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Trip Reports: HELL ON EARTH...
Bonaire Talk: Trip Reports: Archives: Archives 2000 to 2005: Archives - 2004-08-02 to 2005-05-08: HELL ON EARTH...
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Sean and Candace (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #8) on Sunday, August 22, 2004 - 5:21 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hello,

I was active on this board before my wife and I took a position aboard a 100' yacht at the Harbor Village Marina. I thought I would post something to summarize our experience. Bonaire was a great island. It was full of warm, friendly people, and the water can't be beat. I saw every type of fish and even dolphins. I met several nice people on the dock (Peter, Kathleen, Tim, Sally, etc....) and met someone you should all use for your internet accesss: Michael. I also met a fantastic scuba guide named Nolly (please excuse the spelling). BUT... at the same time, this experience was the worst of our lives.

We signed up for a long term assignment aboard the 100' yacht docked at Harbor Village. This position was to last 3 yrs or so. We ended up working an average 12 to 14 hour day without any real breaks. Once in a great while I could take an hour off to go to Michael's to use the internet, but that was probably once a week. We had to get up at 5AM and help owners with their bags. We had to work straight through until 8-9PM to clean up after dinner. We were on duty for 14 hours a day, making $34K a year. (Modern day endetured servants??) Anyway, we were putting up with the long hours and the abusive management tactics of the captain and "bitch wife." Actually, I should really not call her that. It was the captain that was the true "bitch" of the relationship. He took all his orders from his wife, who would get a crooked eye (it would move out of focus), then go nuts on us and him. He would then dish out her rage on everyone. They swore at us, and didn't even allow our tiny cabin to be a private space. We were treated so horribly. We had to look down at our plates at dinner so as to avoid problems with them.

So after all this, my wife and I tried our best to conform to their wishes. Mind you, both of us are very hard workers... I had run a company in NYC for several years, have a degree in Physics, etc... She is the same. We both have been working for many years and have glowing references. So anyway, we tried our best to conform, and did a great job. Some of the owners' family wrote us thank you letters saying what a great job we did. We worked there for about 1 month, then, out of nowhere, they fired us!

Now they didn't do this respectfully. They got us up at 5AM, had us carry the owners' bags out so he could fly back to CA, had a 7AM meeting, and fired us. They told us we had to be off the boat in 24 hrs. So, we went to Michael's and tried to desperately arrange for travel and a place to live. We had to make several calls to airlines and Uhaul to try to do something because we had sold everything (Cars, computers, clothes, tv, etc. etc...) with the promise that this was a long term position.

So we get back from Michael's and we start packing. "Captain No Nuts" comes over and says we now have to get off the boat immediately. We weren't even packed, and had to just leave. They kicked us off by 3PM on the SAME DAY we were up at 5AM bringing the owners' bags out.

So, basically, our lives were completely and utterly destroyed by our Bonaire experience. The island was wonderful. If you see a boat called Pastime, please steer clear. These people are horrible (but pretend to be nice).

I just wanted to vent here, since my life was ruined. I have tens of thousands of dollars in losses from this experience, and I needed to vent.

Have a great time in paradise. I would have loved to see more of the island. It seemed great!

Sean

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Niki Harris (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1251) on Sunday, August 22, 2004 - 9:32 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Wow, what an ordeal. I'm trying to figure out what to say... I have myself been the victim of a sick abusive employer, 22 years ago, in a live-in situation, and I am so sorry to hear that a similar thing happened to you. It was a huge learning experience for me. Made me a smarter person, although perhaps less trusting... I can just imagine how betrayed and shocked you feel. The "get out now," with no place to go, is one of the most surreal and absurd situations. I know. You have my wholehearted sympathy!

Now on to the future!!! :-) You will recover!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By bob (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1249) on Sunday, August 22, 2004 - 10:01 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

employment is abusive by definition...ain't it about time to retire?



 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By DARLENE ELLIS (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1139) on Monday, August 23, 2004 - 8:32 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

What a horrible, life changing experience this must be for you! Whenever one door shuts a new one opens and I hope it holds happiness for the both of you!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Cecil Berry (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3683) on Monday, August 23, 2004 - 9:46 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Sean and Candace very sorry to hear of your ordeal. I also read your web log, very interesting story. I'm quite sure both of you will land on your feet and in future years look back and laugh at this.

