Crew Wanted: Things you should know before volunteering

[wesevans]

Always have a way home ie round trip ticket. If you do not feel comfortable with the boat, Captain or other crew go home.

[David B]

Originally Posted by coffsguy

Stories abound in various CF threads of volunteer crew arriving at a vessel to find the skipper and his boat nothing like as portrayed in the crew wanted posting ... check out a very informative thread "Checklist for volunteer crew'.

As enticing as it might be for aspiring novices anyone hopping on a boat intending to make an extended blue-water passage is putting their lives and well-being in the hands of an unfamiliar skipper/owner, other crew, and the boat itself.

Take for instance a pacific crossing which is around 9,000 nautical miles. In some places the nearest assistance could be over 1,500 nautical miles away (a minimum 12-14 days sailing time). Something as simple as a failed impeller or belt could potentially lead to an inoperative motor, flat batteries and/or no refrigeration after several days. Running out of/or contaminated water would be equally inconvenient. In the event of a catastrophic equipment failure or collision a sat phone or HF radio would potentially allow a distress call to be responded to by vessels in closer proximity, but not all vessels have this equipment.

Having sailed with many skippers and on numerous boats over the last eight years and also owned my own vessel here are the things I would look at or consider prior to embarking on an extended blue-water passage or remote area cruising. It is not a complete list and additions, amendments and comments would be welcomed.


- 2x2 metre fender bo ..............

packs)

Thanks for the effort in putting this posting together. Of course everyone has different experiences and therefore different perspective, but your list is certainly a thought provoker, and that's always a good thing

[skipmac]

If a potential crew member showed up with the list posted they would be immediately uninvited for the trip.

If they wanted to review the condition of the boat, rig, sails, essential safety equipment, reserves of food and water, etc I would be gratified by their knowledge and concerns.

But fender boards? If the boat owner isn't properly equipped to protect his/her own boats topsides why should I care?

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by wesevans

Always have a way home ie round trip ticket. If you do not feel comfortable with the boat, Captain or other crew go home.

The skipper purchased our (his and my) plane tickets. I assumed he could also cancel my ticket if I pissed him off. The other crew also needed him to pay for their tickets home. Good strategy to assure obedience.

Sure, I could have jumped ship in the Canaries. But it would have cost me about $1000 to fly home. Plus all my preparation and efforts, and the time off work which had already been arranged. It was just easier to go along with it, despite my objections.

In terms of safety, I knew the boat was solid. I knew I had the skills to get across. I wore my harness, and took no risks. Frankly, I'm surprised we didn't lose anyone overboard, or to alcohol poisoning. For a while I wondered if the others might attack me (serious). But I was much bigger/stronger physically, than any of them, so if anything they were afraid of me...which was good.

This all may sound odd, just reading it on a screen. But in the ocean, there is no one else around for hundreds, if not thousands of miles. You can't sleep well. Tired all the time. Hungry all the time. Everything is wet. At first it was too cold, but soon it was unbearably hot. And death is just the other side of the lifeline. Sounds like fun right?

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by Aaarrgh

Charmin! NOT White Cloud! He is obviously full of $#!^ !!!

We had one day in Almerimar Spain to provision for crossing the Atlantic. I helped the cook with some math to work out how much bottled water, rice, pasta, snacks, cheese, etc we should buy. I suggested 30 rolls of TP, based on an average of 1 roll per day, with an allowance for some losses.

The cook came back with 4 rolls of TP for the entire crossing (4 adult men, middle aged). He enjoyed my concern before telling me...we'll just use "kitchen rolls" (paper towels) instead. I thought this was a bad idea, but it wasn't till after the 4 rolls of TP were all used up that the one functional head became hopelessly clogged (with "kitchen rolls" of course). It took hours to disassemble the head in a rough sea, and snake the end of a spare stay down the pipe and through the jammed up sea-cock. The skipper then gave the order that no paper goes down. "just bring it on deck and throw it overboard". So from then on, I would wipe, then scrunch it up and shove it in my pocket till I had a chance to get on deck and toss it. Lucky for me, I only "went" a couple more times the entire trip.

