Looking for an experienced answer
 

I am looking for a career change, and all I want to do is sailing.

I have no experience whatsoever, and I would really need some
experienced input.

Few questions related to this:

1. It is my understanding that the RYA schools are the best choice.
Could someone be able to recommend a good RYA approved school
(course), outside of the UK (preferrably Greece, Spain, Turkey, etc.).

2. What would be the best approach, in order to gain experience?
Should I start with a day-skipper course, and then try to find
experience through "Crew Seeker" (or something similar), or should I
go for a longer course and then go for the experience?

3. I did search a bit on the web, but the information is very
confusing (and sparse). Could someone recommend a website which would
be suitable for someone like me?

4. It would be really nice to find out more about the problems you
have experienced when you were starting (or even the problems you are
encountering now :).

Any help is much appreciated.

Thanks.

Looking for an experienced answer
 

"X.25" wrote in message
om...
I am looking for a career change, and all I want to do is sailing.

Do you want to do racing or cruising crewing? Racing is harder to break into
and you are unlikely to succeed unless you've been racing dinghies since
very young. Crewing on the yachts of wealthy cruising people is marginally
easier to break into.

The two principal centres for career cruising-yachties in Europe are Palma
(Mallorca) and Antibes (France). If you turn up in either at the beginning
of the season (Mayish), even if you have virtually no qualificaitons, you
can usually find something on the bottom rung within a week or so. In
Antibes there are lots of crewing agencies which are all centred around the
port. Palma is much bigger and more diffuse - so Antibes is better if you
are starting from scratch with no contacts. You might have to be prepared to
work on stink-boats at first, but if you persevere youshould eventually find
something on a sailing boat. But you really need to be there, pressing the
flesh, to get a job - you won't get anything over the internet from the
well-known crewing agencies unless you have experience. If you are dedicated
enough (and most aren't), and work your way into a good boat, you can make a
nice living - a mate of mine is captain (and his wife cook, brother first
mate, brothers' wife stewardess) on a huge schooner which they are currently
sailing to Caribbean for the owner. The owner stays on the boat for
Christmas in the Caribbean, Easter in Bermuda, two weeks in August in
Sardinia, and that's it - the rest of the time the crew just sail the boat
around. They earn enough to pay the mortgages on their permanent homes in
France.

Looking for an experienced answer
 

In article , says...

Do you want to do racing or cruising crewing? Racing is harder to break into
and you are unlikely to succeed unless you've been racing dinghies since
very young.

Racing as a professional is even tougher than that. You can forget
making a living out of racing unless you have a very convincing track
record of winning at a high level. The number of people doing it is
miniscule, although just a few make a very good living indeed. The
number who sail as amateurs with the owner picking up travel and
accomodation bills is a lot higher, but that is still just the tip of
the iceberg. On the vast majority of race boats, crew pay for their
regatta accommodation, travel etc.

Looking for an experienced answer
 

Try looking at the UKSA website. I think they also have some
seminar-type stuff on sailing careers.

Looking for an experienced answer
 

X.25 wrote:

I am looking for a career change, and all I want to do is sailing.

I have no experience whatsoever, and I would really need some
experienced input.

Few questions related to this:

1. It is my understanding that the RYA schools are the best choice.
Could someone be able to recommend a good RYA approved school
(course), outside of the UK (preferrably Greece, Spain, Turkey, etc.).

2. What would be the best approach, in order to gain experience?
Should I start with a day-skipper course, and then try to find
experience through "Crew Seeker" (or something similar), or should I
go for a longer course and then go for the experience?

3. I did search a bit on the web, but the information is very
confusing (and sparse). Could someone recommend a website which would
be suitable for someone like me?

4. It would be really nice to find out more about the problems you
have experienced when you were starting (or even the problems you are
encountering now :).

Any help is much appreciated.

Thanks.

First, have you ever been sailing? Sailing as a career is a mugs game unless
you have been involved from year 1 and have a taste for it.

I suppose there could be land jobs such as working for a broker or in a
chandlers, but even then you will need a lot of experience.

As for jobs afloat you will be living on a yacht. Even for quite big yachts
you will be living with complete strangers in conditions of some intimacy, in
accommodation of such size, layout and facilities that it would be condemned
as unfit for human habitation by any housing inspector.

