A Summer Before the MAST

We want to teach you the ropes! You'll get constant hands-on learning and hit some key objectives to become a strong deckhand. You'll do this while running the Day Sail program on MJ, taking guests out to enjoy the ship and the inland seas. 

We are recruiting 6 people to sign on with the ship for the summer to receive excellent training in how to sail traditional schooners. The following criteria should be met; then go ahead and apply at the bottom. 

• Age limit is 14.5 years and up. 
• You need to be mobile enough to haul sails, climb up and down gentle sloping ladders, be able to walk several minutes at a time, bend down, squat, and stand for long periods of time. 
• You need to be able to pass a pre-employment drug test and participate in a random testing pool throughout the summer. 
• You don't need to know anything about sailing, but you can. 
• You do need to be eager to learn about schooners.
• You do need to pay $100 (that's it) for the drug test and crew t-shirt.  

Here's where it gets great. This training program is 6 non-consecutive weeks, sailing 2 days each time. We run the ship from Memorial Day through the first weekend of October. Within that time frame we will coordinate a schedule that fits your needs as best as we can. In order to work through the training modules, you will be sailing onboard 2 back-to-back days (best) every other week.  In the end this will give you over half a month of Sea Days, and enough time and training to be a strong deckhand on other ships. (But you're welcome to stick around). 

We will work with you on a good schedule. There is a lot of flexibility here. 

We will work with any skill level to get you feeling confident sailing as a deckhand. The training program focuses on competencies in the following:

• Safety at Sea
• Ship Operations 
• Sail Handling
• Marlinspike Seamanship
• And of course, lots of Knots 

You will work right alongside the Senior Deckhands to crew the ship, carrying out MJ's operations and programs. Ship work is quite different from life on the shore, but we are excited to teach you and give you access to this world through practice and a dedicated training program customized to you. 

When on board, your average day will be filled with care for the ship, checking and logging various things, practicing how to respond to emergencies, meetings or 'musters' with the captain and crew, hauling up the sails, stowing, reefing and tacking the sails. We also do a lot of entertaining -a bit of singing, a bit of costumes, a bit of swashbuckling swordfights.
We run 2 to 4 sails a day 5 days a week (more in July); you will be joining the ship 2 days every other week to serve before the mast, handling the ship, her lines, and sails, while enjoying the sun and water. We leave and return to the same dock, so you don't need to commit to any overnight trips or voyages. 

Whilst you are in training, you are one of the crew. Our ship culture builds strong communication, collaboration, and camaraderie, and we look forward to having you join our community. We work hard in the sun, but love having a good time. We seek to provide an excellent environment for our team (that's you) and guests.