The ‘Work Today, Cruise Tomorrow’ Plan

"After surviving two tsunamis, three cyclones, pneumonia, dengue fever, ear infections, a dog bite, a frustrating government job, altercations with a loser neighbor, and nearly constant noise and foul aromas from a nearby tuna cannery over the past eight months, we are ready for a new neighborhood." So wrote cruiser Kirk McGeorge of the St. Thomas, USVI-based Hylas 47 Gallivanter.

As reported earlier, McGeorge, his wife Cath, and young son Stuart decided last fall to make an unplanned layover in American Samoa in order to fatten up their cruising kitty. When Kirk told us how easy it was to find work in that American territory, it inspired us to solicit info from readers on working in other locations while cruising. We got some very interesting responses, but we’d love to have more. So if you’ve found work while cruising in foreign waters we’d love to hear from you so we can share your experiences with our readers (anonymously, if you wish) in an upcoming feature article. We’re interested in knowing where you found work, doing what, and for approximately what wages. Plus any additional tips you’d like to share on the best and worst places to work, and the most marketable professions or skill sets.

By the way, although the Gallivanter crew definitely endured some challenges during their stay in American Samoa, they also left with some fond memories. As Kirk puts it, "On the bright side, we’ve enjoyed the generous hospitality of some of the friendliest ‘savages’ we’ve ever shared a tropical island with. Cath firmly re-established her star status (as an on-air personality) with global FM radio, Stuart became a television star in his own right, Gallivanter is in better shape than ever, we made some great new friends, made a bit of dough, and learned how best to surf a 31-ft tsunami with a 20-ton yacht! God willing, we’ll return here some day."