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Well folks, I did it. I found a job and a home in exactly one week. Neither is what I expected…at all. But that makes life interesting. Ironically, I stumbled upon my new home when I was in Sandra’s Office Supply making copies of ‘Room Wanted’ flyers. I had printed all of my resumes at the business earlier in the week. The office is shared with Ed’s (Sandra’s husband) Blade and Key business. With exactly enough room for three customers to stand, I handed Sandra my USB drive and asked for twenty-five copies. She pulled up my Resume and began correcting things. “No, don’t put this in here.” “Word it this way.” She did have a point. Thirty minutes later I headed out with twenty-five revised resumes. Thank you, Sandra. After such great business I decided to return a few days later to make flyers for jobs and rooms. While proofreading my flyers, Sandra casually asked what I was looking for. I asked her if she had any hot leads and she asked if I had time to look at the studio apartment below her place. We drove two minutes up Red Hook Mt Rd to her gorgeous home. She charges me $150 less per month than any other places in the "safe" neighborhoods. Thank you, Sandra. And since the Office Supply, Blade and Key business is all encompassing, Sandra also offers a Mail Service. So I have a mailing address on the island too.

As for the job-I’m crewing for Capt. Robert Manley. He's been on the island since 1975, when he was 19 years old.

Dockwalk Magazine (“Essential Reading for Superyacht Captains and Crews”) breaks down the most effective method of finding a job:

41% Friends aka you know someone

32% Crew agencies

9% Former Employers

9% Walking the Docks

6% Online

2% Networking

1% Chatting local bars

0% Other (they listed that, so I thought I would too…)

I landed my job Other. After a long, hard day of boating around the St. John, Tortola, and Pirate’s Bay (and job-hunting, of course), I found myself on the dock at Compass Pt Marina. As I watched Bob and Andy wash off “Livin’ the Dream,” the vessel of our adventures for the day, Elijah bummed a cigarette off of Robert. We all got to talking and like everyone else that seems to know anything about boating, I gave him my number to call if he heard of any work. He called me the next day and said that he had a charter on Tuesday, if I wanted to give it a try. I accepted, even though the job was crew on a Sting Ray, which is a powerboat or “stink-pot” as Miss J, would say. It turned out to be a fun day of cruising around wherever the guests would like. Checking into customs, boozin, swimmin, shoppin. He said that I could work for him throughout the season. There is more money in powerboating charters but my heart is still set on sailing.