Time for the partying to end and the work to begin...

After I got word that I got the job, I needed to wrap up some loose ends in Fort Lauderdale. I wanted to send a bag of stuff home to my Mom because I had packed more than I needed. Traveling with so much stuff is nothing more than a hassle. I easily sent home half of the things that I had packed. I also had to say goodbye to all of my new friends that I had made. Fortunately, the yachting community is relatively small so you are able to run into friends while you are traveling with the boat.

I left the crew house on a Friday morning and headed to the airport. I had a flight into New York City. The boat was docked in New Jersey at the Newport Yacht Club and Marina, just across the Hudson River. After my flight arrived I grabbed a cab and made my way to the PATH Station to catch a train to Jersey. When I got off the train the captain was there to pick me up. The boat was a couple of minutes away, so he gave me a quick rundown of who was onboard. I was going to get thrown straight into it. I was nervous and excited; in a few minutes I would be meeting my new home/job, my crewmates, and the Mr. and the Mrs..

Newport Yacht Club and Marina

Golden Boy II

Dave, the captain, seemed to be very nice. He was full of energy and very up-beat. When we arrived at the boat he helped me with my bags and showed me to my cabin. Unfortunately, I didn't get any photos of my cabin. It was very small. There were bunk beds, a small closet, and a combined shower/toilet/sink. For the time being I had the cabin to myself, which was great.

Dave introduced me to my crewmates; all of whom were very welcoming. Julie was our chef from New Orleans. Jolene and Johan were the chief stewardess and the first mate/deckhand. They are a couple from South Africa. After the introductions I got a quick tour of Golden Boy II. Jolene got me a uniform and gave me a bit of time to settle in and unpack.

Julie and I

Johan and I

Dave, Jolene and I

That evening I had dinner with the crew in the galley. Besides our cabin, the only other spot that you can really hang out on the boat is in the galley. There is a crew mess area where we all sit together for our meals. We had a TV in there which was nice since my cabin did not have a TV (all of the other crew quarters had TV's in their cabins). After our dinner I helped with the dishes while Jolene tended to the guest's dinner service. She let me go to bed relatively early my first night there. I had to be ready to work the next morning at 6:30, so she wanted me to get plenty of rest. I had a long day of work and training ahead of me!