Nurse, Cruising and (Hopefully) Working

[azzalane]

HI , my wife and i have been sailing for a couple of years now ,and are currently doing are yacht masters part time . We allso have a 2 year old.
We both have had enough of the daily grind of work . After my wife had a near fatal car accident we have decided to sell up and buy a yacht to live on. We should have enough to buy a decent blue water cruising boat (under $120k) and have some savings. My wife is a nurse and im not realy qualified in anything but handy on boats . We would like to cruise around australia and work on the way on a long term bases . Yes everyone sais were nuts and irresponsible, but the house is on the market now were committing. any nurses cruising and living on boats and worken on the way after some moral support for my wife
regards azzalane

[azzalane]

yes ill be keeping the boat and be a home schooling dad

[fishwife]

Welcome to the forum, lots of good advice here, then again, you get people like me who throw in their 2 cents worth as well.
You don't say where your from but I assume Australia. Your wife will find work just about wherever you go in Australia. Work permits get a bit tricky in other places or take a while to come through. For yourself, it's possible to pick up casual work along the way but don't count on it.
Oh yes, I'm a retired Nurse. I never had a problem getting work in most places I visited or stayed for a while. There's quite a few other Nurses and Doctors on the list so she won't be long in finding some support.

P.

[DannySt]

best of luck to you both! I know a guy who traveled trough Australia in a van and had a cooking gear, so every where he went, he opened a little restaurant and made enough to get to the next place (he is a chef), after a while he found out he was saving a nice amount of money. So what I am saying is that if you are creative, and have a something you can sell you might just get along

oh... and boat people are nice

[roverhi]

In most remote places there is a need for medical people. The problem is getting paid in other than coconuts. The few medical people that were out with us were very popular with the locals and never suffered for anything that the locals could provide, however. You'll also find yourself in some need by the yachties though mostly in an emergency situation.

As far as working, don't know what the licensing requirements and reciprocity agreements for official work. Have known a few foreign medical people who worked in Doctor's offices under the supervision of licensed people. In short, they functioned as whatever their training was but couldn't sign the paperwork. Pay was commensurate with their skills.

Being handy around boats is a skill that's always in demand, probably more so now that any idiot can go anywhere with GPS. You won't get rich but will cover your beer expenses and replenish the cruising kitty. Work usually has to be for cash and kept quiet from the locals if you are competing with them. Not steady work but it's out there. A marine carpenter and myself worked for several months redoing a hotel on Moorea when we were out. We worked cheap and had some skills but most importantly, we showed up every morning so the hotel was happy to pay us under the table and give us the bene's of the hotel restaurant and other niceties.

There were quite a few people working their way around the world when we were in SoPac many years ago. Don't believe any enterprising, creative person couldn't make enough money to keep going. Just don't expect to get rich.

Aloha
Peter O.

[azzalane]

great to here thank you for your comments. This is the first time ive been on any forum and i can see for cruisers the internet is a blessing. Thank you
Aaron & judy

[maxingout]

When I worked in hospitals in Arabia, there were lots of Ozzie nurses there saving up Freedom Chips.

If I was planning a big cruise and had nursing skills, I would plan to work four months and cruise eight months when it's not hurricane/cyclone season in the area that I was cruising.

[azzalane]

forgot to add....Judy and i live in western australia been sailing a 27 foot roberts spray last 3 and a half years and love it. I grew up sailing on the river and wotching my father build a couple of boats..Aaron