You don't have to sleep, to dream.

[Nikoliart]

Hi. I'm Nick. I'm 18, living at home, but dream of living on a sailboat someday. I am pretty novice at sailing besides time spent upon a little diggy sailboat at my grandmothers lake house. However, I have not found anything more relaxing the refreshing then being aboard. I am going off to college next year in place unfortunately not close to water, and quite cold. By the time summer comes around, I will want out of the cold and into the warm and had an epiphany... How awesome would it be to live on a sailboat for the summer? Truthfully I understand how far fetched this idea is and can forsee many a problem I would face before this is a possiblity. I know cost is a major factor, but I was awarded a full academic scholarship to my college which should help a bit. I'm not sure what I should do next at this point, but thought I'd put it out there.

Thanks for the interest.
Nikoliart

[JordanH]

Hi Nick,
You have a large number of avenues open to you. At 18 years old, the options are endless. You've got options like tall ship sailing schools ( Tall Ships Youth Trust ), you can wing it like a bum ( Hold Fast ), you can get a summer job in someplace warm (think about English as a second language over seas)... The options truly are endless.

I met a British guy in St. Lucia, he was required to find a "co-op/Intern" job as part of his degree but failing to find an employer, he decided to go on his own. He made an arrangement with a lady that if he'd put in the work to refurbish her property in St. Lucia, then he could run it for X number of months and keep the proceeds. He crewed on a yacht from England to St. Lucia, worked hard fixing up the property and then was able to collect the rents while hanging out on the beach sailing Lasers and other people's boats. Taking the initiative can lead to some interesting summers.

[Nikoliart]

Jordan,

Thanks for the response, wasn't sure what to expect when I posted. Those ideas sound great, especially the one about overseas. I have a passion for traveling and would just have to worry about getting a job. Whatever I do, I should try to take sailing lessons first right? Is it unheard of to live on a boat without any experience?

Nick

[JordanH]

Hi Nick,
Judging from your two posts, I suspect your English is more than sufficient for an overseas TESL position. Look into it and you won't need to worry about a job. (oops, I'm already assuming you're in N. America and not already overseas!)

As for living on a boat without experience; Living on a boat, at dock, for a summer is no different than living in a small, inconvenient apartment with fewer facilities and less amenities. If you actually want to sail the boat, then yes, you'll need training; There are many opinions and options for training, from formal training to hands-on/real-world experience. In the end, you'll need to learn the laws as well as seamanship in order to keep your home/boat safe. Think of it this way, you, an 18-year old, pull into a new harbour... you have two options; one, you come in too fast or misjudge your docking, colliding with expensive boats and make a fool of yourself showing that you are a knotty-headed junior. OR, you arrive in port in a seaman like fashion, kiss the dock and step ashore to earn the respect and admiration of your fellow sailors. Which do you think is more likely to occur if you don't have training?

It all depends on who you are, what your experience and situation is. For me, I look at some of these tall ship programs and wish I had known about them when I was younger (as well as had the money to try them out). I like that you already want to break-out from the 'norm' and routine of what your friends are into. That's a great start.

Cheers,
J.