So you want to go sailing, eh?
You’d be surprised how many people are cruising the world’s oceans right this very moment in need of good crew. They need help, but find themselves consistently understaffed for passages, or even even navigating solo into perilous waters. Why is this? Because good crew are hard to find. Bad crew, contrarily, are a dime a dozen.
With just a few simple adjustments, you can be in the “good crew” camp. You’ll be asked to come back again and again, and best of all, you can travel the world on yachts for FREE. As they say, “it’s better to have a friend with a boat, than to own your own,” or something like that.
Tip #1: RESPECT THE TOILET. Marine toilets don’t flush like normal toilets, so learn the simple procedure that makes them work. It blows my mind how many guests fail at this one, and it’s hilarious to me that they think it might go unnoticed, as if it were a public toilet used by thousands of people and nonchalantly walking away from the mess will absolve responsibility somehow. If you don’t want to commit this crime, simply lift the lid on the toilet after you’ve used it. If you’ve left a mess, you’re doing it wrong, so ask your skipper for help.
Tip #2: BE HELPFUL. Find a menial task on a boat and do it, regularly. Become the world’s greatest dishwasher and floor-scrubber. Swab the decks. Polish the stainless. Coil ropes. NEVER let the skipper or first mate/co-skipper do these tasks for the duration of your stay. Why? Because boat owners are tired of slaving away. You have no idea the amount of work and expense that goes into owning a boat. Relieving the skipper/co-skipper/first mate of their daily busy work is much appreciated, and probably the surest way to be invited back.
Tip #3: CLEAN UP AFTER YOURSELF. Seems like a no-brainer, but nobody seems to get this one either. That’s because being a guest on a boat is unlike being a guest at someone’s house. Every space on a boat has multiple functions. For example, the bed in the V-berth, or the forward cabin of Grace doubles as a storage space that keeps her sails, safety equipment and all sorts of items that need easy access. Other boats may have plumbing, water-makers, tanks, anchors, etc. located in these spaces. Wanna impress the captain of any vessel? Fold up and stow your entire bed every morning. Erase any evidence of your existence. Don’t make your cabin into your “room” because it’s not.
Tip #4: PONY UP THE CASH. Boating is one of the most costly hobbies/passions out there. Odds are, every disposable or non-disposable penny of your skipper’s earnings/savings in their adult life has been invested in his/her boat. If you can, make a contribution for fuel, water, mooring costs, and upkeep. Do some research and see how much it costs to charter even the smallest cruising boat. A modest pitch-in of 20 or 40 dollars a day can help offset the costs of your presence on a boat. Can’t afford it? Scrub the decks more.
Tip #5: CHECK-IN, CHECK-OUT. Always notify your skipper of your plans. How long will you be on shore? When you do you plan on returning? Your skipper needs to know these things because he/she is ultimately totally responsible for your well-being. It’s a burden skippers have carried for hundreds of years. Most are too consumed with weather, rigging, and engines to give a flying fuck about your personal life, but they need to know your whereabouts because they could literally lose everything if they lose you. So tell them.
Tip #6: DON’T HAVE A SCHEDULE. Unless you’re paying hundreds or thousands of dollars a day to charter a cruising sailboat, you’re simply along for the ride. Need to get back to the dock at 5 PM for a dinner date? Cancel your plans. Wanna go to that really cute town you heard of on that island off in the distance? Swim to it. This is just how it is. Deal with it.
Tip #7: NO CO-SKIPPERS. You fancy yourself a mariner. You used to own a wooden schooner. You raced Hobie Cats at the yacht club. Whoopy-fuckin’-do. No matter your extensive “qualifications,” no skipper will ever warm up to your second-guessing and uninvited orders on sail-trim, navigation, or whatever else you’re an “expert” at. Unless you’re German Frers himself or some sort of sailboat guru, you probably don’t know how to operate your friends boat better than he/she does. Even if you do, turn your shot-calling into gentle suggestions. Suggestions are always appreciated.
Tip #8: DON’T BREAK ANYTHING. If a door won’t open, don’t force it. If a stove doesn’t light, don’t trouble-shoot it. Think of a boat as a space shuttle. There are no replacements available for anything, anywhere. Let the skipper be the sole breaker and fixer of the boat’s many gadgets. Need something to play with? Read a book. Your book. The one you brought with you.
So there you have it. Follow these tips and next thing you know skippers will be fighting over you. You’ll cross the seven seas in short time because you’re a unicorn. Ask any skipper, most crew members are a liability. Be an asset, and you’ll travel the world for FREE!!!
Sailing Grace 