Crew Wanted: Florida-Caribbean-Azores-Europe 2023

[Flying Monkey]

Thanks for reading.
I am looking for crew to join this adventure: There will be several different legs, and different folks signing on, and signing off of the crew as we go along. Get in where you fit in! You know how these things go. People can sign on individually or in pairs, depending on room available and other considerations.

If you are interested, please send a PM.
If you have questions, then please post a reply so everyone can benefit.

If interested, then let me know a bit about yourself and the timeframe you are available.
Other folks, US Military Veterans, family and friends of mine will be joining the boat along the way as well.

Here's the general sail plan: Subject to change, and all of that stuff going on.

February 2023:
Jacksonville, Florida to South Florida, Fort Lauderdale, and then across to the Bahamas. Island hopping in the Bahamas for a while.
*** Crew spots available: 1 complete rookie, 1 novice, 2 "some experience".
End of February 2023: Sailing to the Caribbean. This will be a "mini-passage" 10-14 days at sea sailing East above the trade winds, and then South to the Caribbean.
*** Crew spots available: 2 novice, 2 "some experience".
March-April 2023: Island hopping and exploring the Caribbean / Rum tour of the Windward Islands.
*** Crew spots available: 1 complete rookie, 1 novice, 2 "some experience".
End of April 2023. St Martin, on anchor. Exploring the wonderful island, going to Carnivale, waiting for weather over the Atlantic to stabilize, so we can cross.
May 2023. Atlantic crossing, St Martin to Horta, Azores.
This is a big, blue passage. 21-28 days at sea.
The Azores are frickin' awesome. We might never want to leave. We will stay at least two weeks. Maybe 3.
*** Crew spots available: 2 "some experience", 2 experienced.
June 2023. Crossing from Azores to Europe. We'll make our way to the Keil canal, if it is deep enough at the time, and then make our way in to the Baltic.
I would like to be in Sweden for Midsommar!
*** Crew spots available: 2 novice, 2 "some experience".

Particulars:

Boat: 1978 CSY 44 Pilothouse Ketch. She is a well equipped, heavy old lady. A graceful sailor. Big, roomy, safe and solid. She is a comfortable, sea-kindly boat with a deep draft and 14,000 lbs of lead. Some say she is one of the finest cruising vessels ever made. I say, she is my dream boat, and she sailed like a dream in 25 knot winds with. 8-10 foot seas.
Ketch rigged.
Furling Head sail.
Hank on Stay Sail.
Main and Mizzen in Lazy Jacks.
Self Tailing winches.
Electric winch.
Electric Windlass.
Water Maker.
Solar.
Wind Gen.
Big Galley, plenty of fridge space.
VHF Radio.
SSB Radio.
Garmin Satellite Roam.
Satellite Phone.
AIS
Chart Plotter
Autopilot.
Windvane
Dinghy and outboard
.... liferaft added Spring, 2022.

$$. Captain pays for boat expenses. Folks on board share the cost of their groceries.
FAQ: How much to budget for groceries?
Ans: take your existing food budget and add 20%.
Land and other transportation: By future arrangement. Crew joining the boat should expect to pay for their transport to and from the boat.

Customs, Duties, and Border fees: Expect to Pay your own way.

Safety and Security:

We will focus on comfortable, low risk, low stress sailing. The weather and ocean will give us enough un-planned excitement to deal with and enjoy, so we will not press in to foul weather or any other risky business. This means crew should be very flexible with time schedules.

All safety gear is up to date and functional.

Smokes: No tobacco smoke on board.

Alcohol. The Anchor light is the drinking light. No consumption under way at all. But we will have a well equipped bar and beer stock.. Two rules of boating.. never run out of beer or cookies; although, the Captain drinks very little to no beer/alcohol.

Clothing. Yes please. It’s better than sunscreen.
This is mostly for the Bahamas, and certainly most of you reading this are already aware, that many visitors to the Bahamas view clothing as an optional situation. This is not a "nudist" boat at all. For packing considerations, space is the biggest limiting factor. We have a packing list that we can send as a guide.
Otherwise, if you do not have foul weather gear, then you should expect to buy some for yourself.

About the Captain:
55 Year old man. Healthy, Energetic, non-snoring, non-smoking, non-drinking (mostly), guy who likes to sail. Benevolent pirate. Creative executive. Karaoke singer. Empathic. Participative leadership style. Pretty good cook. Likes spicy food.

45 years sailing experience aboard 16-52 foot sailboats. Yep, started young, with Dear Old Dad and Mom. Great Lakes, Eastern Pacific (San Diego area), Western Atlantic, Bahamas, with the majority of experience in the Bahamas, with many courses at the fictional, but very real, Hard Knocks Sailing Academy.
Skilled and experienced in all boat auxiliary power systems (motors y'all); Gas and Diesel, HVACR systems, electrical, plumbing, rigging, - there's nothing on the boat I can't fix (or throw away and replace ).
I love to snorkel and spear fish. I love to explore the local scene, meet the people and get in to the cultures of visited places, so I tend to be wandering type explorer. All day on a random beach, to me, is a good use of a day.

I have a rock solid personality, not easily ruffled, calm under pressure, and am easy going and laid back. At the same time, I have a loud, command voice (thank you Army), and can be very intense.

I am not a doctor. That is my sister's gig. I am skilled at first aid, trained in CPR, first aid, recovery, and know how to treat many conditions.
I am also an excellent trainer/teacher and coach, so if you have no experience, but otherwise fit, lets talk. Don't count yourself out.

Ideal Crew qualities:
Galley friendly, coffee loving; creative cook, bold, brave, level headed, positive energy and attitude, a bit of a hippie, excellent communication abilities, in great health, non-smoking, not grossed out by fish guts, stable at sea, some experience with sailing preferred, a light packer, excellent problem solving skills, a cheerleader (and I don't mean pom poms and a short skirt, I mean a person who is excited and energetic when facing challenging tasks and not, how do you say in this country, be b*tchy about it), non-snoring (I don't mean to exclude based on stuff like snoring, that you really can't help, but I have a thing with snoring, and I can't sleep if it is going on). You should otherwise be in good health. If you have very good organizational and packing skills, you get bonus points.

Considerations for complete rookie and novice crew.
Expenses: if you do not have good foul weather gear, then you will need to buy it. Budget $1,200. I have life jackets, safety narnesses, and tethers on board for you to borrow and use, but you must have your own foul weather gear.
Testing and proving yourself: I welcome complete rookies and novices with little to no experience. We all have to start somewhere. I am an excellent trainer and coach, and I enjoy doing it. It does take a tremendous amount of time and energy to show someone the ropes and teach them new skills. I have to have a good feeling that crew will be able to function on board as well as be safe for themselves, other crew, and the boat. I do not expect newbies to become experts overnight. I do expect that newbies arrive with a good attitude, good energy, and an ability to be instructed, tested, coached and corrected. Everybody makes mistakes and messes up stuff, myself included. Even my Dad, "the Admiral" fouls things up. We all have to be thick skinned and able to make corrections and keep going. This means that you will not show up, pack up, and get under way immediately. There will be some time spent familiarizing and making sure it is a good fit. This is for the benefit of everyone.


Thanks for reading. Let me know if interested. We have a lot to discuss[/U]:

[sleepy]

i would be very interested is helping please contact me

john ford

[GarrySutherland]

I'd be interested in the tour crossing the Atlantic, but I wonder where it's leaving from. Are those tours listed different legs of one big tour, or do you return to some port in between? I'd be in the continental U.S., but if the Europe leg leaves from some Caribbean island, I'd be fine with taking that Island-approaching tour as well to get to the big one. Anyway, I'd appreciate input and more info.

[Flying Monkey]

Great question. Thanks for asking.

The plan is to depart the US and not return between legs. The boat will be out there. For example, Crew joining for the St Martin to Azores passage will need to get to St Martin.
When I did this on another person's boat, I flew in to St Martin. I got a hotel for 2-3 days. I met up with the captain, moved on board, and we sailed away. Once in the Azores, I hopped off the boat and spent 2.5 weeks in the amazing Hotel Azoris. Then I flew on to the next adventure.
Bam!

[Dennis Clarke]

Interested... please refer to my profile as I'm planning now for 2023

[Rkazziha]

Hello, I am interested too

[Pilot Gene]

Retired mature professional. Owned boat in Tortola for 10 years, crossing and cruising experience, 100 T Master . Easy going , minimum drinker, non smoker, flexible schedule .
Would be interested in joining for parts of journey.
Thanks. 479.651.5406

[Flying Monkey]

Here we go again, again..... (credit, Tropic Thunder)

My plans changed dramatically, and I put the boat back in the 'garage' until Spring 2023.

Thanks for everyone's interest. There might be a window for just an Atlantic crossing, End of April-ish, 2023.

[Sailing Seas]

Hello
A portion of the Atlantic Crossing sounds interesting.
Please let me know next year if that comes together.
Thank you

[Abacobaby]

Hey there hoping to hop on for Florida-Bahamas leg. Used to have our own sailboat in Abaco pre-Dorian. I have reasonable ability-take orders well. Play the ukulele and I wear clothes!

[Abacobaby]

Oh I see—April now. Well, let me know…

[Flying Monkey]

I appreciate the specificity of your reply.
Brevity is the soul of wit, so says the Bard.
Also, sailing plans still in flux, so I will update as I can.

Originally Posted by Abacobaby

Hey there hoping to hop on for Florida-Bahamas leg. Used to have our own sailboat in Abaco pre-Dorian. I have reasonable ability-take orders well. Play the ukulele and I wear clothes!

[Captain Mike C]

Hi, I am interested in leg one and leg two of your trip.
I have sail experience on monohulls and catamarans around Florida and the Bahamas.
I've been looking to get sail experience on a ketch.
I sail, cook, clean, and wrench.
Available to arrive early to help prep the boat.

I'm the guy who actually shows up.
Mike C.

[evankroeze]

My name is Evan, and I am a college student living in Los Angeles. I have been working on building up experience crewing on boats since I was a little kid, even spending time living aboard a 41' Beneteau with my family. I raced lasers, 420's and opti sailboats as a kid as well, but certainly still have a lot to learn now that I am old enough to crew larger vessels with other sailors. I hope to continue with shorter passages while I am in school and begin crewing full time when I graduate in spring 2023. I travel extremely light and am accustomed to small quarters. I've worked on the water in the Great Lakes on small craft as well as salvage scuba diving in the summers, logging 25-30 hours on the water a week. I also have my basic life support and have significant experience in critical care both US emergency rooms and foreign mission type clinics.

I am young, fit, and easy to be around. I know that I have much to learn, but I am excited to find opportunities to sail and would love to hear from you.
email @egkroeze@gmail.com

[Scubaseas]

First Trans Atlantic for the Captain?
Last rigging inspection or replacement?
Has the rudder ever been dropped to check for corrosion?
Jordan Series Drogue? Or any drogue with sufficient mounting points?