Crew Available: Hard time finding opportunities...

[NoQuarter79]

My sailing/dive partner and I have been looking for team crewing opportunities on multiple crew finding sites, but unfortunately they have not been of much assistance. Even after uploading our resumes, the jobs that do show up on the websites are limited and very far away. We do have experience, and we want to learn as much as we can about sailing, but so far it is proving difficult to find that opportunity.

We have a San Juan 7.7 in the Chesapeake Bay that we have lived aboard every summer since the summer of 2012 when we purchased it. We have crewed on a 30 foot Bristol for a single man on his own personal journey from Stuart, FL to Beaufort, SC via the ICW and a brief period off shore.

So in a way, this is two posts in one:
1. Where can we find more crewing opportunities?
and
2. If you need crew, we are available!

[s/v Beth]

3 Questions every Captain will ask:
1. How far are you willing to travel?
2. How rigid is your schedule?
3. How much do you really cost? (special food, allowances, team member or not?)

[cp1]

Send me your information. I need crew from time to time on deliveries.
Ages, your work and skills, life experience etc. thx
Captdougcp1@gmail.com.


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[NoQuarter79]

cp1, I just sent you an email.

Originally Posted by s/v Beth

3 Questions every Captain will ask:
1. How far are you willing to travel?
2. How rigid is your schedule?
3. How much do you really cost? (special food, allowances, team member or not?)

These are very good and easy questions. We are willing to travel as far as necessary, within our limits, of course. We are definitely willing to take a risk, but it would be nice to know that there's at least 90% certainty in the plan. That being said, our schedule wouldn't be very rigid. I know a very important thing we've heard repetitively is that when sailing you can't really be on a schedule. When it comes to cost, that would take a little bit more discussion, but we are in no way greedy people. We are not getting into sailing to make money, but it is important to be able to maintain our financial obligations. We are very open minded people.

[TheThunderbird]

Being a couple makes it no easier, since none of you two is experienced

You should find a senior couple in need of extra assistance

[CarstenWL]

... Find Crew® - findacrew.net by NAUTYCAL - SSL Secure, Worldwide matching of Marine Crew and Boats. worked great for me. Will start working in the Bahamas next weekend with my spouse :-)

Good luck!

Carsten

[ryon]

Do I read this right, not only do you want to crew, but you want to be paid for doing it? There are paying gigs, but I wouldn't expect to find much on a cruisers forum. You'll have to find someone who employs working crew, not your typical couple needing a third hand for a transit. You know the drill, hang around the harbor and make yourself useful until someone offers to give you money to be there..

If you want to crew just for the love of sailing, then PM me. I might have something for you.

[travellerw]

This is an interesting topic as most of the stuff I have read lately is saying the crew is usually paying the captain. At the very least, they are trading crewing for a free passage with food and beverage. I was under the impression that paid crew opportunities are few and usually under a delivery captain (already has trusted crew).

There may be unique circumstances where a single/couple needs to move a boat and requires a second/third hand NOW, but they are rare.

Would this be correct?

[NoQuarter79]

No we are not expecting to be paid. We understand going under captains of personally owned vessels, things like that will vary. As travellerw said, I can view it almost as volunteer work. I am on board your boat to assist you, I would like to be fed at least. When we crewed it was the owner of the sailboat and the two of us. My partner and I did ALL the cooking, which we are willing to for free meals. We really are looking for any opportunities for the experience.

[Delancey]

Paying to crew on a delivery of someone else's boat?

Sails and rigging, safety equipment, bottom paint, deliveries. These are all examples of costs of boat ownership.

If a cruising boat needs to move from one location to another it is at the whim of the owner, and any costs incurred as a result should be born exclusively by the owner as a consequence of this whim.

There is no such thing as hardship when it comes to a lifestyle choice many would consider to be a luxury.

If a cruising boat owner is fortunate enough to dupe some unsuspecting person into paying for the cost of their lifestyle choice, well then I guess they should feel mighty proud of themselves. I have yet to find a blog where people brag about this, which tells you that people who do this know they are taking advantage of someone.

