Warning 'rant' - Don't you just love looking for crew!!

[JPA Cate]

There're reasons Jim and I keep on saying taking on strange crew or being crew on a strange skipper's boat is risky. Most stories are okay, but there are some real horror stories out there.

Ann

[ALAIN97133]

Originally Posted by roland stockham

...I DO NOT NEED CREW. I AM A SOLO SAILOR. MY BOAT IS DESIGNED THAT WAY...I HAVE SAILED THOUSAND MILE PLUS VOYAGES SOLO. ON THIS TRIP I AM INVITING COMPANY JUST BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE IT. IF NOBODY SUITABLE OFFERS I WILL SAIL IT SOLO

Just a small sad story: In a previous life (November 1976), in Southampton UK, we were getting our brand new Camper & Nicholson 31 ready to escape winter. A (new?) single handed sailor had just received another C&N 31 & was also getting ready. The weather was rather UK bad & we try to convince him to take a crew at least 'till Madeira or the Canary islands. But he had that "mystic" trip about sailing alone in the sunset Every other day, we had young Brits sailors showing up at the Yard, looking for sailboats heading south... to no avail ! The next news of him we got from the C&N yard was that his sailboat had been found drifting half sunk in the Channel with no sign of him... He either fell overboard & his sailboat was later hit by one of the numerous freighters going in & out of the Channel or the other way around... any way that's one of the serious problem one has to manage when sailing alone Good luck !
PS: During my 11 days solo sail (December 5-16 2014) from Beaufort NC to St Martin, I saw 4 or 5 feighters & 1 US carrier... God knows how many I didn't see (When sleeping or when I was below)... We all need a bit of luck on top of our expertise

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by GoingWalkabout

Oh my goodness. Did you find out about him being a murderer before the voyage or during? If during how well did you sleep? This is the craziest thing I've read on CF.

Guess you did not hear about the guy crewing on Pacific crossings for couples.. killing them and then taking thier boats to Equador.. he was getting his 4th boat when he was caught...

[westsailwill]

Gee, let's see here. You want a highly competent experienced crew to sail on a "classic" 35' ketch, that at the very least has no shower. I'm guessing you invested all the saved cash on "state of the art" safety and navigation gear. Definitely sounds like an adventurepopcorn:

[GoingWalkabout]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Guess you did not hear about the guy crewing on Pacific crossings for couples.. killing them and then taking thier boats to Equador.. he was getting his 4th boat when he was caught...

Boatman61 no I didn't. Is this a joke or did it really happen?

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by GoingWalkabout

Boatman61 no I didn't. Is this a joke or did it really happen?

Its a couple or so years back now.. he'd pick em in Panama then get on as crew... have not a clue what to search under to find it.. but it caused a stir at the time.
Believe he had his own boat there and won their confidence at the 'Pizza Nites' and other social get togethers the semi-permanant US cruisers hold.

[GoingWalkabout]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Its a couple or so years back now.. he'd pick em in Panama then get on as crew... have not a clue what to search under to find it.. but it caused a stir at the time.
Believe he had his own boat there and won their confidence at the 'Pizza Nites' and other social get togethers the semi-permanant US cruisers hold.

Wow. Now I understand why there are so many single handed or partner sailors. Thanks.

[Browning]

Originally Posted by Sondor

I don't think your expectations are out of line. More like you're looking for a very narrow set of people willing/able to fulfill them.

They:

• Must be able to afford a month or more away from home with no income (able to pay existing bills)
• Must be able to take that leave of absence on your schedule/time-line
• Need some qualifications
• Must be able to afford the transportation and other expenses while transiting and not working to earn anything (able to pay additional bills)
• Are willing to gamble a significant amount of time spent on a boat in the middle of nowhere (no chance of escape) with a stranger

That seems to leave two types.

1. The younger folks who aren't in school at the moment and don't have so much as an apartment to pay for each month. Oh yes, but they also need sailing experience...And they need not worry about money/bills while gone. Not common amongst the "regular class"
2. Retirees - who if they are at all into sailing, typically have their own boat? And while they may be the most flexible on time and money they are also the least likely to just take-off for an extended period of time with a stranger?

So - while your request may be reasonable, I just don't see a large potential candidate pool.

Perhaps another way to say it is, you're looking for people to participate in a pretty serious adventure on a whim, but who also have all their ducks-in-a-row at home. Uncommon combination in my experience.

PS: I give the initial rant an 8 too - /bravo

My two cents:
- in many jobs in Germany you get 30 days of paid vacation from your employer. Combine it with some overhours, and a passage will not even exhaust the whole year's vacation pool. Now, many employers do not like that the desk is empty for 4 weeks in a row, but still I have seen this happen. So it is possible to go on such an adventure while still having money coming in.
- there can be people who like and can afford the 4 weeks of sailing, but still not like having an own boat. Let's call them Charterers. So, if such a charterer wants to sail on a personalized sailboat rather than on a standard charter caravan, he or she would be an ideal crew member - not a paying passenger, but not a paid employee either.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Sondor

I don't think your expectations are out of line. More like you're looking for a very narrow set of people willing/able to fulfill them.

They:

• Must be able to afford a month or more away from home with no income (able to pay existing bills)
• Must be able to take that leave of absence on your schedule/time-line
• Need some qualifications
• Must be able to afford the transportation and other expenses while transiting and not working to earn anything (able to pay additional bills)
• Are willing to gamble a significant amount of time spent on a boat in the middle of nowhere (no chance of escape) with a stranger

That seems to leave two types.

