Crew- Help or Hindrance?
Blue Water Sailing, December 2002
Crew -- a problem, or a way to improve your sailing experience? They can be both; but well selected, they can add enjoyment and make your sailing easier and safer. Although the classic image is for a couple "to sail off into the sunset" by themselves (as was our intention), extended cruising will often demand other solutions for crew requirements. Additional crew can also ease the burden on one or both partners.
The cruising couples we have met have adapted to the demands of cruising (or they wouldn't be out there). However, passage-making with only two people can lead to safety considerations as well as being together on one boat but not seeing each other due to the fact one is on watch while the other is sleeping or otherwise occupied. In rough weather conditions both often have to be on deck at the same time, and/or if one becomes incapacitated, neither gets adequate sleep. Sleep deprivation and exhaustion can lead to bad decisions and sometimes disaster. Also, one of the partners may not be totally committed to the cruising lifestyle. We have often discovered that, after getting to know a cruising couple well and they let down their defenses, the truth often emerges that one of the pair is not totally satisfied with various aspects of cruising. Often the dissatisfaction relates to the stresses related to watch responsibilities on passages. The solution is to have additional crew on board, even though this adds another interpersonal dynamic to the boat.
There are many other reasons to have additional crew aboard, such as company with friends, the addition of specialized skills, the ability for the owner to leave the boat, etc. We utilize both free and paid crew to cover the spectrum of our needs. Although this is written from the boat owner’s perspective, it should be recognized that every crew position is an opportunity for someone who does not own a boat but wants to go cruising.
As the lowest cost alternative, free crew are always nice on the pocketbook. In fact, some owners expect their crew to contribute to the grocery kitty, thus even covering their meal costs. We provide the food, but if a crewmember wants something special then we ask them to bring it with them. Also, we expect the crew to get to and from the boat on their own. In remote parts of the world, this can be quite an expense. In some cases, we know that the owner has paid for half or all the flight cost if the crew could not otherwise join. On the other extreme, we know of crew working simply to obtain experience, hoping to find a paying job next time. Each case is different, and we have seen examples of all of them.
The bottom line is that an owner can reasonably expect to find good crew who are willing to sail with them for little or no cost. With that understanding, the advantages or disadvantages of having additional crew aboard should be considered without concerns about cost. How would you utilize additional crew aboard your boat?
Overall, we split our requirements into three categories: short-term cruising or day sailing of one or two weeks, specific passages, and long-term cruising of two to three months. For the shorter periods, we invite friends and family to share our experience. They do not have to know how to sail as we can handle the boat without them. However, they are encouraged to actively participate to the extent they feel comfortable. Basically, we enjoy the company for the interaction it gives. Frequently, we day sail along a coast and are in port every night. This permits us to explore the cities and do land-based activities as well as enjoy the sailing. As these are short time periods, the crew can hold a regular job as they can use their vacation time for cruising. Having friends/family aboard has added immeasurably to our cruising enjoyment.
For passages, we want experienced sailors, and some who can be watch leaders as well. Our boat has sleeping positions for six people. I run a three-watch schedule, with three hours on and six hours off. This rotates the watch so no one is stuck with the same watch time every night and keeps the watches short. Although there are many watch patterns that cruisers use, you will need watch leaders for all the watches; and it is nice to have a second person on each watch as well. This provides companionship during the watch and also gives backup in case of seasickness or other incapacitation of crewmembers. In our case, we had six crew (including myself) on the Atlantic crossing and five on the Pacific crossing. In fact, I had planned on six for the Pacific, but one backed out at the last minute due to health problems in his family. If I had planned on the minimum, I would have ended up short-handed. In the event, we had one solo watch so I rotated the watch partners so everyone had a different person to talk with during the passage. During our crossing from Fiji to New Zealand, a storm hit with over 55 knot winds. There were five crew on board, but two became seasick as we were beating into 40+ foot seas. Down to three good crew, we nevertheless kept to our watch schedule and continued to sail all the time. The operating crew remained rested (as much as one can sleep under such conditions). Other cruisers around us hove-to or ran before the wind to reduce the strain on the crew. As most passages require one to three weeks, crew must be able to take that amount of time off (plus travel time). In our experience, that means the most likely crew candidates are retired people or those with unusually flexible jobs. For example, one of our regulars is a freelance photographer, another is a lawyer with a private practice, and a third was a doctor from the UK taking a sabbatical. These individuals have been able to adjust their work patterns to permit them to take weeks off for their passion of sailing. In any event, it is desirable to have crew who are not rigidly tied to a fixed schedule.
The long-term crewmember is similar as those just mentioned. We have had crew who have joined us for two or three months. They view the experience as their taste of the cruising life without having to buy a boat! These long-term people provide stability among the crew and they gain a though knowledge of the boat making them very valuable participants.
All crew who join Escapade are given an Escapade shirt so that we can put on our team "colors" when we go to social events and when we leave for, or arrive from a passage. This helps build team spirit and improve cohesiveness. All told, we have had 85 people on Escapade as crew, in all categories. Most have become good friends beyond the sailing experience, if they were not friends already. This has broadened our enjoyment of cruising as they have come from many countries and backgrounds. Some people have come on Escapade every year for six years and have enjoyed sailing in various parts of the world.
