Selling Your Writing to Sailing Magazines: A Review

If there is one overwhelmingly popular way that would-be cruisers dream of filling the cruising kitty while underway, it is by writing. And why not? Ample time and a daily cocktail of equal parts adventure and inspiration provide plenty of fodder for stories. Not to mention the fact that the sea will often bring out the desire to wax poetic in a person. Sadly, writing doesn't always pay the bills...or, any bills for that matter. Not only is writing a famously meager way to make a living, but the cruising world is small and the publications that cater to us - and the audiences that read them - are limited.

BUT...all is not lost! There are many cruisers selling words and making decent money with their writing, and you can be one of them. The new book "Selling Your Writing to the Boating Magazines (and other niche mags)" is a step by step guide on how to, well... sell your writing to boating magazines. Turns out, there are tricks to successfully writing for niche publications and industry-proved ways to ensure your piece stands out in the crowd. While it is difficult to make a bonafide living by writing articles, published stories can be a fantastic way to drop coins (and sometimes many!) into the cruising kitty. You just need to know how.

"Selling Your Writing to the Boating Magazines (and other niche mags)" is your book. Author Micheal Robertson is not only a fellow live-aboard cruiser, but one of the people making a decent chunk of change with his writing, and has been for years. You might recognize his name among the authors of the fantastic book, >>>"Voyaging with Kids"<<< and he is regularly featured in the most popular sailing publications, so he knows what he is talking about when it comes to pitching magazines. His book is not only for sailors either, the tips and tricks can be applied to any niche publication. While his examples, contacts and anecdotes will be almost exclusively related to the sailing industry, they will be helpful to any writer try to break into the industry.

I obviously have a vested interest in this subject because, in time, I have big plans to ramp up my writing and (hopefully) make more money with it - so when he reached out to me for a review, I jumped at the chance...

The book is short, sweet and to the point. I read it in three days, so it is by no means overwhelming, which I loved. It assumes you know nothing about publishing, which makes it very easy for a layman to read. It's laid out in a very organized "step by step" way - from pitch to payment - any really demystifies the world of publication. "Selling Your Writing to the Boating Magazines (and other niche mags)" takes you through each and every step of the publishing process, he offers tips on how to make your piece stand out and how to forge good relationships with editors. In short, Michael lays out everything for you in a clean, easy to understand format. The only thing he doesn't do is write your piece for you.

Not convinced? Some other review snippets from very prominent cruisers and industry insiders:

“From now on when I get queries from sailors wanting to know how to get started as writers for the sailing press, I’ll recommend this book. It’s not just the book editors have been waiting for, it’s the book long awaited by every sailor who hopes to make a buck while pursuing his sailing dream.” —Karen Larson, Publisher of Good Old Boat

“Concise, useful and encouraging for any aspiring magazine writer, not just those in the sailing field.”—Lin Pardey, author of more than 400 magazine articles 

"Michael Robertson has done a great job composing a primer of practicalities for freelance writers. His clear advice is reinforced by having been widely published himself, allowing him to cite numerous useful examples from his own efforts."
—Tim Queeney, Editor of Ocean Navigator 

"If you’ve ever thought about sharing your passion by writing about what you love, you need this book. Michael Robertson has put together the ultimate toolkit for launching your freelancing dream." —Beth A. Leonard, freelancer, speaker, and author who supported herself for two decades writing from her boat

If you have dreams to sail off into the sunset and want to pen "freelance writer" in the occupation box on your customs forms, you need this book.

Who knows? You might even become the next >>>Fatty Goodlander<<<....

Happy writing!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book free of charge in return for my honest review. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this article are my own.

Making Money Living Your Dream: Earning While Cruising

Because money doesn't grow on trees...not even in the Caribbean.

What if you could make money while living your dream?  If that's not the ultimate "having your cake and eating it too" I don't know what is.  We hear from so many readers - fellow dreamers and gypsies - who are itching to take the great leap into living their dreams (be it on a boat or otherwise) and they want to know how to make it happen without winding up completely broke and penniless in the end.

And therein lies the conundrum:  How to break free but not break the bank?

We were honored to speak briefly at Strictly Sail on this very subject during a seminar given by our friends Paul and Sheryl Shard of Distant Shores and it inspired me to write more in-depth on this subject.  While we do not have the answers or the magic formula, we have met quite a few people in our travels who are making their dreams work for them so I thought I would share what we have learned with you.

To give you a little background, Scott and I were very lucky to be able to sustain our dream of living on a boat and cruising the Caribbean while still bringing in a regular income.  Scott, who is nothing if not determined, set his eyes on getting his captain's license a couple years ago and with a lot of hard work and even more luck (and a nice dose of serendipity thrown in for good measure), he landed a job as a relief captain on a 100 foot schooner for Island Windjammers, an American company based in Grenada (it's not common to go right to a captain's position after getting your license - but IWJ took a risk on Scott and it paid off).  He worked one month every three months and because living on a boat is significantly cheaper than living on land, we made more than enough money to live on and then some.  It was great.

Now, however, things have changed for us (what with operation "family supersize" and all) and we will have not one, but three young children with us.  One child is easy to handle as a single parent (or at least do-able) - but three?  Game changer.  The prospect of being alone on the boat for a month at a time as a single mom of three girls is not realistic (or safe) so we are currently exploring other avenues.  We will keep you posted on this front.

So what are some of the ways people make money while living their dreams?  Let's take a look...Keep in mind, the pros and cons I list are off the top of my head - if you have experience with making money any of these methods and have something to detract or add, we would love to hear your thoughts in our comments.  I have included links to cruisers (most of whom are personal friends) who are actually making money these methods as well, and I encourage you to check out their sites to learn more.  It is also important to note that many of these ways are not providing an actual "living" but merely "supplementing" the cruising kitty and adding a few bucks here and there.  But a drop in the bucket is better than nothing right?  Read on...

