Help with upkeep of the boat and welcome guests while learning about sailing in Bocas Del Toro

Infos

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  Description

  Looking for either an individual, a couple or two close friends who don't mind bunking together, to provide a hand as crew on my 57ft alloy catamaran in Bocas del Toro. 
  
  Please only message if available the last week November for 3-4 weeks.
  
  Note: I won't commit to anyone earlier than a month before the start date.  You need to start +/- 3 days from the indicated start date above.
  
  After 3 long years of grinding through many, many boat projects I'm happy to say we're reaching the light at the end of the tunnel and transitioning from doing major boat projects to the simpler operation, maintenance, and most importantly, income generation with the boat.  So it's still hot and sweaty work (we're in the tropics after all) but not so grimey, and less hands on in many ways.  Lucky for you, you get to enjoy the labors of the volunteers who came before you 😉 (special shout out to Sawsen, Pierre, Iris and Joel who suffered through the haul out at Linton Bay, was a lot of grinding and dengue). 
  
  Going forward we're focused on hustling up some business for the boat, taking care of guests, maintaining the boat, operating the boat and the day to day of life onboard...So I'm going to be a little more particular in what I look for in volunteer...
  
  The most important skill you can have is probably being outgoing and sociable.  I'm looking for people who enjoy going out and striking up  conversation with strangers.  I want to find customers locally.  I'm not looking to do pushy promotion.  The focus is not just finding customers, but finding the customers we want. Customers who will enjoy the experience and will be pleasant to have onboard.  We're not doing canned charters or day tours. We're flexible in what we offer.  This keeps life interesting for us, and allows us to serve folks who can't find what they're looking for elsewhere. There's also a chance we volunteer our services to some of the local charitable organizations.
  
  I've done things like sunset cruises then anchoring and allowing people to bbq onboard, travelling to a nice beach or good snorkel spot for swimming, some overnight trips to more remote destinations... all with more of a hostel type vibe where people bring their own food and hang out with friends. We just provide the boat facilities for their enjoyment and keep everyone safe.
  
  Next up is cooking skills.  You don't have to be a chef but cooking skills are handy on board. Why?  Well let me be honest, your captain likes to eat good food onboard 😉. Bonus points for bakers.  I have a pretty finicky oven, but we've had some amazing cakes, cookies and breads pop out of there.
  Note:If there is only one volunteer we share the cooking duties onboard.  If I have two volunteers I'm going to leave most of the cooking up to the two of you. 
  
  Other skills that can be handy are some social media, photography, video editing... you can see my Instagram to see how much help I need here 😂
  
  Some basic requirements...
  
  There's gonna be lots of cleaning involved.  Generally it's fun having guests onboard.  Doesn't really feel like work.  The work is getting the boat prepped for having guests onboard and cleaning after the guests have left.  So you shouldn't be adverse to cleaning and things need to be cleaned to a certain caliber.
  
  You need to be pretty comfortable in and around the water and enjoy watersports.  If you have a fear of water unfortunately I can't have you onboard. Every 2-3 weeks the hull needs cleaning.  It involves getting in the water with some gear (hookah system, supplied breathing air) and spending 2-3 hours wiping down the hull.  It can be a fun experience, but not if you're scared of water. 
  
  We're essentially flatmates during your time onboard.  So we need to get along, but please remember not only is the boat our place of business and where you'll be living as a volunteer, it's also my home.  You'll be having a temporary experience but this is my day to day life so expect differing perspectives on things ( like I might be particular about how some things are managed onboard).We each have private space but need to be considerate and share in the upkeep of common areas. 
  
  No drugs onboard.  You need to be calm and fit for duty in the case of an emergency.  For instance, it's still the stormy season, and just a couple nights ago we were hit with violent wind and the boat started dragging through the anchorage.  I need to be able to count on you during an emergency.  This boat also travels internationally.  I do not want whatever comes my way because the authorities find drugs onboard.
  
  Only moderate drinking is allowed. I won't tolerate any drunken behavior from volunteers on board.
  
  You have to be clean and tidy.  This makes the boat not only more pleasant for guest, but keeps us safe in emergencies and ensures we don't get any unwanted pests onboard (cockroaches, rats, bedbugs, flies, ants).
  
  You have to be self reliant.  There's a lot of down time on board, especially when it's rainy.  Being able to settle down with a book, do some exercise, yoga, meditate (however you do you), take the kayak out for a spin, go for a swim...  Just know when things are slow I might be working on something and can't keep you busy.  Also know that I may interrupt you with whatever you're doing because I need a hand or something needs to be taken care of right away...being crew means you have to be on call at all times but not that you're working all the time.
  
  You're gonna have to put up with my nagging.  It's not something I like to do, but it's a necessary evil to keep the boat in shape.  A boat is death by a thousand cuts.  All the little things add up to a big fortune.  So you'll hear me nagging you to take your shoes off, don't step on the cushions, don't use metal in the nonstick cookware...etc...etc...
  
  Last requirement.  You have to be fun.  I live this life to have fun.  Owning a boat is not to make a fortune (honestly it's just a good way of going broke).  It makes me happy seeing people enjoying the boat.  It's nice to have a good laugh, share stories, play cards etc... so be present, eager to learn and have a good time.
  
  And on that note, I won't say it's a strict requirement, but being 22-25 years old is preferred.  I think this age group appreciates the experience for what it is and they usually bring positive vibes, good ideas and good energy.
  
  So if you think this fits you.  Send me a message.  Let me know you've read everything.  Tell me what dates you're interested in coming.  Tell me some dishes you like to cook. Tell me a little about yourself like what you might expect from the experience or what I can expect from you.  Keep it short.  We can always do a call or message more and will have lots of time to chat onboard.
  
  Note: If you're expecting to learn how to sail in 3 weeks, it's not gonna happen. I'll teach you whatever you want to know and the fundamentals, but there's a lot to learn...
  
  Cheers,
  
  Captain Brandon 

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  Types d'aide et opportunités d'apprendre

  Bricolage et construction

  Aide à la maison

  Accueil / tourisme

  Entretien général
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  Echange culturel et opportunités d'apprendre

  You can learn about sailing, the sea, the Caribbean coast. Any and all things about boats. I've travelled many parts of the world as well. Can certainly share what I know.

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  Aide

  No specific skills required, all that really matters is a good working attitude and care for what you are doing. I don't mind teaching what I know and what I don't know we can learn together.

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  Langues

  Langues parlées
  Anglais: Courant
  Français: Intermédiaire
  Allemand: Débutant
  Espagnol: Débutant
  Chinois (mandarin): Débutant

  Cet hôte propose un échange linguistique
  Cet hôte a indiqué qu’il souhaitait faire partager sa propre langue ou en apprendre une nouvelle.
  Contactez-le pour en savoir plus.
  
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  Hébergement

  There are private double cabins. 3 of them and 3 toilets on board. There is water for showers, but best to limit shower to 5 mins to conserve water (watermaker can only replace the water so fast). No hot showers, but if showering in the early evening or afternoon the water can be hot.
  
  In general it's a boat. It has many creature comforts but it is not a house (no hairdryer, small stove, small oven, showering outdoors). We try mainly to run on only solar, but have generator and engines for backup, but prefer to use sparingly. Think glamping...more camping than glam though.

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  Informations complémentaires

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    Accès Internet

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    Accès Internet limité

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    Nous avons des animaux

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    Nous sommes fumeurs

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    Familles bienvenues

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  Combien de volontaires pouvez-vous accueillir ?

  Deux

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  Nombre d'heures attendues

  Average of 5 hours a day. We might work 8 hours a few days in a row but we'll make it up by taking a few days off in a row

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