Crew Wanted: Checklist For Voluntary Crew

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by kiwiladysailor

.... If someone seems bit off when you first meet them , it won't get any better when you are at sea. Thats my motto these days .

While you gave yourself the best advice, I think it is also important that you are completely honest with yourself and the captain, as to what you are after?

Volunteer, can imply to some a “less than professional” adventure and fling while you decide what to do with your life.

Always approach the 2 way interview with any skipper as if it was a paid position and detail out your questions to identify both the qualifications and expectations of the skipper.

Be very frank and specific as it sends the message that you have to be convinced to join them.

If the captain is flakey and non-committal with his answers, take that as your first early warning sign.

As a super yacht captain hiring paid crew, my biggest challenge was to separate those who were desperate to be given a chance, or running away from a bad relationship with those who were actually joining for the right reasons and could be counted on for many years.

In my case, I was looking and testing for attitude, skills and above all loyalty, as I knew that these characteristics will be tested at sea….

Before confirming, I left the final appraisal to my other long time crew, who would not only see things I missed, but let the candidate know about my personality and standards as the captain in charge.

Our average tenure for paid crew of 15 -25 was 5 years after they passed their first year. Some are still working for us after 20 years.

There is always a better boat to crew on out there , you just need the confidence and patience to find it.

Yes... there may be a better boat out there, but that is not what a good team is all about

[Jammer Six]

Originally Posted by sengsational

Reading through this post highlights that the "power dynamic" can often be a problem. I wonder if strangers that join to charter a bare boat would have as much trouble with that, since they all would be more equal. But how would you, or could you put a deal like that together? Time, place, experience, etc.

I don't own a boat, I am a member of a club that uses a charter fleet.

Every trip is a bareboat charter, everyone pays equal shares.

I've never seen a power problem, everyone usually respects the skipper, and everyone respects experience. Those who don't fit that description have trouble finding crews for their charters or slots on other boats. The other outcome I've noticed is that people who really have a hard time fitting into crews (or running crews) seem to find the door, and decide that sailing isn't for them.

There's a culture of cooperation in our club, a culture I am proud to be part of.

[kiwiladysailor]

Originally Posted by sengsational

Reading through this post highlights that the "power dynamic" can often be a problem. I wonder if strangers that join to charter a bare boat would have as much trouble with that, since they all would be more equal. But how would you, or could you put a deal like that together? Time, place, experience, etc.

Thats the key to equality in sailing , bare boat charter with friends you know and already trust . Skippers who are boat owners taking on crew often become very critical of who they have chosen to sail with. I have always seen some kind of resentment in one form or other . Its their boat after all , they want it done their way. They have a natural inclination to protect their property . Its also a bit hard for them to dump crew mid ocean , when crew have paid up front for the sailing experience. I think its not hard to understand though. When you are at sea you need to know who you have on board is reliable , skippers are more nervous , more often , than they let on.
I would always recommend sailing with friends bare boat charter , rather than offering support to skippers who only need your money and your labour to keep them afloat.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by kiwiladysailor

rather than offering support to skippers who only need your money and your labour to keep them afloat.

and especially when a "skipper" needs your knowledge and experience to plug gaps in his.......

[tomfl]

Originally Posted by Bestathook

SNIP

Potheads think the engine room exhaust fan makes the pot smoke disappear.

SNIP

Things like this need to be sorted out before the trip starts. Some folks have no issues with smoking, for others it is a deal breaker. Not to pick on wacky tabacky, for some folks plain cigarettes can be a deal breaker.

Way too many variables to come up with a checklist.

[casual]

Originally Posted by boatman61

I'm perfectly happy solo sailing the boat personally...
I'd hate her to move about and spoil the view...

Aye Boatman is back. Looks as though he found a crew person for the last leg . I'll be a good mate can I come?

[Moosecat]

My first crewing experience: North Sea to Bergen, starting from Ipswich, delivering a new yacht. I was grateful for the opportunity, the skipper had been recommended.

I had no safety issues, we didn't drink alcohol and spent the first 2 days sea sick. I loved every minute and there were only 3 of us including the skipper. If I was to be picky the skipper smelt after 2 days (BO). It was a 4 day trip and I only made it to Ergensund, we had to pull in because of bad weather, and I had work commitments.

As a skipper: Retrieving a Yacht that was stuck in a French port after a fishing strike. A friend recommended someone to assist. We spent a pleasant 18 hours motoring back (no wind). As long as he managed a safe watch, I had nothing to complain about.

[cptnorth]

Thank you all! This list and all your comments has been very helpful to me. I am currently looking for captain/crew for a voyage from Northern Europe to the Caribbean and was uncertain as to what to look for in crew etc.

If anyone has any helpful tips please keep them coming and if anyone would be interested in sailing with us, with departure May, please get in touch.

No doubt I have much to learn so all comments are welcome.

[sailor49]

Hhhhmmmmm. OK Fella's If your gonna go through all the time and trouble telling the world what you would ask and what you would do. Go a step further and tell us what the answers are to the Questions and the standards your applying to the minimum requirements. No sense in having to quess right.