If you are a delivery Captain and doesn't pay crew than likewise you should be proud for tricking people into doing your work for you. Again, show me where people brag about pulling this off.

Think about it. Nobody invites strangers to go sailing for no reason. Who is doing who a favor?

Food and transportation costs at a minimum, pay depends. Shouldn't cost someone anything to do someone else a favor.

[seagypsywoman]

Why not trade your boat for something a bit bigger and sail wherever you like without needing to crew for others. I don't mean now in winter but next summer. A 30 foot boat if it's well built can take you almost anywhere if you're careful and does not need to cost an arm and a leg. At least you should be able to sail to Florida. Just a thought. This is what I did after a couple of negative experiences crewing for skippers with alcohol and other problems.
I sometimes take on crew, but ask for contributions to the cruising kitty unless the crew can help and is experienced with boat/engine maintenance.

[Delancey]

Originally Posted by seagypsywoman

I sometimes take on crew, but ask for contributions to the cruising kitty unless the crew can help and is experienced with boat/engine maintenance.

I am curious to know more about these occasions when you take on inexperienced crew and charge them.

Are you operating a sailing school and providing instruction? Do you offer some type of certification? When you charge people to go sailing do you allow them to pick the schedule and destination?

The only other situation I can think of why someone would take inexperienced crew on board, unless they were friends, was one in which someone was desperate to move a boat but didn't have enough hands.

[NoQuarter79]

Delancey: I see your point. Before we bought our sailboat we were looking into volunteer work, but much of it you had to pay for. I just thought that was defeating the reason I wanted to volunteer. We are not wealthy people, "bust out another thousand" has not applied to our San Juan at all. That is another thing that keeps us from progressing further is that we can't afford to pay to work.

I feel like our boat could make it on a trip down the coast. Our only issue is our outboard. It's a short shaft and we don't have a swivel bracket, and we're not near our boat during the winter to keep an eye out for good deals.

We really are in a tight spot for doing what we want to do. It sometimes seems like we won't be able to succeed. We never think that, and we will continue to strive for it, because this is our dream, but it can get very discouraging at times.

[Delancey]

Volunteering is totally different. If anybody can afford to do that they have my blessings.

Good luck in your search!

[travellerw]

Originally Posted by Delancey

Paying to crew on a delivery of someone else's boat?

Sails and rigging, safety equipment, bottom paint, deliveries. These are all examples of costs of boat ownership.

If a cruising boat needs to move from one location to another it is at the whim of the owner, and any costs incurred as a result should be born exclusively by the owner as a consequence of this whim.

There is no such thing as hardship when it comes to a lifestyle choice many would consider to be a luxury.

If a cruising boat owner is fortunate enough to dupe some unsuspecting person into paying for the cost of their lifestyle choice, well then I guess they should feel mighty proud of themselves. I have yet to find a blog where people brag about this, which tells you that people who do this know they are taking advantage of someone.

If you are a delivery Captain and doesn't pay crew than likewise you should be proud for tricking people into doing your work for you. Again, show me where people brag about pulling this off.

Think about it. Nobody invites strangers to go sailing for no reason. Who is doing who a favor?

Food and transportation costs at a minimum, pay depends. Shouldn't cost someone anything to do someone else a favor.

I never said anyone was bragging about it, but there are definitely blogs that talk about crew not being paid. You also might want to try e-mail the blog owners, many of them want to respect their crews privacy and not post it on the internet.

It was explained to me this way. A boat required for the cruising lifestyle is expensive and a depreciating asset. Crew are being given the opportunity to live the cruising lifestyle without the large upfront and ongoing financial expenses. They are also gaining sailing and maintenance experience in the process.

Its also about market. There are many people wanting to crew and are eager to donate their time. Simple supply and demand.

Also remember that many people pay 5K/week/couple to be taken on a charter with a captain. Crew is essentially getting the same experience, they are just required to pitch in, charter guests aren't.