Hoping to crew, need advice!

[spence9302]

Hiya,

I’m looking to crew a sailboat beginning this November or December. My goal is to live and work on a boat and to see as much of the world as I can until I’m too exhausted or too broke to continue. I’ve been reading listings on cruising websites such as crewseekers, sailingnetworks, findacrew, floatplan, and crewbay, and I have one fundamental question:

What kind of certification should I acquire (competent crew, day skipper, coastal/offshore skipper), if any, before I start contacting skippers/owners or yacht delivery agencies?

I have come across quite a few listings that are seeking crewmembers with little or no experience or certifications. My fear, however, is that I will not be able to sustain a long-term endeavor financially seeking these types of contracts, or that I will run into difficulty finding work against a host of other applicants. Am I better off investing the time and money into proper training and certification and seeking out more highly-skilled positions, notwithstanding my lack of experience? Or would I do just fine getting on somewhere as a deckhand and learning by doing, taking my limited budget into consideration?

I have between 50-100 hours of skipper experience on boats in the 18-24 foot range. I plan on cruising internationally anywhere that I can find meaningful work. My tentative plan is to start in the Caribbean this upcoming winter. I am very flexible on the type of vessel, duration of voyage, and compensation structure.

Any feedback you would be willing to share with an unseasoned seafarer would be so greatly appreciated!

-Spencer

 

[EdWingfield]

In the old days when I was a boat bum you would turn up at Gibraltar when the Hurricanes have finished and find a boat needing crew for the caribbean. You should visit the marina(s) every day, and make known to everyone that you are available. So make friends with marina staff.

On a tight budget you'll need to live cheaply. In my time you'd do that by living in Spain and commuting across daily.

Skippers want to assess your usefulness. eg. can this guy take a watch? Is he gonna fall victim to seasickness for the whole trip? I don't think paper quals answer those Qs.

At the same time, you are assessing the skipper and boat. Is he experienced? Is he easy to get on with? Is the boat sound?

Use your common-sense. Walk away from doubtful offers.

Good luck

 

[john_morris_uk]

I'm trying to decipher what you really want to do. Opportunities to crew on deliveries on expenses only basis (ie you don't get paid, but you get fed and your travel is paid are available but the situation is different in each country/region). Some companies only pay the skipper and for that you need Yachtmaster Offshore at least; possibly Yachtmaster Ocean. Crewing work just needs good references and enthusiasm with a very easy adaptability to the boat you are on. Day skipper might be an advantage, but my feeling is that a good crew adapts to the needs of the situation.

However, if you are thinking of working in the superyacht industry, the entry level qualification is STCW. Don't think that it's all glamour though; not for nothing are superyacht deckies (deck hands) known as. Chamois technicians. Even on delivery across the ocean, many of these yachts will still have a daily fresh water wash down and polish. The pay can be attractive but expect to be treated like dirt by some owners/guests. In this very non PC area of employment being British or Kiwi or Ozz actually helps. If you're a girl being pretty very much helps. No visible tattoos and being clean and well presented are also often cited as essential.

As an RYA examiner I work with a meet all sorts of people making their way in yachting. Ask away any more questions and I'm sure myself and others will try to help.

If you are looking to gain miles and experience, Halcyon yachts often need crew. No pay, but they usually pay food and travel. I need help bringing our boat from S Brittany to Plymouth in September but that's too soon for you.

 

[alant]

Hiya,

I’m looking to crew a sailboat beginning this November or December. My goal is to live and work on a boat and to see as much of the world as I can until I’m too exhausted or too broke to continue. I’ve been reading listings on cruising websites such as crewseekers, sailingnetworks, findacrew, floatplan, and crewbay, and I have one fundamental question:

What kind of certification should I acquire (competent crew, day skipper, coastal/offshore skipper), if any, before I start contacting skippers/owners or yacht delivery agencies?

I have come across quite a few listings that are seeking crewmembers with little or no experience or certifications. My fear, however, is that I will not be able to sustain a long-term endeavor financially seeking these types of contracts, or that I will run into difficulty finding work against a host of other applicants. Am I better off investing the time and money into proper training and certification and seeking out more highly-skilled positions, notwithstanding my lack of experience? Or would I do just fine getting on somewhere as a deckhand and learning by doing, taking my limited budget into consideration?

I have between 50-100 hours of skipper experience on boats in the 18-24 foot range. I plan on cruising internationally anywhere that I can find meaningful work. My tentative plan is to start in the Caribbean this upcoming winter. I am very flexible on the type of vessel, duration of voyage, and compensation structure.

Any feedback you would be willing to share with an unseasoned seafarer would be so greatly appreciated!

