Make Money While Cruising - List

[Delfin]

Originally Posted by Therapy

Fuc*ing bastards

B*tards or not, they are exhibit A in why the current system must collapse under its own weight. After all, on what planet does sailing while being paid by strangers represent a sustainable economic model? Not this one, I suspect.

[Freddy_Vagner]

Originally Posted by GreyBeardVA

Anyone teach sailing classes while they cruise? I was thinking of getting the ASA instructor certification so I could teach sailing classes noticing that the ASA site has many help wanted listings for sailing schools throughout the area I am planning to cruise.

Just wondering if anyone has any insight?

Thanks,

This is not a bad idea if you are cruising around the USA. But in other countries you would need to keep a low profile. I have some friends interested in learning to sail and they have even offered to help me purchase my next yacht by paying for their classes/charter in advance. This could work if your students have the cash to fly to your current location.

Every country you visit will have its own sailing schools and if there are no sailing schools already it is probably because there is no demand. Just because you have ASA instructor certification does not mean it will be legal for you to teach sailing without complying with local regulations. If there are any local schools they will probably pay really low wages if you work for them (just like English Language schools) and as already pointed out repeatedly above---the locals will not be happy with foreigners taking away their business (be it repairing diesel engines, selling fish, cutting hair, rape counseling or all the other incredible suggestions above, including my idea of selling books) which means they could report you and you might get into serious problems with the local authorities. Petty officials are the same all over the world. Enough said...

I had the pleasure of towing a very fancy 36' cigarette boat with engine failure back to port with my old yacht and incredibly reliable 13 hp diesel engine (yes, slowly but surely). The "captain" did not offer any payment, even though he was obviously not short of money. However the immense satisfaction of seeing his embarrassment when he finally arrived at his membership-by-invitation-only-helicopter-port-equipped Yacht Club was well worth the effort. In case somebody is thinking that I'm being unfair, my son and I visited that club a few months earlier and we were closely followed around by a uniformed security guard as if we were there to steal something.

If somebody could offer a 24-hour helpline with good practical information about how to fix boats, install equipment, etc. I think that could be a winner... I would certainly subscribe; if it was cheap LOL.

[aveladas]

1. Writing books - yes
2. Editing magazines - yes
3. Charter own boat - No
4. Cable TV series -yes
5. Artistic Paint - yes

[ozskipper]

Originally Posted by Freddy_Vagner

Here is a great idea that did not work!

OK I know everybody is looking for THE way to make money, not how NOT to make money, but eliminating a possibility is a valid exercise and a good way for other people to avoid an expensive mistake.

I had the great idea of writing a book for children all about going to the beach with lots information about drinking water to keep hydrated, marine animals and fun activities like mazes and pages to color etc. I thought I could translate it into several languages and print it on the go and sell it like hotcakes wherever I went...

So I invested in a couple of laser printers (one color and the other monochromatic) plus bulk toner so I could refill the cartridges myself to keep costs as low as possible and a nice professional guillotine: all to make the book as nice as possible. In fact many people were surprised when I told them I had printed it myself.

Result: a complete waste of time and investment. Nobody bought it, they did not even look at it to see if the contents were interesting or not. Many kids asked for it and were very disappointed when their parents would rather spend their cash on a can of beer (in fact I was offering the book for less than the cost of a beer!).
I was waved away like one would wave away a beggar or drunk bumming a cigarette...

(Can't sell it on Amazon as I ripped off the images from Google... LOL).

The images were probably made by some other cruiser trying to make money lol :-)

[kcmarcet]

I am an amateur photographer, how about selling the photos that you take of all the places that you cruise to? I am pretty sure there is at least a small market for such photo.


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[AnchorageGuy]

Susan and I research and publish our anchorage books from our trawler Beach House. In addition to publishing we do consulting work for marinalife and Cruiser's Net. For both, we do Navigational Notices and write for both marinalife's magazine and website. We also have been freelance writers for almost 20 years and have written articles for almost every major boating publication. It won't make us rich, but it pays some of the expenses and allows us to live our lifestyle. Chuck

[SV THIRD DAY]

Originally Posted by AnchorageGuy

It won't make us rich, but it pays some of the expenses and allows us to live our lifestyle. Chuck

There is another advantage of doing SOMETHING while out cruising to earn some money and that is lets you "write off" some of the cost of your cruise as a business expense. Before the lectures start on how you have to make money to have a tax write off, it can be an important part of the puzzel that helps. Diesel fuel, Marina bills, cruising gear, haul outs and repairs, all of those are bonifide expenses if you are earning money while out cruising on your floating business.

[AnchorageGuy]

Originally Posted by SV THIRD DAY

There is another advantage of doing SOMETHING while out cruising to earn some money and that is lets you "write off" some of the cost of your cruise as a business expense. Before the lectures start on how you have to make money to have a tax write off, it can be an important part of the puzzel that helps. Diesel fuel, Marina bills, cruising gear, haul outs and repairs, all of those are bonifide expenses if you are earning money while our cruising on your floating business.

