Amateur Crew Boat Delivery

[seabreez]

Originally Posted by grantmc

That's something I never knew. So having a portable VHF radio in the grab bag to talk to the search plane or helicopter is presumably somewhat of a waste of money?

The Search and Rescue helicopters and planes will communicate on 16 VHF Marine for Search and Rescue operations. I thinks they all can dial in specific frequencies for rescue operations. I did 31 years in Search and Rescue and always communicated with rescue aircraft no problem in Canada and the US in summer and winter at sea or on land.

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by Auspicious

Thanks Rick.

Communication is critical. People have to know what is going on, what to expect, what is expected of them.

If you can't treat crew as adults, how can you trust them to stand a watch?

I was a volunteer crew on a a trans atlantic delivery. I asked all the right questions, and was given all the suitable answers. But once I got to Spain to meet the boat, everything changed. No smoking became chain smoking. No drinking became daily drinking to complete drunkeness. You get the idea. People lie. They lie to get what they want. But most surprising of all was their expectation that being "on watch" was just sleeping in the cockpit with a comfy cushion. Once I realized this, I insisted on taking night watch, every damn night. My watch would start when the rest of the crew passed out drunk. At 5am I would try to rouse the owner/skipper, but often he was still too drunk or too tired to get him up. When they finally got up, I would sleep most of the day. We became contemptuous pretty quickly. Everything that was broken or missing was blamed on me. Each night I would come on deck to a cockpit full of empty bottles (yes, glass) rolling about. The skipper had a "no talking" rule at night, so they could sleep. There was no communication of any kind at change of watch. It was very frustrating. I gritted my teeth, thought mean thoughts, but kept a civil tongue.

My point is that people lie. They'll say what they think you want to hear.

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by hamburking

My point is that people lie. They'll say what they think you want to hear.

That's always a problem. Where did you get off?

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by Auspicious

That's always a problem. Where did you get off?

Antigua. I finished the trip. Turns out the skipper's wife waited till we were at sea, then called on that sat phone to tell him she was leaving him. So in hindsight, I kinda understand a bit better why all the drinking and such. Still, not a good way to go to sea. I had read so many books and stories of crossings. They dealt with maintenance, seamanship, sail trim, cooking, etc. I lived on beans and baked potatoes. Lost 30 pounds. However, I kept myself safe...wore my harness, had a ditch bag ready, etc. I did all the nav, comm, weather, etc...thats why the skipper lied to me...he didn't have the skills and he really wanted his boat across the pond. Of course the boat ended up for sale soon after, and after 2 years of price drops, the boat finally sold for a fraction of what he paid just a few years before. All in all, a real adventure. And I came home in one piece. And the skipper was true to his word, the trip cost me nothing...he paid my airfares, meals, everything. However, I think he may have tossed my camera (and all my pictures on it) over the side before he left.

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by hamburking

Antigua. I finished the trip.

Wow. You have fortitude.

I'll buy you a beer if we're ever in the same place just to hear some of those stories. I have some of my own to share. *grin* No names - just stories.

I'll be in Nova Scotia at the end of August - I know that's 1500 km away from you. Otherwise I'm based in Annapolis and of course wherever deliveries take me.