One thing to consider although it will be very hard is to forgive your tormenters. I'm saying this but have not forgiven mine. My most recent job, I had a very similar experience. The hurt still runs very deep. It will take some time.

How are things going now? Are you all back in the states? Keep us posted, please.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Lisa Barclay (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #205) on Monday, August 23, 2004 - 3:11 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Sean and Candace so sorry to hear about what you have been through. To give up life as you know it for this "great job" and then find out it's not so great would be very hard to say the least. I can't imagine being fired and told you have 24 hours to leave. Then for them to turn 24 hours into 10 had to be a nightmare.

I hope that you are both well and that you find a way to bounce back from this horrible experience. I am glad that you got to enjoy the fish and dolphins and the beauty that Bonaire has to offer. Take care and as Cecil said, keep us posted.

Lisa

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Vince DePietro (BonaireTalker - Post #52) on Monday, August 23, 2004 - 6:16 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

You know Sean & Candace, I know people just like that! Sometimes those with the most $$ are the most miserable & intolerant of others.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Carole Baker (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3950) on Monday, August 23, 2004 - 8:50 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Something tells me "they" must have accessed your website, too, and might have become "upset" with some of the entries and the photos of their private quarters...??? I don't know...just a thought...hope things work out well for you both in the future. Carole


PS I do recall this craft in the marina while we were down there in June...it is quite impressive.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Carole Baker (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3951) on Monday, August 23, 2004 - 8:55 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Is this the same yacht? Caroleyacht

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By andrew hamilton (BonaireTalker - Post #14) on Tuesday, August 24, 2004 - 3:36 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

I suspect putting this on your open access website wasnt the cleverest thing to do:

'Only one person should be giving orders, and that should be the Captain. Often, they give conflicting orders, then knit pick at us because we did what one said to do over what the other said to do. Maybe I could teach them how to manage people? Anyway, they do have this website address, but we are done being candid. It's been about a month, and after some personal problems in the beginning, it's time to iron out the professional problems. With all that said, they are generally good people. They mean well. They just have some management habits that are not conducive to a professional working environment. I am confident we will work it out, but I'm also confident because we turned down several other crew positions for this one. We will be okay no matter how it turns out'.


In my experience wealthy people dont much appreciate being told what they can and cannot do, particularly by 'the staff'. Chalk this one down to experience

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Susanf (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #885) on Tuesday, August 24, 2004 - 8:41 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

If I read this correctly (including the weblog), the Captain and Chef are also hired hands - the wealthy owner is someone else, who comes to stay with his family once in a while but otherwise leaves the boat management to the Captain.

However, since the Captain and Chef had the power to hire and fire, it still isn't the brightest thing to do, given what was known about their personalities.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Wally and Eva (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #480) on Tuesday, August 24, 2004 - 10:52 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Depending on the age of the vessel, condition, engines she could be a 1.5 to 10 million dollar boat. Her annual up keep probably runs 100K without moving. Move her around a few times a year and you are busting a quarter mil.

Why do I say this. If that was my boat and you worked for me I would be highly peeved with a hired hand posting pictures of MY boat on the web, posting MY boats location, making jokes about MY boats installed equipment, and my speedoos. Matter of fact, if it was MY boat you would have to get used to my naked butt in the water AND I wouldn't want to read about it on the web.

The hired Capt and his first mate canned you. Maybe they were tough to get along with. maybe the owner was putting the arm on them to rein you in. Was your termination done well. Nope...absolutely deplorable. Cap't could have done a much better job putting you on shore.

If that was my boat and I saw your web site I probably would have tossed you overboard with your ditty bag. Sounds to me like the owner explained it all to well to the Cap't to fire you guys or pack his own bags.

You guys were already complaining about the owners showing up and you having to serve them. What nerve those pesky owners messing up your paradise vacation living on their boat.

I am a boat builder and I have friends you serve aboard boats as mates, Cap'ts and Mechanics.

