Crew Available: Just asking for some advice please!

[NicholasOBrien]

Hey I am an 18 year old kid living in the US. I am thinking about taking a year off before I attend a university. I want to go out and explore. I have no experince sailing but would love to learn. I do have some general boating knowledge because I spend my summers in the north of michigan and have a cabin on the water with a boat that Im on all the time. I want to explore places but as I am young cannot afford to do so. Would It be possible to get on a crew? Dont need to be paid and would do whatever is wanted, clean, cook, fish, run errands or just anything! I have a good sense of humor and can get along with nearly anyone. I am fit. I can cook well. Im good with my hands and can fix/build things. I would be able to leave anytime and drop everything and go. Im just curious If this is the right place to be looking for the sort of thing or if anyone would even want an inexperienced volunteer. Thanks! and sorry if im posting in the wrong place.

[ozskipper]

Yes. Its possible. Try at your local yacht club as well as places like this. There is a Crew Section at the top of this page. Also crew finder websites

good luck

[MarkJ]

Yes! Theres good websites like Crewseakers.com they do international crews, just like what you want. Boats going everywhere. You wont get paid but you will have a grat time.
At 19 no one expects you to ve an old salty dog, just great to have youth and vitality.

And brain enough to write a proper post like you have.

[Paul Annapolis]

Get down to the warmer parts now. Develop one special skill to set you apart. Take the stcw basic course. ... the professional crew agency's will be of little help. Focus on the private recreational boats in the smaller size ranges.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Nicholas.

[tropicalescape]

When I was 17 yrs. old I sold my Les Paul custom ($600.00) saw an ad in the newspaper for RT to Jamaica for $149.00 and took off with a tent and diving gear..ended up staying 6 months...Ran out of money after awhile,but nobody has ever straved to death in Jamaica so I kept on going...that was in 1983 so things may be different now...

[beverley]

Originally Posted by NicholasOBrien

Would It be possible to get on a crew? Dont need to be paid and would do whatever is wanted, clean, cook, fish, run errands or just anything! I have a good sense of humor and can get along with nearly anyone. I am fit. I can cook well. Im good with my hands and can fix/build things. I would be able to leave anytime and drop everything and go.

I joined my local yacht club. I turn up on Saturdays or Sundays and volunteer my services to any boat that is short handed. The club has an ethos of not leaving people standing on the marina dockside - somehow or other you will be squeezed in. Sometimes they will even take non-members.

Why not look for a similar club near you? It is an easy way to start and as long as you tell them your experience before you board then I cannot see why there would be any problems.

[roland stockham]

My advice is start local. I say that for two important reasons. First without at least a bit of experience on cruising boats it is going to be hard to get anyone to sign you on. Second and equally, if not more important, if you have no experience how do you tell if the skipper and boat are safe? Sailing should be a pretty safe occupation but the sea can be a challenging and dangerous place so my minimum requirement for crew is enough experience to understand what they are taking on, the principal of "informed consent"

[svfinlandia]

Too bad you weren't available around the middle of November. I was looking for crew from Maryland on the Bay to Titusville, Florida. I would've signed you up. I can single-hand my boat well, but always need an extra set of eyes and ears for watch. I have had very good luck in the past with young inexperienced crew. They usually listen well and have no pre-concieved conceptions of how things are done so they are happy to learn.
Good luck with your adventures1

Al, S/V Finlandia

[roddymac]

Some vessels welcome helpers/learners. My older 68’ steel trawler-type vessel demands considerable maintenance, most of which can be done by an eager-to-learn person. Sharing the load, while traveling about may work for both sides.

For example, I am looking for crew for the summer cruising season. My boat is currently in Newburyport, MA. In June, wife & I will be gunkholing north through Maine, around Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, then up St. Lawrence to Quebec or further until it gets cold in Sept. We take on 1-2 people to share maintenance, repairs and operation, while exploring sights and towns. Our schedule and itinerary is flexible. Experience is less a requirement than optimism, as tasks can be taught. I am retired psychologist who enjoys exploration and adventure. Lived aboard for 14 yrs, traveling from San Francisco area. Remuneration is negotiable. Good luck in your searching; contact me if you want to learn more.