My boyfriend works as a skipper in tourist tours during the summer, any idea of what he could do with that same skill set during the winter?
Posted by otterjane@reddit | sailing | View on Reddit | 50 comments
He's open to getting any additional licenses if needed as long as they're not too expensive or take too long too get. I hope this is not offtopic, I'm just not sure where to ask and I'm trying to help him. Thank you!
SkiMonkey98@reddit
Where do you live? Is he able to follow seasonal work to different locations?
otterjane@reddit (OP)
Portugal. But we already barely see each other during the months he’s working here, even though we live together. So moving during winter months wouldn’t be ideal, since I can’t go with him because of my job.
desr531@reddit
I knew a chap who never saw winter for years always in the opposite hemisphere
Ornery_Definition_26@reddit
If he is a skipper already he must have his 6-pack license. If you’re up north go south if you can, or like suggested get into marine maintenance. Most boatyards are always looking for help and it’s a great way to network in the industry.
OptiMom1534@reddit
I don’t think they’re American.
But also, most American skippers won’t have a 6-pack. They’ll have a USCG 100 tonne, and/or (mostly and) their RYA/MCA yachtmaster ticket. Some won’t even have the coast guard license because the yachtmaster is the more globally relevant qualification to have insurance wise.
the-montser@reddit
Bad information here.
All American skippers operating on American charter boats are required to have a USCG license and the yachtmaster does not count as a substitute.
OptiMom1534@reddit
Since you want to start splitting hairs now, your comment was “if he is a skipper he must already have his 6-pack”, which, is really making quite a lot of assumptions- the first of which being that they’re even in the U.S. at all.
For my information to be ‘bad information’, your statement needed to be “if he is an American charter boat skipper, he must have his 6-pack license”….
Which actually isn’t true either because many American charter skippers, such as the 12 metre kids, all need bigger than a 6-pack to allow 7-50 guests on board depending the size of the boat. Hell, even the teenager that drives Navette for Harbour Court needs to start bigger than that to take yacht crews out to the moorings.
anyway, as you were…
the-montser@reddit
First of all:
What are you talking about? I have no idea what you think you’re quoting. I did not say that. I did not say anything about six packs.
Secondly, I am a professional captain. I do know what I am talking about. You said that many American skippers of American charter boats use RYA or MCA licenses instead of a USCG license. This is not true. It is illegal to operate a US flagged vessel carrying passengers for hire (read: charter vessels) in the US without a USCG license. MCA or RYA certifications are not substitutes.
It is not relevant whether OP is American. I was not responding to OP. I was responding to you, who claimed that many American skippers do not have USCG certifications. This is not true. This is bad information.
Again, I am not some random redditor talking out of nowhere. This is literally my career.
OptiMom1534@reddit
It’s my career. It’s the career of a lot of people in this sub, and the career of almost everyone I know, welcome to the club.
the-montser@reddit
If it really is your career, you’d know that the vast majority of charter skippers in the US are running little six pack charters like Tiki Huts and booze cruises and don’t have anything more than a six pack and definitely do not also hold MCA or RYA certifications.
OptiMom1534@reddit
I’m not in the charter sector. I’ve never worked on a charter boat in my life. I work globally on large, private racing yachts, so im not sure what to make of the booze cruise or tiki hut comment.
the-montser@reddit
So it’s not your career, and you don’t know what you’re talking about.
The fact of the matter is that the vast majority of charter skippers in the US are captains of rinky dink UPV or SPV day charters and carry no more than a six pack or a small tonnage Master’s at most, and it is certainly not true that most of them also hold MCA or RYA certifications. That is the first information you provided that was incorrect.
The second piece of information you provided that was incorrect is that American charter skippers can use the yachtmaster certificate in substitution of a USCG certification. This is not true. It is illegal to carry passengers for hire on a US flagged vessel in US waters without an MMC (the exact credential depends on exactly what you are doing).
In short, your post was full of bad information.
OptiMom1534@reddit
Yeah, I don’t think you do, because everyone is in the med in the summer. If you were racing, the summer would be your busiest season, but go off, mate. It’s a very small industry and I don’t know anyone who spends their summer on a head boat in the U.S. Have a great winter.
FlickrPaul@reddit
Aside from relocating during the off-season, the best thing to do would be get into marine maintenance service industry and work on fixing boats during the winter.
tcrex2525@reddit
You’re not wrong, but the work often sucks; and dealing with crappy boat owners as a contractor sucks even more.
hilomania@reddit
Get a specialty and don't deal with crappy (poor) boat owners.
I have a friend who is a licensed marine plumber. He operates out of The Carolinas. He makes a few hundred K. He's licensed, expensive and has a great rep. He's pretty busy with overhauls, new installs etc... BUT the big money comes from riuch guys who's girlfriends flushed their tampons even being told not to.
