March puddle jump - I want to crew

[chael777]

Hello everyone,

My name is Chael. I'm a 26 year old guy from Chicago, but I've been traveling for many years around Latin America. In late February I will be once more in Cartagena, Colombia, looking to crew to Panama. From Panama I would like to find a boat to join to make the jump across the Pacific.

I'm a very calm and level-headed person, talkative, patient, and curious. I have a bachelors degree in international studies, and I am fluent in Spanish, French and Portuguese. I enjoy reading and drawing, and keep an online travel narrative at velabas.com.

I have limited experience on sailboats, but I've crewed across the Sea of Cortez and from Panama to Colombia. I managed not to get sea sick on either occasion and pills were unnecessary. I can cook, and I'm a quick learner.

If you know of any boat headed across the Pacific to NZ or Australia or SE Asia, I would greatly appreciate contact with skippers to organize a meeting to see if we're a good fit. I can do anything and everything, but due to my limited funds I am banking on meeting a skipper who could cover my costs in exchange for the work.

Cheers

[Auzzee]

G'day Cale. Nominations for the Pacific Puddle Jump open in December. Loads of yachts will have their names put forward and I think a look at the website around Christmas will be in your interests. Meanwhile, it would be rare for a voyaging skipper to cover your costs.

Generally you will work as a crewman in exchange for the travel and accommodation. You will need to pay at the very least for your food and drink. This will normally be paid as a percentage of the whole. That is, if there are four people on board, you will be required to pay 25% of the provisioning bill.

Some provisions shopping will be done at each port, following the main provisioning at the point of initial departure. You will be asked to pay your share at the time. If you find a vessel whose crew want to eat lentils and rice, the bill will be a bit lower; if you find a boat which wants rib fillet and caviar, it will be substantial.

Crossing oceans is exciting and a wonderful adventure which, in the case of the Pacific, may take two seasons. The cheap option is to buy an air ticket...but that's not much fun.

Best of luck.

[chael777]

Thanks for the reply. I should assume to share in costs of food. I suppose I should avoid the caviar if I'm to arrive on the other side of the puddle with paper in my pocket. Thank you kindly for the response. Now that it is nearing the puddle jumping season I have my eyes opened. I already have my plane ticket to Medellin on February 20, from where I'll travel to Cartagena to begin the search for a captain who finds me compatible.

Good sailing to you,

Chael

[chael777]

Actually I see that you're based in Darwin. If all works out well, I hope to travel in Australia and see your city. I enjoy having internet connections with folks before I get to a place. Perhaps, if you're there, we can tell stories over a beer. Cheers


chael

[John A]

There is a website of a very lose rally that does the puddle jump every year. I have heard that the mods on this forum frown on links to cruising information, if this is so I suggest you try other forums. PM me and I'll supply links
If you're not able to join that rally, you will need to pay your own refundable bond when you arrive in the South Pacific, which amounts to airfare to the country of your passport.

[JeanneP]

I understand the confusion, but we do not discourage links to cruising events, rallies, etc. We do frown on, and discourage, posters who contribute nothing to our forum except a link to their commercial web page - we are what cable TV was expected to be - free from tedious and intrusive advertising.

That said, check out the online sailing rag Latitude 38 - they run a lot on the Pacific Puddle Jump. And get to Panama and chat up the boats there waiting transit to the Pacific.

A sensible skipper would also require some sort of assurance that you can pay your own way home. Crew have been left stranded, skippers have been forced to keep on a crewmember who was clearly was a burden and problem, so both prudent skippers and potential crew need to protect themselves with a sure means of getting home should poroblems arise.

Good Luck!