Commentary?

[zoidberg]

I picked this from another place, and invite comments...

I have been a solo sailor for many years , even when my wife crewed in coastal waters I did bluewater passages alone in my ketch, schooner, now my 34ft. sloop. 24 - 26ft. waterlines. As an 83 year old widower I recently invited sailboat owning friends to crew for me. I can barely walk. Do not make my mistake and assume a level of competence your crew may clearly lack. By then the winch overrides will have blocked tacking and you are lucky to avoid the rocks at the channel. I guess they have self tailing winches on their boats but they can’t seem to learn how to pull upward to avoid overrides. Another winch and a rolling hitch to the jammed sheet set me free. Roller furling drums also challenge my crew. Again a jammed drum creates difficulties my compromised body can barely rectify. Then dinghy oars that aren’t pinned created momentary amusement watching a crew member attempting to row but ensuing problems made it less than amusing. Point? Do not have a crew unless you know their already acquired skills. I shall sail alone in the future. Fewer problems crossing the ocean alone than a one hour daysail.

 

[srm]

Pre AIS, single handing I would set up radar guard zones while resting. Insurers started to insist I needed a crew. Simple overnight passage from Hebrides to Ireland north coast. Came on deck to find crew fast asleep in corner of cockpit.
Told insurers radar alarm far more reliable than crew who claimed experience.

 

[Wansworth]

Years ago was invited to sail on an old gaffer ,Marguerite T if I recall,I decided on encountering the crew to sit quietly and sit away from the action as there were just too many chiefs and not enough t indians

 

[jbweston]

When I chose my previous boat a top priority was to be able to handle and manage her by myself. That was not just because I like sailing alone, but because when I invited crew I wanted to choose people whose company I enjoyed rather than those who were skilled sailors. If they had sailing skills that was fine. If they didn't that was fine too.

I never had anyone so incompetent, irresponsible or lazy that they couldn't keep a lookout for 10 minutes on autopilot in benign conditions after a modicum of training and 'issue of standing orders'. Obviously many of them couldn't have stood a watch alone. My answer to that was to adjust my sailing to avoid longer passages or sailing in conditions that needed skilled crew rather than inexperienced people I got on well with. Longer passages and overnight (unless I could do them safely alone) were saved for when the people I liked were also experienced.

I don't think I'd enjoy being in a situation where I couldn't ever go to sea without someone to help me. Immediately that gives the stark choice between, on the one hand, being at the mercy of someone else's bad habits or incompetence or just plain dislikeable behaviour, or on the other hand swallowing the anchor.

I've gone over to motor now, mainly because I want to maximise the time I can go on enjoying the sea without getting to the point where I absolutely must have a skilled crew with me.

 

[KevinV]

I much prefer sailing with crew and I too value their company and willingness over their ability. Those with more experience get the same precise instruction - I've been in more sticky situations through assuming knowledge than from assuming ignorance.

There's also the "I do it this way on my boat" - very interesting but on my boat you do it the way I do it.

 

[zoidberg]

I've long preferred to sail with an all-girl crew. Gentle readers will understand that, as I get older and uglier, my sailing time reduces in direct proportion to my decades.

 

[justanothersailboat]

Feels to me as though "coping with ever more difficult stuff on your own" and "working well with a crew who are not already both good in general, and practiced with you and this boat in particular" are different skills - and kinds of effort. I know I'm not good enough at either one yet, but I think this fellow might be good at one and not quite realise his blind spot with the other...

 

[boomerangben]

I get the desire to solo sail, be self sufficient, etc etc.
But I do think it also needs to be a shared experience. After all it is nice to relive escapades with others who were either there or understand and are interested.

Moreover, if the Gentlemen in the OP wants to keeps sailing with his diminishing physical condition, he is going to have to learn how skipper a crew and that includes educating and accepting the crew as they are. I would have thought his crew were rather embarrassed at the mistakes and might have been receptive to learning. We don’t know their perspective but their willingness to crew for the gentleman again lies with the skipper.

 

[RunAgroundHard]

I picked this from another place, and invite comments...

Reads as if he is a complete liability to himself and others. He will be dead soon, as the sea doesn’t give a damn about his infirmities or the end of that mortal coil is close.

 

[Stemar]

Reads as if he is a complete liability to himself and others. He will be dead soon, as the sea doesn’t give a damn about his infirmities or the end of that mortal coil is close.

Harsh, but more than an element of truth.

As a skipper, I'd want crew I can trust. I've no problem with newbies, we all had to start somewhere, but they're going to do their basic training with me in benign conditions, where a blocked winch isn't going to be more than a minor nuisance.