News & Views by Kim Davis

Whew! I got busy all of a sudden. It's wonderful on the one hand, and exhausting on the other. (Paying clients, I love you, keep coming - just a few more and I'll be able to hire some help!)

I'm sad to report that the win the ranch contest appears to have flopped. I checked the website today and there is a simple notice saying that refunds are being processed. Darn it! I just knew I'd won that ranch too!

Vindicated!
I am "procrastinating" again today - doing housework and filing and cleaning up unanswered e-mail when I should be getting my newsletter ready. Well I came across this great article that a friend sent me over a week ago, (sorry T.!), and it says that what I am doing is not procrastination at all. What I am doing is actually a typical female response to stress. (I'd be bonding too if there were any other women around to bond with.) HA! I believe these scientests are right too, because having my house clean and my paperwork in order does make me feel much better - even if I'm running late on a deadline or two.

No Cats Here...
Imagine my husband and I saying "Oh, no sir, we wouldn't dream of having a cat on the boat..." Then we made a lot of jokes about where we may have hidden the cat we DIDN'T bring onto the boat.

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I scrawled a quick feature on the evils of partying while employed on yachts, How to Get Sacked on a Yacht.

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The Contacts & Jobs are my best this week. I am once again sharing with you a selection of my favorite yacht crew placement agencies. I've had so many yachties writing in the last few weeks, I thought this might help. I've also included listings for all sorts of jobs in the Caribbean.

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If you have not seen my other website yet, stop by. The URL is www.yachtie.net.

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Want to submit an article? Read the guidelines at: www.kpdavis.com/submission_guidelines.htm

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Happy October, ya'll!

---- Kim ;-) 

Feature: How to Get Sacked on a Yacht by Kim Davis

"Drunkenness is temporary suicide; the happiness that it brings is merely negative, a momentary cessation of unhappiness."

- Bertrand Russell

Imagine yourself living aboard a gorgeous multi-million dollar yacht. Sounds too good to be true, doesn't it? What if you were actually getting paid to live like a rich and famous person? You'd feel about ten feet tall, wouldn't you? Of course the luxury yacht in question just happens frequent the wildest party towns in the world. Think Ibiza here.

When in Ibiza what do you do? Party!

Wrong! That's where you get yourself into trouble. It can be a huge challenge to re-member that in order to maintain your enviable status as a member of the crew of a prestigious yacht, you have to work while the paying guests and the yacht owner play. Now I'm not saying that you don't get to have fun - you just have to be discrete about it.

When in Ibiza, for example, you can't afford to stay out till all hours dancing in bubble bath. You will be expected to be bright and cheerful at 7 or 8:00 AM while the folks who pay your wages sleep off their hangovers. Woes-be to the poor hung over crewman who can't make muster in the morning. He may very likely find himself looking for a lift to the airport as the boat sets sail for the day.

When working as crew aboard a yacht, you will have many opportunities to dine like a king and drink the most expensive of wines in the company of your employer - just don't get plastered! If you are prone to drinking more than is good for you, you need to learn to pace yourself or stay away from booze altogether when the boss or paying guests are aboard.

Even when only the crew is on board, you need to exercise a certain degree of decorum. Many a captain has sacked his entire crew when they went beyond the bounds of propriety. No wild parties or vomiting on the deck! Sure everyone occasionally has too much to drink, but be smart about it. Don't be a public nuisance, and if you are in charge of the dinghy, stay away from drink altogether. Drunks driving dinghies can be deadly. Ask around in Antibes sometime about what happened to the crew of the M/V Texas when the dinghy driver had an accident. Four people died.

Then there is the issue of drugs. Entire yachts have been seized and impounded over a few marijuana seeds. Do I have to tell you that any sort of drug possession is grounds for immediate dismissal?

And just when you thought there was only one last way to have fun, let me go on to a discussion of sex. To be blunt, it is not easy to find a place to "do it" unless you are very lucky and have a cabin to yourself. Even then, many skippers frown on crew bringing guests aboard. Sex among the crew of the same boat is often frowned upon, unless you are an established couple, and sex with the guests is absolutely forbidden. That leaves hooking up with someone who works on another boat - sigh - which brings us back to finding a place to be alone together… It's amazing how many Yachtie relationships get started considering the difficulties that must be overcome. Once again, the key is to be discrete. (Hotel rooms aren't that expensive when you have no rent to pay most of the time.)

