Crewing an Atlantic Delivery - Lesson 1

[canuck_abroad]

OK, first post on this forum, and from reading through Buttlescut I am expecting more than a little sage advice and not a little bit of flack for my naivety! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

I am a limited experience sailor, with a couple of Med flots under my belt and the odd trip here and there, including the blistering winds off Tenerife, to warrant a measely 600 miles of coastal sailing and a Day Skipper ticket. I've been offered a chance of a lifetime, to be a member of the crew for the delivery of a 45 footer from the Caribbean back to Portsmouth, ideally (I'm told) before the start of the hurricane season next year.

There will be loads of questions as I consider my options (and come to appreciate why my wife and boss are so supportive of me going ... /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif), but the first one I'd like some help on regards specifications. Assuming that I have enough experience (tho that could be the subject of another thread), can you please tell me what questions I should be asking about the boat and the skipper to ensure that I have stories to regale my mates down the pub for years to come?

Keith

 

[rickp]

Make sure its just a boat you're delivering and err... not any extra "cargo" /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

(Sorry to be flippant, need more coffee, sensible answers will no doubt be along shortly /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Oh, and welcome /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Rick

 

[Talbot]

welcome to the forums. ask questions about watch systems, tasks in the boat, food, water, safety equipment, state of maintenance etc.

 

[AlJones]

You are going to receive some great advice on here, out side the norm I will include the following:

Only speaking from experience, things I would always check for now are:

The usual Atlantic safety requirements,
How much water is being taken and/or is there a water maker?
Food, good quality food which is going to give energy required,
Crew, that all crew are aware of whats going to be required, no room for passengers,
The skipper is up to the task,
The vessel is up to the task,
That you are up to the task,
Have a dental check up prior to leaving, an MOT at the quack's will not be a miss.

Most of all , DO IT !

A fantastic oppotunity, which I'm going to do again next year!!!

Some peeps will frown at the things I have put in this post, but as I said earlier, it's from my experience!!!!

Of course, welcome /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif.

 

[Bajansailor]

Of course you have enough experience Keith. In many ways, sailing across the Atlantic is easier than sailing across the channel. A lot of it is about coping mentally with the prospect of being at sea for 2 or 3 weeks on passage, and getting on with fellow crew members. The sailing bit is easy in comparison in many ways!

Four crew in total on a 45' yacht would be ideal (in my opinion) for a transatlantic delivery - even three would be fine, altho insurance companies might get sniffy about this. With 5 or 6 crew, then you need corresponding more water and provisions, and there is more scope for crew not getting on with each other.

Make sure that the boat is well found, has all the essential safety equipment, and (perhaps most important to your tummy!) is well provisioned, with everybody's favourite foods. Food is important on passages, life revolves around it.
Bring your own foul weather gear, and good supplies of chocolate or gummi bears or any other favourite munchies, and be prepared to dive in enthusiastically with every task, including galley duty, and getting up for your watch at 0200 after not much sleep.....

Equally, be sociable and friendly with other boats and fellow crew in ports of call along the way - I am guessing you might visit Bermuda and the Azores, or possibly direct to the Azores, although it would be a shame to miss Bermuda - it is a nice wee island, and having a 'Dark N Stormy' (rum and ginger beer, a local speciality) ashore in St Georges after your first major passage will be quite a treat!

If you are starting in Antigua or thereabouts, you should take the opportunity to attend either the Classic Yacht Regatta or Race Week first, if there is time - depends on when you have to leave by. And maybe have a shake down overnight passage to St. Barts or St Maarten first - then you can stock up on wine boxes and nice french food for the passage....

I might be following in your wake, although more realistically I think we will be sailing back in 2008 rather than next year.

 

[jamesjermain]

Credentials of the skipper are of paramount importance - with a good, experienced skipper all else falls into place. Your experience is more than enough for an Atlantic crossing but I would feel happier, in your position, if there was another watch leader on board in addition to the skipper.

s has been said, the main problem is dealing with weeks rather than days at sea; having your own personal gear and entertainment (books, music, comfort food) is important.

Find out what route the skipper is planning to take. There are a number of options which can have a serious bearing on the length of time you will be at sea and the sort of weather you will be facing. The best option is Bermuda, Azores but you might come back via the Azores only do it in one hop or sail up the eastern seaboard of the States and come across by the northern route which I would not particularly recommend.

 

[StanFolds]

I agree with all that has been said, I still drink "dark and stormy". I would also check to see if the owner will be onboard, it's not unknown for him to want the boat to go down with all hands so he can collect the insurance.

 

[duncan]

happy birthday Al!

nm

 

[canuck_abroad]

Thanks so far, everyone, for the encouragement, the nightmares ("special cargo" or "down with all hands" indeed! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif) and some answers.

Actual specifics would be very, very helpful - e.g. how much experience should the skipper have, should there be another similarly experienced watch leader, should the boat be fitted with a water-maker, radar, iridium phone, etc? I even have friends warning me about pirates (not the Cap'n Jack kind, either) and a need for personal insurance in case of accidents - as crew!!??

So far, a very warm welcome to these forums (ScoobyNet and P1 owners club have been my other experience, just to highlight my other very special interest/hobby ... /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif).

