temporary work

How to Get Free Accommodations (and Paid Jobs) on Boats

Nora Dunn — Thu, 10 May 2012 09:48:20 +0000

For two months, I lived and/or sailed on five boats spanning three countries. In so doing, I stumbled upon an entire culture, community, and way of life that is sustainable, adventurous, and full of variety.

In those two months, I didn't pay for one night of accommodations, nor did I sleep on land once. Instead, I helped out with business ventures, cooked meals for charter guests, or just provided an extra set of helping hands wherever needed. Each scenario was very different — from the captain to the boat to the location. For me, that was half the appeal — incredible variety with a common theme of enjoying life on the water.

Here are a few things to know about getting free accommodations — or even paid jobs — on boats. (See also: How to Travel Full-Time for $17,000 a Year (or Less!))

Free Accommodations on Boats

Similar to couch-surfing or hospitality exchanges, nomadic travelers (especially those with nautical skills) can find free passage on sailboats around the world by connecting with captains who need some extra help. (The company doesn't hurt either; it can be a lonely life on the water for a solo captain.)

The responsibilities vary as widely as the boats do, but depending on your skills, you could be valuable for your technical expertise, sailing experience, or even your cooking talents. One of the boats I lived on operates some mobile video businesses, and aside from my own share of cooking and cleaning, my video production talents were put to use.

Things to Consider

Regardless of the agreed-upon tasks and chores, it's important to understand that you're staying in somebody's home — and a very small home at that. It's important to be adaptable, flexible, and to pitch in wherever you can with communal chores.

Depending on the arrangement you make with the captain, you might be charged for your share of the provisions — mainly being food, water, and fuel. This is normal, and $10-25 U.S./day is a reasonable fee.

Here is an article written by a boat owner about what not to do when looking for free passage on a boat. Seeing things from the captain's perspective through this article might help you better position your own skills and set the right expectations.

Where to Find Accommodations on Boats

Here are a number of (mostly free) websites where captains and passengers alike can connect and determine if there's a fit for sailing together:

Find a Crew (one of the largest resources)
Desperate Sailors (includes a section for skilled freelancers/tradesmen to advertise their skills for paid work)
7Knots
The Float Plan
Latitude 38
Crew Seekers

Paid Jobs on Boats

Some of the sites above also cater to people who are looking for paid jobs on boats. These jobs — and boats — also vary dramatically.

Charter Boats

Some sailboat owners make ends meet by opening up their floating home to charter guests. Depending on the arrangement, the guests might be paying for an all-inclusive fully-catered sailing holiday where they have nothing to do but enjoy the view. In this case, the captain might be in need of a host/hostess/cook. This person would be responsible for taking care of guest needs including meal planning and shopping, cooking, and cleaning throughout the week. Depending on the charter, meals can be multi-course affairs with appetizer platters and drinks served through the afternoon. It's always good to clarify the charter's exact needs to ensure you can fill them before you're all stuck on a boat together and realize you're in over your head (so to speak).

I had a chance to hostess a very small informal charter through the British Virgin Islands. I enjoyed this experience, which I found through word of mouth (the sailing community is very small, and once you're on one boat, it's easy to meet other captains). When I wasn't cooking or keeping the place tidy, I was swimming and snorkeling with the guests on a different island each day!

Mega-Yachts

When I was in St. Martin, the sheer prevalence of mega-yachts in the lagoon was overwhelming. And each yacht needs a crew to keep the boat — and the guests — in top shape.

Unless you're being hired for a boat-specific skill (like captain or engineer), work on mega-yachts is generally easy but onerous. It's comparable to working for a hotel, with a lot of cleaning, polishing, and pandering to guests' needs. The hours are often long, and from what I've heard, it can be a tough slog if you find yourself on the wrong boat. But if you're passionate about the nautical life, it might still be worthwhile. I've met people who love working on yachts, although they'll admit sometimes it takes a few boats to find the right fit.

Where to Find Paid Jobs on Boats

Many of the sites listed above have resources and sections for paid jobs on boats. But do a simple search for “how to get a job on a mega-yacht,” and you'll get pages of answers, including sites like these:

Warning to Novice Seafarers

Whether you're hitching a ride on a sailboat, working on a mega-yacht, or taking up a position on a smaller boat, a few words of caution are necessary, and although this is directed largely at women, it's good for everybody to consider.

When you are on a boat, you are living in a very small space, largely at the mercy of the captain. There is no escape if there's tension, whether you find yourself caught in the middle of a family fight or — worse yet — if a drunk captain feels like getting frisky or violent.

