really getting in to yachting

        hi

My advice is to concentrate on dinghy sailing for a couple of years. You will look a lot more attractive to a racing yacht owner with a bit of success behind you as a dinghy crew or helm and you will learn a lot more on a 1 or 2 person boat than on something big. There is plenty of time for bigger boat sailing later.

But going back to bigger boats: I've organised crew for both my own 5-person racing keelboat and other people's bigger boats. I'm sorry but I wouldn't take a 14 year-old I didn't know: mostly because I'd worry about having to take responsibility for their safety. So you might do best to try to contact skippers of boats who would have known the boat you used to sail on, and perhaps can pick up the phone to its skipper to ask about you. That means they can have some confidence that you have the experience you say you have got and they won't have to be explaining to your parents how you happened to fall overboard. One thing you learn organising crew for bigger boats is that some people claim to have a lot of experience but when you get them on the boat, you can see they were exaggerating. I'd be more worried about that with a 14 year old, not because I think they are bigger liars than the rest of us but because the consequences for me could be serious if they are injured on a boat when I'm in charge.

Finally I agree with BigWaveDave: if you email skippers, you need to sort your grammar, punctuation and spelling out. Sorry but first impressions make a difference.

Slightly off topic but these are two actual job applications I received when advertising for a new apprentice last week. The job description specified NO IDIOTS.

They have not been edited.

First impressions do count.  Even in the building trade.

hi, i read your advert in the Friday Ad and i am a recent school leaver
looking for an apprentice. i live in worthing and hoping to get a near by
job because of transport. i do alot of work with wood at home with my father
and also help him out with his job in being a 'handy man'. i ahve been to
alot of places looking for an apprentice but they seem to have all recently
got a new apprentice and arent looking for anymore. i ahve a palce at
college already incase i can not find place to accept me, but i am going to
be taking 'cabinet making' as a course. im not sure if you do that sort of
work or work on sites, but im interested in both and would be grateful if
you could reply to this e-mail with anything i have missed out that you
would like to know.

Hi dave i am twenty six i have seen your advert and was wonderin if your still lookin for a non-idiot apprentice for carpentry.i have been tryin to get in wit a firm but not many are taking on apprentices.i have not signed up wit college as they require u have a firm first.guess its a stab in the dark considerin u may not want a female.i dont look like mr't nor am i built like him.just want a trade for life.something that keeps me busy and i can have a bit of a laugh doing.even if u have filled the position could u let me know?that would be great.thanks

They are both still looking for a job.