Anyone ever work with/ or sail aboard any of the windjammer outfits up in Maine? Pondering potential second career after retirement from USCG.
[QUOTE=Hooligansailor;124612]Anyone ever work with/ or sail aboard any of the windjammer outfits up in Maine? Pondering potential second career after retirement from USCG.[/QUOTE]
Ask away, what would you like to know? I may be a greasy ATB sailor now but I emerged a primordial ooze covered in canvas, manila, live oak, and pine tar. We all had to start somewhere, right?
What happened to school?
What is the schedule during the off season like? From what I know, some of the Captain’s and Crew work else where in the industry. Is there potential for an all year type of gig on any of the Windjammers? Ideally, working the season as crew/captain then working some towing gigs would be great, is this that realistic. Most importantly, is working in that type of industry more of a shit show then what it’s made out to be? I’ve sailed on the CGC Eagle, but never on the Windjammers up in ME. I thrive in traditional seamenship and working aboard these after I get my (small) pension from the GOV. Appeals to me.
[QUOTE=Hooligansailor;124617]What is the schedule during the off season like? From what I know, some of the Captain’s and Crew work else where in the industry. Is there potential for an all year type of gig on any of the Windjammers? Ideally, working the season as crew/captain then working some towing gigs would be great, is this that realistic. Most importantly, is working in that type of industry more of a shit show then what it’s made out to be? I’ve sailed on the CGC Eagle, but never on the Windjammers up in ME. I thrive in traditional seamenship and working aboard these after I get my (small) pension from the GOV. Appeals to me.[/QUOTE]
Most of the boats on the coast of Maine get laid up and covered over for the winter in either Camden or Rockland. There is some level of winter maintenance but they don’t keep a full time crew around for that, and certainly not a captain. Most of the crews fly south for the winter to places like Key West where there are a lot of other schooners. There are some boats, like the Liberty Fleet from Boston (Liberty Clipper and Liberty Star) that sail south for the winter and stay very active in the Caribbean and the Bahamas. There are probably half a dozen or so boats from New England (not so much from Maine though) that do that but I can’t think of the others off the top of my head. Ocean Classroom Foundation used to stay active with their schooners in the wintertime but they’re been kind of on the outs lately and I’m not 100% what they’re doing.
These are Ray Williamson’s three boats in Camden Harbor for the winter:
If you’re looking to schooner in the summer and tug-a-lug in the winter then all you have to do is find a tug company willing to let you have the summers off. The season runs from about the start of May to about the end of October, roughly six months, maybe a little less. If you can find a tug to take you for the other 6 then more power to you. It seems unlikely that any tug company would hire someone for 6 months a year every year but as difficult as that may seem I would not say it is entirely impossible.
I wish you luck in your endeavors. Happy sailing!