You could sign up for a basic sailing course.

There are three skills that are in demand, so the best thing would be to develop one of those skills:

• Sailing
• Cooking
• Marine engines

I took a couple of sailing courses and learned how to cook.

If you are looking for a position on a motor yacht, you don't really need any special skills to be a deckhand.

If you want to learn how to sail for free, you can post on the online crew lists, walk the docks, and/or post notices at marine stores like West Marine.

Also check out the yacht jobs page for more resources about getting a position on a sailboat.