Sceptical About Crew Found Online

[AreMS]

Hi

I am going to borrow my parent sailboat for a couple of weeks this summer. It looks like my friends only can join my some of the time and i think i would become quite lonely alone.

The thing is that i am very sceptical to finding crew online.
How do i know that they are not crazy?
how do i know if we get along?
how do i know that i can rely on them actually showing up?

Does anyone have any good/bad experiences from trying this?

-Arems

[Badsanta]

Will, I would meet first and do some day sails with all involved. I have spent weeks sailing with people I did not know well, but I always spent some time before the trip

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by AreMS

Hi

I am going to borrow my parent sailboat for a couple of weeks this summer. It looks like my friends only can join my some of the time and i think i would become quite lonely alone.

The thing is that i am very sceptical to finding crew online.
How do i know that they are not crazy?
how do i know if we get along?
how do i know that i can rely on them actually showing up?

Does anyone have any good/bad experiences from trying this?

-Arems

I wouldn't put to sea with anyone I "just" met on-line in some random forum. Odds are against it.

OTOH - your odds would go up a bit if you posted for crew here in the crew section, explaining your vacation plans and seeing if there is anyone adventurous. Anyone with 100 posts or so is "kinda" known by their on-line persona.

I've met many CFers in real life and all are great folk so far...

Good luck.

[ShaunJ]

Very good question AreMS, I would start by talking to perspective crew if I needed some. Personally, I would go it alone.
If you have the time, try to get to know these people first. Try a day sail or a weekend and find someone you can tolerate
Welcome to CF

[AreMS]

I dont have access to the boat because its far away from where i live (far away from anything in my opinion). That unfortunately means no test sailing .
Does skype calls help getting to know them, or is it not enough to find out what kind of person they are?

Also, i would have some requirement (non-smoking/age/experience/etc.) Does this make it hard to find crew?

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by AreMS

The thing is that i am very sceptical to finding crew online.
How do i know that they are not crazy?
how do i know if we get along?
how do i know that i can rely on them actually showing up?

OTOH, how would they know the same about you? Flip your answer around and apply it to them!

[atoll]

Originally Posted by AreMS

I dont have access to the boat because its far away from where i live (far away from anything in my opinion). That unfortunately means no test sailing .
Does skype calls help getting to know them, or is it not enough to find out what kind of person they are?

Also, i would have some requirement (non-smoking/age/experience/etc.) Does this make it hard to find crew?

talking to perspective crew on skype with a video link is an excellent idea if you have no other options

[John A]

Asking a stranger of unknown quality or experience to join a stranger of unknown quality or experience on a boat of unknown quality to sail to an unknown destanation is going to be a little difficult for all concerned.
Asking for advice from unknown strangers of unknown quality or experience only compounds the diffculty.

Go to the boat, fiddle around with solo daysails and wait for your friends.
Becoming lonely when you're by yourself is a different issue for you to address.
my 2 cents.

[AreMS]

Originally Posted by Don Lucas

OTOH, how would they know the same about you? Flip your answer around and apply it to them!

Good point. When i think about it i would describe myself as slightly wierd :P. I'll keep this in mind.

Originally Posted by John A

Asking a stranger of unknown quality or experience to join a stranger of unknown quality or experience on a boat of unknown quality to sail to an unknown destanation is going to be a little difficult for all concerned.
Asking for advice from unknown strangers of unknown quality or experience only compounds the diffculty.



Go to the boat, fiddle around with solo daysails and wait for your friends.
Becoming lonely when you're by yourself is a different issue for you to address.
my 2 cents.

I understand i have been very vague so far. Exactly when and for how long is not yet been planned out. But the the detail i have in case someone is interrested:

I am 21, looking for someone about the same age.
Not important if male or female.
I don't have any requirements except having been on a boat before for some amount of time.
The boat is located in Croatia.
It is for approximately 6 weeks (july/august)
Has to be non-smoker

As far as my sailing experience, i would say inexperienced. I have sailed for about 3-4 weeks a year for the last couple of years.
I am planning on staying a couple of days alone one the boat.


Thanks for all the good and fast answers

[Johnny Cruiser]

Originally Posted by AreMS

Good point. When i think about it i would describe myself as slightly wierd :P. I'll keep this in mind.




