The rules of Crewing and Skippering

[JC Reefer]

Originally Posted by fawcettm

Hi,



I have crewed for others and I am an owner/skipper of my own sailboat.

Recently I had crew on board and it didnt go well. I have a very short list of rules but it seems that when the crew came aboard I found out I had more.

Being crew, it was easy to follow the captains orders for the most part, and I thought it was common sense about life on board. ( have been doing this for a while so I am not a newbie).

So to my surprise when it wasnt going well, I didnt really know what my options were.......

After a couple of blowouts and loud discussions, I was left frustrated.

My question is this;

Is there a list of rules for crew and captain? perceived or outright has to be done?

Lastly I came down early and found my engine was seized and we never went anywhere for 7 weeks waiting for repairs and parts



Mark

Captain holds the responsibility. Feel like all in the thread agree but this story is silly.

I’m calling bs on the following:

“Lastly I came down early and found my engine was seized and we never went anywhere for 7 weeks waiting for repairs and parts”

What responsibilities does the captain have to his or her crew?

What rules should the captain follow?

7 weeks repairing an engine when the intent was to be sailing tells me all I need to know. It tells me the the vessel was not ready to go when it was scheduled to go.

The way we do anything is the way we do everything.

[GBR134]

I to felt that the connection between the crew and the seized engine was rather pertinent to the discussion and hard to figure out.

Was the crew in some way responsible for the seizure or was the crew invited for a sail and the asked to sit in port labouring on the OPs yacht for 7 weeks?

Both scenarios seem hard to figure out and in either case I would not expect the skipper/crew relationship to last long.

[P3sailor]

Olongapo! You have no idea what the "real" Olongapo was like...Roger That!

[captseahawke]

Hi
First have sheet made up with rules on your boat eg no smoking if that applies, alcohol rules, language
Who gives the orders it is not a democracy the Captain has the final say
Be very clear that crew wether paid or volunteer are to follow instructions about the running of the boat eg changing course, sail changes, vessels close,etc
Have them sign the sheet with the rules and let them know that it's not 3 strikes
I hope this helps
I have sailed and owned yacht since 1999 and am a Commercial Captain

[Capt.Timbo]

Martial Law, San Magoos for three pesos and a friend for the night, 5 pesos. Disco was huge and keep your arms inside the jeepneys. 1975, what a year!

[Souzag818]

Originally Posted by David M

Having the money to buy a boat does not mean someone knows what they are doing or should be given any sort of authority over others. It is just as much the crews responsibility to not go aboard a boat where the Skipper has the wrong personality to be a skipper or has limited knowledge. Do you really want this person to have any authority over you? Some skippers let it go to their heads that they are some sort of a God because they had the money to buy a boat. Now they can boss people around legally....and its massively good for the sense of self-importance. Not all skippers get that way of course, but too many do.

I learned a long time ago teaching a boating course for employees of a number of government agencies that not all people have the personality to be a good skipper.

[Captain Graham]

Thank you all for your posts, very interesting.

I am in the process of starting up a part time boat delivery business.
Here is the thread I started on the subject.
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ss-212463.html

In the last 5 years I have talked with 6 Del boat Captains.
They all said that having crew that is knowledgeable and professional is the very important.
It seems that the marine industry is full of unreliable and unprofessional people.
People who will not show up, show up late or show up drunk.

So to help demonstrate that I am knowledgeable and professional I am doing the following
1. Received my USCG Masters License.
2. Taken the required drug test and physical.
3. I have not joined a drug Consortium where they give you random drug tests but I will.
4. Received my TWIC card. (background test)
5. Became a USCG Qualified Instructor and conduct the 100 Ton License.

My plan is to crew a few times per year during my vacation until I retire in 5 years.
After I retire I may decide to keep crewing or take the step and be the Captain on Deliveries.

The one thing I did not think about was, what if the Captain is unreliable and unprofessional?

It will be interesting to see how this plays out in the next few years.