[TSOJOURNER]

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]

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? uke

 

[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.

 

[TSOJOURNER]

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.

 

[TSOJOURNER]

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.

 

[ssneade]

welcome to the sailing community. an interest in sailing is a start. i didn't get bitten by the bug 'til i was 26 myself, although i've been around water for most of my life. before moving to ga., i worked the water in the tangier sound, chesapeake bay area. yes, there are lots of marinas and schools of instruction i'm sure you could find plenty of takers for your offer. just remember, take pride in what task you are performing for them, for some may be quite menial and seem to offer no incentive towards your learning to sail. but part of sailing is knowing everything about your vessel, and what better way to learn than starting at the keel and working your way up. scraping barnacles is a suckie job at best, but somebody's gotta do it. also the suggestion of getting something small to start with is a good one. a small open cockpit with a jib and main would do the trick. practice, practice, practice. congratulations on your level of education and obtaining your pilots license . the pilots license i would like to obtain is the one that puts me behind a ships wheel. i'm terrified of gravity, although i've flown a few times. good luck, and once again welcome........

 

[xort]

My apologies to Severan for launching a tirade at a new guy.

Thanks for the classy comeback.

Good luck getting started.

Welcome to sailnet.

 

[TSOJOURNER]

Severan no need to justify yourself on wether you paid for your education or not, you asked for advice and most people have helped you out i agree that you should help out at a club for free lessons and advice.
Welcome to sailnet

 

[AdamLein]

Severan, by all means look for a racing team that's willing to let you sit on the rail for a couple of seasons while you learn the ropes. Or go to the public library and read everything you can about sailing, then go find a boat that's cheap enough to be considered "free", buy it, take it out on the water, and start praying.

If sailing is a skill you would consider valuable, you should be willing to pay a little bit to learn how to do it a little bit. Three days of lessons will go a long long way to kick-starting your sailing career, will make you more attractive to skippers looking for crew, and will probably cost less than a month's rent.

I would also reconsider your analyst job offers. Sailing lessons and a used 27' boat start to resemble "free stuff" when you start raking in a sizable salary (if you're a wise spender). Insist on a mariner's career and sailing will probably always be very expensive to you.

 

[TSOJOURNER]

the only way i see you getting paid with zero experience is crewing. You dont need experience to crew on some boats. I met a girl from northern Canada who was vacationing in mexico, and when she was in La Paz, someone asked her to crew on their boat. she said yes and has been living on it ever since. The best way to learn is to find someone who really knows their stuff and start off with wind theory. points of sail. understand what you are dealing with before you get out in it.
i learned to sail when someone stuck me in a laser and said "go". i spend a lot of time in the water, needless to say. not the best way to learn, but a fast way to learn!
good luck. sailing is amazing and i encourage anyone and everyone to get into it.