Crew Available: Inexperienced Retired Male Seekng Position

[TinmanSr]

Hello,

I´m a straight male, retired (age 62), citizen of the United States. At the moment I´m living in Iquitos, Peru. I came here after roaming around Central America for a few months after I retierd as a construction
foreman in Tucson, Az. I´ve been here a couple of years and I´ve decided it´s time to learn to sail.

I´ve read all the books on circumnavigation in small boats since I was in high school. I told myself someday I was going to learn to sail. Now is the time.

I´m very healthy. Honest. Don´t smoke. Don´t drink. Don´t do drugs of any kind. Divorced. Intelligent. Excellent cook. Hard working. Published writer. Ham radio operator (KC7WHR). Chess player. Five foot eight. 154 lbs. Avid reader. I´m able to carry on an intelligent conversation on any subject without interjecting ¨ya knows¨ and ¨¨likes¨. Like, ya know.
Past Mensa member. I, of course, speak English and I can make myself understood...most of the time...in Spanish.

I¨m looking for a skipper, straight male or straight female, that needs a crew member who is willing to teach me how to sail a boat. Possibly interested in a ¨project¨ getting a boat ready to sail as long as a berth is assured once the work is completed. I have no problems taking orders from a woman as long as she is qualified. The same applies to a male skipper.

In regards to a project boat. It´s time for me to go sailing. Not spend months ashore working on a boat. I have no money to spend on a project boat. It´s your boat, not mine. I have no money to spend on maintenance on your boat. It´s your boat not mine. If you have a boat that needs a little work to be ready for sailing I´d be interested in supplying part of the labor (not the money) for a berth on the boat. But not a complete refit that will take months of shore time.

Let´s talk a little about money. Besides the fact, I mean, that I live on my retirement income and don´t have much.

What little I get a wonderful family of 7 sisters here in Iquitos gets part of that income to keep them out of the slums of Belen and send them to college. Belen is the slums of Iquitos. And the family was living in the slums of Belen when I met them. They now live in huge house in one of the nicer areas of Iquitos and have 20 acres of land they are raising crops on. (See below).

I understand the need the pay my own way. And I´m more than willing to do that. My visas. My share of the food, etc.I don´t drink so
I don´t think I should pay for a share of any alcohol. If you operate a charter boat outside the regulations I´m not interested in sailing
with you. A daily fee of $20 for ¨your share of the expenses¨ is $600 a month. To be honest with you, there are a lot of websites looking for
people to ¨go sailing with us¨. When you read the fine print to go sailing with them is $20-$50 a day for ¨your share of the expenses¨.
Five people sailing with them X 20 a day is $3000 a month That is a lot of expenses. For instance, the mortgage payment of the boat.
And, a reserve for the engine, new sails and mast.

I realize I know nothing about sailing. But I do know something about finances and the cost of running a boat. And, how to avoid the regulations
that cover operating a charter boat. I´m not looking for a pleasure or vacation cruise.

So what kind of boat am I looking for?.

I have a Keep It Simple, Stupid (KISS) attitude. I´m not looking for a plush pleasure yatch with air conditioning, refrigeration, computers, Internet, auto pilot and the latest electronics. Or with a big, smelly, loud, diesel engine. I want to learn to sail...not learn to operate equipment that does the sailing.

The latest GPS equipment isn´t necessary. I´ve got a copy of H.O. 208 and, if I feel like it, a scientific calculator and I know the formulas I need to find Point B from Point A. I´m in the process of making a Bris Sextant. Like I said, KISS.

A small, junk rigged boat, a cedar bucket, a yulah and a good looking female skipper would be perfect. Perchance to dream.

Three heads are fine. The Skipper´s, mine and a cedar bucket. An ice chest would be more than I´ve been living with for the past 2 years and I´ve gotten along just fine.

If the boat doesn´t have it I don´t need to help fix it. Although, being mechanically inclined, not lazy, and willing if it´s necessary, I
probably could fix anything on your boat. Except, possibly the refrigeration equipment. Unless you have the manual. Of course, at sea, if it
breaks we fix it. It´s time to learn to sail. I´ve already learned how to fix things.

