Heya! Do you have a FAQ about tall ship sailing and life in a tallship and how to get into that world?
P.S.: If you don't have a FAQ, would it be asking too much for you to share that info with me? I'm interested in other watercrafts as well if you want to share about any others
I do not, but I’m happy to answer any questions!
The easiest way to get into the industry is to volunteer. Most of the bigger coastal towns in the US have a tall ship. (I don’t know anything for outside of the US, but check out Sail Training International.) And most tall ships have some kind of volunteer program. That’s a good way to get your foot in the door in the industry, see what it’s like, and decide whether you like it. Tall Ships America has a list of boats around the US.
After gaining some experience as a volunteer, you should be able to apply to most entry level deckhand positions. From there you keep building up your experience, work your way up to licensing, or find a niche you enjoy, like engineering or bosunry, and stick with that.
I’ll be upfront: the pay is shit. Most tall ships are owned by nonprofits, and crews are hired seasonally, so there’s really no minimum wage laws in place. You get free room and board while you work there, so that’s factored into wages. Starting pay on my boat for a deckhand is $1,000/ month. And that’s actually pretty good for the industry. If the boat interfaces with the public, you’ll probably make some tips, but that varies a lot from boat to boat.
On top of that you have long hours and not much time off. Industry standard is about one day off a week, unless you’re doing long transits where you really can’t get time off. It’s really hard work, physically and mentally strenuous, and sometimes a lot of it is customer service work.
And this isn’t to discourage anyone, I just like to reflect the reality of it. Don’t get me wrong, there is a level of romance to it. The views are great, you always live on the water, the camaraderie with your shipmates is truly the best there can be. But yeah, sometimes your shipmates will get on your nerves, you can’t get away, the only privacy you have is your bunk and wherever you can walk to during your limited off time, and your back and shoulders will never be the same after you start hauling on lines.
It’s amazing and wonderful and magical and terrible and exhausting all at the same time.