Keith

 

[Fr J Hackett]

See if you can meet with the Skipper and crew face to face for a meal or even better a sail, you may just about get enough of a feeling as to wether you will survive the 3 weeks or so in close confinment.

 

[hisw]

Shouldn’t worry about experience. I have sailed up from Cape Town to Miami with a couple of girls who had never been on a boat before. All there is to do is spot another boat and look out for squalls. - they were very good at it after 1.5 months at sea.

I would also find out what the skippers music tastes are. Nothing worse than listening to trance 24/7. – I find Pavarotti is a favourite, blasting out on the deck speakers whilst surfing in down waves in a force 8 with the sun rising.

Take a fishing line with plenty of lures. A little sushi is always welcome.

I always take my own torch, handheld GPS and handheld VHF & Life jacket.

And keep a supply of earl grey tea bags - nothing better then a nice cup of tea!

 

[LadyInBed]

I would base any decisions on:
The skipper and his first mates track record and what it is going to cost you.
Anything more than that, such as:
Route planning
Boats seaworthiness
Level of equipment and rations
the list could go on . . .
then you are fighting above your weight.
A good skipper should put your mind at rest on all these issues in a briefing without you needing to ask.

 

[franky]

This year's ARC will be setting off soon.Why not try to make contact with some of the crews to hear of their experience.
I was asked by a friend to help take their sailing yacht across Biscay.Five of us on board..owner and wife experienced lady sailor,beginner male and myself.Watch system fell apart after first day as both owner and his wife were not well enough to do a night watch but could do daytime.I did four 12 hour night watches and slept during the day.Boat was very well equipped and all in working order so no tech problems.

 

[tcm]

yes i agree - the skipper should be able to reel off stuff about himself and the boat - enough to put your mind at rest without having to ask many questions. In other words, you should definitely be learning a lot and be fairly impressed by the skipper.

Not thinking much of the skipper, or being uneasy, would be to me a bigger turnoff than being light on kit, realy - cos a very very tiny fraction of boats come to real grief and most if not all of them have lots of gear so the safety gear in itself is no good - the trick is to not to need to use it, and mostly that's dwn t the skipper.

Far more boats have bad/odd vibes on board - one even wrote about it - read (but don't bother buying) Your First Atlantic Crossing where he blathers on about concrete yachts being fab, but doesn't seem to realise his (1 male and 1 female) crew are geting it together until lots later, hilarious.

As for your own experience, i think a few charters and uk boating is fairly decent experience realy, especially as with a carter boat you get dumped in boat and set off with not much notice at all. Longer dstance sailing needs just a few bits of driving towards an unfamiliar coast and mooring up, not once or twice a day - and that's where most accidents happen, not in the open sea where's nothing much to hit or get hit by.

A water maker, radar, iridium phone would be ideal but of course lots of trips have been made without any of these, and stil are - I rented a boat in tahiti which had made the whole trip halfway around the planet with no radar, no satphone, just three wild frenchmen in a charter boat (but with two liferafts) blatting along at up to 17 knots....

So - provisionaly i reckon it wil be ok. Crew harmony key issue imho.

 

[snowleopard]

I've done this passage as crew and skipper. It's not a walk in the park (unlike the tradewind route) and there can be really serious weather en route though don't worry too much, mostly it's quite benign.

I would ask questions about skipper & crew's prior experience, choice of route, bad weather tactics, boat's equipment etc. If you've read up on the subject you should soon be able to detect vagueness, bullshit or ignorance. If any of the answers you get seem to be wrong, ask them to clarify/explain their reasoning.

The best bet is a trial sail - all the crew we took for the transatlantic sailed with us for a few days first. Indeed when taking on crew I would discount anyone who expected to just turn up on departure day.

 

[Koeketiene]

[ QUOTE ]

The best bet is a trial sail - all the crew we took for the transatlantic sailed with us for a few days first. Indeed when taking on crew I would discount anyone who expected to just turn up on departure day.

[/ QUOTE ]

Essential!
We had planned to take on crew for a Biscay crossing last year.
Sailed with us one day prior departure - whole thing fell apart. Supposedly never seasick - she was that day. Also, heart was not in it - guess pushed by parents.

Anyway, go for a sail first - 3 weeks is a long time to be stuck on a boat if you do not get on or if you have no confidence in skipper/boat.

 

[sailorman]

Happy Birthday to you /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[David_Jersey]

I have never done this trip, but for me to do so I would need to be very very happy with the Skipper. If you don't know him then I would prefer to have a couple of days "acclimatisation" onboard and out sailing before setting off............you sound like you have enough experiance to be able to judge whether the boat looks "shipshape" and to decide whether the Skipper can handle the boat and knows what he is talking about and is willing to talk through his preparations of the boat. If he has never done the trip before I would count it a good thing that he was aprehensive, in fact I would be more worried if he wasn't! But I <u>would</u> be prepared to fly home if not happy...........

If you know the skipper already then your decision is a lot easier, if he is a c#nt ashore then he will be a c#nt afloat, and probably with a boat to match. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

IMO the Skipper should be telling <u>you</u> what sort of prepartions he has made for the trip - I guess that he does crew as much as you want to do the trip. As Skipper I would be far happier with a crew who did ask questions, unless they had large breasts and half a bikini, in which case I wouldn't be "fussy" /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif