Sailing across Caribbean

maldini · #1 (**permalink**) 12-13-2010

Hi
With my two friends we are doing four years trip all over the world. Currently we are in USA. Within a month a half we gonna end up in Miami. After that we want to visit as much Caribbean Islands as we can. I have heard that there is a chance to do it for free. I mean that one can work on the ship (but not a huge one) for food and for free travel. Europeans or Americans they rent a boats and sometimes needs someone to help them (e.g.. clean the boat or prepare food)
Because You have more experience regarding sailing and Caribbean than I do maybe You know where to look for this kind of opportunities. Or You can give me some suggestions where to look.
Thank You very much for any help and information
Best Regards
Kris Wojtas
Krzysztof.wojtas@hotmail.com

14252990242

tommays · #2 (**permalink**) 12-13-2010

Without a good bit of experience and the papers to be paid legally that is going to be a pretty unlikely way to get there

maldini · #3 (**permalink**) 12-13-2010

I don't want to get paid for that. I just want to have a chance to travel for free. So I don't think I need any paper cause it's not gonna be like a real job. Or I am mistaken?

Thanks for any news

tommays · #4 (**permalink**) 12-13-2010

Without documented boat experience your a liability to and owner and the same owner has to answer to customs and immigration as they come and go from different countries about everything and everyone onboard there boat

My daughter work/played in Spain for the summer from a program her school has setup my future son on law cant come back over form Ireland to work till a new work visa is good in march and with the current economy there kind of fussy about these things and working for room and board is working

maldini · #5 (**permalink**) 12-13-2010

It doesn't sound to optimistic. I do have a 1 year work permit (canadian one) - is it good in Caribbean? Or do I have to have an american one?

To be honest I ask those questions cause I do not know the law in this matter.

Thanks

sailingdog · #6 (**permalink**) 12-13-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by maldini

It doesn't sound to optimistic. I do have a 1 year work permit (canadian one) - is it good in Caribbean? Or do I have to have an american one?

To be honest I ask those questions cause I do not know the law in this matter.

Thanks

To work in the Caribbean you need a work permit from the country you're in. American and Canadian work permits are basically worthless outside of the USA and Canada respectively.

As for working your way down through the Caribbean, you'd have to do so as crew on private yachts. You wouldn't get paid, but in the better cases, you wouldn't be paying for room and board either.

canadianseamonkey · #7 (**permalink**) 12-14-2010

Maldini, follow your dream and find a boat that will take you aboard. Don't worry about a work permit as nobody in the Caribbean will really cares about that. Like sailingdog said, it's pretty much worthless. Odds are you might find some odd jobs here and there and you will get paid in cash anyway. What the Canadian governments wants is for you to report all international earnings so they can tax you on it, beyond that they don't give a **** what you do. Make sure you have your passport and sunscreen!

Minnewaska · #8 (**permalink**) 12-14-2010

I've heard of people "networking" there way onto a passage, where they worked for room and board. Just keep asking around and you may find an opportunity. It is most likely to work if you have reasonable ocean passage sailing skills, not cooking and cleaning.

However, being cramped up in a 500sf floating hotel room for weeks at a time is the best way to figure out what you don't like about someone.

That goes both ways, but the owner always wins that argument. You could find your passage cut short.