Crew Available: Advice for Competent Crew, Please . . .

[bjlaz123]

Hello all!
I am new to this forum and am very enthusiastic to get into this scene. My name is BJ, and I have been traveling around the world for 1 year. I'm a 31 year old mandolin player, a hard worker, fit, and eager to do an Atlantic crossing from somewhere in Europe to Caribbean/South America anytime from mid November-December 2011. I plan to be Competent Crew status and speak at least Intermediate Spanish by the time I'm ready to depart while being willing to contribute a reasonable amount of $$ towards food/costs (I am on a budget). I have plenty of time and can be ready to leave at the drop of a hat. I will base myself in Spain, but will be willing to travel anywhere in Europe for departure. I am looking for any advice on finding a ride across the ocean.

Crewing obviously involves being in close quarters with virtual strangers all focused on the same goal....but I can imagine how hard it must be to find a good match over the internet. It seems that a meeting/trail run is essential to being sure everyone can work together and be trusted. For this reason, do you think....

-Is it better to base one's self in a city where boats are often leaving on this kind of voyage and hang around marinas, pubs and yacht clubs to ask around/make yourself known and talk to people face to face? How possible is this.....are many yacht clubs and marinas private?...meaning I wouldn't even be able to get close enough to meet the right people?

-If the previous method of meeting the right people is advisable (or even if it isn't), do you have any suggestions on the best places to do this?

-Do you think a couple weeks in these places would be enough time to find an opportunity? Best times to be there??

-How successful do you believe people are in using the internet to find a boat/crew? (I see a lot of "wanted/available", but hardly ever see how they turn out)

Thanks for taking the time to read this and address any/all of these questions.

Anyway, any other advice you can share on this subject would be greatly appreciated as well. Happy Sailing!!

BJ