Crewing questions for skippers.

[Uricanejack]

I saw a thread about crew. Which refers to an older thread including a crew agreement. There is an entire section about crew wanted or available. And of course deliveries.

I have crewed. With Skippers I didn’t know. Through a sailing school, I put my trust in the sailing school. The boat would be up to snuff and the Skipper would be both agreeable and capable.
I have also Skippered again for a sailing school or charter company. I didn’t know the people. They were paying customers of the sailing school or charter company.
I also crew on Sail training vessels again trusting the organization.

I have never offered to crew outside of this for anyone I didn’t know.

My questions sort of like the Skipper looking for crew.
As crew
what do you ask?
What do you expect?
What’s reasonable
For contributions?
Remuneration?
Expenses?
Room and board?
Travel? Repatriation?
Privacy?
A couple of friends had bad experiences crewing casually. Which makes me reluctant to crew particularly on a longer voyage.
Yet occasionally I think it might be nice to sail somewhere new on a nice boat.

My real personality unlike my Internet personality is relatively shy and reserved although I like people. I almost never initiate contact. Which possibly makes me unlikely to go out and crew. Or look for crew.

Other questions particularly for delivery skippers.
How do yo select crew and while I have looked at websites. And seen references from owners of boats delivered. I have never seen references from crew. Perhaps I haven’t looked in the right places.

I would certainly want to see references, qualifications and verifiable expieriences. From a skipper before I agreed to sail with them. I would also want to be sure the vessel was up to the voyage.
I might dellegate some of my queries to a reputable company.

For an individual I would want some history.

Perhaps I am a bit paranoid.

[JPA Cate]

No, you're not paranoid, merely cautious. We have heard horror stories from both sides, and finally came to the conclusion that the two most dangerous things you can do are to skipper unknown crew, and be crew for an unknown skipper. I do not know of any way to guarantee simple safety. In either direction.

You will do best, if this is a goal for you, to apply for unpaid crew positions for people who are recommended to you, or via, say, the ARC site. Many want crew for their first offshore trip. If you can get recommendations from them (you write it, they sign it) after the journey, you start to gain crew credibility. The problem is, you really have to rely on your interviewing of them, as they interview you. If you have even the slightest inkling they're bsing you, do NOT sail with them. Pay attention to your gut. It will warn you. But, you gotta pay attention, or you won't feel the warning.

Or you can do courses, and become a sea man, but it doesn't suit everybody, and it would be a different scene from what you described.

That's just my 2 cents' worth. Others will have other opinions.

Ann

PS. to try to answer the question specifically,
Ques. #1 "What is your sailing experience?" (Plan in advance what matters to you to hear, ie certifications (if that matters to you), racing experience (rules and Colregs), if they've been a sailing instructor, for whom and for how long?

Ques #2 "Who else will be on the crew?" Is it a family? All strangers? A delivery trip? Ever had problems with conflict management? Do you have a common language? (It can feel creepy if they talk a language you don't know, to keep their conversations private.)

You should let them know if you are unwilling to submit your passport to their care (some places the skipper goes ashore alone with all the passports for the clearance procedures). One skipper we met had not wanted a female crew to leave the boat, and withheld from her her passport. Eventually, the police were involved, and she was able to leave. Do not count on the skipper to repatriate you. Either buy a ticket home, or have a way of buying one on site to get home.

Another time, a young man swam over to our boat--his skipper didn't let him use the dinghy. The young guy was begging to come aboard, stated he was beaten, and fed starvation rations, that for him it had been the voyage from hell. The skipper was reportedly a very experienced sailor, and we did not hear his side of it. We would have brought the young guy with us, perhaps, but we really didn't have room for another person. It's not just sailing qualifications you want to learn, it is about personality, warmth, flexibility, can you trust them with your life? will you be a good fit for one another?

Good luck with it.

[Snore]

A few quick rules.

Often one question will reveal a lot about a person. First anyone who refers to themselves as Captain should be avoided. I have a license and aside of charter work where they insist I use that title, I avoid it.

Anyone who does not run a dry or one beer/wine a day max boat while underway should be avoided. As should anyone who allows drugs, even weed.

Generally, someone who follows those simple rules is likely to have a basic knowledge of boating and respect what they are doing. The best hires I have made interviewed ME during the job interview. It showed me they care. So you should ask intelligent questions

FWIW if you continue to be in charge of boats for sailing schools and a charter company - at least get the OUPV to keep yourself out of trouble!

[Suijin]

I agree that there are risks in both sides.

References. Get and speak with references. It’s the only way of confirming someone’s experience as well as their personality, adaptability, cooperative nature etc.

People inflating their experience, or not knowing what they don’t know, is endemic and getting to the truth can be difficult.

