career advice

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sr04

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I am 16 and just left school. I would really like a career
sailing, maybe eventually skippering other peoples yachts.
I have looked on the net for colleges and schools, but apart from UKSA
have not really found anything else. UKSA will cost
me about £10,000 for a 17week course.
I am looking for a apprenticeships or sponsorship opportunitie for
someone such as myself?
I have sailed several thousand miles with my dad around the Irish Sea, I
go dinghy sailing and have done some RYA courses to date.
I love sailing and the sea, so what opportunities are open to me?
Thanks
Sonny
 
I would suggest getting involved with one of the sail training organisations like the Ocean Youth Trust or Tall Ships Youth Trust, Faramir etc. There are great opportunities to learn and develop skills. You would probably need to start as a trainee but can progress to bosun or watch leader or whatever and before you know it you will be a full-time skipper.
 
I think blowing £10k just now on a fast track Yacht Master course would be a waste of money because not matter the RYA qualification you hold the world of professional yachting will ignore you at the age of 16/17.

It is surprising to hear that Gordon Brown and New Labour have allowed you to leave school at 16 because according to their liberal ideals all modern day social problems can be solved through more and more education.

Anyhow my advice is learn a hands-on trade that cannot be outsourced to an Indian call center or done by a minimum wage itinerant Polish worker. It is difficult to make money on the bottom rung of the leisure industry and the money isn’t where you might think, the guy cleaning the toilets at the marina might be making more per hour than a yachtmaster instructor.

Have you thought about a trade with a tangential connection to yachting e.g. a refrigeration engineer.
 
following on from jonjo,

Whilst minimum wage itinerant polish workers may do these jobs, i would seriously consider learning the building trades - joinery, plastering, electrician, metalwork etc.

You can be self employed with these skills, do up your own house, (would save you a fortune), buy and refurbish houses to sell, (maybe not right now, but a great business when the time is right), and most are transferable to the boating arena, (not that it will be well paid unless freelance/self employed).
 
Have you thought about one of the armed services. Gaining a proper trade and a decent wage whilst lots of opportunities for Adventure Training like sailing and diving. Have a look at this:

http://www.jsastc.org/

Pete
 
Good advice already given esp fast track yachtmaster. If I were you, I'd be sailing anything, anywhere with a view to broadening experiene and at the same time picking up the highly useful (albeit possibly tangential) skills. Aim poss at eithetr yacht deliveries or working on the really big "toy" yachts ????. Good luck whatever direction you go, but dont give up (possibly the most relevant advice ??)
 
Lots of good if somewhat ansie advice here , building trades will travel the world(I am a carpenter currently on my Cat slowly going around the globe having fun) .
Big boats employ young people to do really mundane and boring jobs like polish the same rail 3 times a week , but you are on a boat and getting expirience and paid.
All the armed forces encourage sailing as an extra coricular activity .
If you go to marinas and ask around you will find boats that are moving and need crew. delivery skippers like to use reliable people over and over so that might be an option.
I wouldn't go the 17 week course route for a few years if i were you , with 10 grand to spend on boating why not consider duying your own and getting all the expireience that way with a few lessons from a recomended YM instructor type?
Good luck on your career, if getting on a boat now is what you want ,save your money and fly to the Med or Caribbean(St Martin in oct or Nov, Antigar after the charter boat show), where employment for young willing single people is almost unlimited if you can get that first job as a becky.
PS I'm 41 and wish I'd done this 20 years ago
 
The guy who had the most fun when going round the world was a dentist I met a few years ago. Everyone needs dentists, so wherever he sailed, he worked and got paid.

I'd get yourself into an electrical trade, e.g. with army/navy/airforce. Brilliant training, including sailing if you can wangle it. Brilliant company and buddies.

Then you come out with great quals and skills, and a knowledge that earns money.

Don't go for the short term option of a deckhand on some superyacht. Look ahead 5 years and how you'll need to earn loot then.
 
I would go for electrical/electronics.
Travelling the world installing nav aids on boats in the sun?
Does such a job exisit? I wish.
Why not try writing to Sunseeker, Princess etc? Can't do any harm.
Good luck, but most of all enjoy and be happy.
 
Most people seem to be saying "don't do it" which is a bit negative. I have spent most of my working life in the marine industry and although an engineer involved in building and servicing them, I have been on and around superyachts and have known their captains and crew. They do provide an interesting life. HOWEVER it is not the life you think. A lot of time you are parked somewhere servicing the needs of the owner rather than sailing. Most become disillusioned with it after 5-7 years.
If you are determined, UKSA provide an alternative to other more established routes provided by people like the College of Nautical Studies at Warsash on the Hamble. The latter is however preferable in my view and many graduates from such places go on to either the Merchant Navy or crew on Superyachts. Often SU officers are ex MN anyway. Contact the college and see what advice they can give you.
If you take a more lateral view there are boatbuilders and small yards that take apprentices still. Vosper Thorneycroft in Portsmouth take a certain number of apprentices still, and will give you a grounding in many trades, but that's not sailing of course. As others have said however, such trades will mean that you are useful wherever you go and can earn a living.
In my view you need to decide if you are interested in academic learning or want to be more vocational. If academic consider Naval Architecture, Marine engineering, or electronics. A Royal Navy apprenticeship is still a good alternative but will require academic achievement too. If vocational take a course on plumbing, joinery, electrical fitting, or some such. Plumbers actually earn good money nowdays and there is a shortage of them. Start your own business, buy your own boat, and you will be better off!
 
I'd second boatmikes comments - if you join the Merchant Navy (which you can at your age) you'll get trained at one of the nautical colleges, with the costs paid for by a sponsor. It takes a few years, but you'll travel around the world, get paid for it and get some qualifications which you can use directly on everything from superyachts to the QM2.
 
not sure but i seem to remember reading (maybe in ellen macarthurs book) that you have to be 18 to be awarded a yachtmaster. would definately agree with others that a transferable skill is the best idea. going to sea and generally messing around on boats is fantastic but there may well come a time when you want to settle and do the whole family thing. (seems like a strange idea when you're 16 i know!)

then again maybe not /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Yes, you do need to be 18 to be awarded a yachtmaster.

To be honest I can't see anyone employing an 18 year old skipper as a skipper in any case. I've done the corporate charter game and you're getting paid to entertain and socialise with people who would be old enough to be your dad. Whilst I'm sure you would make a very good skipper the entertaining part of the job comes more with life experience than training.
I know I wouldn't have wanted to do that at 18!

The advice offered here is sound, but don't for one minute think that every qualification you go for from now on has to be aimed only at the marine industry, and indeed it's well worth having something to fall back on in case you decide to come ashore in years to come.

My advice would be get something tangible to demonstrate your skills, a Day skipper perhaps, then start looking around for "jobs" on delivery crews, it'll be tough as the marine industry is no different from the rest of the world in valuing experience over youth and enthusiasm and you won't get paid but your expenses will be covered and you'll pick up a lot of experience. And more than that you'll work out if you really want to do it long term.
 
Our advice is to get into work experiences. Vocational roles such as electrical, plumbing and engineering is always useful. At this stage of your life more useful than a skippers ticket. Early training and gaining experience with confidence is going to lead to abilities that a good skipper needs. We wish you luck. Better than that....

If you email us and we have a refit nearby you, your welcome to join in for a few days to get a taste of servicing and this might help with your planning.

I hope other companies reading this will also respond to your enthusiasm with a positive invitation to gain a taste of engineering and boat building.

------------------------------------
www.yachtsmartbrokerage.com
 
My daughter at 16 faced the same problem.
She did a further education course in Adventure education at a local college. Through this she gained coaching awards in sailing, kayaking and climbing +power boat handling.
She then went to UKSA at 18, fastracked Yachtmaster Ocean yachtmasterand many other qualifications.
Imediately she got work on a superyacht looking after the toys with a fair amount of polishing. In 2 years she had paid off her course fees and had £5K in the bank ( the tips when superyachts are on charter are fantastic. 3000 dolars each for all 15 crew)
Now she is first mat on a 60ft sailing catamarran doing what she loves. Sailing.
If you have the ambition to work in the industry , train for the industry wiyhout wasting time training for something you dont really want to do.
Best of luck
Paul
 
For experience and miles - get a ticket to the Azores. Horta in Faial for instance. Go to Peters Bar and check out the crew wanted ads - theoretically you could travel the world for next to nowt, gaining real experience and knowledge. A few years of that and you can/will soon decide if you are happy to pursue sailing as a career! If not, you have at least expanded your horizons. Bon Chance!
 
Hi its his dad replying /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif He cant answer your replies at the mo as he got an unexpected couple of days crewing on a delivery trip. I am sure he will answer when he gets back on Friday.
Thanks.
 
Now in the right thread - if a bit late /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Not very exciting, but "Transerable skills" that cannot get transfered down a telephone / computer line to India or further East are what you need.......and as already said, something you can set up on your own. Ideally something that also does not require you to be constantly in the work place to keep skills up to date / to advance.

I would suggest Engineer / Diesel Mechanic would fit in with your sailing ambitions.......always demand for engineers onboard, especially the bigger stuff - and pays better than deck hand.....and RTW always the opportunity of cash in hand work.

And IMO in the UK always demand for 1 more GOOD Diesel Mechanic.......and probably a job that could fit around extended time away, either as your own boss (esp. once you have a name) or as cover for busy periods.

Or as already said something within the building trade, to also enable you to learn your way around all the building trade.....

I wish I had had Internet Access at 16.............



Ps, do you have a "Hoody" ?
 
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