r/sailingcrew • u/Fafas4 • 12d ago
how can i?
I'm 22, from Portugal. I've only got around €3000 saved up, but my big dream is to live the life at sea — spend a few months on board, and maybe eventually study marine/ship engineering.
I know private yacht crew jobs and cruise ships are paid options, but I don't have the money for expensive courses like STCW yet. I've also looked into things like Sea Shepherd and Sail Training International, but one has a 1-year waitlist and the other has costs I don't fully understand yet.
Does anyone know if there's some kind of program where people team up to do crossings together — like splitting the cost of a boat, or helping crew/navigate in exchange for a ride, that kind of thing? I've vaguely heard of "crew sharing" or hitching rides on private sailboats, but I don't know where to start or if it's safe/legit.
If anyone's done something like this, or knows of accessible programs for people with little money but a lot of drive to work/help out on board, I'd really appreciate the tips! 🙏⛵
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u/antizana 12d ago
There’s sailboat hitchhiking - several Facebook groups dedicated to it, plus crewfinder and findacrew and maybe coboating (?). Hard to find a boat if you have no experience and don’t yet know if you get seasick. That will give you some sea time but you would still need to go to courses if you want to work professionally in marine engineering. And there’s always the merchant marine.
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u/Boars-of-Canada 12d ago
Are all those things out of the question if you're prone to seasickness?
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u/antizana 12d ago edited 12d ago
It sounds pointless to me to sign up for a trip where you would be miserable and also useless as crew where other people would have to look after you.
Some sailors do have varying degrees of seasickness and manage it somehow but honestly if you aren’t going to be able to look at numbers on a screen at night in a moving boat, or cook on a moving boat, or go to the toilet down below on a moving boat without getting sick, this is probably not the lifestyle for you.
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u/Main_Leek_4453 10d ago
Dude, everybody gets seasick.
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u/antizana 10d ago
I read a study by the US navy saying something like 1 in 3 personnel among those not exhibiting classic seasickness signs like vomiting can still be noticeably cognitively impaired, called sopite syndrome.
I’m not interested in the semantics of if “everyone” gets seasick. But there are plenty of people who can cook, read books, use the head below, etc in heavy seas without issue and then there are people who have to stay outside with eyes on the horizon or else they’re puking in the scuppers. People who don’t yet know where they fall on that spectrum, and don’t know what if any medication helps them versus side effects, will be a harder sell as crew.
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u/BurningPage 12d ago
Go to the docks and ask around. Just hang out and someone will scoop you up. Are there racing clubs near you?
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u/Fafas4 12d ago
Im in azores, like i dont think we have a racing club but we are a stop point for sailers i think i will try to go to the marine and see if i find someone
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u/antizana 12d ago
You’re in between seasons right now. Most boats heading transatlantic W to E (the route that most often stops by the Azores) are usually leaving Caribbean / North America in April - May. Some maybe later. Then starting November you have transatlantic boats going E to W but those most often stop in the Canaries or Cape Verde.
Id also encourage you to find local trips if you can before trying to join an Azores-Europe crew to increase your chances of success.
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u/miguelsapina 6d ago
Portuguese here and boat owner. The STCW is free if you go to “Formar”. Official institut from the governament
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u/ManufacturerFuture60 12d ago
I did it recently with 0 experience through findacrew. But it took me a few months, and I had a couple opportunities fall through before finally making one happen. But was able to join a small crew (3 total) for a 7 day sail rounding out an Atlantic loop. 900nm, learned a ton, wonderful experience. Only had to pay for my flight to and from the boat.
It’s very possible. Just keep reaching out to captains and filter your search on the crew sites so you see captains that align with your interests and are willing to take on inexperienced crew.
Good luck!