I have secured my next sailing adventure. I leave Tuesday the 7th for Nassau, Bahamas to begin working with Sail Nassau. Sail Nassau operates 2 Americas Cup racing sailboats and offers race charters to visitors. I will be crewing on one of the boats and racing multiple times a day. We have a kiosk at the illustrious Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island.

A laptop is essential. If you already have one, just about any will do. If you are in the market however, there are a few things you might want to consider before making your purchase. Portability is important. Some marinas and yachts have private wireless access but very often you will have to take your computer on shore and find a wifi hot spot. In the United States this is usually easy but elsewhere it can be a challenge. Fortunately, even small villages will have an internet cafe; be prepared to pay for your time however.

Which brings me to my next topic: Battery life. Many boats will have limited AC power unless they are docked. It requires the running of a generator which will give you 2-3 hours per day of charging time (if you are lucky). If you are on a boat that docks most of the time then you should not have a problem. When you are doing a lot of cruising, you want to record blog entries as much as possible and good battery life is a great thing to have. You could always write in a notebook and type up your entries later when you have power. If you are traveling outside of the US make sure you bring a universal power adapter. On one trip to the Caribbean I saw 4 different types of plugs.

You also want to consider the durability of your computer. A Toughbook/Durabook would be great, but is not essential. I would not recommend a MacBook Air however. Sailing can be rough; even the trip to and from an anchored boat and be a rough ride. Whichever you choose, storing your laptop in a waterproof hard-case whenever you are not using it is your best bet.

Another essential ingredient is a digital camera. Blogs are boring without pictures and sailing will provide plenty of opportunities to make your friends jealous. The type of camera you should use mostly depends on your photography skills. A nice digital SLR will take amazing pictures, but only if you know how to use it. I recommend getting a mid-grade digital with at least 6 megapixels. There are some models that are splash and water resistant which can be useful for obvious reasons.

These are just a few of things you should consider before running a sailing blog. I learned this through trial and error and there is no right or wrong way to do it. Once you start you will very quickly find out what works for you.

I started a topic in the new forum section of this website. Please help me expand on this topic with some tips of your own.

Safe sailing,

Adam

This is designed to continue the discussion started on this blog and to give the readers of this site the ability to preovide content themselves. Please let me know if you have any feedback; in fact write it in the forum.

Adam

1. Wordpress.com (or other free blog hosts)
Example: Proper Course
There are many websites that offer free blog hosting. If you know anything about blogging then you have probably heard of some of them: wordpress.com, blogger, myspace, livejournal, etc. This option, by far, has the smallest learning curve, and maybe the best option for those not technically inclined, but you sacrifice customization and cool features that you can find elsewhere. If you think this might be your best option I would recommend wordpress.com, it is open source and therefore always being improved upon. Once you get a handle on this system you may be itching for some more features. If this happens you can always export your posts and photos to a more versatile option.

2. Sailing/Travel blog hosts
Example: Rum Runner
I haven’t made an extensive search but I know of a few sites that fall under this category. These sites cater to the frequent traveler and offer some great features that can really enhance your blog. SailBlogs.com, Travelblog.org, and TravelPod.com are a few of the biggest. All have free versions which allow for photo and post hosting. Some sites have special features, like GPS tracking and maps, that are only available to paying subscribers. This option can find the happy medium between functionality and user friendliness. The downside to this option is that you do not get a unique domain name, which can be helpful if you are trying to monetize your blog.

3. Build your own
Example: This blog
This is actually a pretty broad category because there is an infinite amount of ways of creating your own website. Unless you are handy with HTML and other codes, I would recommend using a CMS (Content Management System) such as wordpress, drupal, b2evolution, or joomla!. There are literally hundreds of CMSs available all with different features and capabilities. I use Wordpress. Probably the most popular CMS used by bloggers. It is open source and therefore free and always expanding. CMSs allow for the highest customization ability for any of the blogging options but is also the most expensive and technically challenging. You also get the benefit of having a personal domain name. In order to have your own site you must however pay for that domain name and for a hosting service to host your site. This will cost you around $4-6 per month. I use bluehost.com to host this site and have been extremely satisfied with the service. The learning curve for this option is much greater then the other options but it is not impossible. There is plenty of free information online and just about anyone should be able to get a handle on it eventually.

Tomorrow I will continue this topic by explaining something you need to consider while running a sailing blog. Topics will include computer choice, internet connections, remote posting, etc.

