[eeko]

Well, some may find this a bit humorous. Some may understand where I am coming from. Most will probably just ignore....so here it goes.

At 45 years old, I am tired. I am tired of the day to day mundane life I live. My first and always true love has been boats and the ocean. I did two stints in the navy and have regretted getting out for the last 18 years. I have a great family, a wonderful wife and two super kids 5 and 9. But they don't understand for they have never had the tatste of the sea.

I am a graphic artist and a website designer by trade.... pretty good one too if I do say so myself. Am a military brat so like most others of my kind I find I can fit into any social setting...be it Larry the Cable Guy or a dinner party at a foreign consulate. I have a wealth of life experience to offer but nothing that does anyone any good here in western Kentucky.

So.... anyone willing to take on a midddle aged, slightly overweight, diabetic as a crew member who can make enough to support his family??? Not asking for a lot am I? lol. Oh well....you know what they say. You never know unless you ask. So I am asking.... seeking position as a steward or deck hand, no experience on luxury yachts, and need enough to support a family of four. Hard worker and very loyal and dedicated with old fashioned work ethic.

I know this should have been posted in Crew Wanted but I figured if nothing else it would make for a good read for someone on a slow night.

So, there you are......... middle aged web designer seeking career and life change....

Email me if you are up to the task.........thanks.........eric

[s7595]

I feel your pain .I know several people who work all day with computers ,and just hate them .
I see you realy need a change .so please take no offence with my advice.

keep your job ,just move your location .if it is possiable to free lance and do your design work from a remote location ,then move to the caymans or bahamas.most company's perfer to contract work any way now a days ,so work and play at the same time.
you should all so take a minute and think about your kids ,in today's world collage eduaction is amust even for an auto worker puting in screws in cars at gm,ford.

so ask your self these? ,have I saved enough money for the kids collage,
will my kids adjust to new friends ,new places . will my wife after a few months still support me ,or will she just leave me and take the kids ,can I live with out my kids?

what ever you decide good luck

[captroynsteph]

Hey I hear you! I grew up in western Kentucky(spent most of my first 18 yrs there). It can be bleak and dreary and I could not imagine not seeing the ocean anymore. I decided at a young age that I really did not want to spend my life there. So I worked at Green Turtle Bay Marina (Grand Rivers Kentucky) at age 13, which eventually led into doing boat deliveries, which led to a captains liscense at 19, which led to jobs on alot of other yachts. Now nearing age 30, I am a captain on an 106' motoryacht, wrapping up our Caribbean season in St. Thomas and getting ready to head for the Bahamas next week.

Sounds really cool, eh? It is, but it is also alot of work and not very conducive to a healthy family life. I am lucky, my wife is the chef onboard and we get to go to alot of amazing places together. If this were not the case, I would either not be married or I would not be working on the boat. Also I think there are alot of people recently who have read articles about how much yacht crews make and are amazed. Well, those articles are right, to some extent, there is big money to be made in yachting but what they don't tell you is that a beginner is not going to see much of it. A green deckhand or steward is looking at an anual salary in the low 20's, that's not much for a family of four.

I realize this is not the advice you would like to hear, but I would highly recommend you take the advice of s7595. I have hired several deckhands that were in similar situations to yourself, the record has been 5 months that they have lasted away from their wife and kids. Try relocating. You might consider the US Virgin Islands as there are no work permit issues for US citizens.

Good Luck!

[catmando]

Capt. Roy is right, you won't make enough to support your family.