The skipper is the heart of every floating vessel on earth. His word is (or should be) law to everybody on board. Yet, on a pleasant sailing holiday with your friends it can be deemed as unpleasant, and hard for the skipper, to order those friends to do something they may not like to do, and may consider unnecessary or a “dirty job”. A crew member might think -”why me again, why not Charlie this time”, not realising he may be the best person for the job, especially in difficult or tricky maneuvers. It is not always easy for skipper or crew member.

What about the situation where you have hired a professional skipper? You have to admit that the situation where your employee (the skipper) commands you to do something you may not like, is something which does not occur in other forms of business or social life !! But please bear in mind that you are paying this guy to do precisely this. If he doesn’t, then he is not doing his job properly and you must remember that in extreme situations your life may depend on his decisions and commands, and the way you react to them.

There are three aspects regarding the skipper and I will analyse them for you:

a. You are the Skipper

You must discuss your position with your family and friends IN ADVANCE, preferably before you even book the holiday. Having chosen you as skipper, they have to understand that your word is LAW on board. If they can not accept this then do not accept the position. If you are the only one with sailing experience you can always accept the position of navigator, and let someone else be skipper, however if the crew can not all accept your original conditions you would be well advised not to make the trip, as the chances of failure are very high.

It has to be understood that the skipper’s authority is not only confined to emergency situations where you are about to hit rocks (they will certainly accept commands then) but have to cover all the mundane daily tasks involved in living on board.

For example, there are 6 men in the crew, it has been a long and exhausting day and you have just enjoyed a magnificent dinner of fried fish, which you have bought at the local market, washed down with a sufficiency of good local white wine and are now sitting together to enjoy a coffee and brandy. BUT there is a huge pile of dirty plates, pans – approaching deck-high. Who is going to do the washing-up, when everyone is tired and a volunteer does not appear? To leave them will smell the cabin out – having eaten fish. But it has to be done and you have to ask, or eventually command, someone to spend the next hour doing the unpleasant job. If you don’t, then what started out as a very pleasant evening will end up with arguments as to who will do what, and when – and it will all be your fault !

This example may be extreme but you would be surprised how many holidays are spoiled because these seemingly trivial issues are not handled properly. If the crew chose you as skipper they must accept your word as law. Good leadership skills by you, making sure that the crew all share the dirty jobs, as well as the rewarding ones, including yourself in the various domestic tasks, will ensure a happy ship and a subsequently enjoyable holiday.

b. You are the crew – and you have to choose the Skipper

Again, an early decision is by far the best. If more than one crew member has sailing experience choose the one with the additional leadership skills rather, than the purely technical sailor. You should choose someone you respect and whose orders you will follow without question.

Respect on someone’s skills has nothing to do with age. How many children these days know more about computers than their fathers ??

During the trip you must follow the skipper’s orders without question. If the skipper appears to be picking on you and you seem to be getting more than your share of a particular job – don’t argue in front of the rest of the crew, just do it – and then have a quiet word with the skipper about your feelings quietly and in private later.

c. You hired a professional skipper for your holiday

Well, this is an article by itself and will be published separately in the short future.

About The Author

Alex. Vournas is the owner and managing director of Almi Yachts ltd, a yacht charter company in Greece. He is also the web designer and SEO for www.almiyachts.com,

avournas@almiyachts.com

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There, you have just got a boat. A nice new hobby for the weekend and it is time to stock it out. It is time to get all that equipment and gear that you have read about in all the magazines and that you have dreamt about for so long. Time to fill that boat up with all the latest goodies and set sail into the unknown. Sail out and over the horizon, ready for all that may be placed in your way!

The engine has always been my greatest problem and I have this constant nightmare of breaking down whilst away from shore. The last thing that I want to do is to call for help and admit to everybody that I was not ready. Spanners, screwdrivers, engine tool kit and a few essential spares are of course a necessity but the Chain Block and the torque wrench, the hydraulic spanner and the ten-pound hammer? I am not so sure that I will ever really need them at sea.

