Experienced crew wanted Preston-Brighton 10/5/14 ish

[sand_dune]

When: Starting 9-10-11-ish of May
Where: Preston - Brighton
Experience required: Yes

Hi, today I learned that my previously arranged crew for this passage has unfortunately fallen ill. So I'll be looking for new crew. Please be advised that I emailed my yacht club commodore to ask if he has any willing crew in mind. So if he finds someone suitable, I'll give them the priority.

I need to sail 41 foot sloop from near Preston Lancashire to the south coast Brighton area. I consider her to be in an excellent condition with fresh sails/running rigging, everything else in good order. She has no spray hood, but you are sitting quite high on top of the boat. There's an epirb fast find and probably a few life jackets. Doesn't have a life raft, but has in 2.3 inflatable dinghy. Full navigational equipment dates ~2010, including 2 garmin 4008 chart plotters. The boat has no radar.

I'll be spending a few days with the boat around this weekend also meeting previous owner (for a day or two) and taking notes, getting to know the boat. After that I'll have more detailed info to assist me, including information about tides, as the boat sits in a shallow tidal river 5 miles from the sea.

My experience is below mediocre, but theoretical knowledge is ok. I'm not afraid to sailing or rough seas, but cannot guarantee not falling seasick.

I'll be paying for fuel and overnight marina moorings as required.

I welcome your input in this thread, as well as applications for crewing.



Edit: The trip is now planned between 13th and 24th of May


Anyone willing to join me on the trip should contact me with a pm, stating their ability and desired length of participation. These people will be short listed for the journey and reserved a role in the crew according to their ability. We will also discuss details of the trip.

Everyone else should be kind and wish me good luck, as well as their competent advice if they know it will help me, and not if they are full of it Remember to keep any irrelevant information out of this thread, because relevant information for would be participants gets harder to find. I think another 10 pages and the task will become nearly impossible.

Update 30.04
Now especially looking for people to join me from Preston or Holyhead to Falmouth/Plymouth

Update 09.05
sailing out on the 13th. Need a fairly quick passage to Falmouth. Crew wanted especially between Anglesey and Milford Haven, less important between Milford Haven and Falmouth.

 

[sailorman]

Try here
http://www.ybw.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?62-SBC-Crewing-Opportunities-Forum

 

[garvellachs]

You said you'd welcome input? Is she at Preston Marina or the Douglas River? Lots of local advice available from either - it's not the easiest of places to exit.

Setting out in a boat new-to-you is a recipe for rapid lessons in DIY maintenance, so I'd try to get some local trips in first before heading out - maybe down to Lytham on the ebb tide and back on the next flood - to test all the systems? I think there's water to anchor there (or there was).

You are looking for experienced crew, but offering below-mediocre experience as skipper? That might not be the right way round? The waters you need to traverse to get to Brighton are not really for the theoretical only - you will need an experienced skipper on the boat to do it well and happily I reckon? So I would advise you to look for someone experienced whom you are happy to ask to skipper you and the boat?

How much time do you have - is this a time-off-work fast trip or a leisurely trip for the retired?

 

[sand_dune]

Yes I welcome input. Thank you for the advice.

The boat is in Douglas river, at Douglas boatyard. I'll be meeting this Friday the experienced former owner and maybe the boatyard manager and talking about exiting the river. It may be not the easiest to exit, but I think it's all about high tide, as river Douglas seems to be about the same depth throughout in that area, so it's all about keeping to the middle of water. Or I will learn different from people who I'm meeting.

Again I have slightly different thoughts on DIY. While agree this can be a rule usually. But in this case the owner kept the boat in immaculate condition, actually restored her to that condition, replaced everything what could be replaced. I'll try to make my best to test her systems, also with the help of the previous owner.

Sorry I didn't realise I had to ask for a skipper. Yes, someone's experience should exceed one of a crew member, and should be able to do the navigation. I assumed that anyone with any more experience than me would do just fine. Because that's what sailing is about - knowing your way around. Some advance route planning I could do when meeting previous owner.

I was told such journey theoretically could take between 5 and 10 days. With former being constantly sailing, with larger crew, which is more stressful for people involved. Although I personally want the boat asap at the end destination(and to save money too), I don't mind making it convenient for people and stretching the cruise to whatever is necessary (10 days?) with stops at a number of marinas.

 

[garvellachs]

Mmmm - I've just seen the pic you put in your profile. On that lean evidence she looks an immaculate boat I grant you. I have taken a Maxi fin-keeler out of the Douglas and over to Conwy before - if you need a hand to get started round to Holyhead or similar I'd be glad to help - I could spare some time in May (retired) probably. Use the PM system (click on username and use the "Private Message" option) if you want to talk more.

