Career break sailing

[ginster]

Hi All

I've decided to take a break away from the UK and the day job for a year or so from early December 2010. My plan is to sail and ideally earn my keep as crew. Not overly experienced yet but out this weekend coming and booked to do a competent crew course from the end of August. Thinking a day skipper qualification might also be useful. Looking for advice to sense check my plans and also explore possible opportunities. What I might lack in sea miles will more than be made up for by enthusiasm, energy and a willingness to learn something new, meet some great people and explore the world!

Ginny

 

[alant]

Hi All

I've decided to take a break away from the UK and the day job for a year or so from early December 2010. My plan is to sail and ideally earn my keep as crew. Not overly experienced yet but out this weekend coming and booked to do a competent crew course from the end of August. Thinking a day skipper qualification might also be useful. Looking for advice to sense check my plans and also explore possible opportunities. What I might lack in sea miles will more than be made up for by enthusiasm, energy and a willingness to learn something new, meet some great people and explore the world!

Ginny

What other skills do you have, apart from day dreaming & wishfull thinking?

On the other hand, you could join the Royal Navy ("enthusiasm, energy and a willingness to learn something new, meet some great people and explore the world") - just what they are looking for!

 

[pugwash60]

Don't be put off by negative posters. Your plans are eminently feasible, particularly if you don't need to earn anything straight away. There are always boats looking for crews. There are several areas you should think of. Ocean cruising boats. Racing boats. Large professionally crewed yachts. You don't need to make any decisions straight away and can just take what comes along. The more experience you get the better. For learning to sail the quickest way would be to get hold of a dinghy and spend as much time out in it as possible and or do some racing on somebody elses yacht and try to learn what you can. Just go to local clubs and ask about to see who wants crew, particularly just before they go out for a race, don't be shy just wander up and down asking there's nearly always some crew member who hasn't turned up. Don't overstate your experience it will be obvious.
The RYA qualifications won't do any harm but they won't impress anybody. Most people in a similar situation are chaps, and mostly they concentrate on selling themselves on sailing ability. This is far less helpful than abilities in cooking / engineering / medication so if you have any of those skills you'll be laughing. (If you're a cook or a doctor or a nurse and have sailing experience you may well find it possible to get a paid job on a big sailing yacht - think 35m plus.)
If you fancy ocean cruising, in fact whatever you fancy it's the people you're with that are most important, after that the itinerary and after that the boat. To pick up a cruising boat it might be worthwhile hopping across to the HOrta in the azores, loads of boats pass through and some will have injured or irritated crew who will leave there and so there will be a gap to fill and which ever way you go from there it's only about 2-3 weeks so if you pick a bad berth it won't be for all that long.
If you end up in the Carribbean the big boats are based around St Martins and Antigua, and the little ones are everywhere.
If you want to get onto the big yachts be aware it's very competitive to get into, a typical new start is an attractive non smoking tidy person who has done what is known as the STCW courses, essentially some basic sea survival / firefighting etc courses which cost about a thousand pounds, I think but don't quote me on that.
If you're trying to take a break from work I'd steer clear of the big yachts as it's definiteyl a stressful job not a break.
December is near the begining of the Carribbean season.
I'm probably boring you to tears so will stop rambling on but good luck with your plans.