(1)Discretion is paramount.
(2)The life aboard is easy
(3)16 hour days are normal when the owner is present
(4)16 hour days on a boat ain't work...quit whining
(5) after the owner leaves go back to that easy life aboard: (a) full swab and wipe down all exterior surfaces every 700 hours (b)overboard and full bottom scrub every week (c)check all engine, gensets and other equipment levels, fuels, etc every day at 1500 hours and yes all things shipshape at all times and that includes your rack (bed for you landlubbers). No clutter, no disorder, at no time and no place on a boat. Period. And if the 1st Mate leaves a wet washcloth in the sink..you put it up...

You are the swab and you have to learn:
1.Chain of command
2.Time in rank

You should be able to do everything on the boat half asleep and make the Cap't and 1st think their life would be tougher without you...they ain't your babysitter swabby. Look on the bright side swab...no munitions to tender, torpedos to muster and steaming about 150 hours a year....fairly low maintenance requirements compared to a hard working boat steaming 1000 hours a year.

Good luck on your next job, go ahead a knock the chip off your shoulder now and get over it...
get ready to cheerfully serve your next owner because yes if you want to live in paradise on a multi million dollar boat that you didn't earn the money to buy or earn the money to keep it up then...
hate to tell you but you are a servant and when the owners are there you are indentured and you damn well better smile and be thankful for the opportunity to live such a carefree life.

I'm not busting on you kids...thats just the way it is on the big boats. Your eyes are wide open now for your next tour of duty. If you choose to stay with the sea serving on the big yachts you can live and see a lot of things most will never see.

Also 38K is the going rate these days for a man/wife couple to do swab work...plus room and board. Cap't/1st couples make more but you have to be able to operate that boat with seamanship, AND be a licensed Cap't with a 100 ton endorsement. You are not there yet.

Off my soap box now.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By andrew hamilton (BonaireTalker - Post #15) on Wednesday, August 25, 2004 - 4:17 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Great summation Wally.

As my wife has also pointed out, the title of the thread is a tad unbalanced.

Hell on earth is stretching out an existence in some desperate refugee camp in the Sudan, or being trapped in your house under bombardment in Iraq.

Hell on earth is most assuredly not being chucked off a posh boat because you lacked sensible discretion and could not get your head around the concept of authority.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Johnson (BonaireTalker - Post #35) on Wednesday, August 25, 2004 - 11:20 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Sean and Candace:

It truly did not seem like a good fit and the way you were put ashore seems very uncalled for. It also sounds like you made several sacrifices to go on this adventure. It does sound like they were ineffective at setting and communicating their expectations. And I have no doubt that you had a most uncomfortable experience overall. And, if they behaved as you describe (remembering there are at least two sides to every story), their behavior was both unprofessional and abusive.

I am sorry for all of that. You both seem to be a young and energetic couple with a bright future.
All of that said, may I make a few observations with an eye towards next time?

Mutual Expectations
===================
Did the Captain & Mate accurately convey to you what the pay, living and working conditions were like? If you understood the pay to be $34k plus room & board then it seems that is what you signed up for. Did they fairly describe what a work day was w/owner and w/o the owner on board? Did you probe their answer? If they did, then that also seems to me to be what you signed up for. If not...

Did you talk to others who work in the field and have a frank discussion about the life and work?

As a side note, I pretty frankly describe my typical work pace during the winter to potential applicants. I have had more than one person say, "Your description was very accurate. I have friends who have done this exact job and talked to them at length. But I didn't fully get it until after I had been through it once."

I will say that your expectation about a single boss giving direction may (or may not) be the norm in the yachting world -- it is not in many organizations.

Check Your Employer Out
=======================
I view my role as an employer when interviewing potential employees as two-fold -- gauging the candidate and selling our organization. I expect potential employees to have a similar view. Is this a good place to work? Is it a good it for me and what I want to do?

In other words, I would have asked more about prior crews. How long did they last? When/where did they leave? Why? Whose idea was it? What are the worst parts of this job? What are the best? I would have asked about hours and responsibilities. I would have asked about living arrangements.

Discretion
==========
I value my privacy. The few truly wealth individuals I have known are positively zealous about the topic. Some have very serious security concerns (they do actually think about their family members being potential kidnap targets) and likely would not appreciate information about their boat being available -- especially schedule and location information.

And the few I have known would also be pretty reluctant about any sort of gossip. And I am not sure it is ever a good idea to give the boss the finger behind their back. And then post that to the internet. Especially when they know the website. And the speedo comment...