I understand i have been very vague so far. Exactly when and for how long is not yet been planned out. But the the detail i have in case someone is interrested:

I am 21, looking for someone about the same age.
Not important if male or female.
I don't have any requirements except having been on a boat before for some amount of time.
The boat is located in Croatia.
It is for approximately 6 weeks (july/august)
Has to be non-smoker

As far as my sailing experience, i would say inexperienced. I have sailed for about 3-4 weeks a year for the last couple of years.
I am planning on staying a couple of days alone one the boat.


Thanks for all the good and fast answers

AreMS,
We are sailing the Adriatic off Croatia on a charter this week. Very Pretty Country but you raise some good points except you didn't say how far away you are like US or Auzzie so how far away matters.

There are plenty of college kids we have meet so far as my college soph son and his new wife are along with her local relatives. Would see if any local colleges had a sailing club and ask there for temp crew postings.

Harp the non smoking issue if it bothers you as most we have meet have a cig or stogie hanging out their mouths.

Perhaps best if you find a paid Capt as opposed to crew if you do not feel you have enough experience for your and your friends safety.

If you got here a few days/week early you could perhaps go visit one of the schools with a sailing club and meet a few students, sail with them, and perhaps find someone you can trust.

Hope you have a safe and wonderful vacation.
John & Carol

[AreMS]

I live in Norway, so chances are im not anywhere close to you .

Also im a student which means very low budget.
Low budget for me means cheap food, avoiding marinas as much as possible and going for motor only when nessesary. Beceause of this im not planning on going very far from Croatia, since i have to go back.

I am confident i can cruise coastal water safely with friends. Im not taking totally unexperience friends onboard. I have sailed the adriatic coast 5 times so far so i am starting to get to know the area ass well. I am also expecting to get som experience when i am joining a friend to sail Croatia --> Gibraltar in june.

A friend of mine suggesting finding the nearest sailing club and try to meet people there. Maybe i'll do that as well.

[atoll]

try crewseekers.co.uk the service is free to boat owners but perspective crew have to pay a subscription,this ensures that those applying are fairly serious applicants

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by AreMS

How do i know that they are not crazy?

You don't.

Originally Posted by AreMS

how do i know if we get along?

You won't.

Originally Posted by AreMS

how do i know that i can rely on them actually showing up?

You can't.

Originally Posted by AreMS

Does skype calls help getting to know them, or is it not enough to find out what kind of person they are?

It can help, but it's not enough.

Frankly, it is a good thing that you are skeptical. You should be. Getting crew off of the internet is a gamble. Until you have spent some time with them you will have only the vaguest of ideas about who they are and what they are like. I would certainly suggest staying very close to well-populated areas until after you have spent several days doing daysails with any strangers that you connect with.

Good luck.

[justwaiting]

Originally Posted by AreMS

Hi

I am going to borrow my parent sailboat for a couple of weeks this summer. It looks like my friends only can join my some of the time and i think i would become quite lonely alone.

The thing is that i am very sceptical to finding crew online.
How do i know that they are not crazy?
how do i know if we get along?
how do i know that i can rely on them actually showing up?

Does anyone have any good/bad experiences from trying this?

-Arems

The simple answer is that you dont know about crew online but some have given you some of the answers. Personaly i would set up a spare hotmail accoubt and hopefully a prepaid phone no for initial contacts. You may find that you come in contact with some "colourful" people, i did a few years ago.

I think that you need to be very clear in what you wamt expect and what you will not put up with. On the thread listed below there is an advert that i ahve copied on to my computer because it is (IMHO) one of the best adverts i have seen - all the relevant information and likely to filter out some of ??????? be nice as the rule say. Reading that advert would give me confidence in the poster - note Dons postl Look at the stuff that the OP wants from those responding at the end of the advert

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ain-77248.html

[Johnny Cruiser]

Originally Posted by justwaiting

The simple answer is that you dont know about crew online but some have given you some of the answers. Personaly i would set up a spare hotmail accoubt and hopefully a prepaid phone no for initial contacts. You may find that you come in contact with some "colourful" people, i did a few years ago.

I think that you need to be very clear in what you wamt expect and what you will not put up with. On the thread listed below there is an advert that i ahve copied on to my computer because it is (IMHO) one of the best adverts i have seen - all the relevant information and likely to filter out some of ??????? be nice as the rule say. Reading that advert would give me confidence in the poster - note Dons postl Look at the stuff that the OP wants from those responding at the end of the advert

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ain-77248.html

justwaitin
Great post and link. (though doubt that a Type A personality would know what he meant! LOL!)

John