Sunsail yacht skipper salary?

[Nico]

I've already been offered a job on a windfarm guard boat at considerably more pay than Sunsail, but 2 weeks endlessly cruising 10 square miles of the Irish Sea does not appeal. To be clear, I'm not looking for a career - I've been retired quite comfortably for the last 6 years doing a few unpaid deliveries etc. but now I fancy something a bit more structured and Sunsail seems to tick the box.

I was speaking to a Sunsail skipper a few years ago while waiting for the Port Solent lock after one of their regattas. He was working on a contract for the weekend and many of their skippers do that and mix it up with work for other companies. He said he got £85 but I'm not sure if it was per day or for the whole weekend.

The down side is the way the company is run. A friend signed up for the flotilla training out of Port Solent earlier this year. As the forecast was looking seriously bad in the days running up to the weekend she rang them to see what the situation was. They said they would go out regardless of the weather unless "storm" was mentioned in the forecast. She ended up having a really **** experience and learned nothing as they were unable to do a thing of any use except survive in 30+ knot winds. The skipper got no backup from Sunsail and felt he had to go out and do it regardless of the rubbish deal for the clients. Complaints after the event were just ignored.

On the plus side you can have fun crashing their boats around in the marina in a way that other companies wouldn't tolerate.

 

[roblpm]

I'm sure I only got a fraction of that over the 4 years of my PhD studentship. But then it was in the 1960s...

Mike.

Well to reassure you that it isnt much better, my wife is just starting a phd and upon asking what happens after 3 years if she hasn't finished it was told that its fine to take an extra year to write it up unpaid!

 

[Grumpybear]

Well to reassure you that it isnt much better, my wife is just starting a phd and upon asking what happens after 3 years if she hasn't finished it was told that its fine to take an extra year to write it up unpaid!

Lucky to get funding at all, perhaps. My son, married with a daughter, is holding down five part time jobs to do a PhD while his wife works full time. Meanwhile, a fellow student is getting full funding while still living with parents.

 

[prv]

Lucky to get funding at all, perhaps. My son, married with a daughter, is holding down five part time jobs to do a PhD while his wife works full time. Meanwhile, a fellow student is getting full funding while still living with parents.

It might be interesting to compare the subject of those two PhDs?

Pete

 

[Grumpybear]

It might be interesting to compare the subject of those two PhDs?

Pete

Both in elements of archaeology. Same department of same university. I genuinely do not consider one more useful, valuable or challenging than the other. Only one funded place available, so......

 

[dslittle]

Can hardly consider an apprentice "beach bum" for 7 years is much of a cv is it

Oh I don't know. My boy did five years in Greece building up from the bottom. He has just spent the last 18 months in Sydney setting up his business, after spending time in Italy and Spain on super yachts. He is 'helping a friend out' on a super yacht in Greece next month and is then going to Florida for a permanent job. He is 25. When I was 25, I think that I had got as far as Lloret de Mar!!!

 

[roblpm]

Lucky to get funding at all, perhaps. My son, married with a daughter, is holding down five part time jobs to do a PhD while his wife works full time. Meanwhile, a fellow student is getting full funding while still living with parents.

Not complaining! It just delays my retirement / sailing plans by a few years though hopefully there will be a job for her at the end of it and i can gracefully bow out while she pays the council tax!

 

[JumbleDuck]

Well to reassure you that it isnt much better, my wife is just starting a phd and upon asking what happens after 3 years if she hasn't finished it was told that its fine to take an extra year to write it up unpaid!

There is a lot of pressure from research councils to get PhDs finished within four years, so any university would rather see someone take an extra year than not complete at all. That's for funded places - if you're paying your own way they generally don't care much, beyond a general pastoral concern for the student.

 

[roblpm]

There is a lot of pressure from research councils to get PhDs finished within four years, so any university would rather see someone take an extra year than not complete at all. That's for funded places - if you're paying your own way they generally don't care much, beyond a general pastoral concern for the student.