[philsydneyoz]

I really need to get some open ocean experience so I can enter or crew for some Australian races.. It's been a life long dream to do the Sydney Hobart and Return event. Any suggestions?

[weavis]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Boy.... England truly is the Land of the Free...
all I had to do was show I could handle a boat single handed in all instances with competence.. and Bingo... International Helmsman..

Did you pass?

[weavis]

Ive never crewed except for people I know personally and for a long time. We are friends and I accept their abilities and comply willingly with whatever they ask of me. Its a respect thing.

On my own boat in Florida, I never went out except with friends fishing in the Gulf for 2 or three days at a time. One of my buddies is a professional Captain of a charter vessel. When we were out one time, I asked him about something and he said "G..... this is your boat. YOU make the decisions and I will do it for you. If you EVER make a bad one or a dangerous one, I hope you wont mind if I suggest an alternative way for consideration."

I had beer and wine and some spirits on board. We could drink off watch but I found that nothing was touched until we were ashore somewhere for the day or night and we could drink together. None of us did drugs. We always carried passports in case we ended up in Mexico or got a Wild hair and went to the Bahamas or somewhere.

I have no idea what it is like to travel with people I dont know. I only have gone aboard vessels of friends or friends of friends for short periods and had a great time.

Im with newt on sailing alone or with family or close friends when going out of country.

If I needed a delivery skipper..... I would ask around, ask friends colleagues and people in the industry. This board also serves as a good sounding board for information and advice.

This thread raises awareness of the benefits and pitfalls of international travel and gave me things to think about.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by weavis

Did you pass?

But of course.. easy and can operate vessels up to 24metres and 80GT..
Upgraded to Coastal Skipper.. did not see the point of YM Offshore/Ocean.. seeing as I'd mastered the art of dodging the 'hard bits'.. open water is easy..

[weavis]

Originally Posted by boatman61

But of course.. easy and can operate vessels up to 24metres and 80GT..
Upgraded to Coastal Skipper.. did not see the point of YM Offshore/Ocean.. seeing as I'd mastered the art of dodging the 'hard bits'.. open water is easy..

Quote from one of my instructors.

"Wow! Well done! Ive never seen so many variants of a reef knot in all my life.."

[Captain Koch]

Originally Posted by la vida nueva

If you were looking to crew on a sailboat for open ocean passages, what would be on your safety checklist as you decide whether a particular yacht was a safe bet? What questions would you ask the skipper? Also interested in the flip, what would you look for or ask of your crew?

Basic safety checks would be staying a few days at the marina or where the boat is before you set sail and see what she does there while also getting her fine tuned for the trip such as rebuild carbs, fuel pumps, change filters, plugs, lower end unit oil, water pump, (in dingy too.) tie the dingy up right by the through hull for the bilge pump to see what kind of water she takes on if any. Amp hours to 50% level. Have to make sure you have enough for the equipment. Raise the sails at port and make sure they are all in good working order. Check list to make sure it is legal for coast guard boarding can be nice if ever boarded you know they are wasting your time. (knowing no one on the vessel is hiding drugs is a nice feeling also.) Stock the boat with lots of provisions and way more water then you need.
If you have ever worked on a boat of any kind you would know that no one on board gives a sht about what you think of them. Not really. Your opinion is nothing out there. Your ability to shut up and get your part + of the job done is what your number one concern at sea on any vessel is. Of course you might have to do more then you thought but this is also part of it. Dis liking some one for what ever reason is some thing you have to keep to your self. Get over it. You don't have that luxery on board. It could get you thrown off at the next stop over by the captain. If you start clicking off with certain crew and making any, some of them or one unwelcome they can turn wild kind of crazy and end your life pretty easy at sea and never say they seen what happened to you. (Like not through you a life line.) It is a good place to go to get to know your self and how to deal with sht and try your patients and build your baby character into a real man or woman. It is not for every one or even most. It is a adventure and not many can handle that kind of life. Traveling like that is not a luxury on a sailboat to most. They are to slow to have little babies crying about stuff they don't like or who. Try to keep all that to your self so you don't get hurt.
Experienced men/women that have been paid/made their living on boats are the best crew and most dependable and well weathered. When things get tuff out there and face it things happen and it can spiral quick, they all ready have had that aw fuk feeling this is going to be a long trip kind of thing in there head and it don't really seem any worse to them. They fix it they hump it and get going looking forward to they're watch to be over so you have to do some of the work and about that time you are counting the hours till your watch and not able to sleep thinking also how many more days of that you have to deal with. Think about it people. If you think every time you go out it is going to be with your best friends or even people you like or that like you your dreaming. You better stick to family weekend outings if that is how you feel and even long weekends with some of your own family can suck out there.
Try to enjoy the journey cause it is usually the most fun. When your good at being a team member on the vessel you will feel it from the captain and whole crew. Try to learn even when your hating it. Later you will make things better with the experiences the been there done that's and getting it done attitude. Don't talk about it be about it! Well I hope this helped someone with something.