hitchhiking the ocean

[Zann]

hey, i plan to go to europe in july by boat.

i've looked it up a bit and found different crew finder type websites, but i do not have any actual experience, i mean i've been on a boat before but that's not really anything.

i don't live near any oceans or anything where i might be able to get experience, or have any other chances to learn things.

so i was just wondering what kinds of things, say on the internet, i may look up and learn to get a better chance of getting on a boat to europe.
thanks for any advise. : D

Zann
';'

[Laz777]

Ft. Lauderdale is a place to start. if you're young and have a neat appearance, you can possibly find work on a yacht.
now, being as specific as you are to go to Europe might be doable, but only certain times of year.
Antibes, France is the destination of many yachts in the winter months.
you'd be required to take a course in safety before you were hired and at your expense. there are schools in Ft. Lauderdale that cater to yacht crew training.
many people get their start in yachting doing day work on the yachts. a place to start would be here:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review ... orida.html

or here:
http://theneptunegroup.com/

the neptune group is a better place by far, but initially more expensive. one better thing about them is that they will refund you the difference of what you paid if you get a job on a yacht and need to leave on short notice.

Floyd's Hostel is rowdier and not as clean or nice. there are other crew hostels in the same vicinity, varying in price and quality.

don't know about your funds, but being in a crew hostel as opposed to living on the streets or somewhere else will get your foot in the door on a yacht crew much faster.
the only downside to getting on a yacht is that many don't want Americans.
they prefer Aussies, Kiwis and South Africans, but some will hire you if you've got a pleasant personality. that BTW, is a must....working around rich people you'll have to be, whether you like it or not


hope this helps.

[cannonball]

I got on a sailboat with only a little fishing boat experience. There's a hell of a lot more to sailing than trimming sheets and holding a steady course, as I soon found out. Mechanical skills are HUGE as things constantly break on a boat. If you know a thing or two about diesel engines that's an asset. Any knowledge of diving, fishing, woodworking, welding, plumbing, and electronics could also be handy.

Learn your knots, there's only a few you really need. I bought an ASA Sailing fundamentals book a week before I crewed just to learn boat terminology. As long as you're serious about it, it's all easy to learn.

... Don't get seasick either

[kabuki_mono]

From what I know - this would be sailing out of Europe, I am not sure if the same applies to sailing into Europe. But one key piece of required documentation is having a Marine Competence Card and a Nautical Miles Card (don't quote me literally on this, as I translated it directly from Spanish, I have no idea of the English equivalent) This is of course to be on a official working vessel - whether it may be a huge oil-tanker to a small fishing boat. Though it is not required on a private vessel - to my knowledge.
There are a few websites I have found, which didn't personally suit my needs as the majority of boats sailed out of The Americas. But it might be of use to you.

http://www.floatplan.com/crew.htm
http://www.ybw.com/
http://www.worldcruising.com/
http://www.cruiserlog.com/

K.m

[poolcbp]

How do you hitch hike the ocean? do you jump from boat to boat?

[Roaddog]

I hitched a boat ride to the Bahamas, not Europe, but would imagine it's about the same.

First off, don't search the internet! You need to go down there to the docks- RIGHT NOW!

Hang out, get to know the folks docked there, who's looking for crew, who is going where.......you can only find that out by going there!

The internet isn't going to tell you sh*t, except to go and find out for yourself.

So, if I was looking to sail to Europe, I would use the internet to find out from which port has the most leave. Then I would go to that port and hang about until I found my ride. Boat experience is a definite plus. The ONLY reason I was able to hitch a boat ride with NO experience was b/c I'm a female and the captain of this particular boat was nervous about bringing strange men aboard. I'd tried the previous year with no luck.

F*ck the internet, get out there and see what's up!