Written by: Rose Jolis Written by: Rose Jolis   How many times have you felt at the end of your rope, or perhaps a little trapped by your golden handcuffs?    How many times have you thought about moving ashore- or actually did, and then got there and didn\'t know what to do with yourself, or spent all of your money in the first six months because you were living the dream?   It's not an easy transition onto land. For most us 'yachties' it's the light at the end of the tunnel: to live in your own place, have your own big bed, maybe a pet. To create your own schedule and eat what you want and when you want it.   But then the little realities of paying for rent and groceries get in the way.  All of a sudden, some things yo...

Written by: Jo Morgan Written by: Jo Morgan Written by: Jo Morgan   Part 2: In last month's feature, yacht provisoners shared their stories about wacky requests, such as provisioning live crickets to feed a yacht's iguana and supplying haute couture.  The stories don't stop there though- who would have thought provisioners delivered hay to yachts, or were asked to source unborn lambs?  Also this month: do you think yacht crew work the hardest of anyone in the industry?  Read on: you might be surprised.   The Smoking Gun Over time, all provisioners become accustomed to the pressure, strange requests and moving destinations of the yachts they supply. In fact, all provisioners contacted for this piece replied that the wildly changing demand...

  Hi my Name is Andy I am German to search for a new Boat.(Languarge speaking: German,English,Spanish,Italien and basic Turkish) Experienced Mate ( OOW 3000gt. ) looking for permanent position/Day . Experience on Deck as well as in the Engine Room, painting, varnishing, sanding, refinishing, cleaning etc. I am an honest hardworking professional with an open and outgoing personality, who enjoys being part of a great team. I am actively increasing my knowledge through ongoing training and working experience. I have a great health, physically fit, non-smoker, and I will be an enthusiastic and friendly member of any crew I am actively looking for a job on motor yacht as Mate and assistant engineer. I have all necessary documents and knowledge.STCW-95 ENG 1,Yachtmaster Offshore, OOW...

It's no coincidence that "The Iliad" was set on a boat: It's the one place where we are totally subject to nature's whims. For anyone who has ever gone to sea in bad weather, there is always a sense of relief when you tie off and once again set foot on solid ground. Today, with more sophisticated rescue systems, it's a less terrifying prospect. We have GPS navigation and hourly weather reports. We have sturdy boats, backup tenders and life-rafts. And, in the event of an emergency, we have the tracking technology to facilitate rescue operations that would never have been feasible even one generation ago. It all started with the arrival of GPS, says Jeremy Harrison, president and managing director of McMurdo Group. "[GPS] was a huge leap in technology,...

Those who sail without an Amateur Seaman's Certificate will be fined a penalty of 2,500 Lira (£700) in Turkey, IBI Magazine reports.New regulations for private boats and yachtsmen in Turkey have been published in the Turkish Official Journal.The same penalty will be issued to those who do have an Amateur Seaman's Certificate but are sailing for commercial purposes.Turkish citizens wanting to obtain the certificate have to complete an online learning program and pass an online exam provided by the state.The state can authorise some institutes or organisations to give training for this exam or to organise the exams themselves.The exam includes at least 50 questions about sailing, meteorology, safety, technical issues, marine communication, marine law and international regulations. ...

Latest News Crew of Austrian catamaran Malisi spotted plank of wood and plastic board 'We are treating it very seriously' - U.S Coast Guard spokeswoman U.S authorities caved to pressure to continue searching on Tuesday Yachts from around the world vowed to help out with search  James Loy, former head of U.S. Coast Guard doesn't believe crew is alive The crew of the Cheeki Rafiki were returning from Antigua Sailing Week They ran into difficulties on Thursday but lost contact with land on Friday Missing are Andrew Bridge, Paul Goslin, Steve Warren and James Male     Debris has reportedly been found in the Atlantic Ocean in the area where UK yacht the Cheeki Rafiki went missing.   The crew of an Austrian catamaran named the Malisi spotted a ...

First season? Here are 50 nifty tips for day workers and deckhand newbies. 1. Do your homework before the season, including writing your sailing CV, registering online with crew recruitment agencies and storing electronic copies of CVs, certificates, references and passports on Yotspot!2. Get your banking and financial affairs in order and consider giving your parents or someone you trust power of attorney to oversee your financial affairs on your behalf.3. Superyachts allow you to live and work with virtually zero living costs. Grab the chance to save or pay off debt.4. Buy a good pair of sunglasses (plus strap) and a Leatherman.5. Be sure to connect with friends and family back home, be it on Facetime or via email / whatsapp. 6. Drink loads of water and wear sun cream.7. Wear i...

Yotspot is changing in 2014.   Members of the site will see some changes over the coming months. We have a new layout and search facility on the horizon. We have also been running our Bespoke Service for over six months and it has proven to be extremely successful. There will always be a need for a Captain/Head of Department to use a trusted company to find them crew.   Where as Captains, owners, and their representatives will still be able to use the same great facilities we offer to find crew, they are now encouraged to use Yotspot in a more "traditional" agency sense.   Yotspot now provides a bespoke headhunting and CV service. We offer a personalised, hands on approach, that can only be provided by a boutique agency, and will supply the best candidates in the ...

If you could capture the energy and ingenuity of the Mini Transat race I'm sure you'd have a panacea for the troubles of our times. Many sailors in this big race in 21ft little boats, which runs from Douarnenez in Brittany to Guadeloupe, are engineer-inventor-builders. They are brimming with ideas for how to make their boats go faster, and the spirit of camadarie and friendliness among the 84 entries is palpable. If ever we need to restart a civilisation, you could just take a group of Mini sailors - they would make it work and it would be a nice place.The Mini Transat is the legendary solo transatlantic race in supercharged 21ft boats, which has run every two years since 1977. The boats have evolved to become sailing's ultimate hot hatches, limited to a tiny package 6.5m long and 3m w...