-Spencer

Why not contact one of the superyacht crewing agencies as a start & ask them what they want. You may be setting your sights lower, but this would be useful information. Get some references if you can, from any skippers, get an appropriate medical so skippers know what they are dealing with. Do you smoke, drink, take drugs, will be information they might ask about, as well as usefulness/reliability. Are you financially ok, because they might not want to get involved in repatriation costs when going foreign. Are you a pleasant guy to get on with? Taking someone on as crew for an offshore/ocean trip, is a bit like selecting a marriage partner, all the paper exam certs are useless unless there is attraction/trust.

 

[duncan99210]

There's no money to be made in crewing for yachts at smaller end of the market. As others have said, for a delivery trip it's usually only the skipper who gets paid, the remaining crew members get food and travel and that's it. Certainly the one time I used a delivery skipper, we paid him a set fee for the trip plus additonal days if there were delays. He found the crew off crewseekers and I paid their travel, no fee for them, they were doing it for the sailing opportunity (indeed, one was a cancer consultant, the other was an accountant).
So, if you're looking to make a living in that part of the market or as a delivery skipper, you'd need to be Yachtmaster Offshore as a minimum. And don't expect to get rich from it, except in terms of experience.
On the other hand, if you're thinking of crewing on a larger yacht then you'll need some formal commercial qualifications. once you have them and have a disposition to accept very high levels of bovine excrement you will make good money and see just how the other half live. I have a friend who works in the industry: his tales of the lengths crews go to "looking after" their guests are jaw dropping. However, equally amazing are the financial rewards if you're on the right boat at the right time. I know that I simply couldn't abide the life but he seems to really enjoy it.

 

[guernseyman]

I would suggest that you need another year of preparation - working your way through the courses and getting experience on larger boats. Racing requires larger crews and is a good way to get experience. Don't forget to get a testimonial from anyone who has got to know you and your ability.

When you are ready, one way to start is to hitch a lift to Gran Canaria and pick up a boat for the ARC Rally in November across to the Caribbean. As someone pointed out, the larger boats, owned by millionaires/billionaires, are where you will get paid adequately. A lot of those guys race their boats, and your racing experience would be doubly useful.

 

[Halcyon Yachts]

Hi Spencer,

Joining in with some yacht deliveries is an excellent way of gaining experience. Generally speaking yacht delivery companies will cover all your expenses, not all do, so be careful to check the terms and conditions before you commit!

Our delivery skippers are all Ocean Masters and most are also Yacht Master Instructors. As a result the crew can develop their skills quickly and will be able to experience a wide range of craft. We deliver both power and sailing boats, ranging from 20ft to 100ft to destinations all over the world.

For volunteering as crew I would suggest that you need Day Skipper as a minimum. For paid crewing positions you will need to have your Yacht Master ticket. Most importantly though, you must be easy to get on with, adaptable and have high standards... A good crew member will quickly gain a reputation as such and will then be turning opportunities away!

http://www.halcyonyachts.com/delivery-crew/

Paid crewing opportunities generally exist for yachts over 40ft. For example we delivered two Trans Atlantics earlier this year and the crew were paid all expenses plus a daily rate.

Here is a short video taken during a yacht delivery to Greece:

Perhaps see you out on the water!

Pete

 

[Seajet]

Please take the advice ' use your common sense and judge if the boat and skipper are sound ' !!!

I and chums have been offered jobs on complete death-traps, drug smugglers too; while you may want to get out there, some experiences are better than others.

 

[oldbilbo]

A modest suggestion....

Keep a simple journal, notebook or diary for every day you are afloat. Use it specifically to note items/behaviours/practices from which something could be learned - the good and the less-than-good, minor 'good ideas', cockups, and serious SNAFUs. Keep this completely private to you.

e.g. 'Anchored in Vassiliki Bay. Instructed to pay out twice-normal chain. Why?' and/or 'Clever use of multiple fenders/adjacent boat - triples tied together. Flotilla arriving!'

You'll be surprised how quickly a wide range of useful stuff builds up, and you'll be able to review your 'experience' from successively insightful viewpoints in the months and years ahead.

 

[alant]

Hi Spencer,

Joining in with some yacht deliveries is an excellent way of gaining experience. Generally speaking yacht delivery companies will cover all your expenses, not all do, so be careful to check the terms and conditions before you commit!

Our delivery skippers are all Ocean Masters and most are also Yacht Master Instructors. As a result the crew can develop their skills quickly and will be able to experience a wide range of craft. We deliver both power and sailing boats, ranging from 20ft to 100ft to destinations all over the world.

For volunteering as crew I would suggest that you need Day Skipper as a minimum. For paid crewing positions you will need to have your Yacht Master ticket. Most importantly though, you must be easy to get on with, adaptable and have high standards... A good crew member will quickly gain a reputation as such and will then be turning opportunities away!

