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rye1984 · 11-11-2010, 12:35

Hello all,

Ryan here. I just joined in search of some advice from some experienced sailors: I'm moving from the US to Australia next year (exact timing is flexible) & was hoping to work my way there on a boat.

Full disclosure: I have no boating experience, but do have experience as a private chef in addition to my career as a musician.

All of the information online hinted that there may be opportunities w/ privately-owned vessels & that the best qualities were a good sense of humor & being friendly & willing to learn...

...thoughts? Advice? Thank you!

-ry

rgscpat · 11-11-2010, 12:48

Welcome, Ryan,
Have you also introduced yourself in the new member area?
It might be useful to you to get some boating info from a library, hang out with sailors at a sailing club or community sailing center, and get some boat rides so as to pick up some basic skills and get a crude idea as to whether being cooped up in a small, bouncy space going a third of the way around the world is for you.

**skipmac** · 11-11-2010, 12:49

Without experience or boating skill, especially on a private yacht or smaller boat you might get an unpaid or at best expenses paid trip to Australia.

If you are a very good chef you might find a paid position on a large yacht that carries a professional crew.

rye1984 · 11-11-2010, 12:56

I thought "Meets & Greets" was the new member area... is there a separate forum for mew members? I couldn't find one...

...I'll definitely do what I can to pick up some experience in the next year. I'd prefer to work on a private vessel as opposed to a big yacht; working w/out pay or for pay+expenses is not a problem, I'm more interested in the journey itself. (& saving money on airfare.)

rye1984 · 11-11-2010, 13:23

...any thoughts on how to go about meeting the owners of private vessels who may be making the journey?

-ry

rgscpat · 11-11-2010, 13:46

Suggestions would be very similar to the "learn to sail" suggestions...
-- crew lists on yacht and sailing club web sites
-- meeting and hanging around with sailors at yacht and sailing clubs -- some Chicago boats do sail oceans and some Great Lakes sailors would have boats on the ocean or friends with boats on the ocean
-- learning about professional crewing on superyachts
-- corresponding with the Latitude 38 folks about the Pacific Puddlejump
-- learning enough sailing skills to combine that with your chef ability to be attractive crew on smaller boats
-- corresponding with sailors in popular jump-off ports on the Pacific Coast and developing references and referrals from local Great Lakes sailors
-- volunteering to help with regattas, race committees, cruise rallies, etc.
-- joining a relatively inexpensive community sailing program, sailing club, yacht club, boating group such as the Coast Guard Auxiliary, etc., to network, learn skills, and learn sailor talk and concerns

Skippers risk a lot in picking up strange crew, and crew risk a lot in signing up with skippers whose personalities and skill they don't know. So it's really good to get to know someone before you commit to spending weeks or months with them in tight quarters, and it's golden to develop references who can speak to what it's like to be on a boat with you. And, of course, you should get a really good feeling about the personality and skill of your captain and fellow crew members, since they will be the whole world to you during the voyage and you must be able to not only tolerate each other but depend upon one another when conditions get tough. And, in the confines of a small yacht, little annoyances that you could easily escape from on shore -- are something you're stuck with with no hope of escape. So, in addition to skills, work ethic, common sense, the ability to obey orders, and tolerance, all the lifestyle preferences stuff is important. And, of course, all the who does what and who pays for what stuff should be worked out well ahead of the voyage.