TOP TIPS FOR FINDING THE RIGHT BOAT
Reply to all enquiries you get for crewing if you like the sound of them. Meet as soon as possible so you have a number of owners to choose from.
Doing this will save money in the long run as you can meet owners whilst they are still in the UK, rather than having to fly out to Europe. We turned down all other offers when the first owners showed interest in us and so months later when they decided not to sail with us, we had to start from scratch.
Spend as much time as you can with the owners. People can disguise their less favourable character traits for a few days but live with people for a week, (especially within the confines of a small boat), and their true colours are bound to come out.
Go sailing with them. Whatever paper qualifications they have, it’s much more insightful to see them on the water, in charge of their boat. Make sure you are happy with their skills and that you feel safe. Spend time on shorter sailing trips, with as many owners as you can, before you decide who to do a longer voyage with. On our first trial trip the owners ran the boat aground twice and the atmosphere on the boat was one of mild panic throughout. However, with my sailing skills I was confident that I’d be able to work with the owners to help them improve their skills and keep us all safe.
Agree on the costs for the trip before you embark. A lot of skippers will only ask for a contribution to food; some will ask for a fixed daily or weekly fee, some will cover all costs except your travel to and from the boat and some will expect you to share everything. Arriving in St Lucia we were shocked when the satellite phone bill, used for weather forecasts and the owners’ social media updates, was added to our bill. Our bill also included items purchased for the crossing which would stay on the boat after our departure.
Agree on what will be expected of you beforehand. Usually this includes sharing watches, with other tasks open to negotiation. If you’re not careful you could end up working like paid crew while actually paying the owners for the privilege.
It may not be the lifelong dream that you expected. A lot of your time may be spent in marinas filling in time whilst waiting for parts for the boat to be delivered. Unfortunately those beautiful, dreamy white beaches you want to relax on are not usually found anywhere near the marinas. Those peaceful anchorages with their lack of shops and nightlife may not be where the owners want to park their boat. We were disappointed to spend night after night in expensive marinas – and of course we had to share the bill.
Make sure you identify times when you’ll leave the boat, spending time ashore to enjoy the places you visit and get some time to yourselves.