If you think that sailing is all about billowing white sails, sparkling seas,
azure blue skies, and with a buxom bikini clad blonde on the foredeck sipping
an iced voddie, forget it (although to be truthful J has never been
particularly hot on the foredeck bikini clad blondes, and there is no 'fridge
so the voddie would be luke warm).

What it is about is sitting in the cockpit, cold, wet, a bit seasick and
frightened, with a crew down below who are in slightly worse condition.
You're not quite certain were you are, or where you're going, you're having a
bit of a chat with Him up there (and whatever your beliefs, or lack of them,
at some time when sailing you will be having a chat with Him) saying that the
conditions down here are not at all nice and you're not really enjoying
yourself and it would be really, really good if He could do just a little
about improving things down here.

It is about being at anchor at 03.00, in you nice warm pit, when you're woken
by a change of conditions, perhaps the sound of the wind, or the slapping of
waves against the hull, and you take a turn round deck when its ****ing cats
and dogs and blowing a hooley just to make sure all is safe (and if it isn't,
you have to do samething about it).

It is about managing a boat when if something goes wrong or you run out of
milk you can't park it on the hardshoulder and call the AA or pop round to
the 24/7. It's not about being berthed in a 1000 boat marina and the crew
getting ****ed in a smokey bar.

What it is about is conducting a yacht safely, in the conditions I've recorded
above, with a bit of intricate pilotage to a snug anchorage
(cove/creek/mudflats/river/loch/fjord/coral atoll - select as appropriate)
safely using your knowledge, skills and experience (and of those three, a
course will only give a minor contribution to the first), reading the weather
and sea patterns. It is about having a happy, contented, well fed crew round
the saloon table, watching the wildlife around the anchorage, at night
sitting in the cockpit and seeing the milky way above, clear through an
unpolluted atmosphere, and thinking how fortunate you are.

If you're prepared for all this, join a sailing club. Get your face known,
take an interest in boats, perhaps get involved with a bit of club
maintenance, offer to do a bit of maintenance on members' boats (after all
fitting-out season will be soon). Do the RYA courses (evening classes, you
will also meet other yotties) on competent crew and day skipper. They have
their limitations, but they do give some basic knowledge. A good club should
have a weekend at the start of the season for 'newbies' (my own does). Enjoy
sailing, maybe take a sabbatical year, but don't expect to make a career
change of it.

Looking for an experienced answer
 

X.25 wrote:

I am looking for a career change, and all I want to do is sailing.

I have no experience whatsoever, and I would really need some
experienced input.

Few questions related to this:

1. It is my understanding that the RYA schools are the best choice.
Could someone be able to recommend a good RYA approved school
(course), outside of the UK (preferrably Greece, Spain, Turkey, etc.).

2. What would be the best approach, in order to gain experience?
Should I start with a day-skipper course, and then try to find
experience through "Crew Seeker" (or something similar), or should I
go for a longer course and then go for the experience?

3. I did search a bit on the web, but the information is very
confusing (and sparse). Could someone recommend a website which would
be suitable for someone like me?

4. It would be really nice to find out more about the problems you
have experienced when you were starting (or even the problems you are
encountering now :).

Any help is much appreciated.

Thanks.


First, have you ever been sailing? Sailing as a career is a mugs game unless
you have been involved from year 1 and have a taste for it.

I suppose there could be land jobs such as working for a broker or in a
chandlers, but even then you will need a lot of experience.

As for jobs afloat you will be living on a yacht. Even for quite big yachts
you will be living with complete strangers in conditions of some intimacy, in
accommodation of such size, layout and facilities that it would be condemned
as unfit for human habitation by any housing inspector.

If you think that sailing is all about billowing white sails, sparkling seas,
azure blue skies, and with a buxom bikini clad blonde on the foredeck sipping
an iced voddie, forget it (although to be truthful J has never been
particularly hot on the foredeck bikini clad blondes, and there is no 'fridge
so the voddie would be luke warm).

What it is about is sitting in the cockpit, cold, wet, a bit seasick and
frightened, with a crew down below who are in slightly worse condition.
You're not quite certain were you are, or where you're going, you're having a
bit of a chat with Him up there (and whatever your beliefs, or lack of them,
at some time when sailing you will be having a chat with Him) saying that the
conditions down here are not at all nice and you're not really enjoying
yourself and it would be really, really good if He could a bit of time to do
just a little about improving things down here.

It is about being at anchor at 03.00, in you nice warm pit, when you're woken
by a change of conditions, perhaps the sound of the wind, or the slapping of
waves against the hull, and you take a turn round deck when its ****ing cats
and dogs and blowing a hooley just to make sure all is safe (and if it isn't,
you have to do samething about it).

