Advice requested

[severan]

Hi all, have a question you folk might be able to answer.

I'm 27 and about to finish my college education in business, funny thing is all I want is to learn more about the wider world. I have my pilot's license and was interested in sailing next.

What the best way for someone with zero experience to get free sailing training and possibly make a few subsistence bucks on the side?

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

[Faster]

While no one's likely to pay you for this, if you get to know the crowd at a local yacht club that has a racing schedule crew positions are usually there for those with enthusiasm (and a case of beer)

[T34C]

Ditto. Won't pay, but most are scheduled around work hours anyway.

[soulesailor]

So...you've been in college for nine years??? That's terrible! You need to read local sailing magazines, bulletin boards, and anything else with crew matching sections,etc. and find people looking for crew and go sailing. Enough playtime, time to go sailing and learn something!

[xort]

Originally Posted by severan

I'm 27 and about to finish my college education in business,
What the best way for someone with zero experience to get free sailing training and possibly make a few subsistence bucks on the side?

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

My thoughts?

You are probably under the impression your business education was free and assume you can continue on that free ride. That was some education you got there. If you did pay for it, you should ask for your money back.
Of course you expect to get paid for doing something at which you have absolutely no experience. Especially when unemployment is at 9%
Maybe Obama will give you some 'free' education...at my expense?

[bubb2]

Severan, xort talks in codes and sense this was your First post you may have trouble with the translation. What he said was Welcome to Sailnet.

[citation34]

Buy a sunfish and learn to sail it.

[bubb2]

To answer the question about free sailing lessons. Depending on where you live, Many sailing schools launch boats in the spring. I know of a few that have in the past, traded sailing lessons for boat work mostly bottom painting.

[severan]

Bubb2, thanks for your replies. I guess I should clarify a bit for best advice. I did pay for my education, working and going to school around that. I have several job opportunities but somehow being an analyst for a brokerage firm isnt exactly appealing to a guy like me. The work I currently do is mostly in the non profit sector, though the inefficiencies of such and the rock-headedness of people with causes but no plan has soured me on straight non profits.

With that said what i meant by subsistence was; is there a way to do some grunt work, such as bottom painting, or dockhand, that could pay for very basic cheap living costs on a coast while I hang about and try to volunteer on a crew to learn the ropes and maybe try and get some certs?

Thank you all for the replies, I'm an obvious newbie.

Severan

[sailaway21]

Welcome severan. Sounds like you're looking for a job at a marina. You'll figure out the rest from there. Might as well go to Florida or some place where sailing isn't seasonal.