Thanks for the link Peter. I went ahead and watched the long version of this video. I like the idea of getting good hands on training from an experienced captain. Is that a fairly common service from a quality broker? After reviewing Jeff’s website, he seems very comprehensive with his information and offerings.
I have no current expectation on size of vessel yet, which is why I’d like to experience some charters before I start hunting for a boat. I also need to determine what other requirements we need. I’m sure there’s a number of criteria decisions I’m not even aware of yet.
I should also start visiting some full service marinas that are available in the areas we are considering. That will help me get familiar with the storage options I’ll have. My previous experiences have all been with small scale marinas that offer minimal options.
Ken
I am only acquainted with Jeff but my impression is he's a really good guy. He was with PAE/Nordhavn for years as a project manager vs a sales person. He has a good way with people and understands the sales cycle for the target market of folks such as in the video - early retirees, decent savings, ready for a new adventure. It takes a couple years for a dream to develop.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, I was a main presenter for TrawlerFest. I met a lot of people like yourself. I was a very good delivery skipper, but there were guys with more credentials. Where excelled was in teaching. I came to boating relatively late in life - my family were first generation Sicilians who landed in Newark NJ and could barely replace a light bulb without help let alone drive a boat.
So I remembered the frustration of driving a boat well. And I'm pretty good at reading people.
Long intro to say that many, many delivery skippers are damn good delivery skippers, but they are often lousy teachers. I've seen them in action and they just don't understand a thing about how people learn. Driving a boat is not something you can read about, then go do. A teachers role is to develop situations where the student can fail safely. From there comes confidence, from there comes muscle memory. And women learn much differently than men.
Take time and care finding someone to work with you. Ignore the long resume of bar crossings or ocean crossings. The guy who taught me many years ago was an amazing close quarter helmsman. He and his petit wife were the go-to people to shoe-horn boats into boat show docks even in the breezy San Francisco conditions. But he was a lousy teacher. He was so good at what he did, he had no idea what he was doing. It was just second nature. He didn't understand why anyone would do it any other way.
Its been many years, but I heard good feedback on a captain by the name of Linda Lewis. I believe she's out of the PNW. There are also two women who run SeaSenseBoating.com in Florida who have been teaching forever. People like these know how to teach. How to help people learn. It's a special skill that few have.
Ill leave you with what I told 1000s of people at TrawlerFest presentations: it's easier to learn how to drive a boat than it is to learn how to afford one. If you've reached the point in life where a trawler lifestyle is a possibility, you're over the hump. No doubt you've hired professionals throughout your life - finding a captain to assist is only a modest challenge. But don't be impressed with sea miles alone
Best success
Peter