Liveavoard for a year, new to the forum

[ErikSteenberg]

Hi guys, I'm excited to be here.
Last year I bought a Sadler 26 and started sailing.. I sail singlehanded and I've done some trips along South Africa's coast, with about 1,500 nm logged. I'm living aboard in Cape Town and now I'd like to start a circumnavigation by crossing the Atlantic to Brazil and then the Caribbean, before heading through Panama to the Pacific Islands and then on to Reunion, Mozambique, and back to Cape Town.

I'm preparing to leave by November 2017 and I would like to know if anyone knows about good spots to stop on the way where I can get daywork to fund my adventure?

I'm excited about sharing the experience with everyone on my youtube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKR...fS9tL3HL_HbNnQ
Looking forward to seeing some of you there!

If anybody knows about potential sponsors I should be contacting, information like that would be a giant help.

Thank you everyone. Fair winds!

[Pete7]

Eric, welcome to CF. Worth doing a search because there are some threads about living on less than $500 a month and a very recent one about our favourite you tube stars who seem to make a lot of money if you have a girl who wears low cut tops. As to working abroad, difficult and has been discussed before on here, but imagine how locals will feel if you take their work away.

Pete

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Erik.

[ErikSteenberg]

Originally Posted by Pete7

Eric, welcome to CF. Worth doing a search because there are some threads about living on less than $500 a month and a very recent one about our favourite you tube stars who seem to make a lot of money if you have a girl who wears low cut tops. As to working abroad, difficult and has been discussed before on here, but imagine how locals will feel if you take their work away.



Pete

Thank you for the reply, it is a sobering truth but I'll try stay positive.. I've heard of it being done before

[ErikSteenberg]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Erik.

Thanks Gord

[Dave22q]

Might work if you have a very in-demand skill and lots of money to grease the locals to permit you to work. Supporting a cruising life with casual employment is an often mentioned but seldom realized dream. The natives don't welcome foreign competition and unless your skills are rare and in demand it might take too long to generate a business. IMO it can only work if servicing cruisers, is highly skilled, and does not require a shop such as a Marine electronics/electrical tech.

[Pete7]

Also yachties tend to be a tight arsed bunch and extracting money from them for anything almost impossible so that is one market were people tend to help each other for favours rather than payment.

Pete

[ErikSteenberg]

Originally Posted by Dave22q

Might work if you have a very in-demand skill and lots of money to grease the locals to permit you to work. Supporting a cruising life with casual employment is an often mentioned but seldom realized dream. The natives don't welcome foreign competition and unless your skills are rare and in demand it might take too long to generate a business. IMO it can only work if servicing cruisers, is highly skilled, and does not require a shop such as a Marine electronics/electrical tech.

Thanks Dave,
I am a very efficient welder, can work on stainless and carbon steel. Not confident enough to work with aluminium though.. and I will need to use equipment that side. I can also do carpentery and build cheap efficient trim-tab windvanes for yachts with transom hung rudders. I am young strong and willing to work hard, hopefully the locals will take pity on me... afterall I won't be staying in one place for long.

[ErikSteenberg]

Originally Posted by Pete7

Also yachties tend to be a tight arsed bunch and extracting money from them for anything almost impossible so that is one market were people tend to help each other for favours rather than payment.



Pete

True Pete, Even if I get paid in food/diesel/antifouling paint/anodes... I'll be ok

[captmikem]

Eric,
If you dress well, you can pick up day labor work from large yachts in port.
I used to drive large yachts and was always looking for day labor in port, simple stuff like scrubbing the water line, cleaning decks, and if you are good at it brightwork. I always used to prefer South Africans because they work hard and do an honest days work.

Just walk the docks, or visit the anchorages, on large yachts ask to speak to the Mate, not the Captain. Look like you are prepared for work and not a boat bum and you will get work.

When you finish ask for a recommendation on the ships stationary. collect a few of these and carry copies when you walk the dock.

If you look around the boat you are working on you can notice things and keep working, things like lines that need whipping or fenders that need scrubbing, mention these to the Mate and he will keep you busy for days.

Good luck, if you get a chance find a copy of Dove by Robin Graham, interesting read about a kid who circumnavigated on a 24' boat. Gave me the desire to sail around the world.

M

[ErikSteenberg]

Originally Posted by captmikem

Eric,

If you dress well, you can pick up day labor work from large yachts in port.

I used to drive large yachts and was always looking for day labor in port, simple stuff like scrubbing the water line, cleaning decks, and if you are good at it brightwork. I always used to prefer South Africans because they work hard and do an honest days work.



Just walk the docks, or visit the anchorages, on large yachts ask to speak to the Mate, not the Captain. Look like you are prepared for work and not a boat bum and you will get work.



When you finish ask for a recommendation on the ships stationary. collect a few of these and carry copies when you walk the dock.



If you look around the boat you are working on you can notice things and keep working, things like lines that need whipping or fenders that need scrubbing, mention these to the Mate and he will keep you busy for days.



Good luck, if you get a chance find a copy of Dove by Robin Graham, interesting read about a kid who circumnavigated on a 24' boat. Gave me the desire to sail around the world.



M

This is good advice, exactly what I was looking for, thank you.
Also I've been told to read that book by a close friend a while ago, thank you for reminding me.

[barnakiel]

Jobs along the way depend on the skills you own. The more skilled you are, the easier to get or make a job. You also need meta skills - ability with people and language skills (Spanish, in Central America; French - in the Pacific).

None of the places you mentioned are great job spots. They are either island nations or Latin America nations and so not truly the fountain of wealth and venturing spirits. I think RSA is the best spot of all the ones on your list.

In any case, aim at departing with your pockets full enough to make the loop. Hope for a job and extra money but do not rely on such plans. If you make extra money, GREAT, if not, have enough to keep on going, in a modest way perhaps, but surely.

If you sail fast (one year trip), you will burn about 10k in this trip (no major breakdowns assumed). Quite some of it in Panama Canal charges and fees (investigate). Another tricky spot is Australian permits and fees (if you stop there). If you stop for a time, you will burn considerably more. Sailing is cheap, cruising is not. Cold beer, lovers, diesel all are known to empty your pockets pretty soon.

We have visited all the places you did. There were always many things needing a fix there, never a soul willing to pay one for fixing them.

Similar boat here. Also 26', just an older design. Sailed 2003-2007.

Good luck.

Cheers,
b.

[1Sunseeker]

Be careful and try to collect your wages at least once week. Someday you will show up with scrub brush in hand only to view an empty slip. Now where did the boat and your wages go?

[ErikSteenberg]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

Jobs along the way depend on the skills you own. The more skilled you are, the easier to get or make a job. You also need meta skills - ability with people and language skills (Spanish, in Central America; French - in the Pacific).

None of the places you mentioned are great job spots. They are either island nations or Latin America nations and so not truly the fountain of wealth and venturing spirits. I think RSA is the best spot of all the ones on your list.

In any case, aim at departing with your pockets full enough to make the loop. Hope for a job and extra money but do not rely on such plans. If you make extra money, GREAT, if not, have enough to keep on going, in a modest way perhaps, but surely.

If you sail fast (one year trip), you will burn about 10k in this trip (no major breakdowns assumed). Quite some of it in Panama Canal charges and fees (investigate). Another tricky spot is Australian permits and fees (if you stop there). If you stop for a time, you will burn considerably more. Sailing is cheap, cruising is not. Cold beer, lovers, diesel all are known to empty your pockets pretty soon.

We have visited all the places you did. There were always many things needing a fix there, never a soul willing to pay one for fixing them.

Similar boat here. Also 26', just an older design. Sailed 2003-2007.

Good luck.

Cheers,
b.

Thank you b, everything you say is very true but unfortunately I have already quit my job and selling my belongings to save up initial cash.. cost of living in Cape Town is high compared to wages so I wasn't managing to save enough money at my job. I am apprentice knife maker at the moment to help with monthly costs while I still get time to work on my boat. Realistically I'll be leaving from here with 1,000 USD in my pocket... I'll have to work hard and be smart to make it work from there, but I'm confident I can make it happen.

[Rorzech]

You'll need $2,000.00 to get though Panama canal and you get half that back when you get through. It might be more now, so check it out. In French Polynesia you must have a plane ticket for home, Or a big cash deposit that you get refunded when you leave. Check on that also. These are a couple of the large expenses that I've heard people discussing in the past. This Forum is a great place for getting advice. I'm sure there are hundreds of expenses just waiting for you, once you get out there in the wild blue yonder .