Sail The Indian Ocean For Free.

[paulfromphuket]

I am looking for 2 or 3 people to help the owner of an Oyster 53 sail from Phuket to Turkey starting as soon as possible early Feb.

The yacht is is a very high quality sailing vessel, the captain is a very experienced professional owner now on the 7th year of a circumnavigation which started in the UK.

Free repatriation (flights home) and food and drink on board will be provided.

The voyage may stop in India for a rest and then the Oman before continuing up the Red Sea in a safe flotilla before entering the Med and on to Turkey, the trip will take around 2 months.

This is a chance of a lifetime opportunity to experience true blue water cruising abord a luxury yacht, you will be expected to perfrom duties and share the watch.

Some experience an advantage but a good attitude more important.

Please P M me for more information and stupid comments will not be welcome.

[thaigerd]

Paul,

That's a great opportunity!

In case I will have no job at this time(you never know...) I will apply as a Chef for that cruise.

Gerd

[paulfromphuket]

Paul,

That's a great opportunity!

In case I will have no job at this time(you never know...) I will apply as a Chef for that cruise.

Gerd

cooking will be shared but i am sure your added skills would be very welcome

[huggybear]

Paul,

That's a great opportunity!

In case I will have no job at this time(you never know...) I will apply as a Chef for that cruise.

Gerd

cooking will be shared but i am sure your added skills would be very welcome

Good point brought up by Gerd.

For those of us that work for a living, how to take this time with no income?

Sounds like fun, but maybe it's tourists on holiday looking for an easy way to extend without spending too much, are the types you are after.

Maybe put up flyers in the tourist areas advertising, which if you are the same I have already seen, you've done already.............(???)

[LivinLOS]

Amazing offer..

If this left mid march or later I could be interested.. Even moreso if my GF (who would not be ideal for watch duty, but has sailed and is a mean cook and generally high spirited traveller) could also come.. We have sailed to Langkawi and back a few times, I have some limited passage experience and she has been on yachts a bit. I simply cannot leave until at least the middle of March tho. Theres a few logistics I need to have a serious think about.

That truly is a once in a lifetime kind of deal and a trip all will remember.

[thaigerd]

I did not ask for a salary.

As Paul mentioned in his first posting people will get a flight back home to Thailand, fair enough I think.

Gerd

[paulfromphuket]

Paul,

That's a great opportunity!

In case I will have no job at this time(you never know...) I will apply as a Chef for that cruise.

Gerd

cooking will be shared but i am sure your added skills would be very welcome

Good point brought up by Gerd.

For those of us that work for a living, how to take this time with no income?

Sounds like fun, but maybe it's tourists on holiday looking for an easy way to extend without spending too much, are the types you are after.

Maybe put up flyers in the tourist areas advertising, which if you are the same I have already seen, you've done already.............(???)

Thanks for the advise Huggy, no I have not placed posters as most tourists have also a job to go home to, we don't really want back packers but would prefer those whom can put their business interests on hold for a while or don't need to work and are going to be reliable, age is not a consideration so someone retired might be welcomed.

The boat is equipped with powered winch systems so very easy to control.

[huggybear]

I did not ask for a salary.

As Paul mentioned in his first posting people will get a flight back home to Thailand, fair enough I think.

Gerd

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm..........

I don't know, don't people with luxury yachts pay the whole crew to sail them back to Europe?

I knew a guy, we called him Zimbabwe Dave who one night was partying like a madman because he had taken a position, one of six people who were taking a yacht on pretty much the same route, all received what the OP is offerring, yet he was also to receive 1500$ US on completion of the job.

That sounds more fair to me....

Edited January 25, 2009 by huggybear

[paulfromphuket]

Amazing offer..

If this left mid march or later I could be interested.. Even moreso if my GF (who would not be ideal for watch duty, but has sailed and is a mean cook and generally high spirited traveller) could also come.. We have sailed to Langkawi and back a few times, I have some limited passage experience and she has been on yachts a bit. I simply cannot leave until at least the middle of March tho. Theres a few logistics I need to have a serious think about.

