[Rafo1981]

Hi there Michigan,

I am considering a move with my wife from Fort Lauderdale, FL to TC for the purpose of attending Maritime College. I'm 30 years old and I have worked as Crew/mate on private yachts for most of my 20s. Neither my wife or I have degrees but we net about 90,000 a year together with her working on land. I would have to come the summer before classes start and set up a house hold. I would be living off grants, and student loans and my wife would have to secure some kind of full time job to support our day to day. By the time we plan to get there in 2 years or so, we should have 15 to 20,000 dollars to ease the transition, but we would be coming with no clue, no degree, and no jobs. Does anyone have any insight? The reason I picked TC is the lower cost of living relative to Cape Cod, San Francisco, and New York. Another option is Texas A&M Maritime in Galveston and Maine. Any thoughts or Suggestions?

[zthatzmanz28]

Not to be a downer, but have you verified the grants and student loans? Netting $90K puts you around $120K gross? I would check out the availability of loans and such if you haven't already.

You can probably find housing starting at $500 month (not sure if it will meet your expectations) probably more realistic to pay close to $1000 a month. MAy be some one else can talk about the current job market.

If it were me, I would cut expenses there in Florida and save another $30K and move to TC with a $40K+ bankroll...

[Rafo1981]

Good point on that. Most of my income is run through a business so it is mostly written off. Last year I didn't pay any taxes, my wife paid a little. In other words I made much less on paper, all legally, than I actually netted. Still, getting student loans is the least of my worries, I'm more interested in life in town and the availability of entry level jobs. I was there in winter when I was a kid. My parents took me to crystal mt. That's all I know about TC. I agree I should try to come up with more savings, but I want to do this before I'm too old! Ill do my best though to save as much as possible.

[Fripper]

Traverse City has a population of around 15,000 add the surrounding areas and it goes up to around 140,000. Main industry of course is tourism in the area. Most of the jobs you will find will be in the health fields or related to tourism.
Traverse City is a beautiful area and it's the Cherry Capital of the WORLD. Along with the fruit orchards there are numerous wineries in the area. Cost of living will be less then in the other places you listed, but just be prepared for experiencing winters once again. Doing a quick look at apartment rents I find a range from $500-$1,000. You will find the major national box stores along with great local shops in the area. I wish you luck in your endeavor.

[Rafo1981]

Just an update. I am still considering a move to the area, in hopes my wife can find a decent paying job so we can get through 3 to 4 years of me making minimal money while going to maritime school. Im going to try for some work on the lakes first before school. Just passed exams to get my uscg 100ton captains license and will be looking for work on the Great Lakes and the Gulf of Mexico on rotation. I will be making some trips to the area this spring and summer to check things out. Does anybody know about finding Maritime jobs in the area? Can't wait!

[tuebor]

You've worked on yachts. Did they have sails? If so, maybe you can work on one of the schooners that take tourists out on daysails, such as the Manitou in TC or Wind Dancer in Grand Haven.

In Sutton's Bay, near TC, the Inland Seas Education Association operates educational programs aboard schooners.

There is also the Michigan Maritime Museum in South Haven, which operates the 1812-era replica square topsail sloop Friend's Good Will and the river launch Lindy Lou.

If you want to be a deckhand on freighter, you'll need your merchant mariner credentials, as you probably know already. For more info, check out the USCG Nat'l Maritime Center.