[Lizzy Belle]

Originally Posted by coffsguy

The list I posted is based on my own crewing experiences and that of others I have heard of during the last eight years where things didn't turn out as expected.

The intention and basically warning to people wanting to crew is fair enough - people should be aware, and the more they are, the less time is wasted on both parts (crew & capt).

But I don't understand how having "2x2 metre fender boards" keeps you safe during a crossing, or why I would ever carry fender boards I have no room for, or why crew should care if a skip damages his boat when docked?

Also not really clear on what engine hours have to do with it, or how realistic it is to have every potential crew member check seacocks etc. etc. for instance. Unless experienced boat people, they don't even know what those are.

I could go on, but the point is: you're almost doing a survey ... experienced people know how to make sure they're on a good boat and have a good capt..
People who are not experienced won't -- but they also won't have a clue about 90% of your list ...

And the few important things they can actually check, like water, you didn't calculate. Whatever is in that tank + 2x20L is fine with you - which in my case would mean one of us is in for a horrible crossing (you should have checked for a hand watermaker in the grab bag, but that wasn't on the list so ... no water for you ).

You seem to assume some minimal boat length / size considering some of the gear listed and assumptions made?

As to things not turning out as expected: if you count the muesli bars and type of peanut butter, things will rarely be as you wanted And again, the most important thing is a good capt., which your post doesn't mention at all.

[coffsguy]

Originally Posted by Lizzy Belle

The intention and basically warning to people wanting to crew is fair enough - people should be aware, and the more they are, the less time is wasted on both parts (crew & capt).

But I don't understand how having "2x2 metre fender boards" keeps you safe during a crossing, or why I would ever carry fender boards I have no room for, or why crew should care if a skip damages his boat when docked?

Also not really clear on what engine hours have to do with it, or how realistic it is to have every potential crew member check seacocks etc. etc. for instance. Unless experienced boat people, they don't even know what those are.

I could go on, but the point is: you're almost doing a survey ... experienced people know how to make sure they're on a good boat and have a good capt..
People who are not experienced won't -- but they also won't have a clue about 90% of your list ...

And the few important things they can actually check, like water, you didn't calculate. Whatever is in that tank + 2x20L is fine with you - which in my case would mean one of us is in for a horrible crossing (you should have checked for a hand watermaker in the grab bag, but that wasn't on the list so ... no water for you ).

You seem to assume some minimal boat length / size considering some of the gear listed and assumptions made?

As to things not turning out as expected: if you count the muesli bars and type of peanut butter, things will rarely be as you wanted And again, the most important thing is a good capt., which your post doesn't mention at all.

Thanks for your insight and comments Lizzy Belle. It has been interesting observing the range of responses I have received to the original post especially where some people seem to have taken it very personally.

To make it clearer, the 'list' is an extract from a checklist I used on my own vessel which in turn was based on my experiences on other boats where things broke, malfunctioned, or were simply missing. I'm probably no different to other owners who make an effort and take pride in maintaining the seaworthiness of their vessel.

However, like many newcomers to sailing, I originally (perhaps naively) trusted that anyone who owned a boat was a capable sailer and would do this as a matter of course. I quickly found out that it's not always the case following a sequence of events that involved 1) running out of fuel in heavy fog at 2am with no wind sitting in the middle of a major shipping lane 2) being centimetres from being wrecked on rocks as a result of badly maintained and inadequate ground tackle 3) crewing with a skipper who in his wisdom chose not to follow the channel navigation markers (in shallow waters on a falling tide) as they were in a different position to that shown on his chartplotter 4) a skipper who knowingly sailed off leaving a crewmember in the water (luckily he was a strong swimmer otherwise the outcome could have been very different 5) working one night in gale force winds and heavy seas trying to unjam a jib furler where the line had twisted and backwound around the drum (at one stage we were surfing at 15kts) - the owner had been too lazy to end-for-end or trail the line to get the twists out. Going by some of the responses it seems I'm not the only one who has had these experiences.

