Nov 2007

Well it's my first week aboard & where in Egypt already! The boat is moored up here for a night to take on fuel and supplies ready for our 2 week trip to the Maldives down through the Suez Canal and Red sea and onto the Indian Ocean. We should be arriving there around the first week of December and be there for Christmas & New Year with the guests.

All is well on board, one hell of a learning curve but getting there slowly although I think I've got a mild case of culture shock for the first time in all my travels!!! The fact that I'm working on a boat for days and days without seeing land, no nightlife or entertainment to speak of besides DVDs, no girls, no alcohol & nothing to do except live and breath and scrub the yacht. I'm sure I'll get use to it, just a bit of a shock to the system and different words for EVERYTHING!, can someone get me a yachting dictionary for Christmas hehe; alright for the hardcore yachties on board but I’m already realising that I don't want to end up like that, seems like it can turn into the 9-5 office grind....even at sea!!!

Not sure when I can be in contact again as we are loosing internet for the next two weeks and might not have it for the whole duration in the Maldives.....like till after New years!!!!! don't know how I will cope

Check out the pics here >>> http://redmonkey.smugmug.com/gallery/4002340

Well I managed to make it out of Ibiza thanks to my mate Steve & the 24 meter yacht that he captains & have been parked up here in Monaco for the last month.
The trip here was quite eventful, passing through Mallorca, Barcelona and then up the Spanish coast through the Gulf of Leon which through some heavy swell at us, then it was down along the French Rivera to our final stop in Monaco marina.
The French Rivera is absolutely beautiful with the train & the road out too Italy hugging the coastline and boring through the mountains, there's even a little bit of snow forming already on some of the peaks.
Monaco's not the liveliest of places, more of a rich old mans town, hell they even have defibrillators on the street for those unannounced heart attacks. Although it's not lively I think it’s just what I needed. Chilled out doing nothing and just setting myself back in order has been really good. The French seem not too bad, not as bad as I've heard from others, although maybe the fact that I'm still speaking broken Spanish to them makes it look as though at least I'm trying.

Living on the boat hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be, it's quite big with 3 bedroom each with ensuite showers and a kitchen...better than some flats I've lived in, just feels like a normal floating house & whilst I've been here have been helping out with bits and pieces on the boat. Steve's such a top bloke that he let me borrow his mates car for a day to drive to Antibes for some interviews & that. Now being the first time driving on the wrong side of the road (the right hand side) with a car that I was unfamiliar with (why are the blinkers on the other side!!!!!) and not knowing how to get to where I was going I think it went surprisingly well......besides the wing mirror kidney slap I managed to give some bicyclist at 60km p/h. Going by the rear view mirror I'm sure he'll ride again another day.

I've also managed to get a trip up to Gothenburg in Sweden since I've been here, my first taste of Scandinavia & a fucken cold one!
Well I've not been one to do anything half hearted I've dived absolutely full steam into this yacht thing. Have done a shed load of training which has cost me an absolute packet that I don't have and am not even guaranteed a job at the end of it. I kind of look at it as an investment if you will, once I get a job I can pay it off in no time at all, just have to borrow from the bank to get it in the first place. So since leaving Ibiza in my messy state, you will be surprised to hear that I am now trained in First Aid, Freezing water sea survival, fire fighting and all sorts of other things and have managed to pass my medical examination!! And too think that just a month ago I had no idea what was next, where I was going and a not a dime to my name, bloody hell must be doing something right!

Now I sit here absolutely ecstatic as I've managed to pick up a job as a deckie on a 54 meter super yacht that's heading down to the Maldives, Thailand, Seychelles then back up to the Med over the next 5 months!!!!! I’m absolutely speechless, I get flow out too Istanbul where I will join the crew and start cruising down to the far east. Am one lucky lucky man :D

Check out the pics here >>> http://redmonkey.smugmug.com/gallery/3818460