the fleet, but can still be a good way to meet people and get known as a safe pair of hands etc.

I'll second that, but add that most of what look like a bunch of old farts racing for five minutes every Wednesday evening where I sail usually turn out to have held key slots on all sorts of impressive boats. And if they haven't they're almost certainly Naval Architects....