1. Writing:  I am listing this one first as it seems to be the #1 way people think they will earn money while cruising.  While you certainly can make money writing articles for sailing magazines and such, you should also be realistic that you are probably not going to make a lot of money.  The writing world is very, very competitive and cruising is a very niche market with only so many publications so there isn't a ton of opportunity.  There are very few people who can actually sustain the cruising lifestyle with their writing, though it can be a way to supplement and make a few bucks here and there if you have talent.  Fatty Goodlander, one of the most successful and prolific cruising writers out there today, writes four hours every single day.  He's written a bunch of books and thousands of articles and makes no bones about the fact that they do not make a lot of money and live on the cheap (very happily, I might add).
• Pros:  You can do it anywhere, inspiration is everywhere, almost zero startup cost/investment.
• Cons:  Very competitive, pay out is small, time commitment is significant, reliable internet is necessary from time to time.
• Example:  The infamous Fatty Goodlander


2. Running/working for a business from your boat:  We have met a few people who successfully run businesses back home from their boats.  These folks work remotely by attending weekly conference calls via Skype and working online during the week, possibly flying back home with some regularity to show face.  Obviously, the nature of the business must be so that you are not needed face to face on a regular basis, but this is a viable option if your business or company allows, and if you have a great support team on the home front.  IT, web design, graphic design and other internet-based jobs lend themselves well to this sort of thing.  This does require adequate internet which is not something you always have while traveling abroad to remote places so this can be challenging.  If you go this route, you will most certainly need to invest in some sort of high-powered wifi booster to make sure you can connect when you need to and you will probably have to be based (or not far from) places with very strong internet signal (which will limit where you can cruise).
• Pros:  You can do what you know, you have infrastructure on the home front, good money.
• Cons:  You will rely on strong internet connection (many wifi hotspots in anchorages around the Caribbean are not strong enough to support Skype calls, FYI and are often painfully slow), and as such, you might be a slave to places with good wifi or have to rely on going ashore to connect.  Running a business remotely is not easy and requires significant organization and a reliable team on the "home front."
• Example:  Our friends Tasha and Ryan of Turf to Surf


3. Chartering your own boat:  This is when you take passengers on your boat for adventures/vacations.  This is a tremendous amount of work and requires that you invest in a boat adequate enough to hold both your crew and your passengers in private rooms or bunks.  It also requires that you hold a captain's license and anyone else who works on the boat alongside you must also carry their STCW certificate - both of which require a significant investment.
• Pros:  Freedom of making your itinerary (you can cruise where you want), you are your own boss, you get to share your lifestyle with others which can be refreshing.
• Cons:  Sharing your home with strangers, very competitive, slave to a schedule, incredibly hard work when passengers are aboard (you cook three meals a day, clean, and look after them), guests can be great or awful and you have to live on top of them for days or possibly weeks at a time.  I repeat:  this is very hard work - long days, long hours. You are in charge of paying for maintenance and repairs, insurance costs are high. 
• Example: John and Amanda Neal of Mahina Expeditions


4. Charter running another boat:  This is similar to above, but you work for an owner or charter company running someone else's boat.  People who work on mega-yachts are the most common workers in this category as are captains who work for charter companies.
• Pros:  Good pay, you're still living on a boat in the islands, you get to share what you love with others, someone else is usually in charge of the booking, someone else is usually paying the maintenance/repair bills.
• Cons:  Very grueling work schedule, very competitive, you are at the mercy of your boss/charter company, you do not cruise for you, but for others, very hard work (again, cooking, cleaning, boat maintenance), you are in the service industry and might have to deal with unruly guests.  You are married to the boat you work on so personal free time is compromised.  This type of work is probably not a possibility for cruising families.  You also need the requisite licenses to do this (captain's license, STCW, etc.) which, again, are a significant financial investment.
• Example:  Our friends Mike and Rebecca of Zero to Cruising


5. Delivery Captain:  We've met a bunch of cruisers who supplement the cruising kitty by delivering other people's boats from point A to point B for them.  This can be a very lucrative endeavor but involves a lot of offshore miles and many days at sea at a time.  It is far from glamorous but a good way to stockpile some cash relatively quickly.
• Pros:  You can pick and chose what jobs you take, you get to sail other people's boats and someone else is footing the bill.
• Cons:  Very competitive and not easy to get your name out there.  This is also risky business as you are sailing other people's boats and are therefore at the mercy of their maintenance and gear or lack there of (we once met a delivery captain who was supposed to take a boat from Florida to the VI's but refused based on the state of the vessel).  You often must adhere to strict schedules and deadlines which means sometimes sailing in less than ideal (or downright awful) conditions.  Significant time away from family.  You will often need to bring along at least one other paid crew member, which will cut into your earnings a bit.  
• Example: Our friend Christopher (and family) of Wandering Dolphin


6. Run an industry related business:  Cruisers are nothing if not innovative and we have met and heard of several that have found a niche or need and developed great products to sell to fellow cruisers.
• Pros:  Good money, you are your own boss, working with like-minded folks in an world you know and love (boating/cruising), you can be a traveling salesmen and your audience is all around you.
• Cons:  You are still running a business and this takes a lot of time and commitment.  You will probably need a person or team of people on land to help distribute and/or run customer service for you.  Depending on your business you must make a significant investment upfront to get it up and running.  You will still need to be "connected" a lot to fill orders, answer questions and ensure customers are happy.
• Example: Rich from s/v Third Day, owner of Cruise RO Water and Power, Paul and Sheryl Shard of Distant Shores,  Mark and Liesbet, creators and distributors of The Wirie wifi booster


7. Relief Captain:  working part time for a charter company or cruise company as the "relief" for the main captain (Scott's rotation was one month on, three off).  Again, this requires the captain's license and other relevant certificates and finding these kind of jobs is akin to finding a needle in a haystack.
• Pros:  Less rigorous work schedule, usually there is a little flexibility involved, decent pay.
• Cons:  Difficult to find this work, time away from family, pauses in your own cruising for weeks or months on end, cruising on a deadline to ensure you get to your place of work.
• Example:  Scott of Windtraveler (yeah, that's us!)


8. Living off investments on land:  We have met many cruisers (and travelers) who either rent out their paid off land-based home and live off that income, or have several "income properties" that bring in a monthly sum and they live off the net income from those.  There are obvious costs (and risks) involved in being a hands-off landlord, but it can be done.  For the record, this is the next step for us and the avenue we are currently pursuing.
• Pros: Can make some decent money and when you have the right formula (properties, partners, tenants), this can work very well for the vagabond lifestyle.
• Cons:  Lots of investment up front, must have a reliable partner or management company to work with, at the mercy of tenants, risky business if tenants are unreliable or unruly, stressful being a landlord, requires semi-frequent returns to the home-front to check up and maintain properties.


