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Novice Crewmember Seeking Advice!

1K views 2 replies 3 participants last post by  71Seafer34 
#1 ·
Hiya,

I’m looking to crew a sailboat beginning this November or December. My goal is to live and work on a boat and to see as much of the world as I can until I’m too exhausted or too broke to continue. I’ve been reading listings on cruising websites such as crewseekers, sailingnetworks, findacrew, floatplan, and crewbay, and I have one fundamental question:

What kind of certification should I acquire (competent crew, day skipper, coastal/offshore skipper), if any, before I start contacting skippers/owners or yacht delivery agencies?

I have come across quite a few listings that are seeking crewmembers with little or no experience or certifications. My fear, however, is that I will not be able to sustain a long-term endeavor financially seeking these types of contracts, or that I will run into difficulty finding work against a host of other applicants. Am I better off investing the time and money into proper training and certification and seeking out more highly-skilled positions, notwithstanding my lack of experience? Or would I do just fine getting on somewhere as a deckhand and learning by doing, taking my limited budget into consideration?

I have between 50-100 hours of skipper experience on boats in the 18-24 foot range. I plan on cruising internationally anywhere that I can find meaningful work. My tentative plan is to start in the Caribbean this upcoming winter. I am very flexible on the type of vessel, duration of voyage, and compensation structure.

Any feedback you would be willing to share with an unseasoned seafarer would be so greatly appreciated!

-Spencer
 
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#2 ·
I don't think anyone looking for crew puts much weight in the formal schools for finding qualified crew.
Experience and letters of recommendation from past skippers would be a lot more valuable to them (or me at any rate). I've always been partial to crew seeking to learn, rather than showing me how much they know, verified by a piece of paper given away for passing a test.
It isn't difficult to get on a boat going somewhere, if you position yourself properly.
There are several 'rallies' leaving the East Coast in Nov/Dec for the Caribbean and literally hundreds of private and charter boats headed south from well known departure ports such as Newport, RI & VA as well. Charter boats in the Caribbean are ALWAYS seeking congenial people to crew during the season. They'll teach you what you'll need to do, don't worry. But I warn you now, that this is very, very hard work. Long hours for low pay! Good luck.
 
#3 ·
I agree with Capta 100%. I know a lot of people who pay the fee and get the six pack or masters license and simply don't have the time aboard a boat to understand the finer details, chain of command, work ethic, common sense, etc. You have some sea time and that's a great start, like most things in life getting a certification to do anything is only backed up by what you can do with it. If I were you, start calling on some of those leads you have, I bet if you are humble and willing to listen and learn 90% of them will give you a shake. If you show up and continue to listen and take in what a good skipper has to offer you will learn a lot and quickly be able to work your way up the "ladder". You will also be acquiring documented sea time which will lead to a captains license when/if you are interested in getting one - then, you can write your own ticket. You should note that you have a few options when it comes to selecting a vessel; you can go the charter route, or something more open ended. Charter route will be tedious due to the variation in guests and demands, but it will be easier to get out of the situation should you not enjoy it or have an issue, you just step off with a two week notice and try the next gig. An open ended situation would be that of passage making, and this will be a harder sell for someone who doesn't know you as well as a commitment on your part to a few weeks in open water and an end destination further from home. Something to think about. So, to summarize, the pay may not be fantastic on your first jaunt but that's OK, you will earn your stripes and probably a few things about yourself and have a chance to see if the lifestyle is for you. If it is, then within a year you are demanding a fair salary, saving for your own boat and adventure. Try to find a boat run by a DIY type, then you will also learn the necessary (and marketable) art of boat maintenance. The best advice: Just get out there and do it, start now and before you know it you will looking back wondering where those carefree years went.
 
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