Summer Employment
Our Philosophy
Although much has changed since our beginning in 1979, the same values on which Sail Caribbean was founded continue to drive all of our programs today: respect for one another and the sea; belief in the great things young people can achieve; and simply doing things right. Our staff's commitment to these ideals is reflected in our mission statement: to inspire self-confidence, foster personal growth, and instill leadership skills in teenagers through the highest quality Caribbean adventures.
“My daughter thought the staff was excellent and well-trained. They provided strong leadership, were calm, confident, organized and experienced. She said her boat captain was perfect for the job. He listened and cared.”
Ruth Robinson
Our staff members are committed to our philosophy and our students through the fun times and the challenging times. Yes, you are in the Caribbean but you are not on vacation—it is a 'round-the-clock' job. There is time off, but it might only be two days the entire summer. The students always come first. Sail Caribbean is not the place to have a "what's in it for me" type of attitude even though there are many benefits both intrinsic and tangible. We encourage you to read through our brochure and review About us on this website so that you can see if Sail Caribbean is a good fit for you.
Overview
The sailing staff (Captains and Mates) live aboard the vessels with the students—much like a cabin in a traditional sleep-away camp. Mates have a home boat but they rotate each day within the fleet (the fleet sizes range between 2-6 boats, or about 30-80 people) so that students can connect with more staff members. This allows us to have an extremely tight knit group of instructors and students, providing a remarkable support system for everyone involved. Our students and staff benefit from both a small group setting on their home boat as well as a large group setting when we have fleet wide events. Students become a family with their crew but have the opportunity to branch out and meet other teens from all over the US and the World.
Our staff teach sailing lessons onboard the boats, lead boat meetings and group discussions, drive the ski boat, lead hikes, oversee the cooking, lead dance contests—all aspects of the program. We are always on the go. Captains and Mates are lead by the Program Director and the Fleet Captain to ensure that standards are being met and that things are running smoothly.
Operations Staff and the Office Manager live on land at our base at Hodges Creek Marina in Tortola and work closely with each of our voyage program fleets and with our dive company, Sail Caribbean Divers. The office manager is the liaison between the NY Office and the Caribbean. He or she coordinates the communication between the fleets, arrival and departure days, as well as setting up fleet events. Operations staff help make the teen programs run smoothly by handling the behind the scenes logistics (ice runs, ski boat operation, dive tank refills, gear delivery, etc.).
Use menu on left to see more about our Employment Opportunities and How to Apply.