9. Blogging:  While there are a lot of people on the internet who make a living with their blogs, I have yet to meet a cruiser who makes a living this way.  Like writing, blogging is very competitive and making significant money requires much more traffic than many sailing blogs will ever get.  It is, however, a nice way to supplement the cruising kitty and bring in a few bucks  each month with things like affiliate links (ex. most cruising bloggers are Amazon Associates) and banner ads - but again, you must have traffic to get people to click on those links.  You can also save some good coin with sponsorships as we have. 
• Pros:  If you enjoy blogging, this is very fun and rewarding.  You get to chronicle your adventure and help others embark on theirs, you make great relationships with other bloggers.  Check out my post Tips for Cruising Bloggers to learn more.
• Cons:  Very competitive, financial gain nominal unless you have a LOT of traffic, requires many hours of work and time in front of the computer to do it well and be successful (I spend between 2-4 hours on this blog a day.) Takes a very long time (months or years) to ramp up and get a big audience, also relies on decent internet connection regularly.
• Example:  Friends Behan of s/v Totem who blogs for bucks on Sailfeed, and Carolyn of The Boat Galley


10. Online Trading:  Playing the stock market and making trades using an online trading site.  Pat Schulte of Bumfuzzle wrote a very detailed book, Live on the Margin, on how to do just this, you can check out my review here.
• Pros:  Easy to set up and get started.  Possible high reward.
• Cons:  Need some money to start up, signifiant risk involved, requires reliable internet regularly to check positions and manage portfolio.
• Example:  Pat and Ali Schulte of Bumfuzzle


11. Freelancing:  Using your skills in photography, web design, social media, marketing,  IT or something similar and freelancing as you go.
• Pros:  You are in control of your income and the hours you work.  Can make decent money if your skill is in demand.
• Cons:  Competitive, hard to find work, typically a feast or famine sort of gig, requires a lot of self promotion and possibly lots of time on the computer, oftentimes require reliable internet connection.
• Example:  Taru Tuomi, amazing freelance photographer of World Tour Stories,  Mercedes Villa Lopez, freelance graphic designer cruising the South Pacific


12. Cruising part time, working part time:  Not all cruisers are full time and sometimes going home during hurricane season offers a nice balance and can really keep you from getting "burned out" from the full-on live-aboard lifestyle.  Cruising part time and working part time offers a nice work/life balance if you can find a job that will allow for this kind of schedule.
• Pros:  Nice work life balance.  Very sustainable if you find the right situation.
• Cons:  You have to constantly take your boat in and out of commission, you must pay to store your boat somewhere as well as pay for some sort of "home base" on land, not easy to find jobs that are conducive to this type of schedule but they do exist (seasonal jobs probably offer the best bet).
• Example:  Our former buddy boat George from Earthling Sailor


13. Finding work along the way:  This sounds like a great way to go - just stopping and working along the way - but there are many complications that make this tricky, difficult, and potentially illegal.  Finding work in another country is not easy (especially if the countries you are traveling to are "developing" as most of the ones we visit are) and often requires very expensive and hard to obtain work permits.  If you decide to skirt the permits and work "under the table", you risk legal issues.  
• Pros: You stop and really get to know a place, you make money as you need and cruise freely the rest of the time.
• Cons:  Very difficult to find, requires you to stop cruising for significant lengths of time, possibly need to move off the boat and onto a land base for a while.
• Example:  Our good friends Eben and Genevieve of Necesse who are currently working in the Dominican Republic


14. Selling a trade: Some cruisers work from their boats as shipwrights, sailmakers, canvas workers, massage therapists, hairstylists and more.  This is a decent and relatively easy way to supplement, but cruisers are a famously thrifty bunch and more often than not you might find yourself trading goods instead of getting paid actual cash for your services.  Other services that are in high demand with cruisers:  marine electrician, diesel mechanic, marine refrigeration expert, and specialty guides (kitesurfing instructor, dive instructor, yoga instructor... etc).
• Pros: You can do this from any anchorage anywhere you are, you will meet lots of other cruisers, your "clients" are literally all around you.
• Cons:  Working "under the table" for cash in a foreign country might pose legal issues, cruisers - as a rule - are a pretty cheap group and might not be willing to pay for your services, must creatively advertise and market yourself. 


15. Selling a craft:  there are so many cruisers with incredible artistic talents for handi-crafts. Nowadays, with online storefronts like Cafepress and Etsy it's pretty easy to set up your own shop where you can sell your goods and art.  We have met cruisers who sell their art, tee-shirts, jewelry, music, knitting and more.  The money is probably not so much that you can make a living, but it might be a nice supplement. 
• Pros:  You can create art that you love, arts and crafts are a great way to pass time on a boat, can possibly sell your crafts to fellow cruisers while underway but you can also reach a wider audience with online storefronts like those mentioned above.
• Cons:  You must carry supplies enough to meet the demand, shipping items from far-flung places might get tricky, you might need to have a partner on the home front to help manage orders if you can't manage it from afar, requires reliable internet, must have decent marketing skills to get the word out there as the craft market is pretty saturated.
• Example: Former cruising buddy and nature artist Lara of Forest and Fin and friend and jewelry designer Melody of Maggie&Millie, Chris DiCroche - singer and songwriter of MondoVacilando.

The bottom line:  there are ways to make it happen, but it will take sacrifice, creativity and some good old fashioned perseverance.

Other informative posts by fellow bloggers on this same subject:

Earning Money While Cruising:  Lessons from the Pros (we contributed to this one)
Making Money While Cruising from our friends Paul and Sheryl at Distant Shores
Wireless Ideology a website dedicated to interviews with "Digital Nomads" (see our interview here)


Do you currently make money any of these ways?  I would love to hear your thoughts on the pros and cons and realities of it!  Do you make money a different way?   How have you made your dream work for you?  Please share in the comments with any tips, tricks and insights.

Don’t Live on the Edge…Live on the Margin

When I saw an email in my in mailbox from “Patrick Schulte” my stomach dropped.  “Uh oh” I thought, “He’s going to unleash on me his irreverent wit and I will be left in a pulpy, tongue-tied mess”.  After all, we had broken several of his cardinal rules for successful boat blogging and I was pretty certain he hated us.

For those of you who have been living under a rock and do not know Patrick Schulte, he is the (hilariously and sometimes bitingly contemptuous) voice of Bumfuzzle which is, without a doubt, the most successful “sailing blog” on the internet today.  Pat and Ali are just a couple years older than we are, and yet they have lived approximately four lives: one in which they sailed around the world with pretty much zero sailing experience, another in which they drove across the parts of the world they missed on their sailing adventure in a VW bus, another in which they raced across country in a vintage Porsche and yet another when they had a couple of (adorable) babies, bought another boat (a monohull! Egad!) and moved to Mexico.  When they started blogging there were probably no more than three other sailing blogs and Pat has no one but himself to blame for the fact that there are exactly one million, eight hundred and twenty-two thousand more today.  Bumfuzzle opened the floodgates.