There are a lot of dudes who have packed up to live on their boats full-time, and they'd like nothing better than to have a partner to do it with. So be aware of captains who are also looking for love when they're looking for crew; miscommunications can happen.

Thus, it's important for both the captain and prospective passenger/crew to get to know one another beforehand (at least through Skype and email) and to be very forthright about expectations.

By no means are all boat owners like this; I met so many amazing people in the cruising world — people who I continue to stay in touch with and who have offered up a cabin on their boat any time. The boating community is a very small one, so the bad seeds tend to get bad reputations before long.

The Cruising Life

Some of the things I loved about the cruising life are how sociable it is, how easy it is to meet people, how mobile it is (duh!), and how lovely it is to hop on a dingy and enjoy “happy hour” on shore, meeting other like-minded people from all over the world.

I feel like I've somehow pulled off a coup by having found free accommodations (and even a paid gig) to live on sailboats throughout the Caribbean for two months. Pinch me!

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This article is from Nora Dunn of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

6 Ways to Earn Extra Holiday Cash

Chris Birk — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 13:00:10 +0000

The most wonderful time of the year is also the most expensive one.

Consumers of all stripes can usually stand to gain some supplemental income during the holiday season. A holiday boost to the bottom line lets you spoil those you care about or simply help cover your expected outlay. At the same time, more cash gives you the chance to indulge yourself with some fancy holiday snacks, drinks, or gadgets.

There are dozens of ways to pick up some side cash to fatten your wallet. Here’s a short list of realistic avenues for consumers to explore.

Pick Up a Seasonal Gig

These jobs are not glamorous, but the service industry depends on temporary seasonal workers during the holidays. If you’re stuck at your office job during the business week, you can still work nights and weekends; that’s when you’re needed most. Even when the unemployment rate is teetering on double digits, you still have a shot. Don’t pigeonhole yourself into retail. Food services expect more customers, too. Seasonal work does not usually last more than two months, so expect to be on the payroll for about 45 days.

Sell Stuff You Don’t Want Anymore

Thanks to Craigslist, eBay, and Amazon, shoppers hit the Internet knowing they can get used items as gifts. In fact, eBay is offering free listings, free Buy It Now options, and other incentives to ensnare cash-strapped holiday shoppers. Capitalize on this and get rid of things you don’t need or want anymore. Sure, this is a great outlet to empty out any junk you have, but also look for rare items that collect dust in the basement or attic, especially if there's a seasonal tie-in; holiday collectibles are obviously in hot demand.

Work the Neighborhood

Whether you live in suburbia or a downtown loft, there’s bound to be a service you can charge for. Ask neighbors if they’d like you to spice up their holiday decorations. Make it known that you’re willing to shovel driveways and sidewalks when snow falls. If you're handy in the kitchen, offer to cater friends’ and family’s holiday parties, or work as a bartender or server at those same functions.

Be Your Own Boss

Use your skills to land a freelance gig. Anybody can look for freelance work, not just writers. If you’re in a local band, look for parties to entertain or venues in need of live performances. Photographers have one of the most in-demand tasks this time of year, so seek work at upscale offices and benefit gatherings. For the more artsy types, there’s work in decorating inside and outside, making holiday cards, or designing storefronts for local businesses. You have a skill. Get paid for it.

Babysit

You don't have to be 13-years-old or in a special club to do this. In fact, many a graduate student has earned spending money by babysitting throughout the calendar year. The holidays in particular are a busy time that can generate opportunities.

Arrive Early and Stay Late at Your Current Job

For those already employed, consider asking for more hours. Full-time employees might be able to earn overtime and get paid time-and-a-half or better. The service industry caters to overtime more than administrative work, but there’s no harm in asking. At the very least, your boss will appreciate your attitude.

This article is from Chris Birk of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Getting by without a job, part 2--boost income

Philip Brewer — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 22:38:57 +0000

[Editor's note: If you recently lost your job, take a look at Wise Bread's collection of tips and resources for the recently laid off.]

If there's one fundamental rule for financial success, it's "spend less than you earn." That rule applies whether you have a job or not. But, if you're used to having a job, the adjustments to getting by without one are going to be huge. It can be done, though. I suggest a three-pronged strategy, the first prong being to boost your income.

This is part two of a four-part series. Part 1 was on the first things to do if you lose your job. Parts 3 and 4 will be on cutting expense and getting what you need without money. Look for them here over the next few days.

