Make Money While Cruising - List

[micah719]

It would seem a variety of skills to barter with, the ability to spot and sieze opportunities and a stock of innocuous trade items would be the best idea for relatively hassle-free income. It would mean less cash changing hands, but offset by more goods & services.

Obviously, you don't show up off Florida with 2000 gallons of rum and a couple of pallets of cigars.....stretching it a bit to call that "personal use only". Or in Australia with a deckload of tropical hardwood logs....or set up as Doctor Jekyl in places where they have a limited amount of doctors for a reason, and expect to function openly as one. Their place, their rules. Capn Z wasn't suggesting that...it was clear from her post you're doing it legit and in advance. You just happen to show up on a boat, rather than flying in and living under a roof.

In Australia there used to be a thing called Bartercard...you provided goods or services and amassed barterdollars and could use them to get goods and services you wanted from the other folks participating. The snag is that the gubberment doesn't like such a sensible and hard-to-tax-and-control free enterprise initiative. It also depends on having enough participating folks with a wide enough range of goods and services. It might work amongst cruisers that have that free mindset, but it won't ever be a mainstream thing.

My personal try will be to have a cruising ground where the locals are reasonably civilised, meaning they aren't too lawless or too coddled and afflicted with State-ism...become familiar with the culture and language and favourite places and people, and work to improve the lot of honest folks that want to work independently for their living....this would be a great help toward getting residency permit, perhaps a work permit, and a regular modest income, not necessarily cash.

[tbodine88]

Originally Posted by osirissail

In reality, the best professions welcomed world-wide are the medical professionals and teachers. Doctors and nurses can find work almost anywhere although they probably do not need to work. Teachers are always welcome especially if they can teach something that will expand the job opportunities for the locals.

Plus when I was in the carribean they had the nicest boats

[videobear]

Originally Posted by tropicalescape

I belive that the nuts name was "Ron" Hubbard...not that it matters...

But "Rob" is so much more apropos, don't you think?

[tropicalescape]

Originally Posted by videobear

But "Rob" is so much more apropos, don't you think?

Yes very good .."Rob" L Hubbard and Diea"nut"eks... I do see "clear" ly now..

[Hoohaa]

Just had an idea while reading this thread.
Feel free to shoot it down.
What if you could supply wireless INTERNET from your boat (remote areas). I think the gear needed can be expensive but technology is getting cheaper all the time and routers I have looked at in the past where easily capable of putting out a signal to the end of my street. (Its a short street).
I suppose the hard part would be getting cash strapped cruises to pay for it?

[osirissail]

Actually, not a bad idea except for the fact that normally any anchorage with a reasonable population of boaters is also located inside a sovereign country. And as such they control all radio and other commercial "transmission" activities like radio/TV stations, etc. So you would have to have a license to operate in each and every country that you would be visiting and "selling" your Wifi Services otherwise you might be considered a "pirate radio station." The world ain't free anymore . . .

[rebel heart]

Originally Posted by Hoohaa

Just had an idea while reading this thread.
Feel free to shoot it down.
What if you could supply wireless INTERNET from your boat (remote areas). I think the gear needed can be expensive but technology is getting cheaper all the time and routers I have looked at in the past where easily capable of putting out a signal to the end of my street. (Its a short street).
I suppose the hard part would be getting cash strapped cruises to pay for it?

Check the cost of satellite Internet costs (which you'd need to pay) and get ready to barf in your mouth. The stuff is absurdly expensive.

[micah719]

Just like there was a "Restaurant at the End of the Universe" in Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy...how about a floating restaurant in international waters on major cruising routes. Of course, that would take a serious boat, and one would have to impement defences against The Smokers...

[hellosailor]

Here, you tie this end of the string to YOUR router, and when i get home, I'll tie the other end to the internet and let you know you can start renting out airtime. Remember, keep the string tight.

micah, you're thinking too small. Since Al Capp died there haven't been any schmoos to be found, so you'd need an aircraft carrier, with grass and corn grown on the flight deck, to feed the cattle that you'd keep on board, so the guests could have fresh steak.

[10yearplan]

My husband is a paramedic and I am a physical therapist and we both have lots of what I would call splinter skills outside of healthcare that we can barter with when out of country. We dream of sailing the Big U at first so we will be able to work within our citizenship. We will be able to work when we need to and sail when we want to and I am hoping that our work time will be much less than our sail time. I had purchased a massage table but the boat that we are hoping to buy is too small to accomodate the table so I don't think that option will work - I had really hoped that I could get away from the 8-5 thing completely but perhaps not. We have really been trying to expand our skills while we get our kids raised to increase our options. I have enjoyed this thread and am feeling optimistic that we will be able to make our way.

10yearplan

[Fizzwizz]

Originally Posted by zeehag

physicians and nurses--rns-- are able to work world wide as there is a gross shortage of both and each. there are multiple travel/temp agencies to fill needs of every order placed and some gigs left over....they are highly skilled , highly trained and love working every where so they contract out to do so . isnt difficult. if you plan on that--awesome. i was gonna until i became disabled. doctors without borders and nurses without borders are also available for work abroad.
get paperwork in advance and go for it.

It's already been mentioned that obtaining a medical licence abroad takes a mountain of paperwork, but it's also true that while many countries are in need of Doctor their immigration ethic prevents it from happening. Often because they believe he income will be taken from home grown Doctors. When I was at medical school I was told it was a ticket to work anywhere in the world. Though there are opportunities, this is sadly not true. Work Visas are a possibility if one is prepared to wade through the red tape, be prepared to work in the least favourable jobs, and be tied into a contract, but casual work/cruise is not.

I even considered an onboard botox clinic, though I shudder at the end result if the sea is rough. Unfortunately I'd need a licence from the country I was visiting to do this legally so am again scuppered.

The best option for Doctors I feel is to work for 6 months a year, though the UK GMC's pre-requisite that a Doctor cannot easily renew his/her licence if 3 months has gone without practicing will ruin that too. So for me I'm afraid I'll have to save like mad and set sail on my 65th birthday. (20 yrs ahead)

[micah719]

Open a clinic in international waters. Acquire a small, fast, seaworthy craft to ferry the patients out to you and back, and hire a couple of locals to sail it. Medicin sans frontiers, freelance style.

[Fizzwizz]

Originally Posted by micah719

Open a clinic in international waters. Acquire a small, fast, seaworthy craft to ferry the patients out to you and back, and hire a couple of locals to sail it. Medicin sans frontiers, freelance style.

I had to chuckle at the though of 5 or 6 botoxed faces all sat together on the ferry back to shore unable to blink away the sea spray.

[micah719]

The cool water will ease the swelling, and the salt is good for repeat business. You can't lose!

Though I think running that kind of operation can't be good for your conscience....pandering to vanity, fighting the unwinnable fight against aging. Unless you use those profits to subsidise more worthy treatment for real sickness. Ever heard of Fred Hollows?

[Fizzwizz]

Originally Posted by micah719

Though I think running that kind of operation can't be good for your conscience....pandering to vanity, fighting the unwinnable fight against aging. Unless you use those profits to subsidise more worthy treatment for real sickness. Ever heard of Fred Hollows?

I have now I Googled him. Sounds like great life's work. I ease my conscience for a retirement of self indulgence and greed by trying to do my bit now. I already do a significant amount of voluntary work for the ambulance service here, though I have often felt drawn to providing medical services to developing countries. I'd certainly entertain the idea of cruising between voluntary clinics.