Till then,

Adam

Unless you have some sailing experience you most likely will have to take an unpaid position for your first voyage. This is not a rule, but it can be hard to find a captain who will take a chance paying an unproven crew member. Don’t worry, even unpaid positions usually provide room and board and will likely tip well upon completion. Just make sure you work this out with the captain beforehand. First up…

1. Connections
You would be surprised how many people you know with some connection to the sailing or boating industry. I was introduced to sailing by a friend who is doing exactly what I am doing now but I also networked with many other people before I ever climbed aboard a yacht. Talk to your family and friends.  Contact your college or high school and see if they have a sailing club or team. See if they know anyone who sails or owns a boat. If they do, ask to get in contact with them because you are interested in starting a career in the industry. Most boaters are more than willing to help because they understand how networking and word of mouth is the best way to advance your career. Be sure to record contact information in a safe place. You never know when you might want to get in touch with a past sailing acquaintance. Emails are key because cell phone numbers change frequently for sailors.

2. Online Job Boards
There are many of them out there. Some better then others. Some examples are Findacrew, CrewFinders, and CrewSeekers. The benefit of using these sites is you can skim the job market while still keeping you current job. Some cost money and some are free. The best way to become familiar with crew websites is just get on there and check them out. I will be reviewing the best site individually in later articles. I have found FindACrew to be particularly helpful but the majority of boats are hiring for unpaid positions. Don’t bother looking on Monster or CareerBuilder because there is nothing.

3. Walk the docks
This requires a little more effort and commitment but is a staple for sailors looking for a crew. It most likely requires to not be otherwise employed. There is not much to it more then the name. Walk the docks. Get out there and introduce yourself to people working in and around yachts. Be there by 8am, talk to everyone, and see if they know anyone that is looking for day-work. Day-working on docks gets you face and name out there and makes you much more likely to be considered when a position opens up. I can’t stress this enough… just get out and walk the docks. You will have success (not to mention have a lot of fun with the people you meet).

4. Bulletin Boards
Most marinas, yacht clubs, and shipyards have them. If there captain looking for a crew member at a location then the bulletin board is usually the first place they check. Post a half-page flier with a brief description about yourself and your contact information. Don’t forget to look at what else is on the board, you can find some intersting things on there.

5. Drink
Well you don’t have to drink (although it helps), you should at least frequent the local bars where sailors and captains hang out after work. Alcohol lubes conversations and you can get your best contacts this way. Just don’t get to drunk so that you can’t meet them the next morning (or you forget which boat they are on).

It will take a combination of these tactics to break into the industry. Once you do, job hunting becomes much easier because of the connections you have made and the confidence you have gained.

You want to travel. You want to meet new people and have incredible experiences. You want to be free from the shackles of the 9 to 5 work week. You yearn for a challenge and stimulation. You want to be the envy of all your friends.

My recommendation? Sailing.

No matter your situation. Rich or poor, young or old, college graduate or high school dropout, you can sail, and you can make good money at it along the way.

It is true. Sailing has numerous benefits. Little or no taxes and expenses, freedom, and travel are just some of the perks. Its not all fun and games but it is always a rewarding experience.

The hard part is taking the initial leap. It can be hard to give up the security of your job and current way of life. That is why I am here. To help guide you through the process. Over the next few days I will be posting a guide to breaking into the boating industry. The information is accumulated from personal experience and from friends and colleagues that have helped me along the way. Hopefully this will give you the confidence to just get out and do it.

You may have noticed that the site had been down for a while. Well I tried to update my wordpress software and was unable to recover my previous posts until now. I would like to thank the wonderful people at Blue Host Technical Support for walking me through the solution.

In other news…

I have finished my trip. I flew back to the States from Cartagena, Columbia about two weeks ago (just before the hurricanes started rolling through). All in all my trip was spectacular. I saw places I never thought I would witness (See my new picture gallery). I am committed to making sailing my career so that I can continue traveling and meeting new people.

Which brings me to this…

The focus of this blog will shift from a personal journal to a informational/instructional resource for the would-be sailor. I truly enjoy sailing and want to help others do the same. The rewards are immense but the commitment can be daunting. I aim to ease those worries and help people travel the world… and get paid to do it.

Still got a little work to do before this blog really gets cruising but its close… so stay tuned.

Adam

We are going through the canal in the next few days. Really looking forward to the experience. Met a bunch of people from new england here at the marina. Panama seems to be a popular location to wait out the hurricane season. I posted a bunch more pictures on my flickr page because I just cant seem to figure out how to get them up on this site very easily. I have a bunch of stories to write but they are most likely going to have to wait until I get back to the US.