Crew Wanted: Phuket to Sumatra, surfing, return

[surfmachine]

Single or couple to crew on Surfmachine for a surfing cruise from Thailand to Sumatra and the offshore islands. Nias, Banyaks, Hikanos. Leaving Phuket in early May 2014 and returning in November 2014.

Yacht is a modern, 40 foot, aluminium cutter rigged sloop, 3 cabins, 2014 electronics and new safeties.

Crew will have their own forward double cabin, with door on it and fully set up for comfortable living at anchor. Owner skipper, Keith, is 63 yo and sailing with his wife Rebecca, 62 yo. Healthy and active. Skipper is a keen surfer. Best if crew surfs as well as we anchor at surf spots for up to 2 months and surf uncrowded right hand reef breaks!

Share expenses trip, up front payment of $1000 usd for the first month, after that, $400 usd each into the kitty for buying food and diesel as required.

All permits and security clearances and visa sponsor with federal Indonesian government arranged by skipper. Visa required from own embassy before departure.

If 6 turned out to be 9 - YouTube

A wonderful sailing and surfing adventure, minimum one month commitment, longer if desired? First sail is 7 days from Phuket, Banda Aceh to Palau Banyaks and Palau Bangkaru. We stay there for around 6 weeks.

Lots of info at our blog. Fifth trip there by the skipper. Crew needed to assist in passage from Thailand to Sumatran islands, then we just surf and relax!

SURFMACHINE

Please contact Keith on keithstirling1@gmail.com or skype surfmachine1

Thanks for looking.

[Surftrip]

Hey surfmachine sounds like a blast I may be able to do 2/3 months I will e-mail you.

[surfmachine]

waves from last trip

[surfmachine]

The yacht.

[surfmachine]

Hi, any surfer sailers out there want to come, we fly out to the yacht april 27th, so we need to organise Indonesian visas and cruising permits soon, as we pick up the Indonesian social visas for 6 months here at the embassy in Perth, or at your Indonesian embassy in your home country.
Cheers from Keith.

[water-melon]

Hi

I am interested. Have some sailing experience. Crewed from San Francisco, CA to Tonga in 2012. Kept watch, cooked and all the rest. Sailed on other boats off and on for 30 years+.
I am an avid surfer. Mostly cold water here in CA. Have spent time in SE Asia but not surfing. Have an open schedule, valid passport and possibly a fellow surfer friend who may want to go. How does the $400 on top of the initial payment work? Is that for the entire rest of the time, per week, month or...?

[surfmachine]

Ahoy water-melon.
Thanks for your interest.
It is a free trip, but not a charter boat, you do not pay for any services...

The 1000 bucks keeps the crew honest, if you come up with that then you are committed to the trip!!? This is for the first month only.

I have had so many people say they are coming and show up!
So, that amount is for shared food, diesel, petrol, stove fuel , I pay all boat maintenance costs and repairs. Surfmachine has the latest, 2014 electronics and safety gear!!

The 400 in the jar each, after the first month, pays for fruit, mangoes, pineapples, papaya, fish, chicken, flour, rice, veges when we can buy them, mostly goes on fuel when we get near a port.
So the 400 lasts as long as it lasts?? Normally about a month or longer, depends how much motoring around we do. How much does it cost you to live for 1 month in the USA??? Moving a 9 tonne yacht around?

Sometimes it is very hard to spend 10 dollars a week as there is nothing to buy, but when we go into port..then.
Your sailing experience would stand you in good stead! You also need to be really relaxed around strangers and non judgmental.

If we doing a passage from thailand to the red sea then I would pay you, but we only sail for about 5 days to get to the islands and then it is surfing 6 to 10 hours a day, sleeping, eating, talking, swimming, listening to music in the hammock, cooking, for the next 6 month.

So, I am not paying you for that, the trip is free, but you pay for half of the food and fuel after the first month, the money in the jar is easy and stops having to ask for some cash every time we buy some food or fuel, ok? the initial payment is good value and is very quickly spent , plus my 1000 on provisioning and fuel.

Have a think about it and see what you reckon? The money has never been an issue for past crew, if it bothers you then forget the whole deal. But it was worth asking about!!!

All the best from Keith.

[surfmachine]

SURFMACHINE: An evening ashore at Afulu, on the North West coast of Nias, October 2013.

SURFMACHINE: A day ashore at the Hinakos Islands, at Bawa offshore Nias, October 2013

SURFMACHINE: Sailing from Nias to Sumatra for a visa renewal in October, 2013.

SURFMACHINE: Lagundri Bay surf in Nias aboard Surfmachine in Sumatra in October!!

SURFMACHINE: Broken 8 foot bushman surfboard, then repaired! Surf action in September 2013, Lagundri Bay Nias.

SURFMACHINE: New crew coming! September 2013

[Surftrip]

Hey Keith I'm still interested will let you know. I may have to catch up with you in route.

[surfmachine]

Ahoy watermelon and surftrip.
No Problems!!!
Please keep in touch and see what develops?
Cheers from Keith.

[water-melon]

Hiya Surfmachine

Still interested. What are we waiting for? Sounds like you have others as well. We'll see what happens. I'm planning on spending some time in SE Asia anyways.

[surfmachine]

Ahoy shipmates.
Thanks for your questions and interest!
I signed on a crew today, just lives around the corner!
So, the position if filled for 6 months.
Good luck with your plans.
cheers from Keith.

[lovetosurf]

Hey Keith, my name is Billy and i live in central california close to SF. I love to surf all the spots around here and Santa Cruz, and I have a 23 foot Columbia sailboat that I sail around the bay with my girlfriend and friends. I am absolutely in love with sailing and about ten times that amount in love with surfing and being in the water. Also, I'm an experienced electrician and can be pretty handy. Anyway, I saw your post and am kicking myself for not seeing it earlier and getting to you. This type of a trip would be an absolute dream for me, just anchoring at beautiful waves. I can be very non judgmental and relaxed, particularly when in a euphoria of constant surfing. Practicing non judgement and meditation is actually a key part of my spiritual practice. I have been working my butt off for the past year and a half and am so ready for something like this. I have been looking to do and ocean passage, but that doesn't sound nearly as cool now that I have read your post. So I know you have found crew, but I want you to know that if your crew isn't staying the whole six months please pencil me in and I will be there, helpful, friendly, and oh so ready to surf those waves in a pair of shorts. Even if not this time, if you are doing this trip again next year, or something, I would love to be in touch with you and join in. We may end up being good friends. Thanks for taking the time to read this and getting in touch with me. Your pal,
Billy

[surfmachine]

Avast Billy.
Thanks for your kind words and it is pretty close to paradise in the islands offshore West Sumatera, especially now that my wife is coming for the whole trip!!
pm message me with your email or have a look at my blog?
SURFMACHINE
All the best with your plans... Keith.

Pic below by my friend Yasha, from his trip to Nias last year, when we were there.