Make Money While Cruising - List

[JanetGroene]

I met a woman who landed on a fairly remote shore on the Gulf of Mexico in northern Florida. It had few shore services but the visiting yachties there are affluent sportfishers. So she bought a car and started a concierge service. She does anything from cleaning to airport runs, shopping, provisioning, pet sitting, ad inf. Business is booming and she's looking at larger vans, hiring staff and expanding in the vacation community where big-ticket condos rent by the week. If she decides to move on in time, I suspect she'll be able to sell the whole business at a nice profit.

[Canibul]

Originally Posted by weavis

Too true Mr Shrew.
I just wanted to say that...........

lol

Now that you mention it, that WAS Shrewdly put.

[hellosailor]

Fairly remote, but with big ticket condos?


To me, "remote" means no airport, no fedex, no ups, no cable, no cell phone, and FOR SURE no resort condo industry! AC & phone lines, still only borderline "remote".

[TanzerTom]

Originally Posted by Agility

I'd like to create an exhaustive list of how folks who are deeply passionate about cruising have also found ways to make money while cruising.

Here a quick list to start us off:

1. Writing books
2. Editing magazines
3. Charter own boat
4. Software development

Let's try not to include, sail a while then work a while, but how can you make money while sailing.

Keep the list going so the next idea is number 6.

"GREEN FISHING" Off shore sport fishermen pay HUGE sums to charter a boat and have a captain find fish for them. Most of the money goes for gas! They are not likely tree hugger types. Promoting "save the earth", "solar" powered fishing trips could be marketed to the greenies... they'll go anything if it makes them feel good about saving the earth. Catch and release, of course

[hellosailor]

" "solar" powered fishing trips could be marketed to the greenies... "
I've asked some big-fish fisherman about that. They'll typically run far enough out and back, that their day-trip becomes a three or four day sailing trip, which now has to include food, drink, berths, hot showers, all to their standards. Folks who will do an overnight powerboat run, still don't want a three day sailing trip.
And of course the "real" greenies don't want to injure, terrify, and abuse the big fish with catch-and-release. (Which to me, seems crueler than just putting it out of it's misery and harvesting the fish. Catch and torment it, just for fun??)
There are also some problems with using a sailboat for big game fishing. Like, how to you quickly back down when you are under sail?
And do people who are willing to pay solid five figures for a weekend of fun, including a lot of flight time, really care about burning some fuel while they're at it?


I just don't see it. But then again, I've misread a lot of things.

[TanzerTom]

Hellosailor, your points are valid. However, remember the target market. The proposal doesn't have to be rational nor the activity productive; if they think they'll be helping save the earth, they'll go for it.

[IntoMyHealth]

IT work....fixing broken sailing related sites


Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[rescher]

Originally Posted by Agility

I'd like to create an exhaustive list of how folks who are deeply passionate about cruising have also found ways to make money while cruising.

Here a quick list to start us off:

1. Writing books
2. Editing magazines
3. Charter own boat
4. Software development

Let's try not to include, sail a while then work a while, but how can you make money while sailing.

Keep the list going so the next idea is number 6.

I'm very late to this list. However, for small amount of money one can use Mechanical Turk. This is a service provided by Amazon where humans are paid to do work that computers cannot do well, such as, for example, look at page 15 a scanned PDF file to see if a person ticked the non-smoker box. That might earn you $0.10. You need an Internet connection but it should be possible to earn a few hundred a month pretty easily. Just Google the phrase "Mechanical Turk" and sign up.

[SV THIRD DAY]

Since we are now on page 73 of a chat thread about how to be entrepreneurial and make money while crujsing let me throw this out there to chew on. There are as many ways to make money while cruising as there are different boats out cruising! Entrepreneur type people can see money making opportunities anywhere, but folks if you need a infomercial, internet advertisement, or chat room thread on how to learn how to do it....well your odds of making it happen are about the same as that midnight TV commercial or internet ad letting you quit your job and work "part time from home".

I'm not at all trying to be a kill joy hers at all...but the best way to make money while cruising is to FIRST get your dreaming rear end out there cruising!!! Then if cruising is really need need the lifestyle for you and you want to continue it and fund it...you will be able to look around where you are and figure it out! Sure you can do some market research but the best research will come from you being there, in the cruising community, talking to cruisers, seeing what they need, understanding them and their needs. Just doing boat sitting while cruisers make trips home to visit family could and has turned into a business for some cruisers. I know cruisers that make $2500/mo in the off season just watching and looking after peoples boats! They didn't plan that before they cast off...they just saw the need in their cruising area and boom...they turned into self funding cruisers off of something so " simple".