Looking Forward
===============
Getting fired sucks. A lot. Your employer probably shares some (most?) of the blame that it did not work out.

I know it sounds like a giant cliche, but why not try and make this a learning experience? You cannot change anything about the Cptn, Mate or owner -- but you can figure out what you might do differently in the future. With any luck, the Captain will be doing the same...

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By seb schulherr (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1670) on Thursday, August 26, 2004 - 7:07 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Pie-eyed optimism lives! You ratted out your employers on your website? IT AIN'T 1991 ANYMORE KIDS! NEWS GETS AROUND. It is extremely unprofessional and downright rude to do such a thing. Personally, I'd have keel hauled you. And of course you compound the infraction by repeating it here, in a public forum.
How could anyone live in NYC for years and be so utterly clueless?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Niki Harris (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1254) on Thursday, August 26, 2004 - 11:41 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Sean and Candace, I had not read your website before I responded above. That doesn't negate my compassion for you, but I think I agree with the folks here who say that your indiscreet public diary may have inflamed the situation and actually led to your harsh dismissal. I guess there's no proof that they read the site at all. Did they mention it?

Don't let the harsh words here rub salt in your wounds. Just know that your life is NOT ruined!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Sean and Candace (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #10) on Saturday, August 28, 2004 - 1:59 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Wow...

Didn't expect such hostility from some of you here. Our website was put up later on when things were already past the point of salvage. I would challenge any of you (Wally and Eva) to sell all of your things (at greatly reduced prices), then go work/live with those people. You don't understand the psycological problems and dysfunctional managment tactics that were in play there. I ran a company in NYC for several years, and people stuck around even when $$ ran out after 9/11. I wrote this to vent, and to make sure you all know what the people aboard that monstrous piece of junk are really about. So you can steer clear of them. I was doing to partially to vent and partially to warn. I did not need jerks like Wally and Eva talking about chips on my shoulder. Who has the time to post such horrible replies to something like this? Thanks, Wally and Eva. You may want to stop by the boat after all... seems like you might have a lot in common with the captain and chef!

Anyway, I do thank all of you who replied nicely and hope my warning is taken into consideration.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Johnson (BonaireTalker - Post #38) on Saturday, August 28, 2004 - 3:48 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Sean:

A few final (at least from me) observations.

The Captain & Chef may very well have been the devil spawn or there may have simply been greatly mismatched expectations (yours and theirs). As is typically the case, the reality is probably somewhere in between. Clearly you and the Captain/Chef seemed to have different expectations. And I hear your warning.

I get that you were treated badly and that you are angry. I get that you were impacted financially. For that I am sorry. I also don't think you have a chip on your shoulder -- although (and I say this with respect) you do sound naive.

At times you also sound as if your decisions had no role in the outcome. IMHO, that is simply not true. For example, you made the decision to sell your belongings at a deep discount -- not the Captain. (In a similar situation, I might have put them in storage for at least six months until I found out if this was the life I wanted to live.)

Your original post here said, "We worked there for about 1 month, then, out of nowhere, they fired us!" tends to suggest that it was a surprise to you. In your most recent post, you state that when your website went up "things were already past the point of salvage." I am not sure which it was -- nor does it matter much.

At best, the website probably complicated your departure. At worst, it helped precipitate it. Either way, that site (which IMHO you were wise to take down) probably burned a few bridges. Any that were left probably went down with this thread. And I suspect the world of 100ft yachts may be a small one.

Under which scenario would it be easier to get another crew slot? A: You left quietly. B: When things go badly on a job, you post negative comments about the vessel, the crew and the owner.

A final bit of advice: The internet is not a giant echo chamber and may not be the ideal venting place. If you post something on a discussion board, you should expect that others might have a different take on your situation.

Note: I would not work for that Captain. And none of this is to say that you should feel any differently than you do. Rather, in almost any situation the decisions we make can make things better or they can make things worse and, in the end, those are the decisions you control.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By andrew hamilton (BonaireTalker - Post #16) on Saturday, August 28, 2004 - 6:22 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Sean - your last post merely confirms the very unfavourable impression you have created. The time lines in your last post dont add up and it should be clear to most that you are just out on a hatchet job having apparently justifiably been given the boot for lack of discretion and professionalism. As pointed out previously your choice of thread title 'Hell on Earth' indicates a complete lack of perspective. Sounds to me you got what you deserved AND you have now burned your bridges by going public. Reckon you best head back to NY and have a play with that physics degree your so proud of.....

