Cruisers Forum
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Rate Thread Display Modes
Old 08-08-2011, 07:16   #1
Registered User

Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 19
Bitten by the Sailing Bug

Hello! I am new to the sailing community, and so excited to see the wealth of information available via this website! I am 26 years old, and began taking sailing lessons last summer when my boyfriend suggested it. I had no idea how much it would affect my life. This summer, we decided to crew on a ketch racing in the Buffalo Harbor Sailing Club, and it has been a delightful, informative experience! We're also reading everything we can get our hands on to boost our theoretical knowledge. Bryan and I have developed a float plan, hoping to buy our own small cruiser in a couple years and sail the seas. However, we need a lot of experience before we'll be able to do that, particularly blue water experience. We're hoping to get some part-time positions crewing on sailboats during December-January and May/June-August for the next couple years. He's in graduate school and I'm going back to finish my bachelor's degree after a couple years working full-time. The problem is we don't know anybody in the cruising world, and with so little experience I'm skeptical we'll be chosen to crew on anyone's boat. Any suggestions?! Your advice would be much appreciated - I dream of sailing every night, and want to make my dreaming a reality!
SweetSunshine is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-08-2011, 07:23   #2
Registered User
 
Unicorn Dreams's Avatar

Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Clear Lake Marine Services - Seabrook, Texas
Boat: Gulfstar, Mark II Ketch, 43'
Posts: 2,359
Re: Bitten by the sailing bug

Welcome Aboard Cruisers Forum Sunshine
__________________
Formerly Santana
The winds blow true,The skies stay blue,
Everyday is a good day for SAILING!!!!
Unicorn Dreams is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-08-2011, 10:10   #3
Moderator
 
Jim Cate's Avatar

Join Date: May 2008
Location: cruising SW Pacific
Boat: Jon Sayer 1-off 46 ft fract rig sloop strip plank in W Red Cedar
Posts: 21,151
Re: Bitten by the Sailing Bug

G'Day SS,

Welcome to CF and the wonderful world of addiction. You will find lots of fellow addicts here, and a ton of advice to be had, some of which is good. Your job is to discover which bits are in fact useful.

Anyway, you don't give us enough info to be of much specific help. A first step would be to tell us where you are located... there are big differences in local sailing scenes. But, having said that, both here on CF, and in many other places there are "crew wanted or available" media, and they can provide leads to getting rides. You mention hoping to get "positions" on boats. IF by that you mean paying jobs... well, good luck. There are far more experienced folks looking for these jobs than jobs that exist, and you as newbies don't stand a chance. If you mean just getting a chance to crew on OPB, that's easier.

At any rate, you sound like folks who are headed in the right direction and with reasonable plans to reach your goals. Good luck to you, and keep posting here... maybe with questions backed up with some info to help us help you.

Cheers,

Jim
__________________
Jim and Ann s/v Insatiable II, lying Port Cygnet Tasmania once again.
Jim Cate is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-08-2011, 14:22   #4
Registered User

Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 19
Re: Bitten by the Sailing Bug

Jim and Unicorn Dreams - thanks for the warm welcome!

You're right; I wasn't very specific. We're looking for a non-paid position, ie just helping out and getting sailing experience. I am under no delusions to think that either of us is in any way qualified enough to find work on a ship! Rather, we both want to go exploring, have fun, and learn as much as possible. Right now, we are in Buffalo, New York, sailing on Lake Erie for the past two summers. We're hoping to find a sailboat with two crew positions available along either US/Mexico coast line or the Caribbean. Anything that was offered we'd probably take, if we could get plane tickets there for under a grand!

I'm keep perusing the crew wanted positions to see what I can find. Thank you! Happy sailing!

Best, Marilee
SweetSunshine is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 20-08-2011, 13:59   #5
Registered User
 
SkiprJohn's Avatar

Join Date: May 2006
Location: Nicholasville, Kentucky
Boat: 15 foot Canoe
Posts: 14,191
Re: Bitten by the Sailing Bug

Aloha and welcome aboard!
Good to have you here and best of luck finding crew positions.
kind regards,
__________________
John
SkiprJohn is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 22-08-2011, 16:19   #6
Registered User
 
Cookiej414's Avatar

Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Colorado for now
Boat: Looking!! Like the Tayana's 43
Posts: 5
Images: 1
Re: Bitten by the Sailing Bug

Good luck to you!! We are new to sailing also!! We are taking some online classes for the book knowledge and logging our hours on the water. We are using NauticEd (www.nauticed.org). We are open to other educational paths or ideas! We are not as able to crew right but are fortunate to have a friend who lives aboard and will let us spend a week crewing for him. Wish we could crew for a couple months, but it's just not an option right now.
__________________
Cookie
"Throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the tradewinds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." Mark Twain
Cookiej414 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
sailing

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Thinking of Buying a Sailing Catamaran ? Some Thoughts . . . papagena Multihull Sailboats 12 23-12-2011 10:21

Advertise Here


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 04:41.


Google+
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Social Knowledge Networks
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.

ShowCase vBulletin Plugins by Drive Thru Online, Inc.