Crew Wanted: Checklist For Voluntary Crew

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by ryon

Come on! It's a sailboat. It's supposed to be quiet!

LOL... never known a quiet sailboat...

[David_Old_Jersey]

A checklist to ask (by e-mail or by phone) makes sense if travelling any distance, especially if getting on the boat is important!

But the important stuff happens on arrival:-

1) look the Skipper in the eye
2) ask around the dock and other crew!
3) poke around the boat (pretty much as if you were buying her! - checklist useful then as well)
4) spend time with the Skipper, Socially (with Booze is always useful!), onboard (at the dock) and at least a day sail.........ideally a week before heading off across an ocean or somewhere that requires a good Skipper.

But at the end of the day you are taking a punt, on both Skipper and Boat. If you can't judge both sufficiently well to come to an informed decision or are not willing to take a risk then best off staying ashore - or paying for a licensed vessel and Skipper (no guarantees for those, but someone else will have done a chunk of the thinking for you).

Gotta remember that plenty of folks will head off with little more than a dream and a boat (see various CF threads!), and those can be on various budgets.........and for longer passages they usually want crew!

The good news is that usually have to be going some to turn wishful thinking into death, and that for both Skipper and Crew! Often you don't have to be knowledgeable to know you have been sold a pile of poo.........it's the smell that is usually the giveaway.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

A checklist to ask (by e-mail or by phone) makes sense if travelling any distance, especially if getting on the boat is important!

But the important stuff happens on arrival:-

1) look the Skipper in the eye
2) ask around the dock and other crew!
3) poke around the boat (pretty much as if you were buying her! - checklist useful then as well)
4) spend time with the Skipper, Socially (with Booze is always useful!), onboard (at the dock) and at least a day sail.........ideally a week before heading off across an ocean or somewhere that requires a good Skipper.

But at the end of the day you are taking a punt, on both Skipper and Boat. If you can't judge both sufficiently well to come to an informed decision or are not willing to take a risk then best off staying ashore - or paying for a licensed vessel and Skipper (no guarantees for those, but someone else will have done a chunk of the thinking for you).

Gotta remember that plenty of folks will head off with little more than a dream and a boat (see various CF threads!), and those can be on various budgets.........and for longer passages they usually want crew!

The good news is that usually have to be going some to turn wishful thinking into death, and that for both Skipper and Crew! Often you don't have to be knowledgeable to know you have been sold a pile of poo.........it's the smell that is usually the giveaway.

That's the problem with being raised in Pakistan... no sense of smell... only realise as it seeps between my toes...

[David_Old_Jersey]

and right hand does not know what the left hand is doing.........

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

and right hand does not know what the left hand is doing.........

Oh that's never been a problem... after being a Anti Submarine sonar operator for a few years its amazing the communication between them....

[la vida nueva]

So what about age of the boat? Of course, we have 3 masted schooner from the old days still out there, but thinking in terms of "modern plastic" is there an age of boat at which one would say, hmmmm. old through holes, electrical never updated, sails whipped, tired engine, this one might look pretty but underneath it is just not solid enough to be offshore for 12 days?

[la vida nueva]

Also, is it offensive to ask for sailing log and about througholes and haulouts? In my case, I have never kept a log book, but I don't have that many miles to log, either. If someone asked about that it would not bother me just to tell the truth. If I were going to crew for someone else, should I ask? If they don't have a log book, what does that mean? If they have no maintenance log, what does that mean? I have never been great at keeping receipts and the like.

[Jammer Six]

I would answer that it wouldn't be offensive to ask anything you wouldn't mind answering.

From the other side, if a potential crew member didn't ask questions that I would ask, that would be a red flag.

[la vida nueva]

What about searching crew baggage for contraband? I had a crewmember who snuck his .22 cal pistole in his bag after I specifically told him he could not bring it as it presented prblems on checkin in Mexico. He didn't plan to declare it. Shoud I have searched his bags?

[boatman61]

I draw the line at rummaging through personal gear... mind.. it turned out one guy had half a dozen machettes etc...

[s/v Beth]

Search the archives. There was some crew member that brought on some heroin and when the owner pissed him off he was going to let it be discovered in the captains quarter's by customs..
I personally will not sail across international boundaries with anyone I do not know well. Don't ask me how I found that out ...
Even people who I have known for months turn out to be some one different when their history flashes on the border screen. And you as captain are responsible for bringing this person to their country.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by la vida nueva

What about searching crew baggage for contraband? I had a crewmember who snuck his .22 cal pistole in his bag after I specifically told him he could not bring it as it presented prblems on checkin in Mexico. He didn't plan to declare it. Shoud I have searched his bags?

I know of someone who smuggled one of those across a border by (commercial) boat - as a kid . I wonder how he turned out .

Never taken unknown crew across a border, but that crew baggage thing is a consideration. Some folks have very strange ideas of what is "normal" - or legal (I still recall a good mate who was 100% convinced that it was illegal to bring drugs into Thailand - but OK to fly out with them ).

Of course if you forewarn folks that a bag search likely to happen then they get inventive on hiding stuff. But a surprise inspection could easily cause bad feeling. For unknown crew I would favour warning them not to bring anything that they would not be happy for customs to lay out on the dockside in front of onlookers! and that sometimes the boat gets inspected by Customs before it leaves (don't have to be true!)........and only when they arrive mention the bag inspection by you. and then do it!

........apart from reminding them of previous conversation and saying that you simply want to make sure Customs (departure and arrival) don't have any surprises, can also make clear that it for their own protection as same happens for other crew onboard.....personally I would also be happy to say that they are welcome to inspect my own belongings at any time for the same reason - as long as I was present (same as you did with them).

[la vida nueva]

Great suggestions. For me, I live on my boat alone, when I can get to it. Making long lasting friends is difficult because I am not always there. This is a pretty transient community. Yet, would never want to lose my boat because some bone head brings a gun or because they have undeclared medications. Yet, who wants that crewmember angy at you while in the middle of a heavy blow...

[la vida nueva]

How do you handle crew members who look good during tryouts and as soon as you are far enough out to make a return trip to drop them off impractical, they act like they are on a paid vacation? Refuse to do their watches, refuse to be responsible, always putting the rest of the crew at risk?

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by boatman61

LOL... never known a quiet sailboat...

Especially with a few lads on board too

Dave