Signed on as Crew, what should I pack?

[RussF85]

Pack some hand and foot warmers for the trip. They were invaluable to me in a recent Newport, RI to Marsh Harbour delivery. Get some large and small ones. The large ones you can toss in your sleeping bag when you sleep and they will keep your feet warm the entire time you are sleeping and the smaller ones you can stick in your pockets or gloves and they last the day. They are safe in your luggage and don't weigh much.


Do not underestimate how crappy the weather gets out there in the shoulder months. We left Newport on November 17th and the weather was freezing until just north of the Chesapeake and the weather never really warmed until we were a day or so out of Marsh Harbour.


Fair Winds


RussF

[hamburking]

The best thing you can bring is a good attitude and a positive outlook! Most likely the skipper has everything you need aboard. You might ask about foul weather gear, which takes up a lot of space in your duffel.

OKAY....I would bring:

garmin etrex 10.
3 small (1AA) LED flashlights.
neoprene sailing boots.
Lots of (disposable) tee shirts and shorts.
2 bandanas.
2 pairs sunglasses.
Cheap multitool.
cheap knife.
wrist watch!
CASH money, well hidden.
Warm gloves and a toque (I'm canadian).
2 reliable pens and a small notebook.

You should consider that anything you bring may be lost. So reduce your stress and don't bring anything you would miss.

It would also benefit you greatly if you research the route and harbours before leaving home. Enter a few waypoints into your GPS. I crossed the atlantic on a swan48 with $10k of nav gear that the skipper had no idea how to use. My trusted etrex with about 10 waypoints was really all that was needed.

I like to wear athletic pants (cycling or running pants) aboard for ease of movement and comfort. They are excellent under WWGear as well, and make getting into and out of the WWPants much easier. 4 pairs of athletic pants take up about the same space as one pair of jeans in your duffel.

In the notebook put all your phone numbers, emergency contact info, passport number, etc at the back. The notebook is great for making navigation notes and notes about the trip as it happens. Things like food lists (where stowed) and fuel amounts become very interesting later when you can revisit the data.

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by WSMFP

...giant bag of beef jerky...

Although I love beef jerky and think its a great thing to have aboard, it may be a problem with customs. The whole "mad cow" thing.

[Amihan59]

Bring a snug balaclava for those cold nights when you are on night watch.

Merino wool garments don't stink; I've worn the same shirt for 4 straight days on a backpacking trip, no stink. If you decide on merino wool, buy the thin ones. Pack croakies for your sunglasses.

Also, if you don't have cooking skills, learn some basics now so you can contribute to some of the galley fun.

Bonamine and ginger chews for that unexpected/sudden bout of nausea. Or if you can get a prescription for scopolamine patch, so much the better.

[meirriba]

Originally Posted by Richard5

Why the serrated blade?

To cut a line in emergency

[Snore]

Originally Posted by meirriba

Yor first post mentioned PFD & tether.
Check with the skipper as these items are probably available for you onboard (unless you are attached very much to your own equipment).

I believe you will see more and more pro skippers NOT providing them for liability reasons

[meirriba]

Originally Posted by Snore

I believe you will see more and more pro skippers NOT providing them for liability reasons

To follow this line of thought you should also bring your own liferaft😃

[Snore]

Originally Posted by meirriba

To follow this line of thought you should also bring your own liferaft[emoji2]

Not exactly, the life raft was certified by a third party professional. I have zero liability.

[meirriba]

Originally Posted by Snore

Not exactly, the life raft was certified by a third party professional. I have zero liability.

On my boat, the life vests, inflatable, are certified at the same session with the L/R.
How about jackstays?
But I think we are digressing. The OP asked what to pack. His skipper will answer him about the need to bring his own life vest.

[SailngInTX]

Thank you for all the responses!
I've made my packing list.
Going to put it all together this weekend.

[Don C L]

I’d add my PLB if I were going. It’s nice to have a fighting chance if they happen to drop you off somewhere along the way.....
Oh, and some good smoked oysters... well that's something I like to have along, but some treats that you prefer are nice to have along too...

[Captain Graham]

I would bring with me the following items
a. Small plot charter with current charts as a backup.
b. Hand help VHF radio.
c. A good pair of binoculars.
d. My PFD that has a light, knife and whistle attached to it.
e. Maybe some tools
f. Sleeping bag, warm cloths and rain suit.

[richr]

One way of course is to ask the skipper...

In terms of thermal layers here's my tuppence. You need a few thin layers that go on top of each other. Wear one, or three....

Regarding fabrics the #1 rule is no cotton. Cotton is for a nice warm sunny day. It doesn't keep you warm, especially when wet. It soaks up loads of water and will never dry on a damp yacht in early spring.

You can choose man-made (polyester/polypropylene) fibres. They dry quickly and keep you warm. They are cheap and last ages. They smell a bit horrid and don't biodegrade. They shed plastic microfibres into the laundry.

Or choose natural wool/silk/cashmere/alpaca/Merino. All these keep you warm even when wet. When dry these keep you REALLY warm. They dry much faster than cotton, but not as fast as man-made. They can be expensive or heinously expensive.

[dfelsent]

Night time north of the stream, even in summer, my rule of thumb is “wear what you would wear skiing when the temp is 20F and in January in New Hampshire.” It is amazing to me how dark, cool, and tired all conspire together.