Crew Wanted: From Australia to the U.S. PNW...

[Evenstar]

My wife and I are now empty-nesters. We dropped our youngest crew off at college last month, and we're on our own. That leaves us with a Hallberg-Rassy 53 and two mostly empty cabins (we'll have our 18 year old on board from late May-August).

We've been married twenty-five years- college sweethearts - and we're in our early fifties now. Since 2012 we've been cruising full-time, when we set out from the U.S. with our kids (fifteen and twelve at the time). We got as far as Australia with the kids on board, but now we're just two most of the time.

We're looking at bringing on one or two crew members as we move over the next 12 months or so. Our longer term plan is to get from Sydney, Australia back to the west coast of the U.S. by sailing via French Polynesia and Hawaii. Roughly speaking, that's:

• Late Jan/Feb 2019; sail from Sydney area to New Zealand, most likely landing in Nelson.
• March/April 2019; Leave Wellington NZ headed to French Polynesia. Probably clearing in the Australs and cruising through to Tahiti or the Marquesas.
• November 2019; leave French Polynesia for Hawaii
• May/June 2020; Leave Hawaii, probably for the Pacific Northwest but maybe Alaska first. Still fuzzy on that last one.

My philosophy on crew is, I think, straight-forward. We don't pay crew as we're not looking for pros to sail the boat for us; we're mostly looking for help on watches. But we're not looking to charge people either. For passages - when we really need crew - we'll cover meals on the boat and other expenses. Crew is expected to carry their share of watch, cleaning, work along with the rest of us. I won't ask anyone to do more than we do, we're not looking for free labor either. We'll cover clearing in fees and expenses, but you'll have to post your own bonds and special visas when required.

You need to get yourself to the boat, and have the means to get yourself away from the boat when you're ready to leave or we're ready for you to leave.

When we're in "tourist mode", e.g. for almost six months in French Polynesia when we don't need crew and you're someone just staying in our house, there are different expectations. We'll never ask for a per diem or rent, or for any contributions for repairs, fuel, etc. But at that point you're living in my house when I don't really need you there, so it's expected you'll cover your own expenses and pitch in around the house. You can stay with us, but I'm not going to support you or pay for your vacation. And of course you can take off and do your own side excursions and catch up with us later, too.

We're headed back to the U.S. for a bit between now and January, but this is the time to start talking to people, conducting interviews and lining someone up to join up with us after the new year. We view the NZ run as a good "shake down" cruise, but we'd love to find someone compatible to stay as long as they can. We'll take some coastal trips together before we head off shore, to make sure we can stand each other's company in a seaway.

We don't *need* more than one person, but we have room for more than one. We have a V-Berth with a double, and a bunk room with two singles (reminder - my daughter will be coming home for summer break). I've got...trepidation...about taking a couple, as I've heard some nightmare stories from other skippers about relationships disintegrating on the high seas. I won't say no, flat-out, but I'd be happier if any couples that are interested had been together and doing this for a while rather than discovering the bloom is off the rose 500 miles off shore with us.

As far as experience goes, of course I'd love someone with more than me that can strip and service a winch blindfolded in a 40 knot squall. Practically speaking, we're more interested in your mindset, your aptitude, and your attitude than than how much salt you have in your drawers. If you've got the sense to ask for help in the middle of the night on watch when something concerns you but not wake us up every time you need to trim a sail in an inch, we can probably work the rest out. You may be the saltiest sea-dog on the high seas, but if we annoy each other it's not going to work.

A few things to know about us.

No illegal drugs. Period. It's a legal issue, not a moral one; I'm not judgmental. But I will not have my boat impounded at the border by a crew member being dumb enough to try to bring illegal drugs into a country. Or holding drugs in a country I'm not a citizen of.

We do drink alcohol at anchor, not generally to excess. We don't drink on passages, as a rule. Motoring in dead calm with a nice meal, we might waive that for a single glass of wine, but that's about it.

We're not smokers. So we'd prefer non-smokers. There is no smoking down below, so you're outside and down wind and probably outside the hard dodger - no matter the conditions.

Before we make a decision we'd like to meet in person, or if that's not practical conduct one or more chats with Skype. Also we'd love to talk to references. If you've never sailed before that's OK, but we're still bringing a random stranger off the internet into our home...so character counts.

There's more information about us in our blog, as linked. The earlier posts - pre 2017 - are more interesting as we've been kicking around Oz for a while doing projects.

Feel free to comment here if interested, or send me a PM with a little about yourself, or go to the blog and submit a contact from there.

