Exploring the Pacific Islands leisurely, romantically, and cheaply, via ship has always been a dream of mine. Hoping to make the dream a reality, I looked into various shipping companies before I started traveling in South East Asia and discovered that passage on cargo ships is quite expensive. Many ships carry about a dozen passengers and have comfortable cabins complete with air-conditioning for their customers. Prices range from $80-$150 per day and include three meals. You provide your own entertainment and socialize with the crew and your fellow passengers. You can book passage on a ship via a travel company, or you can contact the shipping companies themselves. I loved the idea, just not the price.

Still hoping to sail cheaply, I decided to try working in exchange for passage. I found the idea of a position on a small boat infinitely appealing as there would be more freedom than on a large one. In Hong Kong I hung around the yacht club hoping to befriend appropriate people, but the only sailors I met were yachters exercising their boats for the day. I scoured the notice boards hoping to find a 'help-wanted' ad, but found only objects for sale. Finally, I asked the lady at reception if there were any positions available on a ship; she handed me a job application and told me to return in a few days and talk to a manager, saying I might be able to find something on a cruise ship. I decided to focus on my land explorations and try my luck later on in Singapore.

At my hostel in Singapore I met a ship engineer, an Englishman. When I asked him about working or hitching a ride on a cargo ship, he laughed. He said he had hitched rides on ships all around the Pacific and that the best place to hunt for passage was on the west coast of the US because of the traffic. Then he said that no captain in his right mind would allow a female on board and that he as captain would definitely never take one on as the crew is usually all male and they don't see others, women, for weeks. He went on to say that I could probably try working as a cook on a ship but that the conditions were arduous. The kitchen can get very hot and the sea very rough. He'd seen cooks throw up into the evening's stew and had sometimes even found alien chunks in his food. After that I decided that I if I ever did sail, it would be with people I knew well or on a cargo ship when I was in the mood to splurge.

Since then I've met men who had worked as deckhands and sailed around the world, and one woman, a chef by profession, who cooked on tourist boats that plied the water between Ushuaia, Argentina, and Antarctica. The men found their positions by hanging around marinas and the woman via the Internet. Although I have never met a female deckhand, I've certainly heard of women who have worked on boats as such. If you have cooking skills or don't mind taking orders, this might be a way for you. Before committing yourself though, get to know your fellow sailors, employers, and make sure they're trustworthy. If you have any doubts, don't sail. It's better to be free on land than stuck with sharks on a boat in the middle of an ocean.