Crew Available: Delivery Skipper and Tutor Available

[katoema]

Professionally - A kind of make it happen person! A lifelong appetite for all things nautical, ocean sailing, navigation and meteorology.

From a sailing perspective, I hold a full RYA Yachtmaster Offfshore Certificate and the RYA Ocean Yachtmaster theory qualification, but ex naval navigator, including vhf and long-range radio certificates. I started sailing in 1954 and have been sailing solo since 1963. My passion for ocean sailing and routing and meteorology is well known, including a gold medal presented to me by both the French and Canadian authorities in 2008 for undertaking this work (free of charge), in taking 60 yachts in both directions from La Rochelle – Quebec – La Rochelle. Known as the Grande Traversée de l'Atlantique, this was part of the festivities celebrating the 400th anniversary of the founding of Quebec. This included taking a number of yachts through the eye of a massive hurricane Bertha in real time.

With plenty of free time since residing on the banks of the Firth of Forth, I give back a lifetime’s sailing experience to assist boat owners/skippers, etc with any sailing requirements they may have. This can be at any time during the 7-day week and for any duration, from day sailing to passage making, to delivery whether it be coastal, offshore or ocean if short-handed, etc.

I have returned in the past few days after skippering a Moody 41 from the River Forth (Scotland) to Kristiansand (Norway) and return. The two-way trip took 3.5 days out and 5 days back, which included a F7 and 12 metre swell off the SW corner of Norway. The essence was to teach the owner to understand passage making and to ascertain if the yacht was capable of such passages. As I am retired all I ask is that my return flights back to Edinburgh are paid for and that I am fed and watered on the boat, and remuneration for the time I am on-board would be £150 per day etc.

Further, I have returned today after a an intended trip to take a Fountaine Pajot catamaran from Southampton to Gibraltar for a boat owner new to sailing and instruct him over this passage period (at his request) in all techniques of catamaran sailing for three weeks.



Thanks for reading.

Martin Parr

Twitter: @Martin_Parr_CI
RYA Yachtmaster Offshore

[katoema]

It seems as my next boat owner wants to put back the delivery until Spring next year.

This leaves me free for any deliveries/tutoring from November.

Glad to hear from you.

Martin

[katoema]

Is the market really slowing down? This is my first Autumn (Fall) when it has been really quiet!

Martin

[meatservo]

I think the U.S. election has everybody in a wait and panic mode...

Impressive CV by the way, I wish I had 1/10th that experience.

150 quid a day seems reasonable, I will entertain this at a later date!

I get 8 to $1,500.00 a day depending on the vessel, but I'm usually at 41,000 feet doing 500 kts. so it's all relative, you probably still come out ahead based on time served!

Good luck man, hope I get to sail with you someday...


meatservo

[katoema]

Thank you for your feedback, much appreciated! There will come a time when you'll get to a point to give up flying, professionally (I did in 1972!) Now I give back to others 50+ years of sailing experience.

Being UK based, there is a big market in moving smaller yachts around the UK between now and May, as the main buying and selling season kicks in. The next market after that is moving boats from northern Europe to southern Europe. November should see the start of the transats and it is this market that has fallen away.

Perhaps one day we will meet

[katoema]

Seems that the latest activity from my Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts are producing PMs on those accounts from real enquirers. Unfortunately, verifying persons on here is difficult, but not impossible, unless they have social media accounts. Generally skippers who like to have a public image do, which is a plus, but boat owners seeking crew generally don't.

This site, has a purpose and why I have supported it since 2003, even if I have not posted until recently. I have more time now to work on things nautical and donate 25% of my time for free to help/assist boat owners and their families. I may be older than most, but recently I met with someone whose father at 91 went round the UK for the fifth time last year!

Suffice to say that the Internet and social media helps to reach people, but it also helps to catch the scammers. The Moderators are doing a fine job but we should be vigilent, too.

I welcome your projects, whether it be passage making, offshore or just coastal hopping, with tuition thrown in, then PM me with an email address to discuss the project.

Martin

[katoema]

OK! The election in the US is over. Time to talk turkey... There will now be many wanting to escape the US; they have a yacht, but not the experience to sail on the high seas and will now come running for skippers to take them all points away from the shores of the US.

Stranger escapades have happened, especially where conflict breaks out unexpectedly, and owners want there boats move like yesterday. Vietnam, Cambodia, Bosnia, Crimea and the list goes on. The older skippers will know all about this. But back to the US. There have been many wealthy individuals in the US, who have stated what they are going to do should a particular candidate win the election. Those on that side of the Pond should keep their ears to the ground on this. Let me know if I can have a couple of yachts?

Thanks. Martin

[katoema]

Just a small update, but will interest many, I'm sure.

If you follow sailing and want to enable more disabled and less able persons to sail offshore and passage making, then visit Sailing for a Cause | With there being many disability sailing organisations, the gist of this mission is to enhance what is already available with fresh impetus and funds for offshore sailing and passage making for the disabled and less able-bodied, and follow the Facebook Group: Sailing For A Cause and Twitter: @sailing4acause to be kept in the loop.

I am the Founder, but there are persons from across the Globe that are now part of it. It is currently going through the preparations to be a charitable organisation, with some interesting corporates waiting in the wings once charitable status has been given.

I cannot respond to questions on here about Sailing For A Cause, but use the appropriate channels if you're interested.

Thanks. Martin

[nick-gee]

Originally Posted by katoema

It seems as my next boat owner wants to put back the delivery until Spring next year.

This leaves me free for any deliveries/tutoring from November.

Glad to hear from you.

Martin

hi martin
I'm new to this so could do with some advice. I was meant to go up to Scotland to view a boat but when I rang a transport company the gent said the boat would be too high for him to pass under a few bridges on the way from the marina in a small village called Arisaig so I decided to pass the boat up somebody suggested sailing it to Glasgow to have it craned onto the wagon.what I would like to know is what sort of cost this would cost.
regards nick

[katoema]

Hi, Nick, thanks for making contact. Happy to assist - my season started last week.

Can you call me on 07578 888 828? Itr will be easier to ask and answer questions very quickly.

Thanks

Martin