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Sean and Candace (BonaireTalker - Post #11) on Saturday, August 28, 2004 - 10:05 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thank you, Andrew. I "recon" you must feel like a big man coming on here and trying to make my wife and I feel bad for something so horrible that happened to us. Very mature.

PS: David - thank you (and I really mean this one) for taking the time to put together some nicely worded comments. You make some good points, and I wish we could have read what you wrote BEFORE we accepted a job aboard the slave ship. Not selling all of our things would have been a very good move had we known in advance what would have happened. Oh well... like others said... live and learn.

Thanks to all of you for being supportive and nice. For those of you who were jerks, well... you have effectively driven me from ever visiting Bonaire talk again. We were thinking of sailing back down there and giving the island another try once we purchased our blue water cruiser, but the few jerks on here combined with our experience in July aboard that boat have put us off that island for good. It's a shame that a bunch of jerks can ruin something so beautiful.

Best of luck to all of you nice people... you know who you are.

Sean

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Carole Baker (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3979) on Saturday, August 28, 2004 - 10:16 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Sean, if you and Candace really do want to try Bonaire again you should do it. I wouldn't let the postings interfere with what your hearts and minds want to do. It just might be that you, unfortunately, experienced the worst there is to Bonaire and might find the second visit more rewarding and enjoyable. With this experience behind you now perhaps there will only be good and positive things for you both to share and experience on Bonaire. I know you must have met some wonderful people on Bonaire during your stay....how about Michael? He is a sweetheart and you seemed to have enjoyed his company.

You should understand that those of us who post on this board are scattered all over the world and that all of us will never be on Bonaire at the same time...ever. Don't let the board sway your decision making as to whether or not you will sail to Bonaire in the future.

I do wish you both the best. I also wanted to comment on your profile picture...it is very lovely...it must have been a very special day in your lives. Very touching and lovely photo in NYC. Good times. Ayo. Carole

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By andrew hamilton (BonaireTalker - Post #17) on Sunday, August 29, 2004 - 3:37 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hey Sean, you have a great way of looking at the world.

1) everyone who disagrees with you = jerk

2) everyone who agrees with you = nice

You'll go far, you really will.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Wally and Eva (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #490) on Sunday, August 29, 2004 - 8:49 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Actually, if you guys do get a blue water boat to live on you probably need to consider ports like Bonaire for the hurricane season. Not many carib islands out of the hurricane belt. Having weathered through a tropical storm on a 24ft sailboat I would rather dodge the nastier weather. Just a thought.

David, you are right in that the 100ft plus crewed mega yacht class (boats and owners) is very small, very rich and talk amongst themselves. Basically the rich and famous hob nob together.

Actually, our teenagers used to think I was a jerk for requiring them to make their beds too :-)
Even the 8 year old makes her bed every morning without being asked.

The fact is I did not come down on you guys too hard. Just in a way you are not used to hearing. I generally don't BS around much. As I said earlier, I don't blame the cap't for firing you guys...he just did it very badly.

Nuff of this.
Eva and I are building our next to last house. Compound style so we can leave it closed up for extended periods while we cruise the carib and Bonaire in our last house...a 42ft. Nordic Tug live aboard (the Miss Eva). This is a boat we can crew ourselves (our kids are raised...not raising other peoples kids if we can help it) :-)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tom Cousino (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #904) on Sunday, August 29, 2004 - 9:24 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

After reading the original post and checking the originator's homepage on the 22nd, I felt no need to post sympathetic remarks due to reasons already mentioned by others.

I was not going to post anything at all, but for some reason I just tried to again visit the web pages which were originally devoted to the period of employment during which the author claimed abuse and discovered they are now removed.

I find it odd Sean and Candace that your webpages on which you violated your employers trust are now not available for others to see. Really odd!!

Oh and by the way, I do not believe the excuse for removing them.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By andrew hamilton (BonaireTalker - Post #18) on Sunday, August 29, 2004 - 10:07 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

It would be really great if we got to hear the other side of the story ie from either the owners or the skipper or cook. If your out there guys we would really like you opinions on good ol' Sean and Candace!

