Experiences with 'find a crew' etc. websites.

I still think a club is the way to go; a lot depends on your area, around here there's a wide choice of clubs ranging from ours - friendly with casual ( some long distance ) cruising and dinghy sailing ranging from fun to serious racing; other clubs offer much more serious cruiser racing - and I agree with the previous comment, I sail for enjoyment not yelling or being yelled at.

If you approach someone at a club and explain your desire for crewing experience you should get a good response, there are often owners looking for company as much as any qualifications - you should not have to join unless you became a regular, and single membership without a boat to moor, lift and store is not usually expensive anyway.

Our club and others in Chichester Harbour all have recruiting open days now with the chance to sail various boats, chat with members over a barbecue etc - and the clubs join together in some ' fun on the water ' activities, it's not all racing rivalries like the bad old days.

We're having a ' Try Sailing ' open day on Sunday May 19th;

https://scmw.langstonesc.org.uk/
 
I've tried getting crew from a couple of sites, the problem I found was finding someone who had the whole summer (around 4 months) free, I didn't want to chop and change.
I asked for nonsmoker and easy to get on with more important than sailing ability.
On the two occasions I found someone, the first one I parted company with in Roscoff was a smoker and thought e-cigs would fill the gap - they didn't! The second got badly seasick on a trial run to Cherbourg and back in calm conditions, so pulled out, so I've more or less given up looking and go solo.
 
I got some good trips out of Crewseekers when I was building miles for my Yachtmaster, and even a season’s paid work.

As always when you get into a new industry it is down to networking and very soon I’d got enough contacts to see me through the next season, and plenty of shorter term jobs.
 
LadyInBed said:
I've tried getting crew from a couple of sites, the problem I found was finding someone who had the whole summer (around 4 months) free, I didn't want to chop and change.
I asked for nonsmoker and easy to get on with more important than sailing ability.
On the two occasions I found someone, the first one I parted company with in Roscoff was a smoker and thought e-cigs would fill the gap - they didn't! The second got badly seasick on a trial run to Cherbourg and back in calm conditions, so pulled out, so I've more or less given up looking and go solo.
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With respect I think you're asking a lot to meet a stranger and find them compatible for long cruises like that !

I'd want quite a few weekends with someone before even crossing the Channel with them crewing; a young guy I used to work with was quite adventurous, into climbing, had been to Mongolia with an eye charity, fancied sailing in a big way so came with us on a weekend Chichester - Cowes...

It was about F1- 3 but he was rather seasick, some people are sadly prone - so he quickly scratched the sailing idea.
 
There's another site called Find a Crew. Most of the female applicants want to "come" for free.
However, they may consider romance with a male or female partner.
I think asking 10 Euro for the boat,superior to owning a floating brothel.
 
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LadyInBed said:
You could well be right, the trouble is that I don't do much in the way of short trips.
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I don't think SJ is right. I've recruited crew and offered crewing services, including 2 transats, via websites many times. Some people I get on well with, including Mrs Q (mostly) who I met that way, others are more like work colleagues with whom there is mutual respect, but of the 50 or so people I've sailed with via www only 2 stand out as regrets, and they were down to incompetence rather than intolerable personalities.
 
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