I'm in Western Cape Nov 24 to March 25 (Cape Town, Hermanus, Knysna, Jeffreys) & would love to join/help.
Born by the sea in Liverpool, England, I was on my dad's boat before I could walk.
Most summer weekends the family sailed along the English or Welsh coasts. Sun or rain, we enjoyed it the same.
I'm now 71 & still love the sea as much.
Spending months each year on various boats, I've crewed on over 65 yachts; I still aim to learn from any yacht I join; and to leave the yacht in a better state of repair than when I joined it (I can fix most things on a boat). Whilst I know sailing well, I believe every skipper will know things I don't and I'm keen to learn from them & to do things "their way".
I've RYA coastal skipper & ICC papers. Sailed much of the Med, UK waters, trans-Atlantic, trans-Mediterranean, Malaysia, Thailand, Fiji, Caribbean, Australia, Galapagos, Panama Canal .
I taught dinghy sailing professionally ( RYA dinghy instructor & other licences) in English, French & Spanish on Hobie Cats & lasers; in Asia, Africa, Europe & the Caribbean.
My skills? I'm told I am reliable, responsible, organised and thorough. I speak English, French, some Spanish, some German & Italian: & have found a smile works in any other language. I do stuff the way the skipper says! I enjoy plotting courses. I can get along with most anyone. I only sleep 4 hours at night (so am popular for night watches! Otherwise I aim to be in bed by 23:00 to midnight; no youngsters party boats plse), I'm tidy & clean on a boat & can cook as well as most Englishmen!
A handyman, things I've stripped/repaired include:
- auto-pilots
- anchor & sailing winches (Harken & Lewmar) to 59x power
- HEAD GASKET of 100hp engine,
- split exhaust elbow (broke 7NM at sea!)
- reseated portholes & hatches
- fitted new davits
- stanchions
- freshwater pumps
- rewired electrics on 66ft boat
- replaced entire galley
- rewired/replaced house batteries