Let's also be honest here...if you are not the type that could spot little business opportunities back at home what makes you think you will out cruising, where sunsets, margaritas and the cruising culture will make you not want to work...in fact looks at work as a 4 letter word? It takes a certain amount of guts and discipline even to put your sailrite machine up on the dock and announce over the VHF that you have sewing skills for hire. So why not practice that NOW? People who have earned a little money outside the W2 wage earning world in the past will be more likely to do it in the future...so rather than trying to pick a few ways to earn a buck while cruising. Spend some time and even practice learning to see the world and situations through a more entrepreneurial eye.

Like I said...there are LOTS of ways to make money while out cruising.
But you practice sailing, diesel repair, anchoring, etc.....why not practice making money?

[hellosailor]

Mechanical Turk? Really?


Have you looked at those five and ten cent jobs, and figured out how much money you could make in an eight hour day, versus what it would COST you to simply have online access and eat for that same day?


In the developed world, Mechanical Turk jobs usually aren't economically feasible. It would cost you more to do that work than you would get paid, and that's even before taxes. Which you might not have to pay, since you'd probably never hit the income reporting threshold with the income from those jobs.


For someone in the "fourth world" getting paid two bucks a day to glue on sneaker soles, the jobs may be salvation. But in the developed world? They usually pay less than sweatshop work. And of course, you've got to supply all the equipment, which would make them what? Sweatshop cottage work?

[eliems]

Originally Posted by onestepcsy37

...My preferred investment method is to buy good stocks in bad times. Don't really see any right now, so I'm sitting on the sidelines and collecting dividends...

How about Chevron with over 4% dividends and 22% down on oil prices?

[SV THIRD DAY]

Originally Posted by eliems

How about Chevron with over 4% dividends and 22% down on oil prices?

Better yet....how about buying US Gov Treasuries. They just paid off the last trillion by printing another trillion....that's a great no risk investment...ha ha ha. The Republic is too big to fail right...says the Roman Senate. Can I buy into that great SS trust fund ponzi scheme...na...I would rather spent my money at the track.

[onestepcsy37]

Originally Posted by eliems

How about Chevron with over 4% dividends and 22% down on oil prices?

Yeah, I bought BP right after the Gulf oil spill. Good stock, bad times. The price fell from a high of 65 to an incredibly cheap 25. I bought in at 29 and its now around 42. BUT, its still paying quarterly dividends which are worth about 8 percent to me...

[sailorchic34]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

Mechanical Turk? Really?


Have you looked at those five and ten cent jobs, and figured out how much money you could make in an eight hour day, versus what it would COST you to simply have online access and eat for that same day?


In the developed world, Mechanical Turk jobs usually aren't economically feasible. It would cost you more to do that work than you would get paid, and that's even before taxes. Which you might not have to pay, since you'd probably never hit the income reporting threshold with the income from those jobs.


For someone in the "fourth world" getting paid two bucks a day to glue on sneaker soles, the jobs may be salvation. But in the developed world? They usually pay less than sweatshop work. And of course, you've got to supply all the equipment, which would make them what? Sweatshop cottage work?

Got to agree with Hellosailor on this. I looked at Mechanical turk and Clickworker, another 3 cent a click site. It's a whole lotta work for $2-$3 and hour, if your lucky.

There are other sites that do pay more for skilled freelancers. Not lots of $$$ by full time US employment hourly rates, but $600-$800 a month is very doable. Skills like graphic design, HTML and java codeing, really any type of programming, that engineering thingy, document editing, etc.. Its not big money, but there is at least one blonde sailing chic, bringing in enough each month to support her $600/month lifestyle and maybe a bit more for a bottom job or a new stove.

Your not going to make thousands a month, but for those at the lower end of the food chain, its there.

[onestepcsy37]

Originally Posted by SV THIRD DAY

Better yet....how about buying US Gov Treasuries. They just paid off the last trillion by printing another trillion....that's a great no risk investment...ha ha ha. The Republic is too big to fail right...says the Roman Senate. Can I buy into that great SS trust fund ponzi scheme...na...I would rather spent my money at the track.

Remember during the Carter years when 30 year treasuries were paying 17%? (Not a misprint!). Somehow they got paid off and some smart investors had an incredible guaranteed income for 30 years and then got their original investment back! At their present rates, treasuries are just a good parking place for money.

As for SS, its still a great idea. We just need to get the crooks and politicians (same thing?) out of it.