Quote:
Originally Posted by mrk123
Updated
Also, "put hand up to crew for deliveries... Can you explain more? I would love to go on some sailing excursions deckhanding / handballing.
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There are professional
delivery companies / skippers who get paid to move boats when the owner doesn't want to (or doesn't feel capable to) move it themselves.
They normally pay their skippers and a mate but are often looking for crew to help them (they usually only pay your expenses). They do normally require you to have at least a day
skipper practical qualification as they will probably want you to stand a solo watch.
I have logged about 4000 miles and 36 day (&nights) doing deliveries in that way. Three from the
Baltic to the Solent and one from Majorca to the Solent.
Another way to get sea time is to find someone who has their own boat and either likes taking people out for company or feels that they need another pair of hands to help with ropes etc.
As you are in the UK it may be worth looking into the facebook group
"Last Minute Sailing Buddies(UK)" where you can ask if anyone in your area is looking for help.
One warning though!
Just because someone has a boat doesn't necessarily mean that it is
seaworthy or that they know what they are doing.
Be prepared to talk to them and decide whether you are prepared to risk going to sea with them.
On my last attempt at a trip through that web-site the owner had bought his first boat without having it surveyed , having it lifted or having the
engine serviced.
I lifted one of the fenders and there was 5 feet of kelp on the bottom.
He also couldn't understand why he needed life-jackets or a working
radio...
I walked away from the boat and came back home by train rather than risk doing a 60 mile trip down the
east coast on it.
He ended up selling the boat for scrap without ever getting out of the harbour...