To sum it all up, working aboard a yacht really is work. There are amazing perks that go with the job, but it can also be very tempting and frustrating not to party like a lunatic. If you feel called to yachting for a living, just go in with eyes wide open, and keep your wits about you. If you can have your fun in smaller doses, you'll enjoy this wonderful lifestyle a lot longer.

Q & A - Concerns About Online Resumes

Hi Kim,

I am looking at the yachtie.net online resume thing. As a single woman amidst lots of lunatics, I feel it's a bit too public to put my full resume and photo on the internet.

What do you think about a summary of my resume, asking people to contact me with their yacht info, and I will send them my full resume, contacts, and photo privately?? Any advice on how to do this?

Also, do you think it's acceptable for me to request certain info without sounding too picky? I'd like to find out about the crew, owners, type of food they will want, yacht layout (where's the galley... I've worked on great boats and not into the down below & forward galley with no fresh air!), crew accomodations, etc.

Thanks!

p.s. could you do a search for me?? Here's what I am looking for:
Chef job, yacht (or private home or vacation spot), ASAP. Could be chef/stew position, private or charter, sail or motor Can be temporary, if they are in emergency status. Good at provisioning and helping to outfit galley for new yacht, still under construction, etc. Lots of experience cooking and yachting Good sailor/crew person Good at helping guests (can teach basic watersports: swimming, dinghy sailing, sea kayaking, windsurfing, snorkelling). Scuba diver, older than average crew, fit, enjoy fun and quiet times both Semi-fluent in Spanish, well traveled, resourceful, talented, adaptable...
Caribbean, Mexico, or US Available within 2 weeks or so. Looking for at least $3000 a month cash or more if taxed.

Thank you!
J.R.

Dear J.R.,

Of course post the resume in whatever form makes you feel comfortable. If you are concerned about publicizing your information, perhaps online resume posting is not for you. However, with a knock out photo and very professional copy, you can land jobs quickly.

I don't think you'll get a lot of replies if you come across as pushy. Why limit your choices before you've even heard what the employer is offering? You are never under any obligation to accept any job - whether it's offered online or off. My advice is to tell about yourself, then let them tell about their job. If you don't like it all you have to say is "no thank you."

I think with your particular approach, you may be better to select a paid crew placement agency or two to help you. The agent will give you a full run down on any employers he or she recommends you to, and your information will not be public.

I don't get a lot of yacht job listings at present. To do that I'd have to go into crew placement all the way, and I'm just not in a position to do that right now, though it could happen one day. Those listings I do get are placed as free classified ads, and I never actually speak to the owner or captain.

You don't say where you are located, but I am assuming that you are in the U.S.

Dockwalk
www.dockwalk.com

J.R. replied:

I guess most of your customers are young people without the experience I've had who or don't really know what they want.

I feel that most problems in this world, especially involving close situations with other people, stem from a lack of communication. I find it frustrating to find out after-the-fact what I could have learned before, had I known what to ask and tried to cover all the bases. Working on yachts is certainly no exception.

Then Kim replied:

I absolutely agree with you, J.R. I just wonder if you can't accomplish the same thing without being quite so aggressive. Definitely ask all the questions, but don't limit yourself before you even get started. If I were hiring staff, for example, I wouldn't even call the chef who started out with a list of things she will and will not do. She may be exactly the person I'm looking for, but she'd never get a chance to impress me with her skills. Keep the cover letter short. Size of yacht, power or sail, position sought, salary range. Worry about the accomodations later.

As I mentioned earlier, the agencies sound like the place you'd be happiest starting out. Let the agents present you with the jobs that come closest to your preferences. The yachting business, as you must be aware, is a young person's game. Particularly as women over 40, we find it difficult to suffer immature captains or unjust ones.

I've just spoken with a chef friend of mine who is employed on a large sailing yacht. She is a licensed captain in her own right, and finds job hunting a challenge as you do. It takes longer to settle on a position when you know exactly what you are looking for.

I have posted her resume online, and it comes in handy for the agencies, since it simplifies the process of sending your details. Once it is all online, you merely have to refer agents and potential employers to your webpage. They do want to see your picture, full contact details, and sample menu. The way to keep it more private would be to simply not list you as a jobseeker. The website will still exist, but you'll be in control of who has the URL. Just instruct me that that is your wish when you send your details.