I recently had a poor experience with someone who presented me with a long-winded description of their experience, replete with specific claims of their fitness and navigational, heavy weather, and provisioning experience. After they joined the boat the shoes started dropping at an alarming rate. We ended up scrapping the passage and I consider it a bullet dodged.

Get references. Talk to them. Listen to them.

[captstu]

i make clear, The "vessel name" is a non-smoking vessel. We request that smokers, even those promising not to smoke on board, make their travel plans elsewhere.

I also note,

The USCG and allied organizations in other countries, have a zero tolerance policy for recreational drugs, including weed. Please acknowledge that you understand you will be put off the vessel at the next port without compensation should you be found to be using or carrying any recreational drug.

I ask they verbally acknowledge both statements before boarding.

I put one couple off in St. John after they smoked grass on a trip. You risk confiscation of the vessel if caught by the USCG transporting recreational drugs.

[HBrew]

I have had crew I didn’t know and so far it’s gone quite well.

I like to ask:
Sailing experience
What do you want from a cruise
What do you do when you’re not cruising, what time constraints do you have
Qualifications - the fact is that people who have bothered to get qualified are likely more serious about doing things right. There are of course lot’s of skilled sailors without much in the way of qualifications but this is about risk reduction.
Alcohol/drug use
Medical issues
What has been your best experience crewing?

I expect to be asked ( but am rarely asked)
When was your boat built? I know older boats can be just as good, but if they are older you should ask more questions
Do you have AIS, radar, SSB or satellite?
What is your passage plan - lack of a serious plan should raise red flags
How do you like to run your boat - if the captain is a micro manager you need to find out
When was your liferaft last serviced - indicative of attitude towards safety gear
What crew did you get along best with?

Hope this helps,

Hamish

[denverd0n]

There's crewing and then there's crewing. I've helped out a couple, who had little sailing experience, to move their boat from NC down to Florida. I've also served as crew a couple of times on professional deliveries. There is a big difference between these types of crewing.


If the skipper is looking for someone to help out on a pleasure cruise, then I expect to pay my own transportation costs, and a fair share for the food/drink that I consume. I will not pay a portion of the fuel expenses, insurance, berthing fees, or anything else like that. Those are expenses that the owner is going to incur regardless, and I do not see them as any part of my responsibility.


In exchange for this I will be a helpful, competent, cooperative shipmate. I will do my share of the work, but I will also expect some time for relaxing and enjoying the cruise. I will generally follow orders, but if I think a bad order has been given I will speak up.


A professional delivery is a different matter. In that case, the captain is looking to engage professional crew to get a job done. In that case I expect my transportation costs to be provided, and my food to be provided. I do not expect to pay for anything beyond personal items I may choose to buy.


In exchange for this I expect to be treated with professional courtesy, but I expect to be worked fairly hard, and I expect a competent captain who knows how to run a ship, and whose orders I will have no problems following (pretty much) without question.


I think one of the reasons crew/skippers have problems is because of a disconnect over what is expected. The skipper who expects crew to behave like professional seamen, but doesn't treat them that way. Or the crew who thinks they're on a pleasure cruise when they've been hired to get a job done.


My real pet peeve is the people out there (you know who you are) who say they are looking for crew, but then they want to charge you so much that they will make money off of taking you aboard their boat. If you expect to make money off of having me aboard then you had darned well better understand that I am a passenger, not a crew member, and I will behave appropriately!

[KP44]

A friend had only one crew on a short voyage. When the skipper asked her to take the helm she told him that steering the boat was not "crew's" job. Strange as that sounds, it really happened. (And she really was put ashore at the nearest port, amid threats and protests.)

[B23iL23]

When I'm taking on crew, my basic expectation is that they can stand a watch.. competently. I don't mind being woken up if they are unsure or need help , but I do expect that they can steer if needed, adjust the sails, keep watch, check the radar and so on. I also expect them to help everywhere else around the boat (just as if I wasn't there).



Whether they are professional or not I will pay for everything else - food, fuel, flights if required. I would be paying for most of this anyway.

[CarinaPDX]

Originally Posted by Snore

Often one question will reveal a lot about a person. First anyone who refers to themselves as Captain should be avoided.

AMEN! Too often those with inadequate experience feel the need to say (repeatedly) "I'm the Captain!". This is the worst of both worlds: an incompetent skipper who needs to impose his will. I've seen this personally a couple of times, and know of other cases where it got pretty uncomfortable if not downright dangerous. If a skipper is inexperienced and is looking for an experienced crew to compensate: don't be that crew. Once underway his ego (newly enlarged with the "Captain" title) may prevent him from taking even the most obvious advice. Personally I don't like crewing on a boat with an inexperienced captain; if I want to help him/her to learn I will invite them to crew aboard Carina where I can both teach and show by example. Simply buying a boat doesn't magically imbue the experience, knowledge, skills and judgement needed to be a captain, although it does seem that is not universally understood.

