A New Starter

[stutick]

Hello everyone out there.. I trust everyone is well. My name is Stuart and I am currently travelling around the beautiful country of Australia.. unfortunately the only problem with this mode of transport is that it is on land.. and not the sea. which is something I long to experience.

I have travelled to many continents and countries.. always flown n then got myself round these magnificent countries by whatever means necessary. Sometimes i'd walk, cycle or hitchhike or bore myself on a bus. However it wasnt until last week that I became interested in the romantic nature of a voyage on the ocean.

It came up in conversation with a friend of mine, sharing the same room as me.. I mentioned the notion i'd had of maybe travelling back to England over the Pacific..as it is my ambition to travel through New Zealand, Fiji, Samoa amongst other Pacific Islands and then finally home to England. He advised me that the opportunity existed (maybe) of sailing aboard a ship/yacht and enjoy the adventure this way. I wasnt sure if such opportunities existed so I decided on exploring the opportunity further.

I'll be honest with everyone in this friendly community I have just joined, I have no sailing experience whatsoever, but I thought I would research into the plausibility and possibility of it all anyway.

I'm 25 years old, and due to leave for New Zealand next June. Im a qualified Journalist and educated to Degree level.. this maybe a cliche, but I am a quick learner, relatively fit, and find it easy to make new friends.. a must for the single traveller.. which I am. If anybody out there can give me any tips on the best ways to get myself pro-active in my quest it would be greatly appreciated. If you just want to take the moment to read through my post, then I am glad you did so. Whereever it is in the world you may be. Stay safe and I hope the winds are calm or gusty.. depending on your preference and nature. Thanks for reading.

Kind Regards

Stuart

[Lighthouse]

Welcome aboard Stuart.

I would suggest you make a post on the crewfinder and see what comes of it. I hope that you will soon realise your dream of crossing the Pacific. However, most yachts will be heading in the opposite direction.

Good luck.

[Harbor_Pilot]

Stuart,

Such opportunities do exist. This discussion board, Cruiser Log can be a great resource in answering your questions. If you have not discovered them yet, we have dedicated forums for various topics, including a Crew Wanted, and Wanting to Crew forums where you can find a position on a cruising yacht.

There is nothing wrong with inexperience, everybody starts that way. Up front honesty, willingness to learn, listen, and help (pitch in and do what needs doing when it needs it) are good traits skippers desire. As you described yourself that should not be a problem. Further with your travel experience, you probably are use to living out of a backpack or a duffle bag; that is another good thing.

Most cruisers sail downhill, meaning they generally try to follow the easiest routes offered by the trade winds, and ocean currents, allowing for tropical storm seasons. Roughly, they do that by staying out of the summer season, changing to the other side of the equator. That could affect the direction and sequence of your agenda. On the other hand there are some that circumnavigate the globe backwards, the hard way, or uphill. In either case, most cruisers are not in a big hurry or a fixed schedule, making allowances for weather.

Start reading the forums, and asking questions. There is a Search feature at the top right of the screen. More members will be along with advice, and answers.

Thanks for logging on, and introducing yourself.

Jeff