It is about managing a boat so that if something goes wrong or you run out of
milk you can't just park it on the hardshoulder and call the AA or pop round
to the 24/7. It's not about being berthed in a 1000 boat marina and the crew
getting ****ed in a smokey bar.

What it is about is conducting a yacht safely, in the conditions I've recorded
above, with a bit of intricate pilotage, to a snug anchorage
(cove/creek/mudflats/river/loch/fjord/coral atoll - select as appropriate)
safely using your knowledge, skills and experience (and of those three, a
course will only give a minor contribution to the first), reading the weather
and sea patterns. It is about having a happy, contented, well fed crew round
the saloon table, watching the wildlife around the anchorage, at night
sitting in the cockpit and seeing the milky way above, clear through an
unpolluted atmosphere, and thinking how fortunate you are.

If you're prepared for all this, join a sailing club. Get your face known,
take an interest in boats, perhaps get involved with a bit of club
maintenance, offer to do a bit of maintenance on members' boats (after all
fitting-out season will be soon). With a bit of luck you will be invited to
go sailing. A good club should have a weekend at the start of the season for
'newbies' (my own does). Do the RYA courses (evening classes, you
will also meet other yotties) on competent crew and day skipper. They have
their limitations, but they do give some basic knowledge. Enjoy sailing,
maybe take a sabbatical year off, but don't expect to make a career
change of it.

www.yacht-judicious.co.uk

Looking for an experienced answer
 

Get a boat!! Get any kind of boat ! get a row boat, get a small sailboat ,
get out on the water and see how it makes you feel.

I disagree in part with some of these replies . I started late; started
with a kayak at 43, next year found an old cheap 22 foot McGregor (crap) .I
now have a 30 foot sailboat and a US Merchant Marine master's license and
would like to think I could make my living on the sea .




"X.25" wrote in message
om...
I am looking for a career change, and all I want to do is sailing.

I have no experience whatsoever, and I would really need some
experienced input.

Few questions related to this:

1. It is my understanding that the RYA schools are the best choice.
Could someone be able to recommend a good RYA approved school
(course), outside of the UK (preferrably Greece, Spain, Turkey, etc.).

2. What would be the best approach, in order to gain experience?
Should I start with a day-skipper course, and then try to find
experience through "Crew Seeker" (or something similar), or should I
go for a longer course and then go for the experience?

3. I did search a bit on the web, but the information is very
confusing (and sparse). Could someone recommend a website which would
be suitable for someone like me?

4. It would be really nice to find out more about the problems you
have experienced when you were starting (or even the problems you are
encountering now :).

Any help is much appreciated.

Thanks.

Looking for an experienced answer
 

In article , X.25
writes
I am looking for a career change, and all I want to do is sailing.

I have no experience whatsoever, and I would really need some
experienced input.

Few questions related to this:

1. It is my understanding that the RYA schools are the best choice.
Could someone be able to recommend a good RYA approved school
(course), outside of the UK (preferrably Greece, Spain, Turkey, etc.).

2. What would be the best approach, in order to gain experience?
Should I start with a day-skipper course, and then try to find
experience through "Crew Seeker" (or something similar), or should I
go for a longer course and then go for the experience?

3. I did search a bit on the web, but the information is very
confusing (and sparse). Could someone recommend a website which would
be suitable for someone like me?

4. It would be really nice to find out more about the problems you
have experienced when you were starting (or even the problems you are
encountering now :).

Any help is much appreciated.

Whatever kind of sailing you might aspire to dinghy sailing with some
racing is without doubt the place to start. You will find out very
quickly if you have any aptitude for handling a boat, or if your
aptitude is for amusing on-lookers at the gybe mark.

Why do you want an RYA school out of the UK? If cold water bothers you,
think again about a sailing career.

However, speaking as someone that has been sailing (off and on) since
they were 13, I can assure you that dull as IT can be, it's a much
better career than sailing and holds the prospect of being able to make
enough dosh to enjoy sailing as a leisure pursuit.

Basically there is very little in the way of a 'career in sailing'.
There is a lot of racing in some places, but to actually get paid for it
unless you are Ben Ainslie (double Olympic medalist) and get paid well
is nigh on impossible. Ted Heath was pretty accurate (for the day) when
he described ocean racing as like standing in a cold shower tearing up
£20 notes. Allow for inflation... Nearly all racing is amateur e.g.
unpaid.