Anyway, I opened the email and it was not the verbal tongue lashing I expected, but a friendly response to a post I wrote about common questions we get in which one shrew super-charged on bitterness and (pregnancy?) hormones wrote me a comment peppered with words like “spoiled” “holier than thou” “nothing more than a stay at home mom” who "relies on her husband for income" among other things (after a little chuckle I hit "delete").  Never one to shy from controversy (actually I think they are fueled by their haters) Pat wrote that perhaps next time people inquire about how to finance a dream like this, we turn them on to his new book Live on the Margin.

Which is, no joke, exactly what I do now.  (He’s so smart, that Pat).

The book is not a travel narrative or a pithy account of a life at sea, but rather a how-to book aimed at showing people that it is truly possible to think outside the box and live your dream life (be it living out of a camper van in Baja, a surf shack in Costa Rica, or a thatch hut in Bali) by adjusting your spending habits, evaluating risk, and taking that exhilarating leap into the unknown while playing the stock market with realistic sums of money to pay your way.

Making that dream happen—stepping into an unknowable future for a life of adventure takes courage, decisiveness, an unwavering belief in yourself, and the willingness to take 100% responsibility for the outcome. Those happen to be the very same traits that define the successful trader. The skills you learn in pursuing the dream might just remove money from the list of reasons you can’t go. -From the LOTM Facebook Page.

Pat co-wrote the book with Nick O'Kelly, a fellow intrepid traveler and on-the-margin-liver and, despite the fact that I am famously terrible with numbers and math, the book is written in laymen's terms with real-life examples and the signature Schulte wit peppered throughout.  While it's still a book about online trading (not exactly a gripping page-turner) - it is not the total yawn fest that most other books in it's genre offer up.  It's could also have been named: Trading for Dummies, but that book probably already exists.

Anywho... if you are sitting there in your cubicle dreaming of backpacking across Southeast Asia, living on a sailboat in the Caribbean or volunteering on an eco-farm in South America - Live on the Margin might just open your eyes and show you that yes, there is a way.

Patrick Shulte is also the author of Bumfuzzle - Just Out Looking For Pirates which is a refreshingly hilarious account of their travels around the world by sailboat. At 2.99 for the Kindle addition, I promise you it'll be worth every penny.

Full disclosure:  I received a free copy of Live on the Margin.

Our Captain is on Loan

It's that time again. Scott is heading off to work and we've got to say goodbye to him for a few weeks.  In preparation for his being away, we have moved from our spot out in the anchorage to a mooring ball in a hurricane hole down here in Georgetown.  While it's is a huge perk that he is able to work such an incredible job to maintain our lifestyle, I hate saying goodbye with all my soul.  Yin and yang.  We can't have our cake and eat it too.

The idea behind moving our boat is really for the safety of Isla and me.  This hurricane hole is completely protected from wind and waves and the water stays nice and flat in almost all conditions when out in the anchorage boats might be bouncing like mad.  Getting a baby into a dinghy solo when a boat is bucking like a wild horse is not recommended.  In addition, Isla and I will be flying back to the states for a short visit and the man who maintains this mooring has agreed to do frequent checks on our boat to make sure she's doing okay without us.  It's a safe place to be with plenty of live-aboard neighbors and lots of friends nearby who will all be looking after us.  Scott will leave knowing I can hold down the fort, and I'll rest easy knowing we're surrounded by a great community of boaters.

Tomorrow Scott flies to Grenada where he will be setting sail on the tall ship Diamant.  We've already heard from several lucky passengers who are excited to sail with him.  If any of you are booked on an Island Windjammer cruise in the next month - have a blast!  And if you're not - you might want to look into a vacation with them.  It's a seriously awesome trip and a unique vacation experience.

In the meantime, we'll be missing Scott something awful.  This is one unique case where I hope the time does fly.

The Two Most Common Questions We Get

Our lifestyle is a little different than most, so it's only natural that we field a lot of questions from curious/interested/bewildered people.  By far the most common questions we get are (in this order): "How can you afford this?"  and "How long will you do this?"

The first question, though I have come to expect it, always catches me off guard.   Have you ever walked into someone's house and said, "Wow! Beautiful home!! How much did this cost and how EVER do you afford your mortgage?!" or when you first meet someone do you ask, "Really?  An investment banker?  Interesting.  What are investment bankers bringing in these days?"  I realize the question is innocent and I understand that people are curious about our lifestyle.  The fact that we live a pretty publicly documented existence (thanks to this blog) outside of what is "normal" seems to trump social mores and give people a free pass to ask personal questions that most would never dream of asking in everyday situations.  Even knowing this I am still caught off guard when someone asks us about our finances.   I've touched on it before, but without getting too specific, the success of our lifestyle is heavily attributed to five things:

1. We had/have zero debt 
2. We had a nice little nest egg to start off with (thanks to our wedding) 
3. We owned nothing of any real value on land (like a house) 
4. Scott is a working captain on a steady rotation so we have a reliable income stream 
5. We live a relatively "simple" life and spend significantly less on day to day life than our land-lubbing counterparts

These five things are hugely impactful in allowing us to live the way we do.   That and the fact this is the way we want to live, of course.  Where there is a will, there is a way.  I've said it before and I'll say it again, we have met people doing what we are doing on much, much less, and people who are doing it with much, much more.  If you want to live a certain way (be it on land or sea) get out there and do it your way.  You will have to make sacrifices regardless of your financial situation; you might not be able to have the fancy boat you want, will probably have to sell your house and you might be limited to coastal cruising - but the truth is there is no magic number that I can give you that will guarantee you will get out here and do it.  There are just as many "rich" people as there are "poor" not doing what they want to do.  Whether or not you are going to live the way you dream is up to you, and our financial specifics aren't going to change anything for you.