It will be done. My wife will work 18*7 to get it done! Meanwhile i will have to pull my weight round the house which is going to be be irritating! I should be out sailing, not working so she can do a phd, and not doing the hoovering! I wasn't cut out for 9-5 middle class suburban misery! I should be rounding cape horn in a storm!!

 

[JumbleDuck]

It will be done. My wife will work 18*7 to get it done! Meanwhile i will have to pull my weight round the house which is going to be be irritating! I should be out sailing, not working so she can do a phd, and not doing the hoovering! I wasn't cut out for 9-5 middle class suburban misery! I should be rounding cape horn in a storm!!

I was working 18 and occasionally 24 hour stints to finish mine. Utterly exhausting but also very exciting. Some of the best fun I have ever had with my clothes on ashore.

 

[roblpm]

I was working 18 and occasionally 24 hour stints to finish mine. Utterly exhausting but also very exciting. Some of the best fun I have ever had with my clothes on ashore.

Yes, i wouldn't mind if it was me doing it! I did a whole load of professional exams in my late 30s which was great. Studying is a good excuse for not cooking the tea in our house! Which means 4 years of misery for me! Anyway I will be nearly 50 when she finishes at which point the kids will be able to look after themselves, my wife will get a hugely paying job and i will sail off in to the sunset!!

 

[[3889]]

A PhD studentship stipend is currently £13,726 p.a. (outside London) which is £263.96 per week.

But you have to fund accomodation from that. Lazy I know but I was comparing disposable income.

 

[onesea]

Just one thought for those pondering this route, when you turn your hobby into you carrier do you loose your hobby....

A few years back I was on the break of doing this, I am pleased I broke away. Sailing is my hobby.

As the post above said about you go unless there is storm etc... As I understand YES there allot of fun times to be had BUT you pay for it at other other times...

 

[roblpm]

Just one thought for those pondering this route, when you turn your hobby into you carrier do you loose your hobby....

A few years back I was on the break of doing this, I am pleased I broke away. Sailing is my hobby.

As the post above said about you go unless there is storm etc... As I understand YES there allot of fun times to be had BUT you pay for it at other other times...

I think you have a good point. One day someone will come up with a matrix of job vs fun vs money

I started a business doing something I loved doing. Was moderately successful but no fun.

I then stopped doing that and started a business just aimed at making money. Also no fun but funds the boating.

Someone can explain how to earn a reasonable amount of money doing something fun and socially useful but Im not sure those jobs exist.

I am going to sell the business in 10 years and semi retire. But as someone says if I went down the route of sailing instructor to make some pocket money it may not be as much fun as i think. Working part time doing the high value job i do at the moment might still be the best way forward!!

 

[prv]

Just one thought for those pondering this route, when you turn your hobby into you carrier do you loose your hobby....

Very often, I think. I certainly have zero interest in messing about with computers outside the office nowadays.

Pete

 

[Nico]

Working part time doing the high value job i do at the moment might still be the best way forward!!

I think working in the holiday/flotilla business is great for a few years when you are young, or maybe as a middle-aged gap year, as seems to be increasingly popular. When I did some flotillas in the '90s the lead crews were all in their 20s or early 30s but these days there seems to be a proportion of older people taking a year or two out. That sounds fine to me but not long term. I did a similar thing when I was young (sort of sea-horse hugging activity) then I realised I'd have to do something else if I ever wanted to live in my own place and have a car that didn't break down etc. Now work pays for the fun, rather than being it.

 

[roblpm]

I think working in the holiday/flotilla business is great for a few years when you are young, or maybe as a middle-aged gap year, as seems to be increasingly popular. When I did some flotillas in the '90s the lead crews were all in their 20s or early 30s but these days there seems to be a proportion of older people taking a year or two out. That sounds fine to me but not long term. I did a similar thing when I was young (sort of sea-horse hugging activity) then I realised I'd have to do something else if I ever wanted to live in my own place and have a car that didn't break down etc. Now work pays for the fun, rather than being it.

What i need for my mid 50s on is a job that is more fun and less money than what i do now but less fun and more money than the job in the op! Any suggestions??!! Preferably less than 6 months a year!!