Would you work as a flotilla leader?

[dylanwinter]

I was a flotilla leader in 1981! No tickets required in those days. Yes, it was hard work, more like marine pony trekking than cruising, salary not good, so one worked for tips, always being bought drinks and most food found helped too.

One problem was that I was provided with a UFO 27 as lead boat, a good coastal cruiser, but not enough space for an engineer, let alone all the spares one needed. Ideal lead boat would be a 40' Nelson.

I worked for the YHA at a riding centre in Wales

not too many regs in those days - no qualifications

most of the people were lovely - three times as many girls as blokes - I was 18 years old

what can I say?

never had it so good

but in those days people did not go around demanding customer service

no helmets worn and during the whole time I worked there we utterly failed to kill anyone

D

 

[Kelpie]

But how much is the course and how many young people have the money to go on the course?

Seems you need to do a course to get a job in anything at all. I came across a £600 course for people wanting to do a ski season, i.e. how to pour a pint or clean a chalet.

 

[mjcoon]

Sunscape and Seafarer have two older couples who work as flot leaders. Ipek the female skip is Turkish but has worked in the UK and is excellent. She works alongside Sila her Turkish engineer partner. The other couple are Irish and gave up their jobs to bum around the med in their boat, but then ran out of cash. Would I do it? It seems like a lot of responsibility with new idiots turning up every week, too much stress if you ask me.

Ipek is a large lady. Her demonstration at the briefing of how to park stern-to a restaurant table will stay with me!

The other couple are David and Katie Simpson (who are on Facebook). They have also worked for Sunsail but are not complimentary about the experience...

Mike.

 

[KellysEye]

We've seen lots of flotillas and many of the skippers are young (20's) Australians or Kiwis.

 

[DaveRo]

We've enjoyed reading the blog of the skipper of the Neilson Halkidiki Flotilla. It starts with a delivery trip from the Ionian - which doesn't sound much fun.
http://halkidikiskipper.blog.com/2013/01/20/wowser-trowser-were-really-going/

We've met this flotilla a couple of times in the Sporades.

 

[Sandy]

But how much is the course and how many young people have the money to go on the course?

It is not a course it is a Certificate of Competence that incudes a VHF and First Aid Cert - there are many ways to get the sea time in.

 

[ChattingLil]

we joined a flotilla last year in the BVI and our leader skipper was in his late 40s and had been doing the job since he was a teenager. Same for the engineer and the hostess. (all locals). The hostess was hilarious. A completely sarcastic mother of five who has seen it, been it, done it. Completely unfazed and impressed by EVERYTHING. One of the (somewhat precious) customers asked her one evening - "aren't we just the best flotilla you've ever had"? To which she replied deadpan "no.".

 

[snowleopard]

When considering things like this people always concentrate on the nautical stuff and don't give enough thought to dealing with the customers. Every week you get a new lot which will inevitably include those who are incompetent, often refusing to acknowledge the fact and think they know the lot. And it will always be someone else's fault (usually yours) when they crunch something. Then there are those who will whine about everything - boat, equipment, weather, you. Can you see yourself dealing with these in a way that will avoid complaints to the company?

 

[dylanwinter]

we joined a flotilla last year in the BVI and our leader skipper was in his late 40s and had been doing the job since he was a teenager. Same for the engineer and the hostess. (all locals). The hostess was hilarious. A completely sarcastic mother of five who has seen it, been it, done it. Completely unfazed and impressed by EVERYTHING. One of the (somewhat precious) customers asked her one evening - "aren't we just the best flotilla you've ever had"? To which she replied deadpan "no.".

the answer is yes you are the best group we have ever had

they will be gone next week

to replaced with the next lot who will also be the best

we used to tell people how gifted they were as horse riders

and we also used to tell them that they seem to have an uncanny connection with their horses

never seen them so content

D

 

[Koeketiene]

When considering things like this people always concentrate on the nautical stuff and don't give enough thought to dealing with the customers. Every week you get a new lot which will inevitably include those who are incompetent, often refusing to acknowledge the fact and think they know the lot. And it will always be someone else's fault (usually yours) when they crunch something. Then there are those who will whine about everything - boat, equipment, weather, you. Can you see yourself dealing with these in a way that will avoid complaints to the company?

We briefly considered this in 2009 when we were offered such an opportunity.
The wife worked in tourism when we first met and thought if would be a good idea - the kids were in favour too.
Whilst the 'sailing and getting paid for it' bit appealed, I could not see myself dealing with whining punters on a day to day basis without causing offense.
I'm not exactly a people-person.

