Skills required for long term sailing.

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AussieGirl
Posts: 23
Joined: Thu Oct 20, 2016 7:32 pm

Skills required for long term sailing.

Post by AussieGirl »

Post FI. One of my ideas is to go sailing for 6 months or so.

What skills will I need and what are cost effective ways to get them??

My ideas so far. Skills required and how to acquire for a more reasonable sum.

1. Sailing (obviously) - go crewing.
2. Navigation - helping with moving boats for rich people.
3. Advanced first aid, power boat, general disaster mindset- volunteer with State Emergency Services.
4. Electrical - ???
5. Engine/mechanical - ???
6. Long term food preservation - internet and practice at home.
7. Cooking without refrigeration - fairly straight forward.
8. Home schooling - 6 months of travel is probably a good education in itself.

Anything missing?? Any other ideas, links, people who have done anything similar.

G_Dog
Posts: 16
Joined: Sun Sep 11, 2016 4:14 pm
Location: East Anglia, UK

Re: Skills required for long term sailing.

Post by G_Dog »

For 6 months or so I would get a basic sailing qualification, and look at travelling on other peoples yachts.

Firstly find someone to go sailing with and see if you like it, that's fairly easy just contact any sailing club and ask if there's someone who would take you out.

The Royal Yachting Association are fairly well respected and their Day Skipper course would probably fit the bill. IMO the initial outlay on such a course is useful as it helps you recognise cowboys etc. when responding to adverts. As for the training aspect that's best picked up actually sailing and most people will teach you for free, and that will almost invariably include mechanical, electrical etc & how to store food etc.

And then look to go at a website such as: http://www.crewseekers.net/ There was a good article on how to go about this the other week, if I find it again I will send it across.
Another option as you have hinted at above is to find a delivery company and work for them, though they usually only pay for the expenses to get from home to the yacht, and then the yacht to home.

I hope that helps!

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