Looking To Sail From Europe

[LouisK]

Hi, My name is Louis, I'm a yank currently in the UK and looking to get some sailing experience. In the States I live on a 55 foot wooden Ed monk Ketch that is currently, albiet slowly, getting fixed up.

As I mentioned, I'm looking for some sailing experience, seeing as none of the people who plan on sailing the Ketch, have any ocean sailing experience. I saw the hitchhiking the seas page but how do I know which ports are the ones I should shoot for? I'm going to china soon so I figure, I could try to crew on a boat that's going to around those parts, maybe thailand. Does anyone have suggestions on where I should go? I don't mind going to the right port if it's in europe.

Thanks

Louis

[MMNETSEA]

Hello Louis, welcome to the Forums!

You mention that you are going to China soon, a good option, if you get to Hong Kong is to visit the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club and the Hebe Haven Yacht Club and register on their "Crew

wanted boards"

Richard

[LouisK]

What I'm really looking for is a chance to crew on a boat that's going to the east from europe. Do people usually go throuh the suez or around africa?

Originally Posted by MMNETSEA

Hello Louis, welcome to the Forums!

You mention that you are going to China soon, a good option, if you get to Hong Kong is to visit the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club and the Hebe Haven Yacht Club and register on their "Crew

wanted boards"

Richard

[shutterbug1972]

You might want to get a good atlas or download Google Earth to help you figure out what are doable ideas. china to Thailand is probably not one of them.

you should know better where you should go than folks here, who don't know you, and don't know where you live. You're looking for experience, so it seems to me that any port would be good.

You have to do your own homework.

[LouisK]

I'll clarify myself, I am in europe, I want to go to china. I figured that Thailand is a more common destination than china for people who are cruising. If I got to Thailand then I could go to china through Laos, over land.

So what I am looking for is the best port, in or near europe, to find a crewing position on a yacht going to the SE pacific.

Louis

[JeanneP]

Originally Posted by LouisK

What I'm really looking for is a chance to crew on a boat that's going to the east from europe. Do people usually go throuh the suz or around africa?

They usually go west, following the trade winds across the Atlantic, through the Panama Canal, across the Pacific, etc.

I don't think you have the experience to sign onto a boat as part of a delivery crew, so your best bet is a cruising boat, most of which aren't interested in the hard sailing involved in going east against the wind.

I think that the suggestion above to look around this forum to find out a bit more on what cruisers are doing and how they're doing it is a good idea. The Crewfinder, Yachts looking for crew, is also a good way to learn where boats willing to take on crew are heading. After reading through that you might have more specific questions that we could answer.

Good luck.

[Lighthouse]

See where cruising yachts are at what times of the year HERE.

[LouisK]

Thanks for all the advice so far, especially the bit about which way people usually go to china.. I had looked at page you suggested, and found it helpful. I figure that because I'm around the UK and Med. that the best I could find is someone going to the to the carribian, or someone that is sailing around the Med. Actually at this point I don't care where I go, so long as I get some miles. So my more specific question is this, which ports are the best to find a ride from in england and med. Specific names would be the best, seeing as there are cities all over the coast. Something like, most cruising yachts stop over at this town the canarys before heading west. Or there you can always find a crewing spot with all the rich guys in Monaco.

Thanks.

Louis