Crew Available: Swedish girl looking for Transatlantic crew opportunities in Dec 2012

[hellosailor]

Next, she will send some lucky skipper a five thousand dollar money order to pay for her share of expenses and food, and ask them to just wire back the excess via Western Union.

A Swede from China...I'll bet she makes fantastic pickled cat!

[Dsanduril]

Originally Posted by starchaser 2011

Reread the OP. I'm buyin' it. Good things do happen. Sorry not be able to help out. Don't be impolite guys

Hey Little Sister,

Looks like you have at least one believer here, if Starchaser is right then we all owe you an apology and a big fat CF welcome. I'll be the first in line to get down on my knees and beg your forgiveness

And if you're serious, some serious advice. If you can arrive before Christmas buy a one way ticket to the Canaries. Within 24 hours you'll have your choice of rides across the Atlantic. If you're shy then just print out a bunch of copies of your first post and pass them around. You'll get run off by a few admirals, don't let them bother you (and if you don't get that reference put the word "admiral" in the forum search box and do a little reading).

And real or troll, kudos on the well crafted post. I think we all found it very enjoyable.

[snort]

Any guesses as to which one?

[Captain Jeffry]

Originally Posted by mei

Hi,

I'm a fun loving 28 years old Chinese-born, UK educated, Swedish girl looking to cross the Atlantic in mid/late December 2012.

I am willing to pay for my costs. I am a competent crew, however, with no previous ocean crossing experience. I have a masters degree in Engineering and cooks Chinese

I am small (165cm/50kg) and will fit into any space! I'm easy going and not very fussy about sleeping conditions. (I spend several weeks a year sleeping in tents on various mountain expeditions)

In my spare time, I am a competitive figure skater and pole dancer. I have a healthy appetite and will eat just about anything, rawr! However, I don't seem to be able to handle any alcohol and never smoked in my life!

I originally planned to participate in the ARC, however, due to work commitments, I was not able to leave in Nov. (I work in strategy consulting.) Having been looking forward to this transatlantic trip all summer, I am hoping I can still catch a ride from the Canary Islands, and have some fun in the Caribbeans

Please let me know if you've got a position for me, or know anybody that might be interested. Thanks for the help!

/Mei

Do you paint or play a guitar/ukulele?

[Dulls]

Sorry looking for a swiss girl with the same qualifications. So close yet so far

[Captain Jeffry]

Originally Posted by Dulls

Sorry looking for a swiss girl with the same qualifications. So close yet so far

WoW! Who knew?!

[stillbuilding]

Hi Mei,
Living in Hong Kong and knowing some other young Chinese gals (I will assume you are Chinese from your name but really does not matter either way) with your same spirit and talent for adventure I have sent you a PM with our future sailing plans. My 57 year old wife, some young friends and myself are intent on enjoying some long-distance sailing and you may care to join us. Would be great if you can play majong too! Cheers.

[goboatingnow]

when I did a crossing some years back, we had two Swedish sisters look for a spin across, It took us a while to form english replies.

[lannen]

To achieve perfection with this post she needs to add:

"Very quiet, talks only when absolutely necessary"

[captsam54]

Where do they come from.... LOL....

[mei]

Haha, you guys amuse me.

I'm new here, so have quite a few questions.

Timing
As I mentioned before, I originally planned to go sailing with a colleague of mine (his 2nd world circumnavigation), and crossing the Atlantic at end of November, however, I was not able to make it and will be available first on the 12th Dec, that's when I can be at the Canary Islands.

I am hoping to find a boat that will be going west mid/late December, and arriving at the Caribbeans at end of Dec/beginning of Jan. I can take 3,5 weeks off work for this endeavor, but can be a little bit flexible if needs to.

cburger and foggysail seem to suggest that December is not a good time for the transatlantic leg, is it because it is too late? When is the best time to do the crossing? What are my chances? or would you rather recommend me waiting till next year?

Dsanduril, do you reckon the best way to find a boat is to simply get to the Canaries and hope for the best? Which other forums are there that I can post an ad?

Cost
I'll be paying for my own flights, food and sharing the boat costs. I will accept any reasonable offer, but estimating it to be around 10-15 Euro per day, depending on the boat.

Despite no previous ocean crossing experience, I am eager to learn. (the main reason why I want to do this) I'm happy to cook and take on the other chores. I was an officer with the Swedish Army for 4 years, so I know I can stay awake for night watch etc.

Me
I know there's always a risk of taking on a complete stranger and spending 2-3 weeks together. So here's a bit more about myself. (I'm also available on Skype for a chat if you've got a position for me)

I'm Chinese by origin, moved to Sweden when I was 10 and have lived in Stockholm for the majority of my life. I studied at Oxford, read Engineering Science, concentrating on EE/IE and Robotics. Upon graduation and completing military service, I've worked in finance and strategy consulting in London, currently as a manager for a business transformation project for a major Swedish client based in Stockholm.

I'm a firm believer in learning by doing and enjoy getting myself into new areas. After all, life rewards action. Last year, I got my eyes up for endurance races and high altitude mountaineering, and since then have completed my first Ironman-distance triathlon and summited 3 out of the 7 summits. Sailing is my new hobby for this year Hope you can help me turning a dream into reality! Someday, I too want to captain a boat and go sailing around the world.


/Mei

Ps. Sorry to disappoint, there's no stripping involved in the pole dancing. The company that I'm with, focuses more on the artistic and athletic part of the sport, with my fellow dancers working for the likes of Cirque du Soleil.

[captsam54]

This thread requires Pictures.. Just sayin....

[mei]

Haha, ok. We aim to please.

I'm the girl at the very top of the pole. In the hindsight, I probably shouldn't have mentioned it, certainly attracted more attention than I intended to.

[PamlicoTraveler]

Mei,

I can pay all of you airfare and expenses. I have a large fund for this. THE SOURCE OF THIS FUND IS AS FOLLOWS; DURING THE LAST MILITARY REGIME HERE IN NIGERIA, THE GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS SET UP COMPANIES AND AWARDED THEMSELVES CONTRACTS WHICH WERE GROSSLY OVER-INVOICED IN VARIOUS MINISTRIES. THE PRESENT CIVILIAN GOVERNMENT SET UP A CONTRACT REVIEW PANEL AND WE HAVE IDENTIFIED A LOT OF INFLATED CONTRACT FUNDS WHICH ARE PRESENTLY FLOATING IN THE CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA READY FOR PAYMENT. ...

[jeanathon]

Mei,
You have quite a cv. I am sure you will have no trouble finding a boat now that you've verified you are real. There are other sites for crewing, but in my opinion most are populated with guys looking for mates not crewmates. Good luck.