KrustyKrab_Pizza@reddit
Have you worked personally as a marine service tech? Does it actually suck that bad or is it as bad as pretty much every normal job? I am thinking of potentially doing this for work as a career change but idk
Mackey_Corp@reddit
I liked it when I worked in a yard, I like fixing things and it was always something different everyday. Plus I drove the travel lift and moved boats around the yard. I lived on my boat at the marina and had access to the shop and cheap parts to work on my boat, it was great while it lasted.
aivopesukarhu@reddit
Anything that involves keeping company to paying (and usually reasonably well off) customers, making them feel safe and enjoy themselves, pouring a drink or two, telling good stories, making the experience overall good and memorable.
Isn’t the prpfessoonal skipper’s job 80% being a host and 20% keeping the boat afloat 😆
LuckytoastSebastian@reddit
Grade school teacher.
RegularJoe62@reddit
Run charters in the Bahamas or somewhere warm.
Be a delivery skipper.
thuper@reddit
And how does someone get into delivery skipping?
Xing_the_Rubicon@reddit
It's super shitty job and pays like $4/hour.
If you have some boat experience you can easily find these jobs moving boats from New England to Florida in the fall, and then moving them back in the spring.
the-montser@reddit
Word of mouth
MustardSpaghetti@reddit
Literally thought this was my GF’s post lol. But she’s not a Reddit user
otterjane@reddit (OP)
For every sailor/skipper boyfriend there’s an anxiety riddled girlfriend “at home” thinking about the winter months lol
nariosan@reddit
Assuming he has at least a six pack captain mariner license. Try to get a gig after hours or whatever teaching beginners the rules of the road. All classroom time. No boating needed. . approach BoatUs or Power squadrons. Or Mariners school as proctor or whatever. Someone else said marina work. This may be easier.
otterjane@reddit (OP)
I’m not sure what the equivalent to his license would be in the US but based on the answers I’m getting he should definitely make it a priority to get a better one. His current one doesn’t let him sail farther than x miles from coast. Ideally he’d get something that’d allow him to pilot a ship to find work in the winter but at least here that requires a college degree.
ruidh@reddit
There are a lot of boats being moved from the northeast down to Florida and the Caribbean for the winter right now.
otterjane@reddit (OP)
We’re in Europe though. I’m sure he’d have a lot more job opportunities in the US but I have my dream job here.
Independent_Wrap_321@reddit
That’s when YOU work lol
otterjane@reddit (OP)
I work full time all year but thank you for the assumption lol
Tikka2023@reddit
Deliveries
richbiatches@reddit
Go to the other hemisphere
leery243@reddit
BVI is pretty busy in the winter. The big charter companies may be looking for captains.
My dream job is ferrying tourists from St Thomas to Tortola.
canadiankris@reddit
Depends where, if you have some better than decent cooking and can organize and he has STCW you can be a couple for The Moorings or similar in BVI or Grenadines or elsewhere. I did that for 5 years, Or he does deliveries, which I preferred but couldn’t be with my gf too often. At sea about 10min the a year. I was easily able to get teaching work in Toronto when visiting back to Canada in between trips during the summer . But need a teaching certificate usually.
sharpescreek@reddit
Take a marine surveyor course or become a yacht broker.
serjedder@reddit
Ski instructor
Ksan_of_Tongass@reddit
Boat delivery
unittwentyfive@reddit
If there is any type of ferry service near where you live, he could probably qualify for that. Where I live the ferries run all year round, even in the winter, so you could look into that.
Beelzabub@reddit
Skiing instructor is a standard go-to, or bartend/wait at ski resort seems to be a common one also.
nogoodalternatives@reddit
I know a backcountry guide who's currently working towards his 6-pack for summers. Your boyfriend would need avvy classes and wilderness first responder certs (and obviously already be into backcountry skiing), but I can see how the soft skills overlap well in terms of being responsible for a group under potentially dangerous conditions.
OptiMom1534@reddit
he could work on a boat anywhere it’s warm in the winter, namely the Caribbean if he holds at least a skipper’s licence that qualifies him to do as such. Depending on his passport, he could work on a private yacht, or on a tour boat that operates under the same flag/territory as his passport.
Esquire192@reddit
Plow
otterjane@reddit (OP)
Plow? English is not my first language, I think we're thinking of different things
ksed_313@reddit
Like plow snow, I’m guessing?
Cole_Slawter@reddit
Thing number one is make sure he is keeping track of his sea time. The owner of the boat should have no problem filling out a coast guard form saying he spent xx hours on the boat month by month. Once you get about a year of sea time, you are qualified to get a merchant mariner credential, at least as an AB, and that can be a door-opener to some rather good jobs. If you’re not in the United States, I suspect the process is roughly similar.
otterjane@reddit (OP)
I'll look into this, thank you for sharing! He's probably got a year of seatime already, he's been working May-October/November for two years now, no days off at all last year and only 4 days off a month this year.
caeru1ean@reddit
Go where it’s summer
MyDogTweezer@reddit
Commercial fishing…. Raise some oysters in cages offshore