Crew Wanted: St Martin-Panama-Pacific crew wanted

[vanWell]

Hi, I am looking for expressions of interest for 3 crew to sail from St Martin to Panama Canal and Tahiti or beyond. The boat is a Lagoon 440 cat and each crew member will have their own private cabin and head. I am a professional skipper and sailing instructor from Australia but I have travelled, sailed & lived all over this planet. I have taken 2 years out to enjoy cruising the Caribbean and Pacific (again). Looking at transiting the canal in April. Sailing experience is not essential but you need to understand that passage making can be tough sometimes. Especially tough will be the 4 week passage to Nuka Hiva or Hiva Oa from Panama. Not tough weather wise but tough mentally & emotionally. I haven't decided yet whether I will sail direct from Archipelago de las Perlas (Pacific side just 40nm out of the canal) to the Marquesas, or via Galapagos. As a crew we can make that decision together after assessing all the variables while in Panama. In the last year, there have been a lot of restrictions placed on cruising boats in the Galapagos and its minimum $750 just to drop the hook at Galapagos now with all the fees.
The most important criteria is your personality; I want crew who are happy, responsible, contribute to all duties willingly, have a good attitude and understand that in a confined space (and all boats get small eventually) living aboard a boat, everyone needs to be extra understanding. We will all stand night watches on a rotating basis.
I have sailed all over the world in the last 30 years, safety is my 1st priority and then fun and then adventure (or is that adventure and then fun). I feel that 4 crew is the ideal number for this voyage. After arriving in the Marquesas, all the following island groups & atolls are 2 -5 days max all the way to Australia. You don't need to commit all the way to Oz but I do want a commitment to Tahiti, at least. That means 3 months approx.
OK, I prefer that you are between 24 and a fit 45. Non smoker but I may make an exception for the right person.
This is a user pays voyage. Contributing to boat & voyage costs will be US$20 a day per person. Food is on top of that but once we share the massive shopping in Panama for the Marquesas passage there's nothing to spend.
In return you get a private cabin & head on a modern big cat, you get to learn as much as you want regarding sailing, docking, anchoring, navigating and boat systems management from a professional skipper/sailing instructor. You get an experienced skipper who has made this passage before. You need to have medical insurance (World Nomads is the mob I use, quick and easy world wide coverage online), enough money to fly out of where ever and a good attitude; yes Im mentioning that twice
I have registered for the Pacific Puddle Jump. This year that gets us non EU citizens an exemption on the French Polynesian bond that usually must be posted in Nuka Hiva (equivalent to airfare out, about 2 grand) that you get back 2 months later in Papeete.
I'm sorry but I prefer no couples, single adventurous people make better crew.
Yes, this a long post but I am trying to give as much info up front to save on replying to lots of unsuitable people and people who may find this voyage unsuitable.
Finally, you will need to fly into St Martin or BVI within the next 4-5 weeks so we can bed in as crew and ensure we are all compatible. Your passport needs to have at least 12 mths validity.
I prefer that you PM me or email me.
Thank you for your patience.

[FordtheWorld]

PM sent!

[maxsvredux]

PM sent.

[vanWell]

Hi everyone,
Thank you for your enquiries. I will try and post photos of Planet Ocean soon. I just need some good wifi for the photo upload. Fast wifi is a scarce luxury on a cruising boat.....

[Mark2772]

Sent a PM (sorry I sent two- the CF app is shotty on my phone)

Look forward to some pictures!

Mark

[vanWell]

Some more info about the timetable. St Martin-Panama-Marquesas-Tuamotus-Tahiti will be 3 months give or take.
Tahiti-Moorea-Tahaa-Huahine-Raiatea-Bora Bora-Cook Islands-Tonga-Fiji-New Caledonia-Australia another 4 months.
The best timing to traverse Panama Canal for Pacific is late Feb to May. You then need to decide where you want to be at the start of the South Pacific cyclone season which begins late October. I don't cruise tropical regions in Hurricane-Cyclone-Monsoon season. Some cruisers risk it, some voyage from Tonga direct to NZ. I will be sailing from New Caledonia to southern Queensland by end of October. Southern Queensland is south of the cyclone belt.
The above is a guide because you never sail to a schedule. Equipment breaks and needs to be fixed, the weather gods decide you will stay longer in a certain place waiting on a weather window (less applicable in the South Pacific cruising season) or you may just love an island so much that you stay a month instead of 10 days.
So, to recap - 3 months from Caribbean to Tahiti plus or minus. 4 months Tahiti to Oz.
Yes, I have left it a little tight to find crew with the right stuff. But maybe it's a test to see how spontaneous and adventurous you can be
BTW, $20 a day for 7 months is $4000. That's pretty good value, I reckon. I don't know anywhere in the world one could live, travel & have accommodation for that

[vanWell]

Here are some photos of Planet Ocean...

[Mark2772]

Sold. Looks like a nice ride!

[vanWell]

Mark, she is definitely a nice ride.....

[beechbound]

Hey Mark i'm a 39 year old somewhat retired electrician with a couple years sailing experience looking to find some adventure across the pacific i'm currently in playa del carmen helping move a boat from varadaro to rio dulce should make it there in a couple weeks and may be interesting in crewing up with you, iv got no place i need to be and cash in the bank Thanx Dean Beechey

[vanWell]

Hi Dean,
Will you be arriving in St Martin in the next few weeks? What nationality are you? Send me a PM with a bit more info about yourself. Somewhat retired sparky is good, boat electrics and corrosion is a constant issue. Cheers, look forward to a PM.

[bscott37]

When are you expecting to leave st martin?

[vanWell]

End March/begin April. 7 days plus or minus direct to Colon. 10 days to transit canal, provision & final equipment/vessel checks, then South Pacific here we come.....

[f.carp21]

Email sent.

[Bren10]

PM sent

Brendan