· Try Columbus Lines, who operate a "work-away" system whereby you become a member of the crew for one voyage. Not sure if they operate in that part of the world, but I sailed from Melbourne, Australia to Philladelphia, USA in the early 1980s, via New Zealand and the Panama Canal.

If Columbus don't sail the south Atlantic, ask at the local Seaman's Mission. There's one in every major port and if you can find the chaplain or caretaker, they should be able to steer you in the right direction.

The final decision on you joining the ship is the captain's, so you have to be prepared to go at short notice. I paid a $500 deposit to ensure I did not treat the trip as a holiday and needed a doctor's certificate stating that I was healthy.

The system harks back to the great days of ocean travel when captains recruited sailors at local ports depending on the numbers needed. You join the ship at the last port of call in a country and leave at the first port in the destination country, so the ship gets all its customs clearances done in one hit.

The catch is you have to work; I chiselled rust and painted for eight hours a day. The only woman on the boat had it easy, polishing the officers quarters from 8am till 4pm. (It was completely safe as Columbus are a German company, and apply the same laws on board their ship as they do at home.)

I saw the sun rise and set everyday over the Pacific - complete with dolphins and every sort of birdlife - and got to sail through the Panama Canal on a real working container ship. It was also a great way to save money during my student days, but I wouldn't do it again: I like my creature comforts and these days would choose to work an extra week and buy a plane ticket rather than spend four weeks on the open ocean. But it was great: once!
Cheers
Wil Popp