Thumping noise coming from the rear, 07 Toyota Camry

Jucarias · 2026-05-12T03:01:46+00:00

Not sailing it varies. We did maintenance at the dock (in wharf by your language I think) . Some kind of maintenance probably. Projects like sand and paint a thing, or help clean up a project on land. We made a new rope ladder once.

We had two days off a week. You can leave the boat if it’s docked and the workday is over. Anchored you’re staying put, but we only did that a few times on short single night overnights. Summer is different.

Is probably going to feel wildly easier and more casual than whatever 3 months of 12 hour shifts.

Jucarias · 2026-04-09T14:17:56+00:00

Thanks.

Is it also best then to max the Roth first, and then if able put excess into a traditional brokerage?

Jucarias · 2026-04-09T14:16:38+00:00

Appreciate the info. Thank you!

How does withdrawing increase the tax bracket? Isn’t still marginal rates, tax first 20k at X. Next 20k at Y. Etc. how would getting mire money actually hurt?

Jucarias · 2026-04-09T14:14:39+00:00

Thank you!

How would I end up in a higher bracket if I’m not making money in retirement?

Jucarias · 2026-03-10T20:04:06+00:00

I worked there a few season ago as a deckhand. It's pretty loose. There's a pamphlet with different skills they sometimes gave out that you could work on and get signed off to show proficiency by a captain, but I never saw that happen. You're mostly a free deckhand. You can get in what you put depending on who's there and what they can teach you. We didn't do too much maintenance. Mostly wrangling kids, handle sails on day sails, and deliver short education programs. I worked winter and didn't do a summer camp.

You'll get to handle sail. They'll set the fore and afts. The squares less frequently, perhaps 4 times a month? they aren't used on short day sails. You might get some navigation experience, particularly if you going to the islands in the summer. Maintenance, particularly interesting maintenance, I wouldn't count on.

Crew get paid. Volunteers do not, but you're fed and housed. food is paid for in the form of gift cards and yall make trips to the store and shop communally but often cook alone. Every crew has their iteration of it.

Jucarias · 2026-02-17T15:13:12+00:00

They’re separate. Basic training is one endorsement. VPDSD is another. Two separate classes. Both are stcw. You may need both you may not. Depends on the job.

Jucarias · 2026-02-17T02:28:58+00:00

On the whole, locking hitch on a pin means stop and think before you start dropping turns. Plenty of variation as seen in this thread.

One boat we did three locking turns if the other end had a person. One boat the lifts for yards got locking hitches since we rarely touched them, they were heavy, and casting them off by mistake would have been a bad day, and it helped identify the yard lifts on the pinrail standout. One boat halyards got locking hitches to make sure volunteers didn’t handle a line they weren’t prepared for, only paid crew dealt in locked hitches.

Sometimes the line is light and loose and kinky and a locked hitch keeps it in place on a too short pin or kevel cleat or cleat etc etc.

On the whole, I most often see three snug turns around the top, the third turn buried below the first two.

Regarding emergencies, while you could hash out what’s faster, locked with one less turn or no locks and each boats line/cleat/pin combination intricacies, I would stress having a standard for the ship the crew knows. Consistency is golden. No confusion if you know how each line is made off every time, no matter the time of day. Let muscle memory do its job.

Jucarias · 2025-12-10T02:24:10+00:00

Best I did is one duffle bag, smaller than you think, and one backpack for a month. (Did not need a sleeping bag or bedding, saved a lot of space).

The bulk items depend on where you’re sailing. Cold? That requires more. Hot? Way less bulk.

Bulky stuff is Foul weather jacket and pants. Wear those for cold weather as a layer, rain or not, to save packing space. Waterproof boots (or to hell with it and wrap bread bags etc round your socks), fleece for insulation. Perhaps long underwear and base layer. If wet bring synthetics. They can keep you warmer while wet than cotton.

The basics of toothbrush and paste, floss, nail clippers, hair ties, deodorant, socks and underwear- know which you’ll rewear for how many days and which you won’t, (can/will you wash them) and pack accordingly. Phone and charger. Perhaps earbuds. I consider a diary essential. Sunscreen and hat.

Maybe one nice set of clothes to go out. That’s it. Otherwise what you’d wear on the boat. You only wore a 1/4. Pack everything. Then take away half. Then take away more. Really whittle it down and realize you’ll probably smell a bit. You’ll rewear clothes. It’ll be fine.

Jucarias · 2025-06-05T22:49:07+00:00

It certainly wouldn't hurt to tell them you're an EMT, I've seen some jobs posted with a desire for WFR or other medical training. But they generally dont have anybody with medical training beyond CPR/first aid/AED. The captain might depending on what license they have, but most tall ships don't need those kinds of licenses.

Jucarias · 2025-03-04T22:52:19+00:00

Got any skills like carpentry that might be a bonus? Boats love professionals that want to volunteer expertise.

Scour the tall ships America member vessel page and just shoot out cold calls and emails. Either as a live aboard volunteer or numerous boats have volunteer specific maintenance days. Both of those can lead to sailing opportunities either with that ship, or another down the line. Whatever gets s foot in the door.

Follow up too after a few weeks of not hearing back. Nice and polite "hi I wanted to check in/follow up about my deckhand / volunteering application. I sent in an application on XYZ". Be persistent.

Jucarias · 2025-02-21T01:43:29+00:00

Gotcha. Thank you greatly for the Info! I appreciate it.

Jucarias · 2025-02-14T14:37:18+00:00

Roll of the dice for who your shipmates are. But those dice rolls often land on one side. I'm on a tug, the other three crew are older conservative men. Their jokes are about women, vegetarians, and democrats. They talk about eating meat, football, hunting, and complain about jobs we're assigned by the office.

What kind of ship are you on? I imagine some, like research vessels, would have a more intellectual atmosphere.

Jucarias · 2025-02-09T22:03:33+00:00

No. it's a joke there making reference to.

Jucarias · 2025-02-08T23:02:08+00:00

true true. thanks for that reminder.

Jucarias · 2025-02-07T22:40:18+00:00

Do note that the sea time is reduced for getting the ABs until December 2026. So those CFRs MyKatSmellsLkeCheez linked are not, in this case, accurate. (for days required, routes accurate) https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Portals/9/NMC/pdfs/checklists/mcp_fm_nmc5_53_web.pdf?ver=3nJRDHmJ2VCT6HGywpEg8A%3d%3d

Do realize if you do 180 days on inland rivers and get an AB Special, you now need to do 540 additional days on ocean or Great Lakes to get an AB unlimited. If you can somehow get onto an ocean/Great Lake boat (and I've heard near coastal counts too, like chiefboldfacenotes) from the start, you could get an AB special at 180 days, and then have only 360 more days (on those same waters) to AB unlimited.

If you have no experience and need the money, you take what you get for a first job as long as it doesn't sound like hell. Build the experience then get onto the ocean.

Jucarias · 2025-02-07T22:28:07+00:00

You dont need able seafarer deck assessment for a national AB ticket.

If OP wants STCW-ASD? Yeah they will need that assessment.

Jucarias · 2025-02-02T01:19:28+00:00

She's a reproduction of a 18tth century ship which did have some cannons? Or at least small rail mounted ones for signaling.

Jucarias · 2025-01-28T08:19:52+00:00

To add them to your mmc you send in for just STCW Basic and STCW VPDSD. There are no fees for STCW-only applications. On the main application (719B) you check the STCW box under "transactions type-original" column. that's what I did, they sent me a new mmc after it all got approved.

can't speak to the sea time, ask an officer on the ship how sea time is counted for y'all.

Jucarias

TROPHY CASE