How to find reliable crew that respect the boat

Boomshanka

Boomshanka

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I'm in a quandrey. SWMBO and the kids are not that keen on sailing and so I have to rely on friends/family/acquaintances for crew/company on board. Last week, I was let down at the last minute by one person that scuppered a longish trip that had been planned for months. Others come along and just don't respect the boat... my problem is that I'm very particular about cleanliness... if drinks are spilt I expect them to be mopped up ASAP (when it's safe to do so), my toenails curl when I see crew walk all over the sheets/halyards (one stood on a lifejacket this weekend and thought nothing of it), food crumbs/leftovers all over the place, a couple of crew turned up with sailing boots that had been used for gardening... and don't get me going on what is left over on the floor of the heads, breaking bits of the boat and not saying anything. I usually end up having to go back to the boat the next day to clean up. Am I just unlucky, am I too pedantic, should I expect friends/work colleagues to clean the heads and wash the decks down afterwards? The whole experience is putting me off and I'm thinking about selling up and doing more with SWMBO and the kids. Do others have the same problem with crew and standards on board, if so how do you deal with it? Sorry for the rant, but this weekend has been the last straw in a situation that has been building up for ages.
 
I wont go into your requirements of crew, but try this on for size, if your boat is too big for you to comfortably single hand, why not downsize to one that you can?

To my mind, it would be a whole lot better than giving up sailing?
 
Only have crew that are ex or present boatowners then they know the score clean up and repair after oneself.
 
Crew vary so widely in their attitude to boat care that I don't think it's worth losing sleep over. I always assume that no-one will clean up the boat as well or as caringly as I do, and quite often I just ask if they'd mind hosing her off with fresh water at the end of the sail, then get on with the other jobs myself. I can't say as it's ever bothered me, but then as my wife always says, the boat is my equivalent of a shed to potter in anyway.

I think you're entitled to be firm about your crew treating your boat - like all the rest of your property - with respect. Perhaps it depends how well you know them. Anyone who ever sails on my boat knows me well enough for me to feel quite comfortable telling them to be careful, and in any event most boat trips with me involve a lot of quite amiable bickering anyway.

As it happens my interest has drifted towards singlehanding, so I think Chrusty and others have a point. No reason whay you can't go out on your own from time to time and still have time to do other things with your family.
 
I certainly see where you are coming from, but I think you need to focus on the main point.

You had crew, and went sailing. There is always going to be differences of 'standards', particularly if the crew have their own boat or not.
Some of the scruffiest people I know are hugely entertaining and great crew, but they do leave a trail of destruction. They will always be welcome though, as we clear up to our satisfaction after they have all gone.

My advice also, if you dont really enjoy having crew aboard, is to get a boat that can be singlehanded.
 
In my opinion it is probably better to have crew that you know well enough that they will help at lift in/out and are members of your sailing club. Other members will soon make you aware of welly -boot brigade members to avoid.
Each boat I've crewed on has a routine for clearing up after , and during sailing. When we race we all spend the time going back to the mooring packing sails and tidying up,so we all retire to the club as a team. The owner is not shy about making a point about the way his boat is treated,or to exclude from further crewing ; it's the owner's boat so show some respect for his property.They aren't all bad -keep the boat!
 
I crossed the atlantic with a skipper who had a lot in common with you. I shared the fore cabin with a hammock full of veg which hit me in the back with every roll. I borrowed a mattress from a spare berth to cushion the impact and allow me to get some sleep. He said I had to put it back because it might be damaged.

He would not allow the crew to lounge in the saloon when off watch, we had to go to our cabins.

When the watermaker packed up the crew were put on short rations but he still insisted a bucket of fresh water was used to wash down stainless fittings on deck every day.

He would not allow the genoa to be unrolled fully, even in light winds, in case the bolt rope pulled out of the groove.

The crew were not allowed to adjust the sails without calling him despite the fact that 2 of us had over 25000 miles logged.

We were left with the impression that we were not wanted on board and were barely tolerated out of necessity.

OTOH I cringe when someone uses my guardwires to push against when fending off or steps on a perspex hatch in gritty shore-going shoes.

We all have our level of tolerance; if yours is very low, either find a crew who share your standards or sail alone.
 
