Sailing companions - Where do you look for them?

DangerousPirate

DangerousPirate

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Just wondered what places you can look for crew on your trips. I know there are websites likes Crewseekers, but I feel those are more for long distance travelling (like atlantic crossings) and racing.
Came up with the idea because I wanted to sail down to Cardiff but single handed this would mean many stops and I'd rather do it quickly and then sail back up. I invited some friends, but currently no one is available for a cruise. It's just a casual thing.

Maybe offer it as a charter trip on facebook or instagram hahaha (no just joking)

I exclusively only went sailing with people I know already or soloed it, and want to try a different approach.
 
billskip said:
Do you look in the "crewing opportunities "
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Ha. Now I feel stupid. Totally missed that on the forum, I was thinking "odd that they don't have that around here". I'll give it a try but I won't be able to hire anyone.
Minerva said:
tinder?
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Have you tried Tinder? You say 3pm on thursday, at 4.34pm on thursday you get a message "you will hate me now buuuuut I had an emergency and couldn't come soooo sorry" and then you arrange at least 3 more times before you actually meet. It's in the rules. Read the fineprint. If you don't do this, they ban you.
 
Facebook
Create a page for your boat
Use words like "crew" and "opportunity". You can ne as specfic as you like; club racing is alwaya a good starting place.

I always say experience unimportant, its an attitide and willingness to learn that is. Your much more likely to find beginners than experienced sailors. But then you get to train then in to your way of doing things

Or go on Facebook crew pages

Some people don't show, its true. But I've collected a motley assortment of people to crew. Made good friends too

Some have stayed, some have moved on. Some have benefited from my contacts in various ways.

All been good fun though.
 
Is this not what sailing clubs are for? The school I did my Day Skipper with also has a group for them to post last minute cancellations etc in and I’ve seen a couple of people use it for crew finding (not officially supposed to use the group for that but it seems to be tolerated for occasional “alumni to alumni” pairing up).
 
ylop said:
Is this not what sailing clubs are for? The school I did my Day Skipper with also has a group for them to post last minute cancellations etc in and I’ve seen a couple of people use it for crew finding (not officially supposed to use the group for that but it seems to be tolerated for occasional “alumni to alumni” pairing up).
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Is it? I thought sailing clubs are to organise local regattas, afternoon tea and making friends with similar hobbies.
 
The Cruising Association runs a crewing service for members to introduce potential crews and skippers. There is an online part of the service and also they run monthly meetings in the winter so that people can weigh each other up.

The service is free for members.
 
DangerousPirate said:
Is it? I thought sailing clubs are to organise local regattas, afternoon tea and making friends with similar hobbies.
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All clubs are obviously different (afternoon tea is not a concept I've encountered in a sailing club!), but I think the last part of your description is what I was thinking of. Newbies here are often encouraged to go and join their local club and offer their services crewing rather than jumping in at the deep end and buying a boat. In my limited sample most clubs have a notice board or modern "virtual" equivalent which allow someone to advertise either their availability or an upcoming trip. It does have the advantage that those people may be strangers to you but are often known to others so you will get some idea if they are a liability or have weird behaviours etc...
 
LittleSister said:
The 'Crewing Opportunities' bit of the forum seems to work, and isn't really aimed at those either hiring people or looking for paying customers.

I've done several trips on forum members' boats who'd advertised on there, just looking for a crew for a particular trip.
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I have already posted there but it's not a very busy section with threads untouched for months. We will see if someone signs up over there. I will also try other venues like facebook and using the black board in the marina office and local sailing club, if they allow.
 
DangerousPirate said:
I have already posted there but it's not a very busy section with threads untouched for months. We will see if someone signs up over there. I will also try other venues like facebook and using the black board in the marina office and local sailing club, if they allow.
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Threads "expire" as they are not usually "discussions " also people look and answer by PM's.
 
You could of course start a utube channel ad crew would be flooding to join you 🤣 certain channels seem to attract a regularly changing crew so I’m sure if you filmed you boat and you tinkering around with the plumbing,diesel or whatever and a clip of berthing you would attract numerous offers -I guess it depends to some degree on where you sail though and climate . Opportunity for scuba diving might be in short supply I guess.
 
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