Then there are the flotillas. I only know about one company, Sailing
Holidays. The crew on each lead boat consists of:
o a hostie. Female, pretty, to jolly things along and so on.
o a mechanic, Qualified and experienced.
o a skipper. Quite a few if not all of theirs are RYA
Yachmasters, which is a not insignificant qualification.

And then - they don't (or didn't - I presume the policy is the same now
as in 97) let their crews stay as crews for more than something like 3
years as (quote) 'its not a career'.!!!!

My advice - go get a basic dinghy sailing course. Visit the RYA web
site, find a school near you with a level 1 course at times you can
manage. Go sailing. Join a Club. Have a ball - and don't give up the
day job!



--
Surfer!
If you really want to send me email then use:
five_cats at uk2 dot net

Looking for an experienced answer
 

I wrote the following reply, then re-read your post to find out you have no
experience. So the following probably means nothing now. however, I will
leave it for you to read regardless.

Best way would be to get into teaching via a sailing school or charter
skipper with yacht charter firms. Sunsail for instance.. It worked for me
when I made my big change. Be prepared though. The money is ****. Once you
start teaching though, you pick up a lot of other bits and pieces like
deliveries etc. Its all good.

Sailing people tend to be transient and most companies have a high turnover
of staff. Of course it is seasonal too so you will have to chase the work.

I would recommend you track down firms close to you and ask them what is
required. They usually know the who's who of assessors etc.

Good luck.

DP

X.25" wrote in message
om...
I am looking for a career change, and all I want to do is sailing.

I have no experience whatsoever, and I would really need some
experienced input.

Few questions related to this:

1. It is my understanding that the RYA schools are the best choice.
Could someone be able to recommend a good RYA approved school
(course), outside of the UK (preferrably Greece, Spain, Turkey, etc.).

2. What would be the best approach, in order to gain experience?
Should I start with a day-skipper course, and then try to find
experience through "Crew Seeker" (or something similar), or should I
go for a longer course and then go for the experience?

3. I did search a bit on the web, but the information is very
confusing (and sparse). Could someone recommend a website which would
be suitable for someone like me?

4. It would be really nice to find out more about the problems you
have experienced when you were starting (or even the problems you are
encountering now :).

Any help is much appreciated.

Thanks.

Looking for an experienced answer
 

Remove "nospam" from return address.
"X.25" wrote in message
om...
I am looking for a career change, and all I want to do is sailing.

I have no experience whatsoever, and I would really need some
experienced input.

Few questions related to this:

1. It is my understanding that the RYA schools are the best choice.
Could someone be able to recommend a good RYA approved school
(course), outside of the UK (preferrably Greece, Spain, Turkey, etc.).

2. What would be the best approach, in order to gain experience?
Should I start with a day-skipper course, and then try to find
experience through "Crew Seeker" (or something similar), or should I
go for a longer course and then go for the experience?

3. I did search a bit on the web, but the information is very
confusing (and sparse). Could someone recommend a website which would
be suitable for someone like me?

4. It would be really nice to find out more about the problems you
have experienced when you were starting (or even the problems you are
encountering now :).

Any help is much appreciated.

Thanks.

Don't despair over these replies. 18 years ago I taught a friend how to
sail. He had a pretty traumatic indoctrination as we raced offshore in all
weathers every weekend, but he stuck it out and persevered, became very
proficient, and also took his Yachtmaster exams at all levels, over a period
of about 5 years, eventually becoming a Yachtmaster/instructor. He is now
employed as skipper on a yacht owned by a very large and well-known company
in the FTSE 100. He runs their team-building courses for their apprentices,
managers, and even directors, and is employed full time, winter and summer,
with a substantial annual budget for maintenance of the company yacht.

There must be other major companies who have seen the advantage of this kind
of training to supplement their in-house commercial, technical and
scientific training, and I would think that so long as you start at the
bottom and learn all there is to know about the sailing game (if that is
possible!), you should be able to break into the profession, although it may
take some years.

My friend's determination to suceed in the sailing world has to be admired,
the only problem is, we can no longer sail together as he is employed
full-time during the season and has little, if any time off! I do however,
get to sail his own 50-foot Beneteau on delivery trips etc., so life hasn't
treated us too badly eh?

Keep at it son, even a dustbinperson can make it to the top, given the right
attitude! I wish you luck!