I think you are being reasonable.
You need to either 'renegotiate' with your crew or change them.
I sail on other people's boats a fair bit. Different people have wildly different standards and are particular about different things. Some boat owners only sail their own boat so never understand that other people have different standards and different ways. Some people are very meticulous about somethings and slap-happy in other departments.
Some boats are immaculate.
Some are scruffy, scratched but fast around the race course.
As owner, your way goes. You need to explain to people what you expect, then they can either join in or depart. If you explain that things are more fragile than is obvious and that damage is getting to be a problem, then they should understand.
Obviously there will always be accidents and wear and tear, same as if you invite people to your house for a party. (do you have some friends you'd only invite to an outdoor barbecue?)
If people have sailed with you a few times, don't be shy of asking them if they are free to help with a maintenance/deep clean day. It helps people understand what's involved.
As for finding new crew, join a decent sailing club, try to find one good hand and a beginner or two that you can train your way.
 
I drive ships for a living and don't get to pick the crews unfortunately. If you want the boat run kept clean to your standards, you need to be clear and precise about the procedures and standards expected. I find that it helps to be pretty blunt about it from the begining. If they don't like it tough. Its your boat and you're in charge.
 
That sounds like an extreme case!
Were you being paid for this?
Memo to self, always do a quick booze run to cherbourg or similar before committing to anything more with people you don't know!
 
I'm with hairbox, but I would widen the net to include: crew members that you know well enough to tell them what you expect/require (works particularly well where you have been their boss at work in the past /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif); and people who have done some RYA training with schools that teach you to respect the boat.

I'm like you in that I rely almost entirely on other crew. But I am very selective in my invitations. People I know well and/or people I know look after a boat if they charter. They know Angele is my pride and joy and they treat her accordingly. My only problem is that the odd one or two want to disappear off home almost as soon as we get back to the berth on the Sunday evening, leaving me with a greater proportion of the jobs. But, they are all respectful whilst on board.

I think an important element is that they see the care you take in your boat, so that this will rub off on them too. If someone spills a drink, and they don't wipe the spill, do it yourself. They will then realise what is expected. Also, the first time you sail with new crew, why not make sure that you have one of your regulars on board so that they can tell the newbies (when out of your earshot) what you expect of your crew?

Also chill a bit. Walking on a lifejacket is unacceptable, but sheets/halyards is ok, if a little dangerous.

I always have more crew on board than it takes to sail the boat. I could make do with one, but I prefer three - more fun/social interaction and, if one drops out, it would make no difference to my plans.
 
Thanks for all the replies so far, and the PM with a local sailing club link, much appreciated. I think I went a bit OTT in the original post (I'm not THAT bad /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif , certainly not like the skipper that SnowLeopard endured by a long way - I don't think I would put up with that!). I should also have pointed out that, for instance, I started this season with new running rigging throughout... I could have done it cheaper myself but didn't have the time, so it was quite a few hundred quid and I want to look after it. So to see muddy boots and left over food, tea spillage etc being ground into it especially does my head in, when I did mention it recently the folk involved couldn't see what the problem was.... Plenty to think about though.

Cheers,

Boomshanka
 
Your wishes to keep a clean and tidy ship are perfectly reasonable, IMHO. Your crew frustrations are understandable, too. Neverthless, I guess there are some benefits to you in having addition crew members.

Sailing is without a doubt one of the sports where you must accept to "loose something, break something or bleed" as part of "having fun".

My SWMBO thinks that I have OCD because I spend the last few hours before returning home on all-fours cleaning everything including the bilge and the heads.

When we have new crew, I'll give a courtesy brief to let then know my expectations and I'll try to lead by example. My glare is often enough to let people know that "we are not amused" by their untidy or carefree actions. Most respond accordingly. Threatening to withdraw beer tokens often makes a point in a light hearted way, too.

It's fundamentally wrong to give up your chosen sport due to the actions of others. So don't!

David
 
I've never owned a boat and, in the short time that I have been sailing, have learned that every skipper has his (or her) way of doing things. I've sailed with a skipper who insisted that shore-going shoes were taken off as soon as we went aboard. I've sailed with another who didn't seem to care what we were wearing.

The one thing they all had in common was that they conducted a briefing session before leaving the mooring and used this to tell the crew what was expected of them.

Perhaps it would help if you had joining instructions (common in the events industry) that you send to everybody who's going to be sailing with you, regardless of how many times they've been with you in the past.

As for the person who let you down, doesn't it depend on the circumstances? If it was a family bereavement or a major and sudden business commitment, then surely that's to be expected? If they just changed their mind, then there's somebody that you won't be inviting to sail with you again.
 
[ QUOTE ]
My SWMBO thinks that I have OCD because I spend the last few hours before returning home on all-fours cleaning everything including the bilge and the heads.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think I have found my identical twin from whom I was separated at birth....

.... either that or we share the same SWMBO !! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
 
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