Once again I reiterate that there are many very experienced and responsible boat owners out there and I've been privileged to sail with a few of them over the years. However it pays to ask around, have a chat on the phone, or even spend a few days together before committing to join an unfamiliar vessel or skipper.

Regarding the question you asked about the fender boards Lizzy Belle I don't regard them as an essential item, they are just nice to have if you have space and intend travelling in remote places. With regard to water storage it is going to vary boat to boat - some have water makers, some have huge tankage, some have so little that a shower is a twice-a-week event. I just carry two extra jerries as backup, not for day to day use.

Thank you again for your comments and the positive contribution you have made to the discussion.

[Blue Crab]

This is some funny stuff up in here. I have fenderboards! I must be an experienced Captain!

My One of my favorite crew story stories is a "Captain" of my acquaintance in Galveston who advertised for 2 crew to the Mexican Riviera. The young and idealistic hippie couples that would show up were informed that there would be some final "fitting out" required. This included striping and revarnishing everything, haulout and paint, etc, etc. The skipper directed the action with his buddy Jim (Beam). It took folks 2-3 weeks to figure things out. Over the course of Spring and Summer, 6 couples did a **** ton of free work on the boat. After hurricane season, the capt sailed to Isla Mujeres with his buddy Jim.

[SaltyMonkey]

Originally Posted by atoll

delivery skippers don't have such high demands,my list goes as follows.......
auto pilot,running engine,clean bottom,life raft,epirb.....the other list is shorter
running engine,clean bottom,the rest can be fixed or adapted!

and........

[Xthewater]

Originally Posted by boatpoker

Vegimite !

Yes! One of life's essentials.

[atoll]

Originally Posted by SaltyMonkey

and........

that comes under the provisions list....."liquid food" for when it is too rough to cook and the crew are seasick in their bunks, wondering what ever posest them to think sailing might be a fun way to see the world

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by Lizzy Belle

...And again, the most important thing is a good capt., which your post doesn't mention at all.

+1, So true.

A good skipper will gladly discuss any aspect of gear, route, or plans, including emergency procedures. Getting to know and trust the skipper is paramount. A great boat, with super gear, and a bad skipper...well, you've read my stories.

[rockDAWG]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

Its a lot easier to check out a boat and skipper than it is to check out crew.

From now on I have a very short list of acceptable crew... it has one name on it... they have already done about 15000 miles with me.

It all depends, it can go either way. When in doubt, use the professional crews or skipper. Get a copy of their sailing resume and call up randomly the owners/captains whom the potential crew has served in the last 2 years, you will get the idea who you are dealing with. It all depends on how good the interviewer to extract info from the interviewee.

In the flip side, it is hard to get any references from a new owner who just bought a boat and call himself a captain. And the boat has been sitting at the dock for the last 5 years with rising her sails.

Again you need to learn a bit more about the man behind the keyboard. What is his profession before becoming a sailor, formal education, and achievement in life. Knowing how to sail does not make him a good captain. He has to know how to be a leader and know how to bring out the best from his crews.

Being a owner/captain, leadership trumps sailing skills every time. I can help out his sailing skills, but it is hard to make him to be a good leader.

I am just sayingggggg, carry on.

[s/v Beth]

As a old fart who occasionally takes on crew, if you came with that list to my boat- and would not check the boat out yourself but insisted that I answer you smartly and bring my boat into your specs, well you would find out what kinda of skipper I am. You wouldn't even have to leave the dock.
But if you were willing to check the rigging and suggest improvements on my boat, and you spoke from knowledge and not from what you read on the internet, then you would be thought of differently.

[Lizzy Belle]

Originally Posted by rockDAWG

it is hard to get any references from a new owner who just bought a boat and call himself a captain.

My first piece of advice to inexperienced, new crew: avoid people who call themselves captain.

(I'm only half kidding ...).