The other question we field all the time is "How long will you do this?" It's another one we never really have a concrete answer for because, honestly, we don't know.  People jump right in and ask us about homeschooling Isla inquiring whether she'll go to a public high school or not.  High school!? She's not even out of diapers yet.  Truth is, we haven't really thought that far ahead.  I've never been much of a "planner" and instead tend to live my life by putting one foot in front of the other, ceasing opportunities as they present themselves.  If we are still cruising when it's time for Isla to go to school (which I think is age 5?), we will absolutely homeschool (to be honest, I believe very strongly that Scott and I would provide a far superior education for our children than any conventional school would).  As far as high school is concerned, well, if she's anything like her mama we will most likely be shipping her off to military school (I kid...sort of).  We'll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it.  So, back to the main question... how long will we do this?  The bottom line is that we plan to live like this as long as we enjoy it.  When we bought this new boat (being that it was a significant investment) we committed to five more years.  That said, we might sail for five more years, ten more years, or we might cut that short if need be - we have no idea.  We definitely plan to have more children (see, I do plan!) and we'll be making trips back home to have those.  Or maybe we won't.  Maybe we'll have them in Australia or Panama or somewhere else.  We don't really know.  But as long as we all enjoy what we're doing out here, we'll keep on keeping on.

What other questions do people have out there?  Feel free to ask us on our Facebook Page where I post and interact daily!

Work: The Double Edged Sword

When Scott got his USCG Captain's license, we new that it would open up a whole new world for him in terms of work.  And it did.  It allows him gainful employment as a captain with Island Windjammers and opens up a bunch of other opportunities from doing deliveries to helping out on mega yachts here in Ft. Lauderdale (he's got a five day gig next week with our buddy Travis!).  You never know what the future leads, but I am pretty certain the sea is where his life's work will be, no more going to an office for him.

This is fantastic for us because a) he can potentially find work wherever in the world we are and b) these jobs will allow us to cruise indefinitely.  The down sides, of course, are a) we will not be able cruise while he works and b) we spend weeks apart at a time.  Yep, even when you live like wayward nomads in cool places,  it's difficult to have your cake and eat it too.

Scott reports to Grenada for an eight week rotation at the end of November and he is really scrambling to get all of our major projects completed before he departs.  Our goal is to be - more or less - ready to go when he returns mid-January.  At the moment he's working solo on the boat from 8am to 8pm, stopping for few breaks in between.  I bring him his lunch, steal little moments to help him here and there while Isla is napping, but for the most part - we pass like ships in the night.  Not ideal, but it is what it is.

Projects underway:

• The addition of an inner stay with a roller furling staysail (the boat is already set-up for this, but does not have one) in progress with a local rigging company
• The modification of our bimini and solar panels so that the two can zip together in progress with local canvas company
• Installation of our new watermaker
• Installation of isolation valves on our sea chest (more on this later)
• Installation of dinghy davits by UMT Marine
• Addition of our dinghy motor hoist to our instrument pole
• Mounting of our new Viking life raft canister to the deck

Those are the big ones, there are countless more "little" projects that must be completed as well.  While we might have more money to pay for these projects, we have less time to complete them.  And therein lies the double-edged sword.  We'll get there.  At the moment progress is slow, but slow and steady wins the race, right?

Don't Spend a Boat Load

Image source.

When working on fixing up, refitting and/or outfitting a boat, it's really easy to spend a veritable boat load of money.  Add the word "marine"to anything and watch how quickly the price goes up.  The cost of a refit adds up FAST (which we learned with our first boat) so this time around, we decided to spend considerably more money upfront on the boat, with the hope of curbing the hemorrhaging of cash that happens after (we'll let you know how this goes).  While the projects we have to accomplish are not major, they are many and the dollars add up quickly.  Here's how we save a little money here and there when buying stuff for our boat because those dollars add up too!

Defender.com - this site is the bomb-diggity.  They have some of the best prices for all things boat on the web.  They ship quickly and have great customer service.  If we need something, we'll usually look here first.  This is probably my favorite website for boat supplies.

Craigslist - if there was ever such a thing as an "expert" Craigslister, it would be Scott.  The man loves a deal and when we lived in Chicago he bought and sold items on it all the time.  This site a little less reliable than the more marine-specific shops and websites because it sells just about everything, but if you make it a habit to check Craigslist for what you are looking for, you might find some gems.  Beware, however, because lots of stolen items end up on Craigslist.  If you buy a motor or a boat, check the serial number and do a search on it to see if you'll end up with a "hot" item.

ebay - we actually know people who have bought their boats on ebay!   When we're looking for things, we usually search ebay as well.

West Marine Port Supply - I'm not sure the best way to get one of these but if you can get a Port Supply account, it might be worth it.  Usually reserved for people who work in the "industry", this is a wholesale site that caters to folks who will purchase a lot thus saving you a ton on certain items (some items don't get any discount for whatever reason).  These accounts, however, are tricky to get but I thought it'd be worth mentioning if you can swing it.  If you cannot get your hands on one - fear not!  You'll probably do as good or better with West Marine's price matching outlined below.

West Marine Price Matching - A lot of people know this little secret, but it's worth mentioning because it can save you a ton in the long run. Say you're looking for a Jabsco fresh water pump.  You see it on the shelf at your local West Marine for $129, but then you find that same water pump on Defender for $100.  If you print out that listing from Defender and follow the protocol of West Marine's price match policy  you'll get that pump for 100 bucks!  Pretty awesome.

Coupons -  As someone who shops online a lot, I've always found this little trick to be helpful.  Simply Google coupons and/or coupon codes for the company/product you're looking for.  You can either find coupons that you can print and bring into a store, or you can find a coupon code that can be applied to an online purchase.  Definitely worth a Google search anyway.  The one that I linked to above was a quick search for a "West Marine Coupon" and lo and behold, there is one for $15 off a $100 (or more) purchase.

Boat swaps/Used Good Chandlery's -  Most marinas will have "boat swaps" from time to time where people will bring things they don't want/need anymore to buy/sell/trade with other boaters.  Scott and I went to a great boat swap in Buffalo, New York many moons ago and acquired our Edson drink holder there.  It might not sound like much, but that puppy new is $164!! We bought it for under $25!  Similarly, used boating supply shops like Sailor's Exchange in St. Augustine and Sailorman here in Lauderdale can be havens for finding boat treasures.  You'll have to dig a little, but it's fun to do because there is usually SO much cool stuff in these places.  It's like digging around in Popeye's attic!