Paid crewing opportunities generally exist for yachts over 40ft. For example we delivered two Trans Atlantics earlier this year and the crew were paid all expenses plus a daily rate.

Here is a short video taken during a yacht delivery to Greece:

Perhaps see you out on the water!

Pete

Are these a higher grade than Yachtmaster/Yachtmaster Ocean then?

 

[obmij]

However, equally amazing are the financial rewards if you're on the right boat at the right time. I know that I simply couldn't abide the life but he seems to really enjoy it.

I'm on the workboat side but did a couple of short courses with superyacht crew - one of them was on 10k / month, the other 17k month...ex tips

Phew..

 

[Mr Cassandra]

Am I missing out on something here ? The owner has a of £150 ,000 yacht and people think the can sail for free ,or a small contribution of £15 a day .

Why do it ?

 

[[3889]]

Am I missing out on something here ? The owner has a of £150 ,000 yacht and people think the can sail for free ,or a small contribution of £15 a day .

Why do it ?

Yes, I think you are. Crewing is not the same as chartering, you have less say in what goes on, contribute to the upkeep of the boat etc.
I both recruit crew for my boat and crew for others and enjoy both.
I also invite people to my house and don't expect my guests to pay for the privilege.

 

[Mr Cassandra]

Yes, I think you are. Crewing is not the same as chartering, you have less say in what goes on, contribute to the upkeep of the boat etc.
I both recruit crew for my boat and crew for others and enjoy both.
I also invite people to my house and don't expect my guests to pay for the privilege.

I can understand that you invite friends and family to you house ,but do you invite strangers to come there for free.?
It would appear that there is a quickly expanding company called Airbnb that cater for guests sharing private homes and I have seen yachts on their web pages as well.

 

[[3889]]

I can understand that you invite friends and family to you house ,but do you invite strangers to come there for free.?
It would appear that there is a quickly expanding company called Airbnb that cater for guests sharing private homes and I have seen yachts on their web paged as well.

But there has always been a first occasion when friends have been invited. Trying to monetise pleasure boat ownership is hopeless, IMO.

 

[Champagne Murphy]

Hi Spencer,

Joining in with some yacht deliveries is an excellent way of gaining experience. Generally speaking yacht delivery companies will cover all your expenses, not all do, so be careful to check the terms and conditions before you commit!

Our delivery skippers are all Ocean Masters and most are also Yacht Master Instructors. As a result the crew can develop their skills quickly and will be able to experience a wide range of craft. We deliver both power and sailing boats, ranging from 20ft to 100ft to destinations all over the world.

For volunteering as crew I would suggest that you need Day Skipper as a minimum. For paid crewing positions you will need to have your Yacht Master ticket. Most importantly though, you must be easy to get on with, adaptable and have high standards... A good crew member will quickly gain a reputation as such and will then be turning opportunities away!

http://www.halcyonyachts.com/delivery-crew/

Paid crewing opportunities generally exist for yachts over 40ft. For example we delivered two Trans Atlantics earlier this year and the crew were paid all expenses plus a daily rate.

Here is a short video taken during a yacht delivery to Greece:

Perhaps see you out on the water!

Pete

Pete, do women ever join as delivery crew? I get the impression that it's mainly the older and younger men.

 

[Davegriff]

Please, please, to whom it may concern. Please dont invite me to come (and work!) on your house for free!

 

[JumbleDuck]

Am I missing out on something here ? The owner has a of £150 ,000 yacht and people think the can sail for free ,or a small contribution of £15 a day .

Why do it ?

Good question. The owner of a £150,000 yacht ought to be able to pay for crew when required.

I can understand that you invite friends and family to you house ,but do you invite strangers to come there for free.?

No, when I want strangers to work on my house I pay them.

 

[Mr Cassandra]

Good question. The owner of a £150,000 yacht ought to be able to pay for crew when required.



No, when I want strangers to work on my house I pay them.

So you think sailing around the Greek islands on an expensive yacht is work .If that is the case, are people masochists if chartering in the same area ? .
I can see that if anyone needed help to move a yacht to a different destination and were unable to do it alone, that there would be a understandable need to pay .
Looking at Crewbay/Crewseekers Most offering free passage are single men after women crew to get their leg over.

 

[JumbleDuck]

So you think sailing around the Greek islands on an expensive yacht is work .If that is the case, are people masochists if chartering in the same area ? .

I think that sometimes people enjoy using boats which are larger than they can handle themselves or as a couple, and therefore find it useful to offer berths to people willing to help them. I don't feel as outraged by that as you seem to be.