Sail Evenstar

[windycityxx]

I may be interested as I'm currently traveling through SE Asia.

(Thailand at the moment but making my way towards Vietnam in the next few months or so)

=

Can you tell me a little bit more about your typical day to day?

How often do you plan on moving?

Do you like to go towns and cities along the way or avoid them except when provisioning?

Do you have any "fun" things on the boat: kayak, snorkel gear, scuba etc etc?

A little bit about myself below.

Thanks!

=========================

I am a single male from the USA, I do not drink, smoke, or do any drugs; but ok if that's your thing. (besides drugs).

I am very easy going, outgoing, respectful, personable, positive attitude, great personality, sense of humor, gets along with everyone type.

Absolutely no issues in any way.

I have already been on 6 boats off of this forum and am once again available for the right opportunity.

=

* 1 week in the Florida Keys

* 1 week from Florida to Louisiana

* 3 weeks in The Bahamas

* 6 weeks in New York and New Jersey

* 8 weeks in The Caribbean: The Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico

* 18 weeks in The Mediterranean: Turkey, Greece, Italy, Spain

=

Originally Posted by Evenstar

My wife and I are now empty-nesters. We dropped our youngest crew off at college last month, and we're on our own. That leaves us with a Hallberg-Rassy 53 and two mostly empty cabins (we'll have our 18 year old on board from late May-August).

We've been married twenty-five years- college sweethearts - and we're in our early fifties now. Since 2012 we've been cruising full-time, when we set out from the U.S. with our kids (fifteen and twelve at the time). We got as far as Australia with the kids on board, but now we're just two most of the time.

We're looking at bringing on one or two crew members as we move over the next 12 months or so. Our longer term plan is to get from Sydney, Australia back to the west coast of the U.S. by sailing via French Polynesia and Hawaii. Roughly speaking, that's:

• Late Jan/Feb 2019; sail from Sydney area to New Zealand, most likely landing in Nelson.
• March/April 2019; Leave Wellington NZ headed to French Polynesia. Probably clearing in the Australs and cruising through to Tahiti or the Marquesas.
• November 2019; leave French Polynesia for Hawaii
• May/June 2020; Leave Hawaii, probably for the Pacific Northwest but maybe Alaska first. Still fuzzy on that last one.

My philosophy on crew is, I think, straight-forward. We don't pay crew as we're not looking for pros to sail the boat for us; we're mostly looking for help on watches. But we're not looking to charge people either. For passages - when we really need crew - we'll cover meals on the boat and other expenses. Crew is expected to carry their share of watch, cleaning, work along with the rest of us. I won't ask anyone to do more than we do, we're not looking for free labor either. We'll cover clearing in fees and expenses, but you'll have to post your own bonds and special visas when required.

You need to get yourself to the boat, and have the means to get yourself away from the boat when you're ready to leave or we're ready for you to leave.

When we're in "tourist mode", e.g. for almost six months in French Polynesia when we don't need crew and you're someone just staying in our house, there are different expectations. We'll never ask for a per diem or rent, or for any contributions for repairs, fuel, etc. But at that point you're living in my house when I don't really need you there, so it's expected you'll cover your own expenses and pitch in around the house. You can stay with us, but I'm not going to support you or pay for your vacation. And of course you can take off and do your own side excursions and catch up with us later, too.

We're headed back to the U.S. for a bit between now and January, but this is the time to start talking to people, conducting interviews and lining someone up to join up with us after the new year. We view the NZ run as a good "shake down" cruise, but we'd love to find someone compatible to stay as long as they can. We'll take some coastal trips together before we head off shore, to make sure we can stand each other's company in a seaway.

We don't *need* more than one person, but we have room for more than one. We have a V-Berth with a double, and a bunk room with two singles (reminder - my daughter will be coming home for summer break). I've got...trepidation...about taking a couple, as I've heard some nightmare stories from other skippers about relationships disintegrating on the high seas. I won't say no, flat-out, but I'd be happier if any couples that are interested had been together and doing this for a while rather than discovering the bloom is off the rose 500 miles off shore with us.

As far as experience goes, of course I'd love someone with more than me that can strip and service a winch blindfolded in a 40 knot squall. Practically speaking, we're more interested in your mindset, your aptitude, and your attitude than than how much salt you have in your drawers. If you've got the sense to ask for help in the middle of the night on watch when something concerns you but not wake us up every time you need to trim a sail in an inch, we can probably work the rest out. You may be the saltiest sea-dog on the high seas, but if we annoy each other it's not going to work.