The family saw sense in the end.

 

[mjcoon]

We've enjoyed reading the blog of the skipper of the Neilson Halkidiki Flotilla. It starts with a delivery trip from the Ionian - which doesn't sound much fun.
http://halkidikiskipper.blog.com/2013/01/20/wowser-trowser-were-really-going/

We've met this flotilla a couple of times in the Sporades.

Thanks for that link. We did the first leg of a similar delivery trip for Sailing Holidays the previous year, hence this Corinth Canal photo: http://www.panoramio.com/photo/72864195

Had also done a Halkidiki "flotilla" fortnight back on 1984, so wondered about doing the Neilson's flotilla; maybe that blog will give me a hint...

Mike.

 

[Victoria Sponge]

Ipek is a large lady. Her demonstration at the briefing of how to park stern-to a restaurant table will stay with me!

The other couple are David and Katie Simpson (who are on Facebook). They have also worked for Sunsail but are not complimentary about the experience...

Mike.

Yes, you're right, although I remember them as Kate and Davey lol. We met them at Sogut when they were still bumming about on their boat Roamer. We saw it coming in with dodgers on and immediately thought, hello that's probably not a boat from around these parts. They moored next to us and we chatted to them about their exploits. Three years later, we were moored in Sogut and again Roamer came in and moored next to us, quite by coincidence. This time though Kate and Davey were working for Sunscape. I concur with what you say about their experience with Sunsail.

I really rated Ipek and found her an extremely intelligent and professional skip (although I hear what you say about the demo lol).

 

[Sybarite]

I see Lakesailor put up a post where Sunsail are advertising for flotilla skippers.

Now I haven't really gone a flotilla myself but I should imagine that you need to be quiet young. Having said that they require the following qualification

RYA Offshore Yacht Master with Commercial Endorsement

We know getting this is an expensive process so I wondered just how many youngish skippers who meet the standards are out there.

The second part to the question is.

Most of us are old gits but put your zimmer frames and catheters aside for a moment.

If you were in your 20's, free and single would you do it.

What are the advantages/ disadvantages?

Having spent a long time in Parisian traffic jams the last thing I want, when I go sailing, is to find crowds.

 

[Supine Being]

The other couple are David and Katie Simpson (who are on Facebook). They have also worked for Sunsail but are not complimentary about the experience...

I was chatting to one of the flotilla crew about the business once. All the various crew know each other as they go out boozing together through the season, and some have worked for several outfits. They reckoned that they're all much of a muchness to work for... apart from Sunsail who are worse than they rest. They pinch and scrape everywhere, including on maintenance. I was told to never buy a lease-buy from them for this very reason.

 

[Sailfree]

If you were in your 20's, free and single would you do it.

What are the advantages/ disadvantages?

I know someone who does Dinghy instucting in the summer and Ski instructing in the winter.

Disadvantages - not much money and sexual exhaustion - lucky bugger!!

 

[Jamesuk]

Yes, do it!

 

[Shakemeister]

I did the flotilla skipper thing in Greece - it was long hours but it was fun hours too. At the end of the day the pay wasn't brilliant, but I was treated like a C list celebrity in the bars and restaurants.

It's a good job for anyone with no or little shore ties, so long as you like working with people. The sailing aspect is secondary - people don't go on sailing holidays to sail, they go on sailing holidays to anchor in bays, swim, sunbathe and enjoy scenery and decent meals. If you were all about the sailing you'd be signing up for a boat in the Fastnet race.

However you can't be a beach / yottie bum all your life. If you're comfortable dealing with people problems and are a competent sailor then go for it - but don't expect to pay off a UK mortgage with your salary from NeilSail Holidays. It's a good experience though.

 

[tico]

Yup, been with Ipek & Sila twice now..... great couple who work all day & night to make an enjoyable holiday for their clients.

Also Philmore in the BVIs.... so laid back he's horizontal BUT nothing escapes him. I think that he has CCTV cams mounted in the boats judging by how he knows if you mess up at any time! Great guy

 

[Whiskey Bravo]

Thanks for that link. We did the first leg of a similar delivery trip for Sailing Holidays the previous year, hence this Corinth Canal photo: http://www.panoramio.com/photo/72864195

Had also done a Halkidiki "flotilla" fortnight back on 1984, so wondered about doing the Neilson's flotilla; maybe that blog will give me a hint...

Mike.

Too late, Neilson have left Halkadiki after last summer. Pity, we went with them twice on a bareboat basis and loved it.