Heads Etiquette (Crew / Guests)

[David_Jersey]

The recent thread on finding suitable crew touched on the subject of some crew dissapearing home before the boat is tidied up / cleaned.........including the toilet.

My view on the toilet side of things is much the same as at home. If a Guest manages to p#ss or sh#t up the toilet wall (I am sure we have all been to public conveniances / pubs where folk have!) then I would expect them to clean it up in such a way that I would never know. And if they can't do that with the equipment to hand to ask me for more materials. Otherwise they don't get invited back again. Seems kinda reasonable to me.......

.......but also, just like at home, I won't ask a guest to clean the toilet before departing.

In addition whilst I would expect (and require!) crew / guests to help clear the boat of rubbish accumulated during the trip and to pack up their own gear I would not expect them to do more than help with a quick general tidy up and wipe down........IME (as both skipper and crew) nothing quite as dull as the skipper fannying around - especially when you have no idea what "finished" is. Deep cleaning the cooker or more than a couple of buckets over the deck is IMO down to the skipper either once the crew have been "allowed" to leave or at a later date - unless guests are genuinely happy to do so.

Anyone take on crew purely because they are handy with a bog brush?

 

[MoodySabre]

I'm with you on this.

 

[CLP]

Maybe I'm lucky, but my long suffering crew/sailing buddies ALWAYS clean the boat end to end after a trip, without being asked and they make a very good job of it. After using the heads we all accept it is our individual reponsiblity to leave the facilities in a state that we would like to find them, whatever the weather!!

 

[VicS]

Most of my sailing has been done in other peoples boats.

Normally one member of the crew should be assigned the heads to clean and another the galley and we always worked together to tidy/clean up the rest of the boat. The skipper/owner writes up the log, checks the engine oil and rationalises the contents of the gin and whisky decanters.

Bu**er when it was just me and the skipper. Heads, galley, cabin floor, decks, rigging all down to me. Good job I dont drink whisky or gin!

 

[lw395]

After a trip, the biggest barrier to effectively cleaning the boat is often the crew, with their luggage a close second.
We normally pack our bags on the approach to port, wash up on the way up the harbour and off the boat 20minutes after picking up the mooring. But then I live locally and can easily go back for a clean and sort one evening.

 

[iain789]

In my sailing crowd the tradition is that the skipper cleans the heads as a way of demonstrating equality and fraternity. It's quite a good tradition, and I uphold it on my boat. Cleaning the heads is the last job to be done and I always do it myself.

 

[Elemental]

In my sailing crowd the tradition is that the skipper cleans the heads as a way of demonstrating equality and fraternity. It's quite a good tradition, and I uphold it on my boat. Cleaning the heads is the last job to be done and I always do it myself.

Agreed completely. And I find that if I do it myself (cleaning the heads that is) after a few times likely as not someone else will just take it upon themselves to do it.

I'm proud of my boat in a manner that I'm not about my car or even the house, and I enjoy cleaning her - but I think that's really the owners prerogative (sp?) and not one that is, or even should, be shared by everyone else.

30 mins cleaning with a crew of 4 is generally good enough.

 

[ccscott49]

I dont expect my guests or crew to clean the heads, but it's nice if they do, if they make a mess. But come cleaning time in port, I expect all hands to the pumps, takes about an hour to do a proper job with four of you, then it's beer/whatever on the aft deck!
I always wash down the boat after a trip with fresh water and leather the varnish, to remove salt, as with sun it's death to varnish and theres a lot of varnish!

 

[fireball]

My little bro is excellent on board - after our trip to cherbourg 2 years ago he singlehandedly cleaned out down below whilst tother crew and I cleaned up on deck ... and yes - he did the heads as well ...

 

[Koeketiene]

When it comes to heads etiquette on board - one rule:

Whatever the job - big or small
You sit down for all.

 

[ccscott49]

Yep, my rules also, got so used to it now after many years, I sit down ashore as well!!!

 

[stewsam]

seems handy, do you hire him out...?

 

[wotayottie]

You are lucky. My experience has been that crew (invariably men) sidle off without offering to clean up unless I take the initiative and raise the subject. I have no hesitation in doing that including allocating bog cleaning duties.

Conversely when SWMBO is on board it seems that the first, last and middle things we do is clean the boat. :grin:

 

[fireball]

can do ... but I doubt you could afford his rates ....

 

[Lizzie_B]

I'm very fortunate, the regular crews that sail on my boat take as mich pride in her as if she was their own and clean her thoroughly without ever being asked.
They just get on with it on our way into harbour or once we've berthed if the conditions are right for a nice sail up to the marina.
I have one guy who has always taken it upon himself to clean the heads since the fateful night he forgot to put the valve over to dry after drunkenly using it at two in the morning :grin: