Crew qualities

[janeK]

As a matter of interest what to a skipper makes a good crew member?
What qualities do you look for or prefer.

<hr width=100% size=1>If work was so good, the rich would have kept more of it for themselves.

 

[snowleopard]

All good crew are the same but every bad crew is bad in a different way (and i'm still finding new ones!)

a good crew:

has the experience they claim
has initiative but knows when to ask the skipper
works at getting on with the rest of the crew
is cheerful
pulls his(/her) weight above and below deck
is in reasonable health
buys his round

they don't:
slope off when there's work to be done
keep moths in the wallet
smoke
bring drugs on board
try to take over as skipper
whinge
refuse to eat what the cook dishes up
turn up late for their watch
ignore safety rules


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[dralex]

Someone who's chilled, is honest about their capabilities and knows how to trim sails. The ability to go down below and cook is good because it's usually me on that job. I also like people who don't feel the need to fill quiet with noise.

<hr width=100% size=1>Just enjoy it.

 

[Talbot]

Two absolute essentials:

will call the skipper when situations appear that the skipper has told them he needs to be there for.

will work at integrating with rest of crew.

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[Superstrath]

Bad but not uncommon-

Racing ballast who think they; can navigate / know colregs / know better than you.

These are particularly dangerous on a cruising boat, IMHO. Years of fancy foredeck work chasing round the cans on Saturday afternoons do not make a sailor.

Alistair

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[Peppermint]

Re: A pulse

and to be open minded and willing.

Special skills I value.

Cooking is good as is refusing to take themselves to seriously.
I like keen navigators, that saves me a job below when I should be on deck.
If they can teach me something that's good to.
Knowing where the wind is is handy.

Other than that I like blind obedience and extravagrant gratitude.

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[tome]

Just had a quick look at the logs. Took 53 different crew sailing in past 2 years. Only one caused any problems.

He clearly had nowhere near the vast experience he claimed. He was unable to load a winch correctly, nor coil a line. Every time I briefed the crew he made a point of agreeing with me as though he needed to be consulted. He started to drive the regular crew to distraction as they quickly saw through him. It was impossible to teach him as he didn't have anything to learn. After a couple of days it became tense onboard, and I've always hitherto enjoyed a 'happy' ship.

To this day I cannot discuss it with him because it would too much for him to admit his shortcomings. He doesn't sail with us anymore and I dread him asking me why.

That apart I welcome all crew, beginners and crusty sea-dogs alike. I expect crew to listen to briefings, wear PPE when I think it's necessary and always to replace the pencil at the chart table. I expect them to keep clear of the companionway, and that's about it for rules.

It gives me great pleasure to take newbies out and to see them climb through the initial steep learning curve. It's also great when we're joined by experienced sailors and we can really get the boat into the groove.

Good crew participate in all aspects of sailing to the best of their abilities, whether experienced or not. Especially when the going gets tough.

Appreciate that this is a bit of a back-to-front way of answering!

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[snowleopard]

<Took 53 different crew sailing in past 2 years>

an unusually high number. any of them twice? /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

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[tome]

Ho ho!

Yes, most of them. I have regular crew who understand that my first priority is sailing with SWMBO, second is family and god-children, third is lads (& ladesses) weekends. The lads trips are always over-subscribed so I try to take one or two new faces each time, the boat sleeps 5 reasonably comfortably.

Took 2 new crew out last weekend, one an ex-dinghy sailor who was very good on the helm. He's totally smitten and wants to know where to do a DS course. Also very keen to come again. Other chap has just retired so very useful for mid-week stuff.

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[pessimist]

Blind obedience, a deep wallet and absolute acknowledgement of ny position of Master under God.

I expect to find one one day.

<hr width=100% size=1>A pessimist is an optimist in full possession of the facts

 

[snowleopard]

then you must be an optimist in view of your abysmal failure to date.

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[BlueSkyNick]

As I am still on a learning curve at skippering our own boat, I value having experienced crew on board for the channel crossings. TwisterKen and Graham have both been great in this respect.

However, I have a certain paranoia about crew trying to take over as skipper. This is based on a bad experience some years ago when I was crew delivering a friend's boat from Ipswich to Gosport. He invited another experienced skipper as his deputy and as a watch leader with myself and a fourth crew member. It soon became apparent that the deputy was overly imposing his views to the extent that my friend became somewhat tetchy about it. This came to a head mid passage when there was a heated argument over something - fortunately with no safety implications. We had been thinking of a chaps night out somewhere en route, but it immediately became a rush to get to the end, spoiling the whole event.

Now we have our own boat, I don't mind taking all-comers for day sailing. For channel crossings, I have learned to only take people who are either well known to me, sailed with us before, or prepared to provide some form of a reference.

Ladies with blond hair and big assets are always welcome of course !!

<hr width=100% size=1>I can't be bothered with a footnote - it's usually rubbish anyway.

 

[tcm]

I think it's best if crew have an absolute minimum of baggage, and that any baggage they bring isn't too overly precious, can be accidentally trodden on without lasting damage, and/or can be stored well out of the way whilst on board. This applies to emotional as well as physical baggage.

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[pessimist]

I blame you. You knew her before me.

<hr width=100% size=1>A pessimist is an optimist in full possession of the facts

 

[ParaHandy]

one who doesn't look at my cr*p sails and say how cr*p they are ..... I mean, there are limits ....

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[Twister_Ken]

> Years of fancy foredeck work chasing round the cans on Saturday afternoons do not make a sailor.<

Not sure about that. Foredeck monkeys are usually fit, confident, sure-footed, fearless and waterproof, capable of sorting out horrible muddles of sails and halyards in a hurry, and inurred to discomfort. Maybe you're not giving them enough work to do? Why not ask them to shin up the mast and check the halyard sheaves. You can even let them take the wheel when things ain't too critical.

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.writeforweb.com/twister1>Let's Twist Again</A>

 

[Colin_S]

Excellent thread for someone like me with no boat and looking to crew - If anyone in the SE needs crew I've got a real impressive CV.................. now! /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

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[Peppermint]

Re: Yeah! But

I don't like sailing with em these days. It reminds me of all the stuff I used to do but can't now.

You've usually got your work cut out keeping them busy to.

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[cardinal_mark]

Simple.
Easy on the eye, ear and nose. Compulsive round buying disorder helps too.

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[Bob]

Tips

For ME - most important is that crew RESPECT the vessel and perform as they say they can.

Some comprehensive tips & advice for long-term crew at:

http://www.cruiser.co.za/crewfinder.asp

Bob

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