Australia has been devastated by floods and Cyclones, New Zealand has had a tragic earthquake, and the Somali pirates have killed four American yachties outright. Yesterday we heard that a Danish yacht with 7 people, four of them children, has now been taken by the pirates. Our prayers are with them all, even the pirates. Why, you ask? Well as we tried to explain to a friend just last week, those pirates and their desperate acts are a symptom of a larger problem. They come from a country that has been without a government for years. They have no support system at home, and they are starving. They have little or now education, and they are doing what they think they have to do to survive.
And we wonder how can we help? The turmoil in the Middle East right now leaves us staring in awe. Where will it all lead… we can only pray that it leads to a better world. We have to leave the mechanics of it up to God.
Our advice to our readers at this turbulent time is to listen carefully to the news. Find a news service that really reports what is going on around the world. We like the BBC World Service. It is still available to us here in English, though sadly, the current economic woes have caused them to shut down quite a few of their foreign language services. In the US, there is also the PBS. They too are threatened with dramatic cuts in service due to cuts in government funding. So, if you want to keep receiving good and unbiased world news coverage, you may also considering making a cash donation to the news service of your choice.

We have heard through the yachtie grapevine that the yacht owners keep on building bigger and better yachts, so there are still jobs for yacht crews. We advise caution, however. The world is really and truly in turmoil right now, so examine your job offers carefully. Ask where the yacht will be traveling. Ask what currency you will be paid in. Ask who your fellow crew members are, and don’t just assume that you are immortal.

Yachtie.net began in 2001, and is managed by the Professional Projects Company. Editor, Kim Davis, was a yacht chef for 10 years, and remains in close contact with the industry today. She is the author of “The Yachtie Bible”, “Crewing Aboard a Superyacht”, and “Living on the Edge: Jobs in the Adventure Travel Industry”.