remote jobs ideas from a boat

[fxykty]

I kept my IT contract job for another 6 months after we moved aboard and started cruising. My role required collaboration at scheduled times and ad hoc during the working day.

Once we started cruising it definitely impinged on our cruising lifestyle and my enjoyment of cruising.

- Need to stay within mobile coverage areas during working times. Suddenly days of week matter for decisions about going certain places. I also took leave during passages, since while I could still work disconnected I couldn’t collaborate with others. Several times I had to climb to the top of a hill or dinghy to an adjacent island to get an Internet connection. Starlink RV will largely remove this issue.
- Sailing and working don’t always play well together. Several times during meetings I would have to excuse myself for 10 minutes while we anchor or reef or change sails or berth. My work mates learnt quite a lot about sailing life.
- I started with a nominal 40 hours per week and that was tough. My wife would be out enjoying herself and I’m tapping away at a keyboard. I switched to 20 hour weeks and that was a lot more manageable, other than for fixed-time meetings. Generally I started really early in the morning and would be done by noon.
- Personally, I didn’t really feel like a ‘cruiser’ as I was still working for an income and not always present (emotionally, intellectually) in the places and social groups we were at. Once I finished that contract I didn’t renew it and wow, what a sense of freedom. I forgot about days of the week and became immersed in our cruising lives.

On the east coast of Australia we’ve met many people that cruise full time for 6 months, then return to a port and work full time for 6 months. That system seems more sustainable to me than working while cruising.

But there do seem to be a bunch of YouTubers that are able to marry work and cruising, so it all depends on the kind of work you do.

[recurveman]

Originally Posted by psk125

One half of an online couple that cruised extensively in the Pacific was a nurse. Readily employed everywhere they went - but it meant sticking around for long enough to replenish the cruising kitty in places (like cities) with hospitals.

His wife is a nurse. That might be a good option

[recurveman]

Originally Posted by fxykty

I kept my IT contract job for another 6 months after we moved aboard and started cruising. My role required collaboration at scheduled times and ad hoc during the working day.

Once we started cruising it definitely impinged on our cruising lifestyle and my enjoyment of cruising.

- Need to stay within mobile coverage areas during working times. Suddenly days of week matter for decisions about going certain places. I also took leave during passages, since while I could still work disconnected I couldn’t collaborate with others. Several times I had to climb to the top of a hill or dinghy to an adjacent island to get an Internet connection. Starlink RV will largely remove this issue.
- Sailing and working don’t always play well together. Several times during meetings I would have to excuse myself for 10 minutes while we anchor or reef or change sails or berth. My work mates learnt quite a lot about sailing life.
- I started with a nominal 40 hours per week and that was tough. My wife would be out enjoying herself and I’m tapping away at a keyboard. I switched to 20 hour weeks and that was a lot more manageable, other than for fixed-time meetings. Generally I started really early in the morning and would be done by noon.
- Personally, I didn’t really feel like a ‘cruiser’ as I was still working for an income and not always present (emotionally, intellectually) in the places and social groups we were at. Once I finished that contract I didn’t renew it and wow, what a sense of freedom. I forgot about days of the week and became immersed in our cruising lives.

On the east coast of Australia we’ve met many people that cruise full time for 6 months, then return to a port and work full time for 6 months. That system seems more sustainable to me than working while cruising.

But there do seem to be a bunch of YouTubers that are able to marry work and cruising, so it all depends on the kind of work you do.

I like the thought of either cruising or working but not doing both. The concept of 6 months on and 6 months off might be a good option for them. We just started fulltime and don't have to work so we are lucky we don't have the same issues.

[giliganthegreat]

You would be surprised what you can do remotely. I produce music, edit videos, do documents and pdfs on a iPhone. YMMV.

[Paparuski]

Where does your friend sail/cruise?

[Shrew]

I work from the boat for 6 months a year. I work from home the other 6 months. I'm a Technical Support Engineer for a software company and work in the enterprise software space (Fortune 500 companies).

VOIP, Webex, Teams, RDP/SSH allow from remote access.

Unless you're in this business it's going to take some time to work up to a position where you work independently and somewhat autonomously from remote locations.

You're not going to by "PC for Dummies" and get such jobs. Expect to pay your dues for a few years (likely 10+) before you find yourself in such a job. Even then, they're not THAT common.

[flightlead404]

Originally Posted by Shrew

I work from the boat for 6 months a year. I work from home the other 6 months. I'm a Technical Support Engineer for a software company and work in the enterprise software space (Fortune 500 companies).

VOIP, Webex, Teams, RDP/SSH allow from remote access.

