Saiing crew options
May 24, 2016 11:57 AM   Subscribe

I began to sail over a year ago and love it. I am a part of a club in which I pay monthly dues. At this moment I would like to explore other low cost/no cost opportunities I may have to crew. All suggestions appreciated.
posted by goalyeehah to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (9 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
Best answer: Is there a weekly 'beer can' regatta at your club? You could show up at the marina with a 12-pack of (canned) beer and likely receive an invite to race.

If you're looking for a more trip-oriented opportunity, there's a board on Reddit.
posted by a halcyon day at 12:04 PM on May 24, 2016 [3 favorites]


Response by poster: halcyon day, the Reddit board is awesome.
posted by goalyeehah at 12:07 PM on May 24, 2016


Best answer: If you are looking to crew in races, you are a hot commodity - everyone is looking for crew for local races! As long as you are comfortable being little more than rail meat to begin, you are in.

So, get in touch with the people who run the local races or just show up before they begin and ask if anyone is looking for crew. Beer won't hurt, but traditionally the captain buys the beers for the crew.
posted by ssg at 12:38 PM on May 24, 2016


My father-in-law usually just asks his friends. Make friends with some of the people at your club and see if they need help. The fact that you have experience will set you apart quickly.
posted by kevinbelt at 1:11 PM on May 24, 2016


Yup, make friends with people who have boats and race them. You'll likely be in high demand.
posted by cecic at 1:44 PM on May 24, 2016


Best answer: Just an anecdote, but we once saw a beautiful Alden yacht in harbor near our club marina, and on a whim, left a business card with a note saying that we'd love to crew on that boat. About a month later, we got a call from the owner who invited us on a day sail, which led to a coastal cruise for a week, which led to an invitation to sail the west coast to Alaska. It was a great adventure! Ya never know!
posted by Gusaroo at 1:50 PM on May 24, 2016 [4 favorites]


Best answer: I once got last-minute work deckhanding on a boat that sailed from Miami to Panama. I found out about the job via a vague acquaintance who'd worked on tall ships with the captain long before, but I think what got me the job was.. enthusiasm, interest, and that I was seemingly sane? Though I certainly didn't tell them this in a phone interview, I'd never actually been on an ocean-going vessel before, and had only sailed in the sense of motor-boating around lakes in Ohio; I was so unqualified, I thought, that I figured I'd do the interview just for the experience of it. It turned out to be a fantastic trip, and I was a great at standing watch from 4-8 and being adaptable and easygoing, though if the rest of my crewmates had been awful I'd probably have a much different story! Anyway, if you're interested in multi-day sailing trips, it might be worth hanging around marinas that have a reputation for being more friendly/accommodating to sailors on longer/RTW trips and looking for work (unpaid, but your food's covered) helping deckhand for a few days..
posted by tapir-whorf at 2:35 PM on May 24, 2016 [1 favorite]


Be aware that that the general demand for racing crews who are amenable, turn up when they are supposed to and know the ropes is international. While you it might take a while to land the kind of long distance passage that Gusaroo mentions - you can identify meetup groups and yacht clubs wherever you go in the world. As a foreigner you will be have the appeal of the exotic what with your unusual approach to bouyage.

If you are at an intermediate level in a foreign language - then sailing is also a very effective way of improving fast.
posted by rongorongo at 2:39 PM on May 24, 2016


Also check out the forums on Sailing Anarchy
posted by natasha_k at 7:45 PM on May 24, 2016


« Older Buying tickets to a Broadway musical, idiotproof...   |   shelf-stable DIY cooking kits? Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.