That truly is a once in a lifetime kind of deal and a trip all will remember.

The owner would like to go sooner then later but please PM your details and it will then depend on if earlier crew come forward.

[paulfromphuket]

I did not ask for a salary.

As Paul mentioned in his first posting people will get a flight back home to Thailand, fair enough I think.

Gerd

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm..........

I don't know, don't people with luxury yachts pay the whole crew to sail them back to Europe?

I knew a guy, we called him Zimbabwe Dave who one night was partying like a madman because he had taken a position, one of six people who were taking a yacht on pretty much the same route, all received what the OP is offerring, yet he was also to receive 1500$ US on completion of the job.

That sounds more fair to me....

Professional delivery skippers expect to be paid yes, this is an offer for crew the skipper is the owner and it is quite common for these jobs to offer flights and food, some owners/skippers even expect the crew to contribute in exchange for the experience.

I think you mad friend very much under sold his services if he was the skipper at that price.

I personally wont be joining this trip due to business interests but have sailed with the owner from Southhampton to the Canary island in 2003 and then again from Singapore to Phuket where we arrived yesterday after an 80 hour fantastic passage.

[steelepulse]

I did this for a month one time on a 56' sailboat with some Aussies. It truly is a good time and experience if you have the time.

BTW, does the boat have some sort of internet access via sat phone or whatnot?

[paulfromphuket]

I did this for a month one time on a 56' sailboat with some Aussies. It truly is a good time and experience if you have the time.

BTW, does the boat have some sort of internet access via sat phone or whatnot?

The boat has VHF and HF radio plus iridium sat phone and tex only internet,also there is an epirb tracking device and extensive safty equipment and even a washing machine, watermaker and deep freeze so life aboard not really too hard.

[Groongthep]

The voyage may stop in India for a rest and then the Oman before continuing up the Red Sea in a safe flotilla before entering the Med

I am not a yachting sailor but am a professional merchant seaman who has been working on large oceangoing cargo vessels for the last 30 years. Most recently I have been working on tankers that often sail through the Gulf of Aden area near the horn of Africa through which your sailboat will pass on her way to Turkey. I understand your captain is an experienced sailor but for the sake of anyone unaware of the present situation it is important to remind them that even if sailing in a group it is very important that you notify the appropriate maritime authorities before transiting northbound into the Red Sea due to the extremely high rate of piracy in that area. Traveling in with a group of other sailboats provides little deterrent from the seagoing thieves and murderers who infest those waters and who are more often than not armed with automatic weapons and rocket propelled grenades. The yacht owner should contact the naval attache at his home country's embassy in Bangkok with a detailed voyage plan with ETAs before departing port. I'm not trying to scare anyone off from what might be the trip of a lifetime but one should make sure the voyage has been planned with with due vigilance and precaution before making a decision.

[paulfromphuket]

The voyage may stop in India for a rest and then the Oman before continuing up the Red Sea in a safe flotilla before entering the Med

I am not a yachting sailor but am a professional merchant seaman who has been working on large oceangoing cargo vessels for the last 30 years. Most recently I have been working on tankers that often sail through the Gulf of Aden area near the horn of Africa through which your sailboat will pass on her way to Turkey. I understand your captain is an experienced sailor but for the sake of anyone unaware of the present situation it is important to remind them that even if sailing in a group it is very important that you notify the appropriate maritime authorities before transiting northbound into the Red Sea due to the extremely high rate of piracy in that area. Traveling in with a group of other sailboats provides little deterrent from the seagoing thieves and murderers who infest those waters and who are more often than not armed with automatic weapons and rocket propelled grenades. The yacht owner should contact the naval attache at his home country's embassy in Bangkok with a detailed voyage plan with ETAs before departing port. I'm not trying to scare anyone off from what might be the trip of a lifetime but one should make sure the voyage has been planned with with due vigilance and precaution before making a decision.

I would like to reassure you and any interested parties that the owner is a very cautious and has taken every available step to minimise risks in this regard.