1. The younger folks who aren't in school at the moment and don't have so much as an apartment to pay for each month. Oh yes, but they also need sailing experience...And they need not worry about money/bills while gone. Not common amongst the "regular class"
2. Retirees - who if they are at all into sailing, typically have their own boat? And while they may be the most flexible on time and money they are also the least likely to just take-off for an extended period of time with a stranger?

So - while your request may be reasonable, I just don't see a large potential candidate pool.
. . . .

3. Entrepreneurs/landlords who don't have to be in the office every day.

4. Working people with lots of vacation.

5. Young racers with time off from school or university.


There are probably lots of other categories.

Plenty of people who've crewed on my boat have their own boats, at least half. Often because I'm sailing in an area they are interested in, but too far to take their own boat to. Or just because they don't want to sail alone.


I LOVE to crew on other people's boats -- what a joy to be free of the responsibility of being the owner and skipper. My guests always enjoy our port calls more than I do, because I am the one who has to figure out where to buy the odd part and how to fix the inevitable technical problem, plan the next passage, etc. I have a friend who had a professional skipper on his boat even though he's a crack sailor himself -- and I used to make fun of him for it. Now I completely understand why.

[rognvald]

We found one good crew by posting at the Great Lakes Naval base in North Chicago who was dependable and knowledgeable. We found another who was in the process of joining the USCG who was a fast and eager learner and sailed with us frequently . And, there are dozens we have met that we would not even consider for a daysail. We have invited some aboard that said they sailed for years and didn't know the name for a winch, a mast or a boom and were obviously non-involved passengers. However, if we look again for a more extended trip, we would probably post with university Biology departments nationwide-- especially those with degrees in Marine Biology for those who are interested in adventure and potential research as well. As Roland has mentioned and I would agree, the potential "Crew Wanted" ads in CF make good humor and little else. You must think outside the box. . . .Why do not more members reply to these ads?

[ParadiseParrot]

Those with the time will be short on money and/or experience if you pay airfare you might get someone with exp who wants a passage for his "log"/ "cv".

Otherwise they pay airfare and you teach them. Otherwise its just a delivery trip.

Just 2c

[Mirage35]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

I've never really understood why people would want to crew on a passage. Isn't that like going along on someone else's vacation but only getting to help with the driving?

Actually, I like driving (cars or boats). Get me behind a wheel and I'm good for hours, just keepin' it together.

But aside from that this thread is depressing me. Isn't it possible for an owner and potential crew to make it work? (And even just to find each other?)

I'm in a position where I'd love to crew on certain kinds of trips. I know my own capabilities and limitations, can be trusted on a night watch but know when to call for more experienced help, am not an unpleasant companion (although a bit of an old fart), not looking for the world on a silver platter.

The OP wants to know how to find reasonable crew; I'd like to find reasonable (for me) crewing opportunities. If the crew available / wanted section on this site isn't it, what is?

[JPA Cate]

Anglais,

There are probably some opportunities from people who subscribe to Facebook (I do not), as it has sub forums involved with sailing; also, there may be some European possibilities you could find via the Internet.

What seems to be happening these days is that skippers want crew with credentials and who will pay for the opportunity whereas crews want to not pay and for the skippers to have credentials. Individual greeds of different sorts get in the way of pleasant relations.

Ann

[jldunn86]

Originally Posted by ozskipper

One word... "back packers"... (ok thats two- or is it meant to be one word- i dont know or care)

They are usually ..
Highly educated and on a gap year or two
Highly Adventurous
Willing to live on staples for extended periods
Flexible with timelines
Willing to go without showers
Willing to live in sub-human accommodation
Have a good understanding on foreign cultures
Very social.

If you can get a couple with some sailing basics, your halfway there!

S/Y Sea Falke, OZ ?
If yes, Texas Crew here...

[monte]

Originally Posted by AnglaisInHull

Actually, I like driving (cars or boats). Get me behind a wheel and I'm good for hours, just keepin' it together.



But aside from that this thread is depressing me. Isn't it possible for an owner and potential crew to make it work? (And even just to find each other?)



I'm in a position where I'd love to crew on certain kinds of trips. I know my own capabilities and limitations, can be trusted on a night watch but know when to call for more experienced help, am not an unpleasant companion (although a bit of an old fart), not looking for the world on a silver platter.



The OP wants to know how to find reasonable crew; I'd like to find reasonable (for me) crewing opportunities. If the crew available / wanted section on this site isn't it, what is?

Don't be disheartened Anglais. We have had 14 previously unknown crew join us aboard Sephina over the past 2 years. All met online through here and a couple from crewfinder sites. All were great experiences for all involved and we are still friends. Periods ranged from a week to a month. We generally don't look for experience as the prime consideration, but an eagerness to learn and take part, and a good fit for us. As a couple we never 'need' crew, but like to offer the opportunity to people who would otherwise find gaining the experience cost prohibitive, or unmanageable under normal circumstances.
We had a backpacking couple join us for an Atlantic crossing last year and there was no 'couple issues'
Occasionally issues rise but so long as they are dealt with fairly and efficiently by the captain or between the crew, they're not a problem.
I guess we have been lucky as we do hear of a lot of horror stories, or maybe we have made our own luck by having some basic rules and being upfront with those.
Basically we ask that crew or guests:
Pay their own way and share expenses on board
Want to join us to experience (in no particular order) sailing lifestyle, sailing, build sea miles, veg out at anchor, hike, snorkel, swim, surf, be active, be able to entertain themselves when off watch
We would avoid taking on crew that:
Want to get from A to B on a yacht because it's cheaper than buying a plane ticket.
Want to cruise from one beach bar to the next or spend the days drinking and sunbaking..
Want to cross oceans to tick off a bucket list