I´m not fussy about what I eat. I eat to live not live to eat. I´ve lost 60 lbs here in Iquitos and it´s staying off. How did I lose 60 lbs? Building two houses. Hot, humid, long jungle treks carrying a backpack. Clearing jungle with a machete to plant corn, watermelon, pineapple, and mango and papaya trees. And carrying 100 gallons a water 300 meters once a day when not trekking in the jungle. The house has running water only when I run to get it. Which is never. I said I was intelligent not stupid.

Not exactly a Jenny Craig recommended diet but it did the trick.

If you´ve read this far and willing to take on an inexperienced crew member and we are like minded individuals I´d like to hear from you.

If you have a boat sitting in some foregin port that needs a dependable caretaker you´ve found one. I´ll learn how to sail in the dingy and
on day cruises with other boats nearby. When you take the boat out I go with you.

If you have a boat and getting ready for blue water sailing my favorite color is blue. I think.

If you´ve a lady skipper that loves the life but ready to give it up because you can´t find a sober, honest, dependable First Mate this may
be your chance to continue sailing.

If you have a boat that needs repairs and are willing to donate it to a simpatico, retired, iconoclastic, future blue water sailor I´ll take it.
Provided the hull is sound and there are no marina fees. Or, I can avoid the fees by moving the boat. South America would be great. Panama OK.
Rio Dulce fine. Baja great.

In other words, I´m open to all offers.

Time for a change....

Take care

Tom





I

[Solitude]

Wow that is a long post...

[David_Old_Jersey]

Life sometimes moves on kinda quick..........

"I have a US passport (American citizen). My girl friend is Peruvian and holds a Peruvian passport.

When we arrive in the US aboard our pleasure vessel will she be allowed to visit ashore? If she requires a visa to visit ashore does she have to get it before we arrive or can she get the visa after arriving?"


........but losing both the boat and the girlfriend within 3 days is going some

[Vasco]

Damn, can't get away with anything on this board! Seems they cross check all your posts! Wish the MSM were as good at fact checking.

[TaoJones]

Yes, that was a long post - but it's one of the best "looking for a crew position" posts I think we've had here.

By being so specific, Tom, you may have eliminated a few possibilities, but by putting in the time now to type such a comprehensive post, you've probably saved yourself (and some of those looking for crew) a lot of time later.

Some on this Forum know that I'm planning to look for a new vessel already in Mexico when I have my house re-model in Las Vegas completed. And I'll be spending quite a bit of time on it once I've found the right vessel, God willing.

I'll keep you in mind and see if there's an opportunity to talk further at some point down the road.

So, welcome to the Forum, Tom. It sounds like you're ready for a new phase in your adventurous life.

TaoJones

[imagine2frolic]

Great post Tin, but then I read DOJ's? What's going on there fella?I was just about ready to ditch my wife for you........i2f

[TinmanSr]

David,

The Peruvian girlfriend is one of the sisters I mentioned in the second post.

We discussed by desire to go sailing last night. Again.

She has decided not to go sailing with me. She is the oldest sister and feels responsible for her sisters. She still is my girlfriend. Any skippers leave their wives and girlfriends behind when they go sailing?

I´m not trying to get away with anything......do you really think I didn´t realize others would also see my first post?

But you are right about one thing...life does go by fast.

Which is the reason it´s time to go sailing. I´m tired of carrying water and clearing the jungle.


Best regards,

tom

[imagine2frolic]

I have not only left a wife, but a couple of girlfriends too. Long story, but it was they who broke their promises, so I left.

I was kidding about ditching the wife, but serious about the great post. Obviously you have read some of the sneaking boat owners seeking crew here.......lol......i2f

[cantxsailor]

I keep trying to leave the wife but she keeps coming back......m

[Fishman_Tx]

you'd think they were australian "boomerang" women the way they keep comin back....