Work in the Marine Industry

At your age, having just jacked in A level studies (I did eventually go back to them though), I got a summer season dinghy instructing job at a fantastic sailing school on the west coast of Scotland. It didn't pay great, but it was a fun summer. I still have many fond memories. Coming home in October, after laying the boats up for winter, to find myself unemployed, I was extremely lucky to find in December, a 'boatswain/instructor' job for a local education authority, well paid as well!

The moral is, you can have a summer of fun, but ultimately, you'd do well not to forfeit your education! If you manage to find some sort of job with an apprenticeship you wouldn't go far wrong. Are you just planning a year out? What do you plan to be doing in one years time? I know it's a difficult question at 17. How about the Royal Navy or some other similar type of career?

 

I thought about going into that line of work over the summer. Thing is it doesnt pay that well. The other thing is I didnt want to mix sailing (pleasure) with work. I didnt want to do too much and lose interest. As a result I helped out coaching at the club on saturdays and got a 12hours/day mundane job for the week. Kept me out of trouble and earnt me many pennies. Its worth bearing in mind that if you get a full time job you will end up paying taxes. If you just get a summer job you pay none (I ended up earning more than the floor manager per week!!!) and you can still get an education!!!

Originally posted by tmoore The other thing is I didnt want to mix sailing (pleasure) with work. I didnt want to do too much and lose interest

Yes, and the other thing I forgot to mention - After nine years of it, it became like a 'busman's holiday'. Killed it for me, went cycle racing for 20 years instead!

Yeah I wouldn't jump too quickly into the marine industry.

For some people it might be overload, but for others, combining work and their hobby will only just raise the level enough to get them their 'fix'.

The most important thing I have learned about employment is very simple: You have to go to work for (probably) 7 hours a day for the next 40 years....thats a bloody long time, so if you don't enjoy it.....thats 40 years of misery.

In the end, the money doesn't compensate for the misery.