There are countless ways to raise your income, besides the obvious one of getting a job (which I assume that you're already applying yourself to in a workman-like fashion). Here are a few categories, and a few suggestions.

Casual labor

The most obvious option is working--just outside the framework of a regular job. Some kinds of work are traditionally structured this way and others are freelance versions of work that is just as often done by employees. Either way there's a long list of possibilities. Here are just a few:

handyman
house cleaner
house painter
gardener
writer
editor
web designer
massage therapist
dog walker
photographer
tutor
bicycle messenger

None of these are likely to be well-paid and all are likely to be facing a drop in demand (because the potential buyers are also suffering in the economic crunch) at just the same moment that there'll be a surge in supply (as all the other unemployed folks try to pick up a little extra cash). Still, an income above zero is better than an income of zero.

Seasonal and temporary work

This category covers everything from detasseling corn to being a department store Santa. Although in many cases people are technically hired as employees for these sorts of jobs, I'm including it because it's not like having a permanent job.

There are seasonal jobs for every season. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, stores hire extra sales help and delivery companies hire extra package loaders and sorters. There is agricultural work at almost any season except the dead of winter. These sorts of jobs are usually very hard work for not much pay.

Especially early in hard economic times, temporary work tends to dry up--temps are the first to be let go, during the phase when employers are still hoping to avoid layoffs. But there continues to be some temp work right along, because companies always need some things done and don't want to hire employees when they can't offer long-term employment. In particular, as a recession winds down--but while companies are still waiting to see if this is really a lasting increase in business--they often hire temps in large numbers.

Seasonal workers are usually hired directly. Temporary workers are more often hired through a temporary agency.

Employ yourself

Some people already have a small business that they were running on the side while working at a regular job, in which case ramping up the small business to bring in more money can be a great option. Other people have always wanted to run a small business, and losing a job can give them the freedom to take a chance on doing so sooner rather than later.

If you don't already have a small business--or at least have some kind of small business in mind--this may not be the best choice. Starting a small business requires capital, and unless running a business is what you really want to do, you might be better off just investing the capital in something that pays interest.

Sell assets

Another place to get some money, at least for a while, is to sell stuff that you've got that has some value. Sadly, it's probably the case that most of your stuff is worth only a tiny fraction of what you paid for it, but a lot of it will nevertheless be salable. Depending on the item, consider:

vintage clothing stores
consignment shops
pawn shops
used bookstores
garage sales
internet classifieds and auction sites

This is a limited source--you've only go so much stuff--but you can pick up some money here.

Sell crafts

More sustainable than selling your used stuff is selling stuff you make. Almost any hobby that produces an actual thing (quilts, sweaters, mugs, earrings, jam) can produce some cash income--sometimes quite a bit. Even when it isn't particularly profitable--when the selling price barely covers the cost of materials or maps to a ridiculously low hourly wage--it can still be a way to turn stuff you bought back when you had a job (fabric, yarn, beads) into more money than you could make trying to sell the raw materials.

Stuff you make is also good for bartering, something that I'll talk about in part 4 of this series.

Other hobby-related income

Related to selling things you produce, many hobbies also provide other ways to pick up some extra cash by teaching, writing, speaking, and so on. I wrote about this a while back in Make your hobby pay its way.

Rent out assets

Some assets can be rented out in a way that produces a sustainable income rather than the one-time cash payment you'd get from a sale. Your savings earns some amount of interest (until you spend it). A spare room in your house can be rented out to a boarder. There are legal issues involved--if you rent your car to someone, you're probably taking on considerable liability if he gets into an accident--but if you've got stuff that people will rent, it's worth considering.

Not a complete solution

For most people, the sort of money you can pick up through casual labor or by selling crafts will never match what you could make at a regular job. That means that, if you want to get by without a job, you're almost certainly going to have to cut your cost of living--the topic of the next post in this series:

This article is from Philip Brewer of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Should you take a second job?

Andrea Karim — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 23:58:58 +0000

Right now is actually the perfect time to take a second job. The holiday season is gearing up in most retail stores, and chains everywhere are hiring seasonal workers. Whether it's stocking shelves, mopping floors, filling displays, or selling goods, the shopping season is ramping up and now is the time to locate and nab that those holiday gigs.

If you, like most Americans, are deep in credit card debt, you might be wondering how exactly you are going to pay it off. Or maybe you're not in debt, but need to make some extra cash to put a down payment on a car or condo, or start your own business. Maybe you just want to buy your sweetheart (or cat) something really special this holiday season.

