Crew Available: Crew Contributions aka $$$

[DHLyman]

It’s the experience of a offshore adventure / delivery that’s worth the price. And there are plenty of new sailors willing to invest, but the credentials of the skipper and the boat itself are what makes the experience valuable.

[Joh.Ghurt]

Originally Posted by Gadfortune

And yes, you will be drug tested, that's a fact. There USCG still confiscates vessels for drugs even pot.

I was never asked for a drug-test when I crewed on a boat. An STD-test came up once, but that was a different situation. Is these done commonly these days?

[Montanan]

Originally Posted by Joh.Ghurt

I was never asked for a drug-test when I crewed on a boat. An STD-test came up once, but that was a different situation. Is these done commonly these days?

https://www.drugfreevessel.com/join/...on%20%28COI%29.

U.S. Federal Regulation Summary

The federal drug testing program (now embodied as 46 CFR Parts 4, 5, 16 and 49 CFR Part 40) imposes 10 requirements on licensed marine operators and crew. Each marine employer is required to implement a company program and random test all licensed operators. In addition, an annual report must be submitted to the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard requires compliance with the regulation. Persons or firms in violation are subject to fines of $5000 per day and permanent revocation or a two year suspension of their operating licenses, certificates of registry, and merchant marine documents. The Maritime Consortium, Inc. is a simple, and inexpensive solution to this new federal requirement. Over 3000 local collection sites have been set up nationwide to accommodate the over 12,000 Captains and their mates who have joined the nationally accredited Consortium since its inception. See the summary of our services here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Affected by the Drug Regulation?
All marine employers, regardless of size, are required to implement a drug program. The operators and crewmembers aboard a commercial vessel who have duties which affect the safe operation of the vessel must be subject to drug testing. On inspected vessels, this includes all persons who are listed on the Certificate of Inspection (COI). On uninspected vessels, persons licensed as operators of Uninspected Passenger Vessels, Masters, Operator of Uninspected Towing Vessels, and individuals authorized to engage in Assistance Towing are all covered by the regulations. In addition, all crewmembers who hold safety intensive positions aboard a vessel must be in compliance. [FR Vol. 56, No.130]


What is Provided by the Consortium?
The Maritime Consortium, Inc. provides all the required paperwork, recordkeeping, random number generation, report submission to the USCG and chain of custody testing required by the regulation. The Consortium locates a collection site 30 miles or less from each member to perform all test collections. In addition to the standard requirements, the Consortium also provides random testing services specifically designed for seasonal operators. A summary description of the particular services is contained here.

What is the Coast Guard Drug Regulation?
The regulation requiring chemical drug and alcohol testing was published on November 21, 1988, and numerous amendments and modifications have been published since the date of the final rule, which is embodied in 46 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 16 and 49 CFR Part 40. Companies were required to implement a program no later than December 21, 1990, and begin random testing of operators and employees no later than October 1, 1991.

What is the Regulation's Purpose?
"The Coast Guard believes these rules will discourage drug and alcohol use by commercial vessel personnel, reduce the potential for marine casualties related to drug and alcohol use, and enhance the safety of the Maritime Transportation Industry." [Federal Register Vol. 53, No. 224]

What About Seasonal Employees?
The Coast Guard states: "the final rule does not exempt seasonal or temporary 'crewmembers' from the testing requirements." [FR Vol. 53, No.224]

What are the Penalties of Non-compliance?
The Coast Guard is authorized to suspend licenses and operating papers of individuals found not to be in compliance with the drug testing rule, and issue fines of $5000 per day to non-compliant firms. In case of a marine accident, a firm or individual not in compliance with a Coast Guard regulation can be deemed automatically responsible under admiralty law.

What is The Maritime Consortium?
The Maritime Consortium was created by and for the marine industry in 1989. Membership includes passenger vessels, towing and barge firms, offshore supply vessels, partyboats, charterboats, and numerous other types of firms covered by the regulation. The Consortium works directly with officials from Coast Guard Headquarters to clarify the regulation and incorporate changes in the rules. Consortium staff is fully knowledgeable of all aspects of the drug regulation. Maritime is nationally accredited and meets tough industry standards.

[C420sailor]

Right...but how are you an “employer” if you’re charging people for the privilege to ride on your vessel?

Hint #1: you’re not.

Hint #2: this makes them customers.

You can drug test anyone you want as a prerequisite for sailing on your vessel. Your boat, your rules. But please don’t try to argue that you’re an employer and as such are required to by the USCG. If so, I trust that you’re doing the appropriate IRS reporting, business license, and you have commercial insurance on your vessel?

Didn’t think so.

[Montanan]

Originally Posted by Gadfortune

Here! Here! Well said Indeed!
I could not agree more.
The facts are simple; the purchase, refit and regular upkeep on a seaworthy vessel is a HUGE expense and add to that cost of supplies, food, fuel, sailing permits, and all the other responsibilities of 'The Owner' of the vessel.
Now, like myself, I have a blue water vessel that I have spent a fortune on, refitting everything including the galley sink and have paid strict attention to Health and Safety conditions as well as every modern convenience for any 'crew's I may allow on my ship.
So, IF a person wishes to join me crossing an Ocean or "Island hopping" (which certainly would cost them thousands of dollars as a tourist) Yes! They Will be expected to help "crew the vessel" as well as help defray some of the day to day operational expense of my ship. And No! You are not a simple passenger, you are crew given the opportunity to have experiences of a lifetime at only a mere pentance of what I invested and 90% of your sweat equity pulling your fair share.
And yes, you will be drug tested, that's a fact. There USCG still confiscates vessels for drugs even pot.[/SIZE][/B]
So, if those rules do not appeal to anyone, the road leading to the dock runs both ways.

FYI:

To provide clarity of the classification of the vessel and the person on board wherein the person becomes a passenger for hire because they are a person who contributes consideration as a condition of carriage on the vessel. They are not passengers, nor are they crew.

Reference: https://www.luxyachts.com/resources/...r-Brochure.pdf

Federal law (Title 46 U.S. Code, sec. 2101) defines a passenger for hire as “a passenger for whom consideration is contributed as a condition of carriage on the vessel, whether directly or indirectly flowing to the owner, charterer, operator, agent, or any other person having an interest in the vessel.”


Passenger means an individual carried on a vessel, except -

(1) The owner or an individual representative of the owner, or in the case of a vessel under charter, an individual charterer or individual representative of the charterer;

(2) The master; or

(3) A member of the crew engaged in the business of the vessel, who has not contributed consideration for carriage, and who is paid for onboard services.



Consideration means an economic benefit, inducement, right, or profit, including pecuniary payment accruing to an individual, person, or entity but not including a voluntary sharing of the actual expenses of the voyage by monetary contribution or donation of fuel, food, beverage, or other supplies.

[Sand crab]

So Gad, what's your boat and where are you? And are you charging for crew or stating what the cruise would be worth? I get a kick out of the drug testing part because 19 states in the US have legalized pot and so has Canada. What drugs are you testing for?

[Montanan]

Originally Posted by Sand crab

So Gad, what's your boat and where are you? And are you charging for crew or stating what the cruise would be worth? I get a kick out of the drug testing part because 19 states in the US have legalized pot and so has Canada. What drugs are you testing for?

Legalized perhaps for recreational and medical use, but it still is illegal to operate a vehicle or a vessel while impaired. So yeah, the tests include many drugs, both legal and illegal.

And do note that while 19 states have legalized pot use to various degrees, the Federal government has not.

No difference then say, consuming alcohol, or narcotic pain medicine.

[Sand crab]

But the problem with pot unlike alcohol is that the tests can show use weeks before. I live in Washington State where you can go into a store and buy the stuff so perhaps I have a different view. If someone imbibes last week and then would like to sail on Gads boat then I guess they would be banned.

But really that's not the point I was trying to make. Is Gad a troll? Is he real? Does he have a boat. What is it? Does he charge for crew? Where does he sail?

[ixnax]

Originally Posted by cpisz

The crew is getting sailing experience, a place to sleep, presumably lots of fun and travel. The boat owner is spending untold thousands in boat maintenance, expenses, insurance, and assumes all of the risk. Yet you want the owner to pay the crew? We are not taking about mega yachts here.

Oh, baloney. People playing that sort of low grade bait and switch game aren't paying "untold thousands". Likely they're paying told thousands and not many of those. It's a douchy thing to do past the first contact.

[goboatingnow]

Comparing paying crew participating in high latitudes adventures etc with well known captains with demonstrable capability and a history of training etc. That’s one thing

Some bloke claiming you’ll get a chance of a lifetime ,so pay me. That’s entirely different

Word of advice , there are 100s of skippers looking for crew not the other way round. Get yourself to the boat , and you’ll find plenty of free crewing experiences.

[CharlesV]

This is such a difficult topic made easy by simply being clear.

Should crew pay or be paid? If I see a sign that says "crew wanted" i straight off think its an employment opportunity because the owner cant man the boat himself and needs help. So the crew works the boat in exchange for room and board, if not an actual salary from which there would be a room and board deduction. But the idea that crew pay sounds like "i have a nice boat on which youd enjoy a trip. Tickets are $500 and nothing will be asked of you beyond your ticket payment." In other words, selling passage. But then, the idea that you pay the ticket AND work the boat in exchange for "experience" is nonsense unless its laid out plainly and thats what a "crew" is looking for.

I agree with the OP that owners are eager to have someone else pay their lifestyle because they cant and thats fine if the owner is now in business and says so. After all, should an airline charge the ticket and then expect passengers to serve meal trays for "flying experience?"

It comes down to spelling out exactly what you (the owner) wants and dont be coy about it. Then the others can easily decide.

Im locked up in Malaysia due to covid and want to consider escaping forced vaccines by crewing a boat to California. The thread makes me wonder what one might expect if such an opportunity existed.

[fillintheblank]

Okay despite the new join date I was member here back in 2006 or so.

The "old" ways I think still ,make sense.

if its a delivery the owner wants help with, then the help does not pay, or maybe even get paid. When I did some deliveries, I got paid to or from the boat, but not both. Food was covered, but I was paid nothing. Deliveries are normally point A to B as fast as possible

If its cruising trip, and the owner wants help and you get to enjoy it. Crew pays their food and transportation to and from. This to me is A to F with stops at B C D E. The out of pocket from the owner for the "extra" person is nothing. But they get a hand at watches and stuff. As someone said somewhere above, the owners gets help, the crew has fun and helps.

Then you get in to the charter claiming to be the above, but its to let the owner have "crew" that are paid passengers that stand watch. IE have someone help pay you to have fun but work for the owner. un ethical if you ask me

[goboatingnow]

At a minimum if someone helps ,ie crews , I feed them onboard !!!

Meals ashore etc, sure out of their pocket.

Feeding someone isn’t expensive ,why be so mean.