Gap Year for adults

 

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did.” Mark Twain

 

Taking the plunge and stepping off the treadmill of earning a living or bringing up children is tempting to us all. Who hasn’t looked jealously at school leavers going off travelling before university and wished they could take a GAP year – satisfy some wanderlust and follow a few dreams.

 

You are not alone in wanting a career break or GAP year.....and it need not be as long as 12 months to rejuvenate you. In 2004 one in five of the 200 000 people surveyed who took a gap year were adult professionals.

 

But beware. The experience might change your life.

 

The Prudential did a study into work/life patterns and discovered that 1.4 million of the working population have already taken steps to simplify their lives and a further one million or so 35-54 year olds are making serious plans to ‘downshift’.

 

Our skippers have listened to many of our sailing customers expressing a wish to change their work – life balance.....but sometimes they need a decent break away from everyday pressures- meeting new people with different values to really believe they can make long term changes.

 

 

Do you recognise any of the following feelings: Burn out, guilt at excess and affluence, sensory overload, mid life crisis(es), freedom from responsibilities, retirement, needing new sense of purpose or fulfilment, children flown the nest, retirement, no need to work, shaking out the cobwebs, once in a lifetime goals, can now afford to travel.

 

 

 

Finding courage to follow a dream? Both Adam and Debbie have consistently had to make hard decisions

to keep Classic Sailing at the top of their itinerary and

Eve as their sweetheart.  They have worked all the hours and turned down opportunities to make their dreams come true.

 

If you have time to cross an ocean then sail on Bark Europa. A time to reflect and talk with people of all ages and nationalities, as well as the challenge of living as

part of a close shipboard community sailing one of the last great wildernesses for up to 59 days before the mast.

 

Improve your languages by joining our multinational vessels such as Oosterschelde, Bark Europa, Soren Larsen and Antigua. Be an informal ambassador for our boats. Help us talk to the French and other nationalities at maritime festivals like Brest and Douarnenez.

 

 

Travel around the world under square sail for a minimal carbon footprint. Why not cross continents from Africa to South America on Bark Europa as part of your round the world journey? Combine it with conservation or charity work, or other adventurous activities in either continent. The Southern Hemisphere summer is from December to March so ideal time of year for trekking or wildlife safaris in South Africa or Patagonia – The famous Torres del Paine Mountains or National Park of Terra del Fuego and Cape Horn are close to the finish port of Ushuaia. This is also the gateway to Antarctica if you are already planning an expedition cruise, but want a more heroic historic sailing experience first (Europa voyage leg: -Montevideo – Beagle channel and Ushuaia)- bringing you closer to real challenges like Shackleton’s expedition or that famous scene in Master and Commander where HMS Surprise chases her quarry down to Cape Horn.

 

Gain inspiration from those who have already ditched the TV, taken a pay cut, forgotten about a pension, and be happy to do more physical or creative jobs than their qualifications might suggest they should be doing. It is ok to ditch an engineering consultancy to teach sailing in the sun (Skipper Ian), or sand and paint wooden boats for a living with a master’s degree in landscape architecture (Skipper Debbie).We don’t feel we are betraying our professional calling or expensive training –every skill you learn is useful in some way!   BE HAPPY & HEALTHY.

 

 

Interested in a Sailing Career? Gain RYA qualifications, experience on gaff rigged and square rigged boats. On Eve and AJ we also run mates training voyages and have reduced cost places for voluntary mates on some longer passages like Scillies and Brittany voyages. Our skippers can suggest the best way for you to get the experience

you need to find paid work on boats.

 

On the Stavros S Niarchos they run a Tall Ships Academy so you may get recommended to come back as a watch leader or deck hand and work towards STCW 95 qualifications which will help you gain employment on large private yachts or sail training ships. Speak to staff that have come up through many career routes from merchant navy, navy, engineering, catering or yachting background. They can tell you some of the pros and cons of working in this competitive but rewarding industry.

Own business plans? Try Eve, AJ or Lizzie May to meet boat owner/skippers (Adam, Phil or Jerry) who have successfully downshifted and turned their leisure passions into three individual charter businesses. We can help you in particular with ideas for tourism or adventure activity businesses.