Tampa Bay Area?

[ByAirAndBySea]

My name is Jeremy. I am 34 and have a had a thing for the ocean since childhood. I have been a certified scuba diver for 16 years (cerified in the medditerranean, with 600+ diives all over the world, most of them in and around Guam), have held a pilots license for the last 10, and got a powerboat capt cert from the Navy (small boats of course).

For a while now I have read everything I could get my hands on about sailing. I love the idea and the adventure and freedom of non-petro based, wind powered sailing! My only problem is.....everything I have done was on a shoestring budget and usually involved a lot of trading time. Time rich cash poor that's me. At least until college is done (which I am finally getting back to).

My question is...is there anyone in the Tampa bay area..or even the east coast I guess (I live in the central florida, Lakeland/ winter haven/ lake wales area) with a sail boat that wouldn't mind a tag along that has a lot of book knowledge on sailing, practical knowledge on boating and navigation, but no practical hands-on knowledge of sailing? I can help with whatever u need help with...cleaning etc..I just want to learn sailing. Even if u are needing a hand for a couple days at a time I can arrange that (usually).

I have many skills, outstanding learning abilities and common sense. Any age, sex, color, creed, doesn't matter to me either... let me know and I will give u my contact info(or u can give me yours)... Thanks in advance!

Also am open to crewing for racing as someone suggested in other thread...

(By the way, this is posted in a couple of places in here if this looks a bit reduntant..but saw this thread after I posted in the Learning to Sail :P)