Basically, you need more money, and you need it soon.

I've manage to get myself into and out of debt a couple of times (I'm talented like that), and the way I always clamor out of crushing credit card totals is by taking an extra job on the evenings and weekends. It takes a little extra planning to make everything go smoothly, but the rewards of quickly making additional income are not to be underestimated.

Some things to consider when taking on a side job:

Don't overdo it

There's no point in working yourself to death. I don't mean that there is anything wrong with being tired for a couple of months, but don't overextend yourself to the point that it effects your health or your current job performance. Also, no one needs your exhaustion-induced erratic highway driving during the holidays.

Can you organize your life around the busy schedule?

It's important, when faced with a tough and busy schedule, to downgrade other areas of your life. You might have to skip holiday parties if you are working nights. Lunch may become Cup O'Noodles until crunch time is over. While there's no need to deprive yourself entirely while working 60+ hours a week, you need to be careful to let yourself work.

Is it worth your time?

I'm unmarried and have no dependents, so childcare isn't an issue for me. If spending time away from your family is an impossibility, then this might not be an option for you. It does help to calculate how much money you expect to make during the time that you plan to hold a second job, but the earnings should always offset the costs. For instance, were I to take on a second job right now, I would likely need to hire someone to walk my dogs once a day. This would cost me approximately $60 a week, and my earnings would need to easily absorb this expenditure and leave me with enough money left over to make the additional job WORTH it.

I've often heard job experts warn that you should never take a lower salary for a side job than you earn at your day job. I disagree, for several reasons. First, many white collar jobs involve collaborating with other team members, and they can't expected to stay up until midnight working on a grant proposal with you because that's when YOU want to work. Given the wacky hours that an additional part-time job might entail, it can be unreasonable to demand the same hourly wage that you make during the day. I'm a tech writer - it would be tough for me to say to a potential hiring manager "Yes, I expect to make as much as I do during the day, but I won't be available for daytime meetings or phone calls." I'll either have to charge less because I'm inconveniencing the employer with my weird hours, or I'll have to find a different type of job.

Moonlighting can also be a risk because of your current employer's rules about who you can and cannot work for on the side.

Will it affect your taxes?

If you already exist on the edge of a tax bracket, earning additional income might bump you into a higher economic stratus, which could result in the government taking a LOT more of your income through taxes than previously, thus eating up the additional money that you made by working a second job. This is definitely something to consider beforehand.

Will you keep at it?

The whole point of starting an extra part-time job is to make money, but it doesn't hurt to make positive network connections, if possible. There's no point in taking on a second job if you are just going to quit a week later. Not only will you not make the money you need/want, but you might alienate new coworkers or bosses who will have to scramble to hire someone to replace you.

Is it interesting, comfortable, or easy enough?

I work at a desk all day. As a result, when I look for a second job, I never seek employment that will have me physically in the same position for an additional 25 hours a week. Instead, I may look into waitressing (hard work, but great exercise), dishwashing (at least I'm standing), housecleaning, yard work, babysitting, or something - ANYTHING other than my current job. The change of pace is nice for me. I don't think I could waitress full time, as I have a decided lack of patience for humanity, but on a short-term basis, it's a great change-up from my normal isolated work environment.

I also don't look for anything that is particularly intellectually challenging. If I'm going to be working late into the night, my brain cannot be trusted to maintain logical or rhetorical abilities. There's no way I could make any extra money tutoring people for the GRE, but there are some people who thrive on constant intellectual stimulation.

If you don't have the luxury of being free to leave your home (say you're a stay-at-home mom), you might consider offering holiday childcare services, either during the day or in the evenings. People with enough disposable income might welcome a break from the kids for a holiday party or for holiday shopping.

Are there any side benefits?

If you can find a temp job in an industry that you are fascinated by, you're lucky. But even if you don't LOVE washing dishes, there can be benefits to working in a restaurant. I worked in one all through college and got free Chinese food every night. Some retailers might give employees (even temp employees) discounts on products or services or even give our free product samples. While this shouldn't be a primary consideration when looking for a side job, it certainly can help sweeten the pot and make the extra effort well worth it.

I'd be interested to hear from Wise Bread readers who have held temp jobs over the holidays - what kind of work did you do? How did you make it work? Did you have to balance work and family? Where did you find the job? (I always find mine as a walk-in or on Craigslist).

This article is from Andrea Karim of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread: