Visit our Popular Forums

**Tellie** · 13-11-2011, 04:20

A captains license is a whole lot easier and faster to get than learning boat systems well and how to repair them. As always there are some good ones and some bad ones. I'm only Captain of my boat. I've never had the desire to be a Captain on any other boat. But I have crewed on many deliveries. I don't pay owners to deliver their boats. I will chip in for food because I like to eat. But many times I've spent more time buried in some system or another that the Captain or owner had no clue about. Barring emergency situations it's a damn good deal for the owner. Beats saying to them "Pull in here and we'll fly somebody in to fix it. So if you're going to crew learn as much about boat systems as possible. You'll become invaluable and sought after by any Captain worth his salt. Also learn as many knots as you can. Having the patience to finally teach the bowline to a reluctant owners wife pays more dividends than you'll ever know.

**skipmac** · 13-11-2011, 05:44

So, picking up a little information at a time from your posts it sounds like.

1. You are paying your own expenses like food, drink, laundry?

2. You are living full time on board the owners boat in the Virgin Islands.

3. The owner is not a friend who invited you as a guest to come visit.

4. The owner is asking you to work on the boat in exchange for living on the boat rent free?

5. You only sail 1-2 days pre month but you do live on the boat full time?

I would say that unless the owner has you slaving 8 hours a day, 5 days a week then you have a pretty good deal. So exactly how many hours a week are you working on the boat?

Rakuflames · 13-11-2011, 06:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jimbo76131

Ok let me first say hi to all been a few weeks since i've been on. But i have to ask as a person who likes to crew and get some exp so that one day when i get my own nice sailing lifestyle (soon i hope). I've been crewing on 2 diff boats in the last few months on a nice older cat at the moment but is it common that on both crew positions that I am always fixing the boats more than we are sailing. I know that part of what im here for is fixing things i guess but if im paying my own way onboard should it be my place to fix everything jus cause i can. I mean the capt/owner of the boat should be responsible for this dont u think , or am i being to sensitive. I'm not paying for the parts but i feel im working more than enjoying and seeing that im paying my own way i think im being takin advantage of a bit.. Anyone have thoughts on this matter? And yes i know sailing is working but @#*!.....

I think it depends on what needs to be fixed. One day my sea strainer went south just as a friend and I were going to go on a weekend cruise. We immediately went up to West Marine and bought a new sea strainer. I was going to put it on, but her husband insisted on doing it for me. He knew his wife really wanted to go on this trip. It was more difficult to do than I had anticipated. He didn't even get to sail that time.

But yeah, you're essentially paying to sail if you are *expected* to do it all the time. Are you helping this person, or doing it all yourself? If you're helping him, unless you know an awful lot for someone who doesn't own a boat, you may be learning things that will be extremely valuable for you later on. Personally I am ready to help anyone work on their boat any time, because I learn so much. But that's just me.

For instance, I now know how to safely help someone up MY mast because I've done it for others under supervision.