Shop Hardware Stores -  many of us are bamboozled into thinking that if it doesn't say "marine", it won't work on a boat.  While this might be true for some items, it's not true for all.  On Rasmus, we installed a cheap, in-line water filter intended for home-use and purchased from Home Depot in order to remove the inevitable "tank taste" from our water.  I can't remember exactly, but I think the whole thing cost us $30.  If we went with a system that was intended for boats, I'm sure we could have doubled or tripled that number.  You can save a lot of money if you take your shopping list to a local hardware store and not a boat chandlery.  Use good judgement though because certain things, like household wires, aren't safe on a boat.

Other sites we like are Jamestown Distributers and Landfall Navigation.

What did we miss?  Are there any other great ways to save money on any and all things nautical?  Let us know in the comments so that our readers can learn from you too!

Love,
Brittany, Scott & Isla

Guess What? We're Digital Nomads!

Just your typical family of Digi-Nomads

Check out this interview I did the other day for the great site "Wireless Ideology".  While you are there, check out the other great interviews from others who are living a life less ordinary and making it work for them.  They're calling us "Digital Nomads"; aka "people who leverage technology and the internet to work remotely all over the world"...  Inspiring, interesting, and food for thought...

Love,
Brittany, Scott and Isla

Being Married to a Sea Captain

Captain Scott at the helm

Many of you know that Scott got his Captain's License last year.  Due to the fact that Scott was a) incredibly persistant b) a hard worker and c) in the right place at the right time, he got a job with Island Windjammers - a wonderful company that runs week long cruises in the Grenadines on the beautiful tall ship, Diamant.  This, my friends, is a good thing.  Not only does he make a nice chunk of change for our cruising kitty, but he gets to do something he absolutely loves and gets paid for it - we should all be so lucky.  As long as he is can fly to where the boat is, he has a job.  This turn of events has ensured that we can continue to cruise and live aboard our boat for as long as we want.

There is, of course, a catch.  As with anything, there is a yin to this yang.  What this also means is that Scott must leave us for as many as eight weeks at a time for his rotation.  While having a reliable income has made our life at sea a little nicer, it is not easy to be apart for such a long stretch of time (although we will see him on weekends when we are in Grenada).  When Scott was offered this position on the boat we spent a long time discussing the pros and cons of such a situation.   Should he take the position (more time away, reliable schedule, ability to budget)?  Or remain a relief captain (inconsistent schedule, less time, sporadic work/pay)?  We chose to accept the regular position because of the stability and the opportunity to work with and for a great company.  Despite the weeks he'll be away from us, we'll still be together full time for the remaining 40-something weeks of the year which is still way more "together time" than your average family.  Not to mention we'll be fully funded cruisers.  These things make this whole situation a win.  While I  remain positive that this is what is best for our family, the selfish side of me knows I will miss him terribly while he is away.  Scott leaves next week for a four week rotation and even though I have said "good bye" to him many times before, it's never easy to do.  Such is the life of the Captain's wife, I suppose.

“What is that feeling when you're driving away from people and they recede on the plain till you see their specks dispersing? - it's the too-huge world vaulting us, and it's good-bye. But we lean forward to the next crazy venture beneath the skies.” 

- Jack Kerouac, On the Road

Planning Ahead

We've been getting a lot of emails lately about our 'plans'...
It seems our shore-side sabbatical has led some of you to wonder if we're actually going back to our boat so instead of typing this out a bunch of times in separate emails, I figured I'd turn to the blog...

The short answer to your question is yes, we are definitely returning to our boat!

One of the wonderful things about being a young couple with no debt and no land-locked responsibilities (like a mortgage or 'careers') means we are free to dream and roam as we please.  This simple fact allows our minds to wander freely and Scott and I have spent many a night wondering about the places we want to cruise and where we're going to end up in the "future".  Some scenarios have us opening a sandwich shop in some sleepy little harbor town, some have us starting a little marina/hostel for fellow travelers and cruisers on some beautiful off-the-beaten-path island, others have us coming home and spending half the year cruising and the other half living near family and friends and others still revolve around sailing and starting a seasonal charter business from our own boat.  All of these are just ideas we roll around in our heads - after all, dreaming and scheming are two of the things we do best...

Anyway - as for our "short term" plans, we do have them.  For now, we are going to stay here in the Chicagoland area until September.  We are living with my wonderful parents and saving money - Scott has gotten a temporary "real" engineering job and is actually enjoying using and sharpening his Solidworks skills.  He's heading back down to Grenada in July for five weeks to captain Diamant and then he'll return to me and our little girl and we'll start gearing up to head back to the boat.

On September 15th we will return to Trinidad and to Rasmus to begin prepping her for another cruising season.  My mom and dad are going to come with us to help out - my mom will help me with the baby, and my dad will help Scott prep the boat.  We have a few projects we'd like to tackle but the main stuff will be to paint the bottom and perhaps beef up our solar/wind power.  Once our "to-do" list is complete we'll be ready to cruise again in November or thereabouts.

We plan to spend next season (November '12-June '13) cruising the Windwards and Leewards again, probably going no further north than St. Maarten, and then taking our sweet time hitting all the islands we missed on our way down.  Staying in the Caribbean will allow us to cruise comfortably with our daughter (no need to do long, overnights if we don't have/want to) and will allow us to be near Grenada where Scott will have to go for his one or two rotations next season as a Captain for Island Windjammers.

From there - we're not 100% sure, but we're really, really liking the idea of the San Blas Islands of Panama.  We're not fans of sitting in one location for months and months through another hurricane season and the San Blas Islands offer year-round cruising and are touted as some of the most untouched and beautiful islands in the ocean.  From there we will be in prime location to go through the Panama Canal or we might spend a few years simply circumnavigating the Caribbean and hitting up Cuba, Jamaica and the Caymans (we do plan on having more children - Scott has actually made a timeline for us with prospective "dates" - so more bambinos will certainly effect our plans as well!).

The only other thing that might effect these plans is the fact that we are currently "kicking tires" and looking for a larger boat.  We are currently in talks with an owner in Central America with a boat that would be a great fit for us and would allow us plenty of room to grow as a family while still offering us the comfort and stability we are used to in our little beauty.  What makes this even more cool is the fact that they, in turn, are interested in our boat so this could be a win/win situation.  It's still very early, but if this does work out - obviously these plans will change.  We're not going to disclose any more about this - but rest assured, we'll keep you posted as things develop.

So there you have it!  Our "plans" as they are now...while they are (always) subject to change - rest assured, the ocean hasn't seen the last of us!