Unless you're in this business it's going to take some time to work up to a position where you work independently and somewhat autonomously from remote locations.

You're not going to by "PC for Dummies" and get such jobs. Expect to pay your dues for a few years (likely 10+) before you find yourself in such a job. Even then, they're not THAT common.

Similar, I'm a cybersecurity expert. I've been WFH for 15+ years but pre-COVID it was 120-150 days of travel and WFH when not traveling. During COVID I was able to work from the boat no problems Hilton Head to the Keys. Plenty of coverage for zoom and so on. Coming out of COVID I doubt travel will get anywhere near the level it was, so I just plan on taking a sport coat and some good shirts, pants, shoes. I can manage my travel so when I need to make a trip I'll just get a slip and uber to the nearest airport.

[Tom and Maje]

Well, I became a USA Today best selling author in historical romance. It can be done.

Maje

[flightlead404]

Originally Posted by Siberian Sea

SNo, they can get the same service done by employing skilled talent in cheap places like India and Philippines.

Depends on the job I suppose. I work alongside a LOT of Indians in my space. In fact, although my primary employer is an "American company" a large majority of the employees, and almost all the knowledge workers are Indian with about half of the workforce in India.

While some of them are good, I find on average you need to hire 3-4 Indians to get the same work output. Partly its because credential fraud is RAMPANT in India. One guy gets a CCIE or something, then goes and takes the tests over and over for his brothers, brother in laws, friends, whoever pays him.

Second, there's a significant cultural difference along the lines of "the nail that stands up gets pounded down". This results in a sort of human inertia that needs to be overcome.

Finally there's the "Babu". A caste accidentally created by the British when they were running the country. These are the archetypal bureaucrats who need orders in triplicate, send in, send back, lost, found, and buried in peat moss for 6 months before they'll rescue their mother from the ravenous blugblatter beast of Traal.

Ultimately, the value returned is way less than expected. I've seen some companies "re-shoring" some functions because of this.

[MC2019]

besides being a delivery captain and mechanical engineer with a seat of solidworks. I also am going to look at becoming certified diver and welder. Thinking I could cary a welder and dive equipement on the boat. And a sewing machine of course

Ah yes the bucket list

[skipperpete]

Originally Posted by MC2019

besides being a delivery captain and mechanical engineer with a seat of solidworks. I also am going to look at becoming certified diver and welder. Thinking I could cary a welder and dive equipement on the boat. And a sewing machine of course

Ah yes the bucket list

In the 18 foot Avon

[MC2019]

Some day I will go cruising on a larger sailboat, the avon is my work boat ....

Originally Posted by skipperpete

In the 18 foot Avon

[Rumrace]

It’s a hobby not a job. For years I’ve had employees or worked with AutoCAD for over 30 years.
It’s become layers of programs. I was good with photometric engineering a niche a person in my job usually didn’t have. Fast forward semi retired long left the corporate world for private I picked up my AutoCAD thing again. Boat parts, Toy Trains, Dinisauars and then I manufacture them on 2 3D printers. I finished a silly Baldwin Mallory Electric train 2 models used specifically for mining. I’ve matched a model shipped out west in 1909. I know nothing about trains, zip. Have two historian train nuts moving rivets. I make a poo emoji float key for boats. Custom soft TPU instrument covers. I’ve made a sewage tank long arm key with Pa6 so end result is a carbon fibre fusion stronger than T6 aluminum. It’s only 45% material with inner structure making it stronger than solid. It shrinks .09 curing so the drawing is fat.
I building a life size 2 year old TRex in my office. I worked the entire plan out on the boat.
I’m not allowed to do actual office work on the boat, threat of death. I have been sculpting and painting on my boats since the early 60’s Now it’s digital.
I use Fusion 360, Wings, Daz, and blender is my favourite. Blender is free.fusion 360 is on line free use AutoCAD light. I designed a European water fill with group help. I’m just having fun model trains 4 now growing to 10k dinosaurs well past that but months work. There are tons of jobs for CG artists on the immigration job bank for young people.

[LaurenWelchat]

A friend and his family moved to India and now live in a blue house. The tradition of painting houses blue has its roots in ancient times when the maharajahs ordered that the houses of people employed by the city's fleet be given a special color.

[gonesail]

Originally Posted by Shrew

You're not going to by "PC for Dummies" and get such jobs. Expect to pay your dues for a few years (likely 10+) before you find yourself in such a job. Even then, they're not THAT common.

with all the tech layoffs coming .. jobs will be even harder to find. and it looks like it is becoming fashionable to require workers to show up in person .. again.