There are currently several navies, 7 at the last count, patroling and up to 100 Yemeni craft trying to stabalise the Red sea,

There is risk in all things and it cannot be 100% eliminated but can be greatly reduced.

Thousands of vesels navigate the Red sea every year without mishap and I am very hopeful that the precuations taken for this yacht will prove effective.

Thank you however for the words of wisdom

[fiddlehead]

I joined up on a trip to western Australia back in '92 and it was an awesome experience. (48' ketch)

I worked, did dishes, stood watch, fished as far as work goes and learned a lot.

I still had to pay $200 US for the opportunity and consider the experience was well worth that money spent

If i was free, i would definitely volunteer for this one. Sounds like fun.

[munggri]

I am looking for 2 or 3 people to help the owner of an Oyster 53 sail from Phuket to Turkey starting as soon as possible early Feb.

The yacht is is a very high quality sailing vessel, the captain is a very experienced professional owner now on the 7th year of a circumnavigation which started in the UK.

Free repatriation (flights home) and food and drink on board will be provided.

The voyage may stop in India for a rest and then the Oman before continuing up the Red Sea in a safe flotilla before entering the Med and on to Turkey, the trip will take around 2 months.

This is a chance of a lifetime opportunity to experience true blue water cruising abord a luxury yacht, you will be expected to perfrom duties and share the watch.

Some experience an advantage but a good attitude more important.

Please P M me for more information and stupid comments will not be welcome.

Hello PaulfromPhuket,

I read your post and I'd like to ask a few questions:-

1. Why have you advertised on this forum as opposed to the usual yachtie/crew

sites/forums?.

2. Who co-ordinates and pays for visa applications beforehand? These days, more

and more countries require visas,before you arrive,even if it's by yacht.

3. Most important point really....Any objections to an impromtu walk around

with pain in the arse questions? Usual stuff about liferaft capacity,service

history,overall fuel and water capacity, etc,etc,etc.

I'm not trying to scupper your ad and I won't make any comments about

"Opportunities of a lifetime".I'll only say that you'd have to prove to me that

everything is well above board,before I'd consider your offer.

There is no insult implied here, it's just that after 24 years at sea and several

decades living on Phuket I find it harder and harder to trust people and when it

comes to safety,even with good intentions/preparation, I know what a fickle

b*stard the sea can be...

Cheers,

Munggri

[LivinLOS]

To be fair you would have to assume all the important discussion would happen after the initial expression of interest.. No ones about to set sail into the wide blue yonder without addressing all of the issues for a voyage like this.

But hes just asking for those interested to contact him.. And then work from there.

[waza]

sounds good

[paulfromphuket]

To be fair you would have to assume all the important discussion would happen after the initial expression of interest.. No ones about to set sail into the wide blue yonder without addressing all of the issues for a voyage like this.

But hes just asking for those interested to contact him.. And then work from there.

Thank you LivinLos

I could not have put it better, This is a long trip and there will be extensive discussions before embarkation but interested parties can be assured the boat and captain are very serious and the offer is genuine.

[paulfromphuket]

[

There is no insult implied here, it's just that after 24 years at sea and several

decades living on Phuket I find it harder and harder to trust people and when it

comes to safety,even with good intentions/preparation, I know what a fickle

b*stard the sea can be...

Cheers,

Munggri

Hi Munggri,

I would have no problems having you inspect the yacht,interview the owner/skipper and check his plans and arrangements for travel/visa etc.

I sure you will find everything in first class order.

I am very aware of how one must respect the sea and how important preparaton for trip such as this is.

Please PM me if you wish to meet up and and disscuss the voyage.

[geriatrickid]

There's a pretty good updated map of all the attacks for the last month at http://www.icc-ccs.org/ from the UK based ICC Commercial Crime Services (CCS) that details maritime piracy If you look at the map, there are a few attempts off of Yemen quite close to Oman to make someone like me crap myself.