What are you going to do with them? Lift the engine off the block and do a complete strip down whilst bobbing on the water? Let us look into this before we dive in and fill the boat up full to the brim with unessential items. Before we fill up the cabin drawers with tools of all shapes and sizes and electrical equipment that would stretch your power supply to its limits. It must be remembered that if the problem is a serious one then nine times out of ten you will not have the correct spare part anyway! So what do you really need before you make a storeroom out of every available space onboard?

Tools are essential and maybe the saving grace to any that lose their power at sea. Tools are required to unblock a fuel filter or cure a leaking pipe, but you are not going to be doing a complete overhaul so leave the 18″ monkey wrench behind along with the engine lifting frame and the welding machine. Leave them safely at home in the garage and set sail with the minimum of required tools for essential repairs. Have in your boat enough tools to do the job and leave plenty of space for all the food and goodies that will make the trip into what you dreamt it would be like. Don’t turn your boat into a nightmare with unnecessary tools falling out of cupboards and leaving oily stains everywhere, just have what you need and set sail happily. Don’t have your friends and guests complaining of stubbed toes and bruises on the head as they work there way through the cupboards whilst searching for some food to eat!

The crucial point to remember about engine maintenance and repair is that it should all have been done before you left port. The engine and auxiliary equipment should be in a good condition and able to do the job it is meant to do before you take the last rope off the jetty. So any repairs and work should have been carried out before you even thought of stocking up for the trip. When you set sail you should have underneath you a boat ready and prepared for all occasions, one that you can trust in to do the job that it is required to do.

In many situations the amount of equipment that you carry does depend on the skills that you yourself possess. First of all, if you are not very good at engine overhauls then it is pointless to have the larger pieces of equipment anyway. If you are good at doing engine overhauls and have knowledge about what you are doing then you should not have set sail with a faulty engine in the first place. It is possible that you breakdown through no fault of your own but it is far better to have a good communication system to call for help and swallow your pride than to try and fix the engine yourself.

Essential items therefore consist of a set of spanners, a couple of hammers, a set of screwdrivers, and an adjustable wrench. One monkey wrench of a small size, filter removal strap for the Fuel filters and LO filters, hand crank handle if the engine is small, a spare set of batteries, some spare Lubricating Oil and some odds and ends of screws and nuts and bolts. Along with these items should be the engines tool kit, essential spares for the engine including a couple of injectors, fuel filter and LO filter inserts and anything else that the manufacturer recommends for that engine.

Leave behind the Chain Block, the large Monkey Wrench and the Hydraulic Spanners. Leave behind the spare heads and the spare crankshaft and all the spares that require the use of a chain block. Make sure before you leave that the engine is in top working condition and that you can trust in its ability to take you where you want to go without breaking down on the way. And finally make sure that your communication system is suitable and in a good working condition, so that if a problem does arise help is not far away.

There is no pride to think of when you breakdown. Safety is of a higher priority.

About The Author

Author and Webmaster of Seamania. As a Chief Engineer in the Merchant Navy he has sailed the world for fifteen years. Now living in Taiwan he writes about cultures across the globe and life as he sees it.

Author: Ieuan Dolby
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Is it the warm thoughts of sun and sand? Is it the lure of exotic places? Is it the romantic dream of living on the ‘love boat’? Everyone has their own reasons for wanting to work on a cruise ship. However, it is important to have a realistic picture of the life and work onboard. Most land-loving civilians believe that ship life is like a paid vacation. They obviously haven not worked on a cruise ship before. In a way, ship life is similar to working in the entertainment industry. It seems glamorous and exotic but this can be deceiving.

There are many benefits to working onboard a ship. They include visiting numerous ports of call and learning about the history and customs of our world’s many different cultures. As a crew member, you will sample different foods, experience a simpler way of life and meet a myriad of interesting people. You will achieve independence and gain an adventurous spirit because your eyes will be opened to so many new opportunities and possibilities. Your fellow crew members will become like family to you and you’ll gain friendships with people from all corners of the world. Even though the pay will vary for each position, you will always have free room, food and medical coverage so it is very possible to save money. If your schedule allows, you will be able to take free or reduced-rate shore excursions while in port. If your family enjoys cruising, they might even be able to take a discounted cruise within the same line.