By all means ask lots of questions, and be brutally honest with your own replies. Illegal drugs have no place on a boat - they are a threat to wealth and freedom for all aboard. Alcohol is not for use under way. Smoking is another contentious issue. Dietary preferences need to be compatible - meat eaters and vegans often don't play well together. On most boats the men will be expected to be seated when using the toilet - either learn to accept it or be candid about your "needs" in advance. Resolve the financial issues, expected duties, and watch schedules before departure. The list of items to discuss could, and probably should, be long.

For me the big question is about attitude, and most importantly understanding that a boat is not a democracy. The skipper has a duty to keep everyone aboard safe and the authority to make the decisions needed to accomplish that; the crew must trust the skipper to keep all safe, and do as the skipper asks towards that end. If a prospective skipper doesn't look up to honoring his duties then move along. If a prospective crew has their own agenda or thinks that they are going to tell the skipper what to do, the conversation is over for me.

Aside from the operational issues, for me much of having a crew aboard is like having a house guest. We are not chartering a bare boat together; they are guests living in my home. I try very hard to be a good host, and expect crew to be good house guests. Unfortunately these traditional roles are less well understood these days...

Greg

[Uricanejack]

Thanks for the replies. Particularly Ann’s acknowledgement as prospective crew it’s reasonable to be cautious. A couple of skippers expect questions, I like the concept of the crew interviews the skipper as well.

It makes it easy if someone is not open to questions. Ither crew or skipper can move on. So I just have to figure out the right questions.

I noticed a few things which mentioned.

I’m Canadian, we have fairly liberal rules on recreational drugs. As do many states, I personally would regard it as a show stopper. Partly due to federal laws.
Mostly due to my own personal dislike of them. Not something I want to deal with and not something I would knowingly sail with.

Over the years I have become much less tolerant of smoking. As a lifelong non smoker in the past I just put up with it. Here in western Canada it’s is becoming much less acceptable. I enjoy my world without smoke. Now I object to walking past a gauntlet of smokers to get into the airport.
I haven’t yet reached an absolute ban on my boat. I have an expectation anyone visiting my house will go outside.
I have avoided the issue by just not inviting any smokers. Which in the case of at least one friend is unfortunate I would like to invite him just not his partner. Or I have to put up with her habit.
Someone else’s boat someone else rules. In the past I would have accepted smoking on deck. Today I think I would pass.

Alcohol is a funny one. Personally I choose not to drink with the exception of a very few rare social occasions. I accept other people enjoy more than I do. For my own boat like many others it’s not on underway. At anchor or in the dock. Ok .
Short voyage it’s easy. Not underway and within the reasonable expectations at anchor or in dock. Longer voyages with people on a watch system. I am happy without, but others like to have a drink. Not sure on this issue. This is one of those ones where I like to know people. I have friends I don’t take sailing, I don’t want the responsibility for them.

Having crewed for reputable organizations. Those rules were clear. I didn’t have to ask or think much about them. At the time Alcohol and smoking were allowed with reasonable restrictions. Which I accepted as the norm. As a Skipper I expected others to accept.

I don’t have the Six pack. In addition to being a former CYA instructor. As a Canadian I do have a Canadian piece of plasticized paper. Which makes it legal. Locally.

Which brings up a possible show stopper. For me.
Medical questions. You can ask me if I am fit or if I have any illness or disability which might be unsuitable.
I’m not telling anyone my medical history and I’m not going to ask you for yours. I would view it as a violation of privacy.
I do recognize it can be a concern. Perhaps because I have crewed.

My answers would be I have a valid seafarers medical with no restrictions. They cost 150 to 200 bucks. You need one to run a pickle boat round Victoria Harbour.

Would it be unreasonable response to ask if the skipper and other crew had valid medical.
To me it makes sense. Though for a casual crew arrangement it might be considered To much.

One reply does make it clear there is a difference between being a paid crew or delivery crew and just agree ing to be crew. crew perceptions v skipper perception. The question crew, guest, passenger.

Knowledgeable skilled or unskilled?

Diffrent levels of expectations. I guess it’s best to get those clearly understood up front.

When I sail with friends. I regard myself as a guest. When I sail with a sailing school or charter company I was crew. When on a sail training vessel I was crew.

As a Skipper there is quite a big difference between my own boats informalities and being a paid skipper.

I’m not sure if I ever will respond to a crew request. I have thought about a couple. I have replied to a short local request for assistance on one occasion.

At this time I probably have to many concerns to agree to a longer voyage on a casual basis unless it was someone I know or who was referred to me. Also personal time constraints make it unlikely in the near future.

A local delivery? Maybe. After I ask a lot of questions.