A few things to know about us.

No illegal drugs. Period. It's a legal issue, not a moral one; I'm not judgmental. But I will not have my boat impounded at the border by a crew member being dumb enough to try to bring illegal drugs into a country. Or holding drugs in a country I'm not a citizen of.

We do drink alcohol at anchor, not generally to excess. We don't drink on passages, as a rule. Motoring in dead calm with a nice meal, we might waive that for a single glass of wine, but that's about it.

We're not smokers. So we'd prefer non-smokers. There is no smoking down below, so you're outside and down wind and probably outside the hard dodger - no matter the conditions.

Before we make a decision we'd like to meet in person, or if that's not practical conduct one or more chats with Skype. Also we'd love to talk to references. If you've never sailed before that's OK, but we're still bringing a random stranger off the internet into our home...so character counts.

There's more information about us in our blog, as linked. The earlier posts - pre 2017 - are more interesting as we've been kicking around Oz for a while doing projects.

Feel free to comment here if interested, or send me a PM with a little about yourself, or go to the blog and submit a contact from there.

Sail Evenstar

[Evenstar]

Originally Posted by windycityxx

I may be interested as I'm currently traveling through SE Asia.

(Thailand at the moment but making my way towards Vietnam in the next few months or so)

=

Can you tell me a little bit more about your typical day to day?
It really depends where we are. And we've had boatschooling for the last six years, and we don't have school anymore. We've not yet established a new pattern as my wife and I have only been on our own for a couple of weeks and that has been in the extremely not-fun environment of shivering in the Australian spring and getting the boat more ready to move.


When someplace more interesting, a typical day may include walks, snorkeling, going ashore for provisions, quiet time spent reading on the boat, writing/working/taking care of business as needed, and some boat projects.


We try not to start boat projects late in the day; we'd rather start them early and be done for some play time.


It's tough to say for sure, because when we had teens on board more days than not were school days, with work tying the kid to the boat and us nearby into the early afternoon.





How often do you plan on moving?
Again, it depends on where we are. If we like a place we'll stay for a while. We're the sorts that prefer to take a little time exploring and getting to know a place. e.g. we spent a couple of weeks at each of several atolls in the Tuamotus last time through.


However, our patterns have to be re-established, as one pressure we had with kids was school - they needed to be near internet much of the time. So we got to a place like Rangiroa which had passable internet for school, and we didn't move as far from it because we couldn't. Now we don't have that same pressure.



Do you like to go towns and cities along the way or avoid them except when provisioning?
Again it depends a lot on what we need (see "kids & school" above"). We love being off the grid and out of town and do that when we can. But we also spend time near them, as you still want to be able to eat, get off the boat and go see cultural sites, go to dinner, etc. So the arse end of nowhere is delightful, but in almost every place you go you end up near some form of civilization.


Do you have any "fun" things on the boat: kayak, snorkel gear, scuba etc etc?
We've got snorkel gear, I think there's an extra set. I'm the only certified diver; we have one set of gear but it doesn't see much use as it's mostly for maintenance. We do not have a compressor. We've got fishing gear and a second dinghy with a small engine.

Comments up above.

[sammorrow]

Hello,
32 year old male from New Zealand here looking for sailing experience, mile building, and adventure! Have some sailing experience having recently completed my Competent Crew course at Pacific Sailing School in Rushcutters Bay and also attending weekly Wednesday afternoon races from CYCA. Have also recently participated in my first J24 regatta and had the time of my life! Have done some occasional blue water cruising most recently in Far North Queensland.
I work on all manner of boats on Sydney Harbour as a deckhand so I know port from starboard and can tie a few knots haha!
One thing I loved the most about my recent regatta weekend, apart from the actual sailing of course, was the team bonding! It was great to be thrown into a challenging situation with people I’d not known for very long and come out of it as friends. It really brought us together as a crew and ideally this is what my future sailing experiences will be like.
If you are interested please let me know as I would love to meet you guys for a chat!
Thanks for taking the time to read!
Sam

[HFWK]

PM sent.

[Cubro0204]

Hello,

I am interested in your crew opportunity and will send you a PM with considerably more detail.

Thank you for your consideration
Curtis

[Evenstar]

UPDATE:


We've filled one crew spot. We're not sure that we'll take two, but we're still talking to people.


The crew we'd invited is a single woman. To avoid drama and possible hassles with crew dynamics, IF we take a second crew on this we feel it is 99% likely to be another woman rather than a single guy. There are just too many ways the dynamic can go wrong, otherwise.