FLL Newbie

[1stMateK8]

Hey All
I thought it was time I just stop lurking and say hello. I've spent the last couple of weeks reading through all kinds of posts and must say I've enjoyed it immensly. The knowledge here is priceless. It's almost as good as sitting around drinking too much rum in a marina bar and listening to all the sailor's stories. True or not. I used to tend bar in a place like that in the Caribbean and miss it. Now I'm employed as yacht crew. I've been on a 105 M/V which just sold and we're waiting now for our owner (that sounds so wrong, doesn't it?) to buy a new boat so we can get back out on the water. In the mean time we're in Ft Lauderdale and shopping for a sailboat we can buy to eventually live and travel on once we get all this working for rich people out of our systems. We've met with brokers and looked at quite a few boats in various stages of disrepair, but in our price range (about 50 to 70k) and size range (38'-42'), but have yet to find "The One". No hurry though.
Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you for all of the invaluable information I'm finding here. And I've noticed every once in a while someone posts about crewing or working on yachts and if I can be of help I'd be more than happy to share my experiences. The good the bad and the ugly. As glamorous as the job seems it's still a whole lot of work.
And if anyone needs casual crew for a day of sailing in or around Ft Lauderdale, we're always anxious to get out on the water.
Cheers!

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha
Welcome aboard!! Good to hear from someone with your type of experience. Hope you find what your looking for. I never pass up a chance to say that IMHO 36 LOD is more than enough boat.
Kind Regards,
JohnL

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha Again,
I just got it. Kate, right? Again, welcome.
John

[1stMateK8]

Thanks for the welcome John and yes, it's Kate. 36 might work as long as we can find one with 6'4" headroom or more. The bf doesn't like ducking. He's also not too fond of sleeping with his legs hanging off the end of a bunk, but if the price is right, I'm sure he'd get over it. On the 105' we were just working on we couldn't both be in our cabin at the same time unless one of us was on one of the bunks. The crew's quarters were miniscule, but you can bet the owner's suite had every creature comfort imaginable and then some.

[Hud3]

Hi, Kate, and welcome.

Crewing on a megayacht isn't like a paid vacation. I recall sitting in my cockpit in a marina on St Thomas, watching the crew scrub down an 80 footer until well after dark. When I came up with my coffee mug the next morning, they were still out there, working. I guess they went to sleep sometime, but you couldn't prove it by me!

If you're looking for 6'4" + headroom in a boat, take a look at an Island Packet. The designer, Bob Johnson, is about that tall, I believe, and his boats reflect it.

[1stMateK8]

Hi Hud3
Thanks for the welcome. Yep, crewing is hard work, but, even though it didn't seem like the crew ever went inside, most likely they did manage to get fed, bathed and rested. Sometimes when I manage to hit my bunk I still dream I'm scrubbing heads or polishing stainless.
The bf and I have looked at some Island Packets, but unfortunately haven't found any in our price range. We're in no huge hurry so maybe we'll come across one sooner or later.
By the way, we spent a few days on Nevis last summer and it's really a lovely island. We did a tour with a taxi driver and spent quite a bit of time at the Double Deuce where I think I fed the entire mosquito population of the island.

[Hud3]

Kate,

Glad you had a chance to visit Nevis. Quite a few cruisers pass it by, since it's a little out of the way, but they're missing a real gem. Double Deuce is a great spot. It's a scruffy little beach bar/restaurant, but the chef used to work at the 4 star Montpelier Inn. Unfortunately, when the sun goes down, you definitely need to bring your bug spray to ward off the sandflys and skeeters.

[CSY Man]

I suggest the CSY 33.

They have plenty of head-room and no feet are hanging over the bunk.
(I am 6'2" amd 230 lbs.)
Although the model is called 33, they are really 35.5' in lenght overall.

I have worked on big boats as well and have owned a bigger sailboat, but in my humble opinon, the CSY 33 is a well kept secret.

Perfect for one couple anyway, for a family of 4 ya need something bigger, like a CSY 44.

[Ex-Calif]

Hi K8. It is awesome that you've decided to join the community. You are right. I have seen lot's of posts here and other boards looking for advice on how to become "mega-yacht" crew. I am sure you we be able to share the good the bad and the ugly and take a little of the "romance" out of it.

I used to work as a chef until one New Year's Eve I looked out the kitchen window and realized that I was on the wrong side of it. Although I had a lot of fun working service industries is a huge sacrifice...

[Pyxis]

Hey:
We recently looked at a Vagabond 42 that is somewhere around Pompano Beach, Florida.

She was a little rough, but the owner was apparently working on some of the "issues". The boat wasn't what we wanted, but it looked like a lot of boat for the size and money. She reminded me a great deal of the CT-72 (scorpio 65) that I crewed on a few years ago.

After we looked at it, the broker and I (privately) agreed that in current condition, it was worth about $90-95k +/-, despite a higher "asking price".

Depending on how long you are in Lauderdale, we might take you out for a sail. I have the whole interior of the boat ripped apart just now, so don't see any sailing until November, but drop me a line

Cheers
Paul

[CSY Man]

Aye, ya have some time in Ft. Lauderdale? Stop by and have brew and look at my kind of boat.

Send PM for details and directions.

[1stMateK8]

We'll be in Lauderdale for the forseeable future, although we have job interview on Tuesday. We've been to a couple others, but for one reason or another they haven't been the right job. Luckily, we have a job unlike some other crew who are forced out of desperation to take jobs which might not be right for them.
We're still shopping vicariously through the internet for a boat of our own, but until we decide if we're going to stay with our current owner or if we're going to get on another yacht and leave Florida I don't think we're going to be seriously persuing much of anything.

Ex-Calif--You're right on the money about service industries. I can't think of the last time I had a major holiday off of work, let alone anywhere in the vicinity of my family.

Pyxis--I'll see if I can't track down the Vagabond you wrote about. Even though it's probably out of our price range it's still fun kicking tires, right?
Even if it's only on yachtworld.

CSY Man--You sound to be about the same size as the bf, so it's good to know a smaller boat can comfortably accomodate a bigger guy.
I'll send you a PM.