How to Land a Crewing Job at Sea
Kelly Wetherington has been traveling “by the seat of her skirt” since she first escaped her cubicle in 2007. Her insatiable curiosity for the world and thirst for adventure have led her to trek, dive, sail, zip, surf, climb, and paddle her way through 25 countries across Central America, Europe, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific. On Monday, she shared the story of landing her first crewing job. Today, she explains how to find a crewing job at sea.
What to do to increase your chances of becoming crew
Learn as much as you can before you seek a position.
Go sailing, practice tying knots, familiarize yourself with yachtie terms.
Learning to sail is like learning to speak a foreign language. If you aren’t willing to ask the dumb questions like “What does to reef mean?” then you will never learn the lingo (reefing is taking in a sail).
-- Hot bunking – what happens when there is more crew than beds. Rotating beds between watches.
-- Sheet - ropes
-- Starboard – right side of the boat
-- Port – left side of boat
-- Tack – change direction in reference to wind
-- Bow – front of yacht
-- Stern – back of yacht
What you can expect to learn aboard
-- How to stay on course
-- Steering
-- Navigation
-- How to tie many different knots
-- Trimming Sails
-- Jibbing
-- How to scale and clean a fish
-- How to get along well with others in very small spaces
Common crewing tasks
-- Cooking
-- Day/Night watches
-- Assisting with adjusting sails
-- Cleaning
-- Boat Maintenance
-- Fishing
-- How to anchor
-- Provisioning (grocery shopping, stocking up for months at a time)
What to bring with you
-- Waterproof jacket and pants
-- Fleece
-- Crocs (I swore I never would, but they are useful and you should dress the part)
-- Seasickness medication
-- Sunscreen
-- Hat
-- Books
-- Books on tape (for night watches)
-- Headlamp with red light so you don’t wake others during the night
-- Tolerance and an open mind
What to expect while at sea
-- Hard work
-- Adventures
-- Beautiful sunsets
-- Yachtie lifestyle is not as glamorous as you might think
-- Be prepared to go for days/weeks without a shower
-- Zero privacy
-- BIG swells
-- Seasickness
-- Boredom
Crewing Seasons Around the World
South Pacific: May-October
Caribbean – year round, but busiest season is October - March
Mediterranean – May - September
North Europe – June-September
How to choose the boat that is right for you
**It doesn’t matter the size or condition of a boat, the only thing that matters is that you like the other people on board.
If you do not get along well with someone on land, chances are you are going to have a lot of troubles at sea! Being tolerant of differences is key to surviving in a small confined space with diverse personalities and opinions.
**A seemingly normal person on land can transform into a totally different person at sea. It is the risk you take in the name of adventure!
Happy sails to you!
Leah on Mon, 6th Jun 2011 8:12 am
I really enjoyed reading your post. I am thirty-two soon and have itchy feet that are ready to try out foreign soils.
It is a fear of leaving the security of the day to day grind of paying the bills and living a safe and non-challenging way of life that has put me on hold for some time.
I hope (as it has I) your post will inspire others to go and follow their bliss – Leah 🙂
Patricia GW on Mon, 6th Jun 2011 8:54 am
Travel and experiencing a new culture really has put it into perspective, and filled that void with purpose (and joy).
In three weeks I’ll be moving to Paris myself for one month. I have the same feeling – the incredible surreal realization that I’m going to be living there…. it’s thrilling!!
Abby on Mon, 6th Jun 2011 2:11 pm
Oh, Jenny! Escargot isn’t palatable — it’s delicious! I love your writing style; it’s so fun and energetic. Can you believe how far we’ve come? Everyone, Jenny and I were in the exact same industry and have known each other online and via work emails for years and years. But we’ve only met once, many, many years ago. And one of those jobs she was sleeping next to her BlackBerry for was one I’d just left. And now she’s 33 and living abroad, just like I was last year. Kindred spirits. Jenny, you’re a true inspiration — I can’t wait to see how your adventure unfolds!
Debbie Beardsley on Mon, 6th Jun 2011 3:22 pm
Your life in Paris sounds ideal. It is nice to read about people who follow their dreams instead of wishing they had! Enjoy the rest of your journey.
Terriaw on Tue, 7th Jun 2011 1:40 pm
Wow, fabulous and well said! I love your new outlook on like. After experiencing career burnout and feeling a little lost and purposeless lately, you have encouraged me. I look forward to seeing Paris someday!
Jenny on Tue, 7th Jun 2011 6:50 pm
merci for all the sweet comments! @abby we are soooo kindred spirits! well except when it comes to our differing feelings on escargot…;) and congrats patricia on the move! thrilling indeed!
shawna on Thu, 9th Jun 2011 1:32 am
you’ve reawakened my travel bug. must. return. to. france. (someday.) eat a croissant for me!
Weekly Travel Blog Links — LandingStanding on Mon, 13th Jun 2011 6:16 am
[…] how badly I want to go to Paris… If only we could afford living there for an extended period of time during our travels! Any […]
G. Michael Schneider on Sun, 19th Jun 2011 3:36 pm
I am a firm believer in living and working overseas, just as you described. However, many of us actually like our jobs and our homes and are simply looking to renew and refresh our lives, not change it. However, you can have the same type of cultural experience without having to reach into your own wallet and without having to quit your day job–by taking what I call a “working vacation.” My wife and I have done this 15 separate times, from Australia to Zimbabwe, Turket to Tibet, Mauritius to Mongolia. I describe how to do it in my blog otherguysdime.wordpress.com and via Twitter at @otherguysdime. Learn how to have fun without having to have burn any of your bridges behind you.