However, there is a possibility that at some point during your time aboard you may feel like jumping ship. This is a term used by sailors to describe a deliberate move to break your employment contract. By requesting to leave before your contract is completed or by purposely remaining ashore while the ship sails is asking to forever end your employment with that cruise line. If you ever decide to quit, please realize that this decision could very well mean a permanent end to your cruising life. For that reason, it is important to realize that while ship life can be fun, it certainly isn’t glamorous and should never be taken lightly. Strict maritime laws make for a military-type atmosphere that must be respected at all times. On the ship there is no such thing as a forty-hour work week. You will work seven days a week for months at a time. This is not a job for those that are prone to seasickness because you will see many types of weather conditions and it will not be possible to call in sick. If you are claustrophobic you may want to know that your cabin will likely be small and without a porthole. If you are someone who needs a lot of privacy you should realize that you will likely share a cabin, bathroom and sometimes even a dresser or closet with one or more cabin-mates.

Even with the lack of privacy, chance of seasickness and strict ship rules, life at sea can be a lot of fun. However, you must keep in mind that not everyone is working onboard for the same reasons. You might be there for the excitement and adventure while your co-worker is there to support a family back home that he or she hasn’t seen for 8 months. Big difference, isn’t it?

You may have heard stories of poor working and living conditions for some shipboard crew, but unfortunately, the fact remains that Canadians working onboard are given higher paying jobs, shorter contracts and better accommodations than crew from non-industrialized countries. I certainly do not want to thwart your anticipation of working onboard, but I believe it is important to know the real story. There is a form of racism that is seemingly acceptable onboard a ship. Why is it that while Canadians, Europeans and Americans have preferable accommodations, wages and working conditions, crew from non-industrialized countries are treated otherwise?

The International Trade Workers Federation is a seafarer’s guardian angel. They are an organization committed to changing these injustices and are commended for it. They believe “in a cruise industry regulated by negotiated trade union agreements based on a respect for human rights and a fair wage.”

You may wonder why the citizens of these non-industrialized countries work under such poor conditions. Most of them save every penny to send home, enabling their families to live fairly well by local standards. Others save their money in the hopes of starting a business one day. These crew members should be admired for their determination and perseverance.

In conclusion, I hope that you weren’t discouraged by the realities of cruise ship living. I believe that while unjust circumstances remain for some, the chance to see the world while living among so many nationalities is a rare opportunity and I urge you to apply because you have the chance to embark on an amazing learning experience and an exhilarating adventure!

Lee Brinkman has worked onboard cruise ships in Alaska, Canada, the Panama Canal, Pacific Coast and the Caribbean. She is author of ‘Cruise Ship Jobs for Canadians’ which was written in response to the many people who have asked how they, too, could travel the world by ship. Continual research and networking with contacts and friends in the industry has allowed her to prepare accurate and up to date information for cruise ship job seekers. Visit the 100% free guide on cruise ship jobs at http://www.cruiseshipjobsdirectory.com which is one of the most current and popular sources of information on cruise ship employment.

Author: Lee Brinkman
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Cruise ship positions make for one of the most varied employment markets in the wide spectrum of jobs available. If you have previously snubbed the idea of working on a cruise ship due to what you might perceive as a very narrow range of positions, then it might be worth looking properly at the range of opportunities available out there – there are as many different cruise ship jobs as there are on dry land, and doing a job on one of the many cruise liners sailing the seas will give you a wider range of experiences than the average post.

