The main reason for being in Majorca was to try and find some work on the boats. Palma Majorca is one of the biggest ports in the Mediterranean for the supryachts and sailing boats who gather there every year.

The problem I was having was that everybody else there trying to find work was half my age !! The jobs advertised all started off like – ‘Young, enthusiastic deckhand required,  minimum of two seasons experience on a similar sized boat’, or something similar. Not only was the ‘young’ part a problem but the ‘minimum two years experience’ was a problem !! Some jobs get advertised on crew websites whilst others get advertised on Facebook group pages. You basically have to keep your eyes peeled on everything and your ears open for any talk you might hear in local cafes/bars/restaurants.

After a while I found some work with a couple of guys who were there to recommission an Oyster yacht. The yacht was taken out of the water, taken to one of the many boat yards, and work was started to get it ready for the following season.

All the sytems of the boat were checked, the bottom of the boat was scrubbed and anti fouled, new stripes were put on the sides of the hull, and the boat was cleaned and polished from top to bottom.

Boat in STP boat yard Palma –

Bottom already scrubbed, gold paint started to be rubbed down –

Gold stripes being rubbed back as they had started to peel off due to age and sun damage. New stripe already replaced at the top.

Newly painted anti foul on the underside of the boat, nasty sticky smelly stuff !!

Mobile crane coming in ready to lift the boat up of its supports –

After all the works had been finished the boat was picked up off its supports and moved back to the water. The boat having just been lowered into the water with the straps still underneath –

I spent a week working with the boat and it paid the rent for the month so it was very worthwhile and satisfying to see it all clean and ready to go.

Now to try and find some more work !!