Cool Currency

One of the (many) tasks we did this week was to clean out our "nav station"...that is area on the boat usually set aside for "navigating", but on Rasmus it's become a something of a junk drawer containing all sorts of goodies: spare locks, motor keys, head-lamps, "every day" tools (much easier to keep these close rather than have to get out the tool bag every time you need a flathead screwdriver), quick reference guides, boat cards, index cards, sharpies, pens, pencils...you get the idea.  We clean it out every couple of months, but it always gets messy again in no time.

Anyway - also in this nav station, we had a little container full of change that we have been accumulating since the beginning of this trip.  Scott gave me the task of sorting it.  Oh joy!  While picking through it all, I realized I that I was really looking at the coins for the first time.  Caribbean coins depict everything from tall ships to starfish, from sailboats to porpoises and even pineapples.  Making note of all the unique pictures stamped in silver and bronze made sorting them a little less boring.  We had coins from approximately six different countries in that little bin!  Pretty neat.

Ironically, later on in the day when Scott and I were enjoying a cup of coffe at our favorite local cafe - he mentioned how interesting the Trini money was.  So we investigated our bills a little further and splayed them out on the table (yeah.  we're SUPER savvy travelers. laying all our money out on a table and all).  Sure enough - they tell a little story about Trinidad.  Each bill features a significant part of the culture or economy here; an oil rig on the $100, steel pan drums on the $20, a ship yard on the $10, market vendors on the $5 and an oil refinery on the $1.  It's a story, it's art and it can buy you a latte.  Not too shabby.

Love,
Brittany & Scott

Beautiful Serendipity

Captain Scott at the helm of Diamant

ser·en·dip·i·ty/ˌserənˈdipitē/

Noun:

The occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way: "a fortunate stroke of serendipity".

A lot of you wrote wondering how Scott got his job with Island Windjammers...

It's actually a pretty cool story, but first I have a not-so-little anecdote...

The other day, a friend and I were talking about the Universe and how - when you are on the right path - things fall into place almost seamlessly.  On the other hand - if you are not on the right path, you might find you are coming against obstacle after obstacle and maybe just maybe something doesn't feel 'right'.  I have countless examples of this happening in my life - from both sides of the fence.

When my college roommate and I were driving to Key West, Florida one spring break, for example, I had this deep down, super eerie gut feeling we weren't going to get there.  Of course I ignored it.  There were beer bongs to be had and tans to be gotten!  Upon leaving, about a hundred things went wrong; phones went missing, credit cards were lost, items forgotten... little things like that.  Looking back, these were all signs to 'stop'.  The Universe was trying to tell us something, I believe that wholeheartedly.  Of course, being nineteen and invincible we plowed past these roadblocks armed with Dunkin' Donuts coffee and No-Doze.  Not ten hours later we were in a horrific car crash where we skidded across three lanes of traffic on a highway, rolled twice and ended up hitting a tree in a ditch on the side of the road.  The paramedics had to use the "jaws of life" to get us out of my completely totaled Ford Explorer and told us that it was nothing short of a miracle that we were alive.  I've never been the same since that day.  I learned something about instincts, about trusting your gut and believing in the Universe.  It truly will guide you if you are receptive to it.  Unfortunately, most people are not observant enough and pay no mind to (or don't even see) these signs.  Ever since that day, however,  I honed in on that channel and have been tuning in ever since.

How Scott got his gig with Island Windjammers is another such story, albeit one with a much more pleasant outcome.

As we were sailing down island taking stock of our finances, we realized we were going to need more money sooner than later.  We've always known we would need to work along the way, so this was no big deal.  I was making a pittance with the blog and other online gigs I have, but Scott wanted more.  He started emailing marinas, boat yards, crew forums and marine chandleries looking for work over the hurricane season.  He also sent a blind email out to every single charter and/or cruise company offering his services and he got a reply about a position for a deckhand on a tall ship that was based out of Port Louis Marina.  Ironically enough, we had just decided that was the marina we would be living after confirmation of sponsorship and a great deal on berthing.  That was the first sign that we were on the right path.

Scott emailed back and forth with the owner of the company a few times, and while she was very kind and accommodating, it didn't really seem like it would pan out.  However, she mentioned going to the boat, Diamant, once we got to the marina, checking it out, and meeting Captain Matt.  Scott said we would.  If you hadn't noticed, when Scott really wants something - he doesn't give up easily.  He'll continue to pursue whatever it is he is after even if it seems like a dead end.  To him, there is always a way up or around a road block.  It's one of the things I love most about him, where there is a will there is a way.

Meanwhile, we kept making our way South to Grenada.  One evening, we dropped the hook in Mayreau and were enjoying a cocktail during sunset when all of a sudden a beautiful tall ship pulled in and anchored right next to us.  "I think that's the Diamant " Scott said as he grabbed the binoculars.  It was, in fact, Diamant. "It's a sign!" he exclaimed.  We sat in the cockpit admiring the boat,  excitedly dreaming up how wonderful it would be if Scott could work on her.  Sign number two.

When we finally got to Port Louis Marina here in Grenada - we walked over to Diamant.  Captain Matt was there and Scott made an introduction and said that he was interested in the deck-hand position.  "Oh, you don't want to be a deckhand.  That's chump change" Matt began, " You want to be a captain.  If you really want to make some money, get your captain's license and then come talk to us".  Scott nodded and listened to Matt's reasoning.  We left a little discouraged because not only was the deckhand pay not bad (I mean, when you have no income any income is good!) but to get a Captain's license just seemed so far away and involved.  Scott just wanted some temporary work.  We walked back to the boat, jobless and a little bummed out.

A seed, however, had been planted (sign three if you are keeping track)...

We returned to the US for five weeks during the summer to stand up in two weddings and visit family and friends.  Scott kept rolling this captain idea around in his head.  "I think I should get my Captain's license.  There's a course in Michigan that coincides perfectly with our timing...what do you think?"  Of course it was a no brainer, I said go for it.  We got our money together, Scott signed up for the course and before we returned to Grenada three weeks later, he had passed his exam and was on the fast track to Captain-dom.

Things started to happen upon our return to Grenada.  The president of the company, Liz, emailed Scott asking him if he would sign on as relief deckhand and simultaneously offered us a free trip on the boat beforehand to see what IWJ was all about.  The answer to both was a resounding yes!  We had a fantastic time on the trip and within a few weeks, Scott was working as a deckhand.

After seeing what a great worker Scott was and how well he fit in with the culture and crew, Liz said she would like to take a chance on newbie Scott to be their relief captain once his license came through.  If you haven't noticed, his boss is an incredible woman.  Not many people would take a chance on a such "green" captain who'd never piloted a boat over 55 feet, but Liz is not most people.  She's been around the block a few times when it comes to captains and she's dealt with her fair share of "Captain Ron's" with mile-long resumes who brought with them nothing but problems.  The way she tells it, she figured "What the hell? Why not try the other way?"  We were ecstatic!  Sign four!

Getting the actual license was a bit of a scramble due to the bureaucracy of the whole thing - but Liz and Scott never lost hope and kept plugging away, again despite seemingly impossible odds.  We were working against the clock.  Liz, incidentally, is another woman who's tuned into the Universe and, while I was frantic trying to get everything in order while Scott was away training on the boat, she was cool as a cucumber.  Despite Scott being license-less not a week away from when he was scheduled to take over the ship, she simply said, "I'm not worried at all.  It will all work out".  Girl's got some zen, that is for sure.

Anyway - his license obviously came through (though it was only mere days before he took the helm) and we all know the end of this story.  It was incredible.  I have never been so proud (and relieved).

It's hard to believe that it was only six months ago that Scott and I gazed at Diamant lying at anchor next to us, dreaming and scheming about what it would be like to work on her - and here we are.  He's been working on her thirteen of the past nineteen weeks and has loved every minute.  To say we are thankful doesn't describe our gratitude.  I have a very good feeling that this is only the beginning of what will be a wonderful working relationship.

Moral of the story:  Once you make up your mind, the Universe really does align itself for you.  Granted, you have to be willing to do a lot of work and must be an active participant to make things happen for yourself - but if you can listen to the voice within and pay close attention to the signs that whisper "keep on going" you will get where you need to go.  It will happen.  It's amazing.

All the powers in the universe are already ours. It is we who have put our hands before our eyes and cry that it is dark.  

- Swami Vivekanada

Island Windjammers

Having a working sea captain as a husband has it's perks...and last week I cashed in some major "perk points" when I was invited to join him on a cruise to the Grenadines.  Ummm....Yes, please!

As most of you know - Scott is now gainfully employed as "relief captain" with Island Windjammers.  If you are someone who is longing to get away and experience the pure magic that is sailing the Caribbean on a tall ship, then this is definitely for you.  The atmosphere on the ship is incredibly laid-back and casual but definitely not "rustic".  Each guest room is air-conditioned and has it's own private bathroom and the meals that are served (8am breakfast, 12pm lunch, 5pm "Swizzle Time" and 7pm dinner) are delicious.  The boat accommodates twelve passengers who, despite being from all walks of life (I've met guests ranging from Rumologists to foreign diplomats and everything in between), seem to effortlessly find themselves on the same page on the ship.  It's all about relaxing and having a good time while enjoying the beauty that the Grenadines has to offer from the deck of an incredibly beautiful sailing ship.  You make the trip your own.  I laughed so hard I am honestly surprised I didn't go into early labor and - as in my previous trip with Island Windjammers - I made some great new friends and had a fantastic time.  I'm only sorry it had to end.

Speaking of end - this is Scott's last week for this rotation!  After six continuous weeks of work he will now be off until July 2012 when he returns for another rotation.  While I am so grateful he has this job (I mean, could it be any more perfect?!), it will sure be nice to have him around again.  Being able to see him in action was such a treat - I was so proud of him and cannot believe how far we have come.

You can learn more about Island Windjammers on their Facebook Page and be sure to check out our pictures of this trip HERE!

SIGH of RELIEF (Captain)

Just call me "Captain Scott".

Believe it or not, it's been pretty stressful around here the past couple of weeks...

We didn't want to tell you about it, because - well, this is a happy blog - but now that everything is okay, we can let the cat out of the bag... 

Scott has FINALLY been issued his 100 ton Master Captains License by the United States Coast Guard.  In fact, he now actually carries the 200 ton license.  

So...Why was this stressful?  

He almost didn't get it.  

Which meant he almost lost his incredibly amazing job as a boat captain with Island Windjammers.

I've mentioned that getting your captain's license is no easy feat - and after the last few weeks I think getting into Law School might be easier...(okay, maybe not). You see - Scott's situation was very unique (and very lucky):  he actually had a job before he got his license.  For those of you who don't know, that is usually not the way things work in the maritime world.  People usually get their license, and then have to find a job.  So Scott got his cart before the horse.  Which was awesome.  Until we found out that there were a few minor "issues" with his credentials (namely, he qualified for the 50 ton and not the 100 ton, which he needed*)...Getting your OUPV 6 pack?  Not so hard.  Getting your 100 Ton Master?  More complicated!

I don't want to bore you with the particulars - but suffice it to say that it was a whirlwind of phone calls, faxes, emails, and inquires coupled with an actual mountain of paperwork.  The clock was ticking (he is taking control of s/v Diamant on December 17th) and his (incredibly understanding) boss was eager to know if and when she had to hire another captain.  I don't think I need to explain to you that government run organizations aren't known for their "speed" in paper processing, and the USCG (as wonderful as they are!) is no exception.  It was crazy, and for a little while there we thought it wasn't going to work out.  We were getting down to the wire, and it became a real nail-biter of a waiting game.  We were devastated.

But it DID work out and we got the ultimate Christmas present! Scott (who, I must mention, never lost hope or site of his goal) is now officially a USCG certified Captain! I am so proud of him and know that he is going to be fan-tastic.  Not to mention this will really help our cruising kitty.

I would like to give a shout-out to Boatwise.  If you or someone you know is looking to get their USCG Captain's License, you would be wise get in touch with Captain Rick and Captain Sue.  They are a wealth of knowledge and both of these lovely people went above and beyond acting as advocates for Scott, helping him sort through his credentials and double-checking rules and regulations for him (there are a LOT of them, and they change quite a bit). 

So there you have it! It's official!  My husband is a proper, certified Merchant Mariner.  Not going to lie, I really like the sound of it...I could not be more proud!

* He actually was qualified for the 100 ton, but needed to fix a few things on his paperwork.  Note to mariners looking to get your captains license:  make sure you know the proper formula to calculate TONNAGE of a boat (this is NOT weight and depth is NOT draft) and make sure to be very specific about your job on a boat.  "Race crew" only counts for 50% of the time so make sure to specify "deck hand" or "helmsman" if/when you can.  Also, start tracking that sea time!