 

[Uricanejack]

If you are intending long passage with few stops. You might want to consider additional crew. I delivered my boat home with just my son as crew. It was a 300 mile trip. Shorter than yours. About 100 offshore. We stopped a couple of times. When stopping after 12 to 16 hrs we we ok. The 48hr offshore section was exhausting.

Still the trip was a great experience. If I do a trip of that kind of Lenth I would like a minimum of 3 crew.

There are delivery companies who can give you a quote with you as one of the crew.

 

[Rigger Mortice]

Doing that trip with just one crew and you being relatively inexperienced is asking a lot. As others have said it may well be worth getting somebody in to skipper it for you and at least one additional crew. Until you have experienced heavy seas you don't know how you will react and doing that when you have the additional pressure of skippering an unknown boat is possibly not a good combination. If there are only two on board and one is incapacitated with sea sickness (it does happen) the remaining crew has no option but to singlehand.

 

[dom]

Doing that trip with just one crew and you being relatively inexperienced is asking a lot. As others have said it may well be worth getting somebody in to skipper it for you and at least one additional crew. Until you have experienced heavy seas you don't know how you will react and doing that when you have the additional pressure of skippering an unknown boat is possibly not a good combination. If there are only two on board and one is incapacitated with sea sickness (it does happen) the remaining crew has no option but to singlehand.

+1 Also the stretch between the Milford Haven area and Falmouth can be a moody, tidal and thoroughly nasty stretch of water when it wants. Easy on the right day, but be v. careful with forecast/tides if inexperienced.

 

[sand_dune]

Thanks for the advice. I'm trying to get more than one additional crew for any given time. It's not just me, I'm sure people who are going to sail with me also want to be safe! So far I believe I am covered by 1 crew(different people) for almost all length of the journey, except for Holyhead to Milford Haven. Further applications are welcome!

 

[LadyInBed]

What sort of autohelm does she have?

 

[sand_dune]

LadyInBed
All I know it is hydraulic, not the wind steering one. If more information is important, I'm going to find it out this Friday, when staying with the boat and previous owner.

 

[LadyInBed]

LadyInBed
All I know it is hydraulic, not the wind steering one. If more information is important, I'm going to find it out this Friday, when staying with the boat and previous owner.

Hydraulic is good if in good order as it operates on the quadrent not the wheel.

 

[dylanwinter]

What sort of autohelm does she have?

good question and straight to the heart of it - there is a person who knows their sheep from their goats

 

[sand_dune]

The previous owner is an ex navy man. He's made the boat very safe and proper. So I think he chose the right way to operate the autohelm. Here's a photo of the wheel not sure if it is of use:

 

[Swanrad2]

The previous owner is an ex navy man. He's made the boat very safe and proper. So I think he chose the right way to operate the autohelm. Here's a photo of the wheel not sure if it is of use:
View attachment 42119

Was he steering a desk or a boat?
Shiny isn't the same as safe - do you have a survey (rigging, gas, steering, engine) and how long has she been stood with the same diesel in the tank?
I'd maybe be interested Holyhead to MH but to be clear as Crew and not Skipper and if work/the Mrs allows.

 

[LadyInBed]

Interesting pic, no obvious anchor points for safety lines.

 

[sand_dune]

Interesting pic, no obvious anchor points for safety lines.

Yesterday I asked the previous owner if there are jacklines to tether oneself. I was told "yes there are lifelines". There were connection problems as we spoke on the phone, I decided not to ask again. Anyway I'll have a look myself in a few days time.

 

[sand_dune]

Was he steering a desk or a boat?

Sorry I didn't catch that?

Almost everything is new on the boat installed by the previous owner, except for engine core and standing rigging. I was assured by the experienced and honest owner that the standing rigging is fine and doesn't need replacing. So I don't need a survey on this boat. The boat was finished in 2012 and has been in use occasionally, maybe not in winter. I can find out about diesel in the tank.

 

[dom]

Sorry I didn't catch that?

Almost everything is new on the boat installed by the previous owner, except for engine core and standing rigging. I was assured by the experienced and honest owner that the standing rigging is fine and doesn't need replacing. So I don't need a survey on this boat. The boat was finished in 2012 and has been in use occasionally, maybe not in winter. I can find out about diesel in the tank.

Just as a matter of interest, what model is the boat? Apologies if I missed this info somewhere

 

[sand_dune]

Just as a matter of interest, what model is the boat? Apologies if I missed this info somewhere

Not at all, I haven't mentioned it before. The model is C0lvic Vic_tor 41 (i don't want the search engines to track my activity step by step, as there aren't many of these boats)