Absolutely, and since our anchorage books are research driven, about the only way to do true research is by boat. At times the tax write offs out weigh the income. But isn't that the way a business is suppose to work? Chuck

[Jcolman]

Originally Posted by kcmarcet

I am an amateur photographer, how about selling the photos that you take of all the places that you cruise to? I am pretty sure there is at least a small market for such photo.


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Unfortunately there are too many amateurs with DSLR cameras willing to provide free photos to magazines and other publications, just so they can see their name in print. It's hard enough for professional photographers to make a living, I can't imagine that an amateur is going to make much money selling pretty pictures.

[SailBender]

Originally Posted by SV THIRD DAY

Now here is another way.....
I'm not saying I endorse it...encourage it...but we met more than a hand full of cruisers that were cruising on their Unemployment Checks...we called them 99-Week-Cruisers! They basically were living off their unemployment checks and off they went.

I don't know how unemployment works, but I thought you ran out of benefits after a certain amount of time and it wasn't even that long. I thought the only way you could continually get money would be if you were on disability?

Originally Posted by kcmarcet

I am an amateur photographer, how about selling the photos that you take of all the places that you cruise to? I am pretty sure there is at least a small market for such photo.

You would have to be a really good photographer, but you would have to be an even better marketer to actually get people interested in your photos to begin with. It can be done, but it takes a serious amount of marketing talent. If you chose to go with stock agencies, you will not make a dime unless you dedicate huge amounts of time to getting onshore to take pictures that are popular with stock clients, which basically has not a lot to do with boating or sea life, but people and lots of random objects that kind of tell a story.

[tropicalescape]

Originally Posted by Jcolman

Unfortunately there are too many amateurs with DSLR cameras willing to provide free photos to magazines and other publications, just so they can see their name in print. It's hard enough for professional photographers to make a living, I can't imagine that an amateur is going to make much money selling pretty pictures.

I take arieal photos with my Paramotor(Paraventure 210) and I have had some of the more familiar landmarks made into post cards...I ask for anywhere from 100.00(8.5x11's) to 1500.00(large portfolios) and if they say something like "I would give you 10.00 for one(small prints) I take it and stamp "proof" on it,they will often order a package or the 8x12 after they get home from their vacation, or if it is of a home or business when they want to put it on the market and try and sell it...I rarely "give it away" and have often times torn them in half if they "smart off" to me and say something like "I wouldnt give you one red penny for that" or "what good is it to you?" etc.. I have given them to churchs if they are trying to raise money for a "good cause" or some kids if they dont have money and show respect(if they dont say things like "you have got to be crazy to do that" or the like...Google earth has made it more difficult than in the past ,but they only enter the picture when it involves a building..

[Sailcat]

Vino
I like this post as it answers some questions I've had for some time and creates a few questions, such as:
1. How does page count work as far as cost?
2. How does color work? That, too, most have its costs.
3. What sort of camera equipment are you required to use in relation to formatting?
Thanks,
Sailcat

[Randyonr3]

Originally Posted by SailBender

You would have to be a really good photographer, but you would have to be an even better marketer to actually get people interested in your photos to begin with. It can be done, but it takes a serious amount of marketing talent. If you chose to go with stock agencies, you will not make a dime unless you dedicate huge amounts of time to getting onshore to take pictures that are popular with stock clients, which basically has not a lot to do with boating or sea life, but people and lots of random objects that kind of tell a story.

I spent a few years in the industry and found that not only is it tough, its a lot of work ..
To keep your name at the top of the list working with a stock house, you have to post thousands of photos annually. and not your average everyday photos of landscapes.. everyone does that.. but the photos that sell are those used in magazine.. and if yours are selling, you'll often get requests for types..
At one point, the major amount of the photos I was selling were of families in park settings and of kids or babies... and another thing to remember, all your photos, if sold need to have a release form attached.
you take a picture of my family or my property and you need me to sign off on it befor you can sell it.
Not only are the photos a tough gig but the largest amount of your time is in the processing.. and you'll find you'll spend many hours, every day setting behind your computer working a print in photoshop.. and you have to be good............
If you like to take landscape photos, it has to be places never visited before.. something people would want to see..
couple stories to enlighten you..
Read a few years ago of a guy that wanted to break into photography and sell his work.. sold everything he had and went to the back country of Alaska with a couple cameras and a handful of cards.. spent a couple years there and came back with photos worthy of National Geographic.
He had an exibit in New York and made a bundle.. he also caught a lot of crap from many oldtime photographers as they said he didn't "pay his dues".. cant win can you..
another short,
Couple years ago, read the number "ONE" stock photo seller didn't even own a camera .. he pulled photos off the internet and worked them over in photoshop.. didn't need a release as he changed the appearance of all he sold and none could be identified...he was a computer geek.
same thing just happened recently in the wine industry.. a guy from Castroville California received top awards for his wine .. some say the best ever grown in the world... odd thing.. the guy dosent own a vineyard but mixed the wine from consentrate from other vineyards..go figure.

[kcmarcet]

How about a service such as a water taxi, or perhaps a grocery service?

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[frank_f]

Originally Posted by kcmarcet

How about a service such as a water taxi, or perhaps a grocery service?

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I think you would need to know the area very well for either of these types of ventures.