When thinking of your CV, think about this: How cool will it look to the person reading it that you have not only done this job, but travelled so far in doing it, and gone to such lengths to pursue what you want to do. It takes a bit of mental strength to do a job that will take you away from familiar ground for long periods at a time – of course it does – but the rewards are increasingly making it worth the effort. The hardest step is actually getting on the ship for the first time to do the job, and once you’ve done that it becomes completely normal for you very quickly. Working behind a bar on a ship, for example, is hardly a change at all from working behind a bar on dry land. The major difference is in the mind, and it is more of an immediate hurdle than a huge mountain – however it may look from your initial position.

Cruise ship jobs are an increasingly popular way of making money on a gap year before going to college. With so much of what you would normally need to sort out for yourself already taken care of (accommodation, meals and the like), most of what you earn will be disposable income. If you are a good saver and put a little bit of money by from each pay check you get, you will soon find that there is a growing fund there that will be endlessly helpful when you start college. Working on a cruise ship can prepare you for college in more than one way. Not only will you be aided financially by the stint, but you will also find that it gets you used to living away from home, and that it also gives you an appreciation of working to support yourself – two major factors that students are likely to come up against.

Another benefit, and perhaps the most obvious, is that when you work on a cruise ship, you get to see so much of the world. Sure, you don’t get to have the same experience of it as the cruise customers, and there is a lot of hard work involved. But as long as you do your work you will find that there is time to do some sight-seeing on your down time – making cruise ship work extremely attractive to those of us who want to see some of the world.

Caterina Christakos is a published author and reviewer. Read her latest reviews of seven 7 jeans and various seven jeans styles.

Author: Caterina Christakos
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Most people only set goals as a New Year’s resolution. Typical goals include: quit smoking, get fitter and make more time for friends and family. Yet, if you’ve ever made a New Year’s resolution then you’ll be more than aware that by the end of the month they’re usually forgotten. However, if you write down your goals on paper then it can be a powerful technique for landing work on cruise ships.

It is a matter of commitment. You have to make yourself committed to the task at hand, and this can be achieved by writing down your goals onto a piece of paper. This literally means writing something like:

“Before June this year I’ll have a cruise job.”

This is what I did when I first set about finding work on cruise ships many years ago. I wrote down on a bit of paper that I would be working on a cruise ship in a few months time, and I set my heart on achieving that aim.

It might not sound a lot, but let me tell you it gave me real motivation. I stuck it on my bedroom door so that I could read it every day, and it provided me with the motivation to get out there and find the work on cruise ships that I knew was out there.

Despite not having any experience, I figured that everyone has to start somewhere. It looked virtually impossible to me, but I knew that if I kept on motivating myself to look for work on cruise ships then I would be successful.

The path wasn’t smooth, and I came across a lot of obstacles. I spent a lot of hours looking for jobs, and although at the time I thought these were wasted, I now realize that it was all part of the process.

In the end I succeeded, and that note of paper that I scribbled down months before inspired me to success.

I soon managed to get a contract, and I even beat the time limit that I had set myself by a couple of months. And while it hadn’t been easy, I never really thought too much about work when I was cruising around the Caribbean.

It seems simple, but writing your goals down means that you are making a real commitment to yourself. It is so easy to veer off course without the right dedication to find a job on a cruise ship, and it can be easy to give up along the way. The key is to persevere, to get through the obstacles in your way, and to set yourself the goals you need to succeed.

Write your goal down on a piece of paper to help you get work on cruise ships. Keep it close to you, maybe stick it somewhere you will see it every day, or even carry it around with you as a constant reminder.

Finding work on cruise ships can be done, but it is too easy to forget about your targets and your goals if you don’t write them down. By writing them on a piece of paper, you are constantly reminded about what you are trying to do, what you have set your heart on achieving.

And when you get that job you’ve been hoping for, when you’re cruising around some exotic part of the world, meeting some great people, and having the time of your life, you’ll be glad that you made the decision to write down your goal and stick to it.

Ex-crewmember, hiring specialist and author of “Get a Cruise Ship Job!” Neil Maxwell-Keys has written a popular *free* report which shows how you can get cruise jobs, quickly and easily. Claim your copy now =>

http://www.WorkOnCruiseShips.com

Author: Neil Maxwell Keys
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