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The Magazine for Working Abroad and Taking a Gap Year
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BACK
ISSUES
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Hitch-hiking
the Seas
If
you can't afford the airfare to the Caribbean or the Med,
but haven't yet given up hope of reaching your destination,
you may wish to consider spending part of your vacation
in a space the size of your living room |
 Working
a passage by sea is an age old method of seeing
the world on a shoestring, but the days of hopping
on board a tramp steamer and sailing to the orient
are long gone. Now container ships ply the seaways,
but union regulations would prevent the captain
from taking you on as an extra hand; even if he
wanted to. However no union can prevent a private
yacht owner taking you on as a working passenger.
Experience is useful but not essential. A lack of
experience will increase the length of time you
spend walking the marina and the number of captains
that will knock you back. Keep walking and talking
and eventually you will find a skipper willing to
offer a berth.
The ideal crew is congenial, enthusiastic and a
good work sharer; nothing destroys morale on boat
a boat than one person who moans or shirks their
share of shipboard duties. And remember you will
living in a confined space with others and their
habits; and they with yours.
 To
find your crewing position use one, or all, of three
methods: use the services of an agency, place notices
at marina noticeboards or on the internet, or take
the direct route and approach skippers direct at
a Marina appropriate to your destination. If accepted
as a crew member, the captain will let you know
what your share of the expenses will be. It will
usually be enough to cover the cost of your food.
The boat's captain may wish to make a short test
voyage before he makes a final decision. Now is
the time to show you can tie a few knots, or impress
with your cooking skills, and not the time to puke
over the side.
If you prove yourself able you can begin your adventure,
seeing the world for free and fulfilling your dreams.
Or nightmares. One story recounted recently tells
of the mast breaking in a storm, and the crew being
rescued by an American warship. Another regards
a captain who navigates his way around the British
Isles with a road map, frequently requiring the
assistance of the coast guard.
Finally don't expect luxury on board. That tiny
shelf on which you placed your bag may not just
be a shelf - it may also be your bed. |
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