Yes Tom isn't it odd how the offending webpages have mysteriously disappeared? Its kinda amusing really - Sean and Candace thought they would come and soak up a bit of sympathy and sling a little bit of mud at the same time, but left themselves wide open by posting a link to their webpages which provided rather more background than they now wish they had exposed as to what was really going on.

I should also add that I am a tad confused how folk who supposidly lost a wad of cash on their Bonaire escapade are now talking in their next breath about buying a blue water cruiser and sailing the Caribbean. Clearly money grows on trees in some parts of the US....

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Carl Pflanzer (BonaireTalker - Post #98) on Sunday, August 29, 2004 - 10:08 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hi

Sean and Candace, if your original post
'Hell on Earth' was completely true, and
I can't comment on that, I do completely
sympathize, and I also agree with certain
posts on here for distribution of blame.

But I wouldn't 'blame it on bonaire' -
Nothing on the island caused you to be
fired, and as Carole says, your chances of
meeting any of those who criticized you on
this board are slim to none anyhow. I am
certain you can be quite anonymous on the
island should you wish to return someday.

The island has a lot to offer, not the least
of which is that it is out of the hurricane
belt as previously mentioned.

My two cents.

Carl

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By robert nicolaas (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #1) on Tuesday, September 28, 2004 - 10:12 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

well dude,
all i can say is hate to see ya'll go but don't come back.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Sean and Candace (BonaireTalker - Post #12) on Tuesday, January 25, 2005 - 11:26 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Setting records straight for the more callous of the posters above:

1) They required us to sell a number of things at enormous personal loss, running into 10's of thousands of dollars (to move onto the boat for a promised 3 years)

2) 14 hour days without overtime violates U.S. employment law for the CALIFORNIA COMPANY we were employed by.

3) We certainly have NOT purchased a blue water cruiser... ha ha ha God, we have barely survived this ordeal and I am just now starting a new position after severe unemployment. We have about $2000 total in the bank.

4) Our website was taken down immediately due to litigation, which is in its final stages.

Any of you callous people who though my wife and I deserved this type of treatment (we have SIGNED LETTERS FROM THE OWNER'S FAMILY ATTESTING TO OUR GREAT SERVICE ABOARD THIS VESSEL), you are truly harsh, cold individuals.

I didn't even go on about the illegal firearms aboard the vessel. Please.... if you are that bitter and heartless, you belong in your unibomber style shack deep in the woods of Bonaire. Stay off this board, which is comprised of very nice, helpful, and kind people.

And Robert Nicolass... well put... DUDE....
What are you, 15 years old?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By seb schulherr (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1867) on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - 12:02 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Sean, I'm glad to hear you are starting a new position. I hope you can begin to let go of all the baggage as you move on with your lives. Having a boss from hell is no fun, but letting it ruin hours of your life is the real shame, because that you can control.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Kaye (BonaireTalker - Post #33) on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - 10:37 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Since the original posters have brought this thread back to life, I will add some observations. These are obviously not related directly to their case, since I have zero personal knowledge of it, but may give some perspective.

One of my daughters works for Raytheon Polar Services Company, Denver, Colorado, USA. Her place of employment is the United States South Pole Station, Antarctica. Raytheon informs their Antarctic employees that no US worker protection regulations apply outside the US - no OSHA, no wage and hour laws, nothing. (On the other hand, the IRS insists that the Antarctic employees are in the US for income tax purposes - US income tax is usually not applicable to US citizens earning their incomes abroad - go figure.)

The US Coast Guard does state the maximum daily work hours for Merchant Marine crew members who are actually standing watch: no more than 16 hours per day!

David

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Johnson (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #166) on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - 11:13 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Can someone please end this thread? I thought it died a natural death six months ago!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By seb schulherr (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1871) on Thursday, January 27, 2005 - 12:36 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Gee Dave then simply don't read it.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Glen Reem (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1972) on Thursday, January 27, 2005 - 10:08 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Attention Moderators:

Doesn't this subject matter qualify nicely for 'Community Chat'?? I don't see anything 'Bonaire' recently.

 


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