You'll like the advisory (copied spelling errors and all);

To ensure stray bullets do not hit and injure / kill, crew are advised to remain inside the accommodation away from all bulkheads. Further crew are adivsed to keep fire fighting appliances in a state of readiness at all times in order to fight any fires which may break out due to the firing.

Ok so I'm not a sailor, but still worth a look.

Edited January 27, 2009 by geriatrickid

[paulfromphuket]

an update, the owner/skipper has taken onboard a RYA yachtmaster instructor as 1st mate so the crew will be very well directed 2 more people required

[paulfromphuket]

I am happy to report that the yacht has now the required crew and will set sail on thursday next week.

Thank you for the interest shown and advice gven by visa members.

[thaigerd]

Congratulations Paul!

May be one of your crew members can update us from time to time with a few pix from that cruise?

Gerd

[paulfromphuket]

Congratulations Paul!

May be one of your crew members can update us from time to time with a few pix from that cruise?

Gerd

as reqested the update.

wish i had done the trip but business kept me here there will be another one i hope.

Dear Family & Friends,

First of all – we are safely out of pirate territory!

With that said, let me digress….

Three young men joined my crew in Phuket. They were each a professional sailor looking to get the 5300 miles added to their cruising resume that helps them get higher rankings in their profession.

We departed with enough provisions and fuel to go right through to Salalah, Aman, provided the winds and weather were normal. They were not! The winds were non-existent for the first few days and so we had to motor. Even though we were then starting to sail, we had consumed enough fuel that an intermediate stop became necessary. The choices were either Galle, Sri LankeLanka, or Uligan, Maldives. I favored Uligan as I had heard some bad news from cruisers on Galle. However, when the winds shifted into the west, then the anchorage at Uligan would have been exposed, so we went into Galle. The government here is fighting (literally) everyday with Tamul Tigers. To protect their port they have enclosed it with submarine barriers – huge nets which they drape across the entrance. Of course, we had to wait for the authorities outside this area so they could inspect us and clear our entry. While waiting for the officers we were approached by one of their naval patrol boats. We didn’t know what to expect. Well, they wouldn’t leave us alone until I “gave” them a pack of cigarettes. My first bribe, or” bacheesh” as they call it. Once cleared we were told to go through the now-opened nets and onto the pontoon. This was a plastic pontoon similar to those I have seen used for dinghies, but this was the dock. Flimsy, no water, no electric. Then I was told I would have to hire an agent The final issue was that the diesel fuel they tried to sell me was full of debris and rusty metal chips. I refused. They brought another batch the next day which was greatly improved and I accepted this fuel. Two days later I was changing fuel filters at a high rate. Apparently, they filtered out the visible bits, but it was full of tiny particles that clogged the filters. . From here the story of Galle gets worse. I will spare you the details. Suffice it to say, I would never recommend this port to anyone.

The next leg was to Salalah. The winds were light, once again. But because we were committed to not stopping again, in Uligan; we had to conserve fuel. That meant that when the wind died I did not turn on the engine, we drifted with no sails, no engine. The water was glassy and it was hot. The second time this happened I authorized an ocean swim for the crew as they had requested. I stood watch. It was only for five minutes and they were refreshed. The sharks got no treat from my crew.

We eventually arrived in Salalah. This is a very busy commercial port. The port authority tolerates sailing boats, but they’d rather we didn’t visit.

The main reason for stopping here was to refuel. We also picked up some provisions. We were hoping to find a few cruisers that wanted to form a flotilla for the next leg – pirate alley. But these boats were not ready to go. So we departed after only one day, in the immediate aftermath of a sand storm. The boat was brown and gritty inside and out!.

Fortunately, I had gotten the name of the US Navy Liaison Officer for the Gulf of Aden Coalition Force, Capt. Tom Hastings. I phoned him and we began an exchange of information by email: I was providing details of the boat and crew and he was providing information on the newly formed Corridor and the International Naval Force patrolling it. He suggested a route for our passage that would parallel the Corridor, but be outside of visual range of the ships and boats there, including the pirates that lurked along the fringe of the Corridor, waiting for a suitable prize. We had to motor nearly the entire four days as there was no wind. We also “darkened ship” at night – no navigational lights and all portholes and hatches covered so as to emit no visible light. We did not use the radar or the radio as those signals can be detected. We did hear a merchant vessel announce over the radio that they were under attack by pirates. Shots fired. They were able to fend them off. I must say that these four days were a trying experience. Especially since my insurance company said I was not covered in the event of piracy or theft in this area.

