While no one should ever blame an entire group of people or nationality for one's own adversities, I must say that I firmly believe one of the reasons why I'm still in Ft. Lauderdale [the main American hub of yachties until Summer Season] and not in the Med is that I'm 34 and American. Still, it's not like it's specifically anyone's fault. And sure I have some faults and flaws as to why I'm still here and almost going broke...especially after recently missing a flight to Cat Key, squashing an easy freelance gig in a matter of seconds. That and possibly due to writing about discrimination against Americans  and women in the biz in a popular nautical zine.  But I really must-really-really say that perhaps if I was South African and 24 with out a college degree, I would not be still hanging around Lauderdale...while being sexually harassed and felt up by a cheesy fifty-something, yucky Moroccan by the name of OMAR after using day work as bait to bring me to his "security" office. So while I shouldn't blame any particular group of people out there, can I just give a big THANK YOU to all the asinine [cheap and apathetic] American yacht owners out there who constantly hire international captains...who BY THE  WAY--DUM DUM--  hire their own "kind" and discriminate against Americans thus contributing--in there own small way--for people like me to be a minority among nationalities in my own country...thus contributing to the fact that I was sexually harassed [yet again] by a nasty Arabic jerk who told me that he would keep our "six" on the down-low.

Thank you American [foreign flagged] Yachtowners!