You can obtain free crew from a wide variety of sources. We start with family and friends. Expand the circle to include those recommended to you and people you hear about through yacht clubs and cruising organizations. We have also used two crew-matching organizations: Crewseekers in the UK and Offshore Passage Opportunities in the US. These are quite good sources of potential crew and they are organizations which enable people seeking crewing opportunities a way to get in touch with boat owners. However, note that the people seeking to become crew have the total range of skills, from neophyte to very experienced. The onus is on the boat owner to select people who match his requirements.
Speaking of skills, it has been our experience that the single most important aspect of selecting crew is to find those individuals who are compatible. This is even more important than sailing skill in most cases. Compatibility includes friendliness, cheerfulness, eagerness to participate and smoking and drinking habits among many other factors. The close confines of a boat cannot stand divisiveness. Choose well. This includes crew-seeking boats. Don't get on any boat without being comfortable with the boat and the owner. Your life is at stake. We interview every potential crewmember; and if we can't meet him face to face, we will do it by telephone. We have had meetings at our house, their house, pubs, boat shows, etc. Although most people embellish a little on their sailing experience, we use the interview to judge the compatibility factor. Do you like the person? Do any habits bother you? Talk specifically about what they like to eat and drink. Do you look forward to being with this person in confined, and sometimes strenuous circumstances? Speaking of skills, sailors from other countries, and specifically Britain, often will have their qualification book which gives a log of their sailing experience as well as the level of RYA skill achieved from shore based courses, actual sea experience and examinations. The levels are: Competent Crew, Day Skipper, Coastal Skipper, Yachtmaster and Ocean Yachtmaster.
There are many people wanting to become crew. This is true in nearly every port in the world. Young people seeking a position have approached our boat in every country asking if we need crew. In summary, it should be possible to fill your crew requirements for little or no expense.
After you have agreed with a person for him/her to join your boat as crew, agree on a specific time and place. This can often be on the other side of the world and in places where it may be difficult to get to and even to find the boat. Agree on all specifics well beforehand but keep communication links open so any last minute changes can be accommodated. We provide new crew with a list of suggestions on what to bring and not needed to bring to Escapade. For example, we provide all crew with inflatable PFD's with harnesses, tethers and lights. (See sidebar.) Make sure that all crew have passports and the necessary visas and immunizations.
For dependability you might want to choose paid crew. We have had one crewmember for four years already, and he has signed on for at least six more months. He has made our voyage much more pleasant for my wife and I as he handles much of the routine items and frees us up to enjoy sailing more and to give us more time on land. He watches the boat when we are not there so we also have increased security.
Many paid crew are Captains, and they can handle your boat when you are not available. One of our friends owns a boat that is on its second trip around the world. He joins the boat when and where he likes so he chooses the best segments to sail. Or, you might want your boat in the Caribbean in the winter and in the Mediterranean in the summer. A captain can deliver your boat where and when you want.
Other paid crewmembers can serve as chefs or as nannies if you have children aboard. Often husband and wife teams serve as Captain and crew. Other friends bought a new boat and, as they were unsure of their sailing skills, they hired a Captain to run the boat and teach them the skill of sailing bigger boats. When our boat was in build, we hired an owner’s representative to assist us in determining the specs for the boat and to visit it during the build process (our boat was built in England and we were not able to visit it every month). He was along when we had the sea trials and he stayed with us for the first two weeks to ensure a smooth take over and proper functioning of all systems onboard. Day sailing up the Atlantic coast of the US from Key West to Boston one summer, we hired a college woman to drive our car from port to port. Each day she visited the local visitors bureau to find out all the local sights to see. She also made sure the marina knew we were coming. So as soon as we got the boat tied up, we were able to step into our own car and visit the area, much of which was beyond walking distance from the boat. That turned out to be a great summer, and we saw much more than ever possible without the car. It also turned out to be a great way for her to see a lot of the US.
The costs for paid crew vary greatly. There appear to be no common pay levels. Possibly on mega motor yachts there may be similar pay levels, but at the sailboat level all is negotiable. Often the boat owner is one nationality, the boat registered in another nation, and the crewmember from a third nation. The boat is probably operating in a fourth nations waters. As a result, many crew do worry about taxes. Pay is often for 12 months, but the boat may be operated less than 12 months (due to it being up on the hard). This can be considered the crews paid vacation. Food is normally provided and flights to their home county once a year might be part of the package deal. It is up to you how to structure the pay package and to agree it with a suitable person. From the crew’s standpoint, it is great to be paid to be on a luxury yacht and to do what they like doing. Not a bad job!
For our crew, I have a crew agreement for them to sign when they join our boat. Attached is the form that I use, which is modified from similar forms published elsewhere. The form is designed to handle some legal issues as well as to clarify responsibilities on both sides. What ever you do, be sure you both have a clear understanding of your expectations of the crew’s duties.
Selection of paid crew is just as important as any selecting crewmember, and probably more so. You can use the same sources mentioned earlier for locating paid crew, but in addition there are crew agencies as well as referrals from your boat builder (Oyster and Hinckley for example). Be sure to get references and check them before you interview them. Only make a decision after you have assessed all the information.
Knowing whether or not you want crew, and how many, is important when you consider what type of boat you select. If I had known that we would have a paid full-time crewmember, we probably would have selected a bigger boat, and one that separated crew and guest quarters. Think it through carefully and decide on the best solution for you.
In summary, extra crew, paid or not, can make your cruising experience more enjoyable and safer. Consider your goals and objectives carefully and select the right crew to make it happen.
