Jobs on the water?

[iPirate]

Like many, I dream of one day owning my own boat.

With my current mortgage and car payment, the cold truth is that I may never be able to afford my own boat.

So, the thought occurs to me, if I can't own one, how about work on one?

The big question is, where would I even begin looking for such a job?

The Washington Post employment section seems to have passed over the categories of "boat jobs" or "jobs on the water".

[capn'rob]

 There are professional crew placement agencies that offer positions on both private and charter yachts. The resume's they're looking for usually need experience and training in fire safety and control, CPR and 1st aid. It's not like the old days where a Capt. could take you on at short pay to give you a shot, if you worked out, fine. If not, there's the gangway. You can possibly still do that in commercial fishing if that's the kind of work you're seeking. From what I'm hearing, guys with "big" Ticket Capt. licenses are going as Mates, even deckhands as the work is so sparse. The most likely way to get a site is to go as delivery crew on some of the boats that are moved seasonaly or new boats or brokered going to new owners, etc. You may not get paid at first. You may have to pay your own way home at first but once you're proven reliable on watch and as Able Bodied Seaman, you'll be paid or requested by some other Capt, with a brain! A good place to find these berths is the bulletin boards in Marinas, Marine Supply Stores and the like. I hope this helps. Dutch "X" his mark

[Capt. Bo of the WTF co.]

Cap'n rob is right, and even twenty-five years ago when I ws "haze-grey and underway", those jobs were posted locally or the best crewmen just hung out at a bar or resturaunt and captains would go to or send someone to find them. Word of mouth and reputation was the standard around the piers and docks. Doubt that has changed much, it is a very fraternal occupation as I recall.

Bo

[Bos'n Cross]

Every single boat i work on, i got the jobs by simply walking to its berth...looking for the captain/owner/supervisor etc. and asking if they were hiring.......of course this only help is you know where zee boats ARE......word of mouth indeed does go a long way.....if you have any boats near involved in tourism(tour boats, dinner cruises etc.) then that may be a good starting point, especially if you dont have too much maritime experience yet......and please remember that almost all time underway can count toward a captains license....just in case you may want one in the future..........bests of luck to yee mate!

[Commodore Swab]

Ive done my share of deliveries as well as working on dive boats and must say that in the past couple years when I used to hear about jobs fairly regularly not any more. In fact Im not even hearing about the ones that don't pay.