We had only one encounter which turned out to be nothing. A small skiff approached at high speed. There were three men. There was no fishing gear visible, no guns either, but the entire boat was filled with gasoline tanks. We were told we may be approached by fisherman trying to sell their catch, but these were not fisherman. I’m not sure what these guys were up to, but I was mighty happy to see them bear away and leave us in peace. We had no other problems and safely arrived in Aden, Yemen. You may recall that this is the harbor where the USS Cole was attacked by terrorist and a few sailors were killed. Today, this harbor is heavily patrolled by the Yemen’s Coast Guard. We decided to refuel and be on our way the next day. Just before departing I was approached by one of the crew. He got a text message from home and needed to get back there.

The explanation was taken well by the authorities. He was off my crew and on his way to the airport by mid-morning, and we were underway.

The last 100 miles of the Gulf of Aden does not get the pirate activity as much as the previous segment. We sailed through without incident.

We sailed through the straits of Bab al Mandeb and entered the Red Sea at midnight.

The Red Sea is infamous for bad weather, tricky currents and lots of big ships, but there are no pirates. And we were greeted by the Red Sea with a gale. We had steady winds of 25-35 knots with gust over 50. The seas built up to 4.5 meters (about 15 feet). It was a bumpy trip, but fast.

Today we are sailing to windward in moderate seas. Our position is 16* 30 N, 041* E. We have about 900 miles to get to the entrance to the Suez Canal. We will probably need to make one stop enroute for fuel.

Here is a list of “firsts” for Glass Slipper related to the trip so far:

+ first all-professional crew,

+ first dirty fuel,

+ first darken ship,

+ first - longest duration continuously motoring – 89.5 hours (almost 4 days!)(I hate this one!),

+ first time we ever flew the Multi Purpose Sail (MPS) through the night,

+ first – longest duration continuously flying the MPS, 30 hours (I love this one!),

+ first time we had someone climb the mast underway (Umberto),

+ first open ocean swim,

+ first time we caught a shark on the fishing line (It was a 2 foot baby and we successfully released it.),

+ first sand storm,

+ first time we drifted at sea.

The crew all have a sailing – racing background and I have learned from them on new ways to sail under the MPS. They are good sailors and good company.

The finish line is nearly in sight. It has been quite an adventure so far.

[snuggzzz]

Hi Paul,

A great well written report, it must be a memorable experience for you all. How was the cooking...?? Did the fishing supplement the 'larder', your adventures are worthy of an article in a magazine...!!

Please keep us up-dated, wishing you and your crew all fair weather,wind and luck.......

[paulfromphuket]

Hi Paul,

A great well written report, it must be a memorable experience for you all. How was the cooking...?? Did the fishing supplement the 'larder', your adventures are worthy of an article in a magazine...!!

Please keep us up-dated, wishing you and your crew all fair weather,wind and luck.......

Thanks, but I can not take credit for the update, thats from the ownerTom, a good friend of mine and I am very happy he made it without me.

I have done this trip twice before and each one was amazing but I had to stay and take care of business here for this one.

BUGGER!!

[ArranP]

Hello Paul (maybe ReefRammer ??)

I found it interesting to read about your adventure, an experience to be had and some.... :-)

Regards

Arran

RYA Day Skipper 2006!

Edited March 26, 2009 by ArranP

[paulfromphuket]

Hello Paul (maybe ReefRammer ??)

I found it interesting to read about your adventure, an experience to be had and some.... :-)

Regards

Arran

RYA Day Skipper 2006!

Hi I do remember you hope your well pm me if you are in LOS and wana hook up

[SeanPhuket]

WOW, sounds like a great trip!

Sean