crewing on a sailboat

The 7 best Crew Finder websites in North America

Understand which website is best for you to find a crew for you next sailing experience is not easy. There are numerous crew finder possibilities. This article will help you compare the most popular ones in North America.

Why Crew Finder websites are so useful in US and Canada?

There is a common belief that boat owners, skippers and captains can sail often and wherever they want. There is another belief that sailors who don’t own boats simply cannot sail or spend time on the water. This is actually untrue. Why? Because there is a new way of sailing, a new concept making its way to North America: Coboating , or boat sharing.

In this article, we will follow John, a skipper and boat owner and Stephanie, a crew in their quest to sail more often and in better conditions.

We provide an exclusive comparison of the most popular websites:

Features and functionalities

Cost and membership fees

Membership supports and help centers

The 7 most popular crew finder sites

North American sites:

www.coboaters.com

www.Railmeets.com

www.Offshore Passage Opportunity (OPO)

www.Gosailing (app only)

UK based sites:

www.Crewbay.com

www.Crewseekers.net

Australian based sites:

www.Findacrew.net

Coboaters is US-based (Rhode Island) and it is dedicated to North America, namely the USA, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. Most members are located in North America with some worldwide. It welcomes both sailboats and powerboats for freshwater and ocean opportunities.

Railmeets is based in the US and dedicated to racing crews and boats.

Offshore Passage Opportunities is the US-based and focus on offshore trips. There is no online sailor profiles or boat descriptions.

Gosailing is sponsored by American Sailing Association , but it is only available as an app. It is dedicated solely to the USA. John noticed that most crew requests were posted by sailing clubs or professional charters linked with ASA.

Crewbay is UK-based and European oriented. They offer recreational opportunities but also professional crew search for larger yachts and professional captains, deckhands, crew and cooks. It seems that it is very British sailing and Royal Yacht Club oriented.

Crewseekers is in the UK , Most opportunities are outside North America. It is great for worlwide and offshore cruises and deliveries.

Findacrew is Australian based and covers the entire worl d. It is probably the largest sailing network but most members are European. The website looks very dated and does not seem to very up to date.

Why would a boat owner need a crew finder website?

John owns a 40 feet. monohull somewhere in the mid-Atlantic US and that Stephanie lives by the ocean in the Northeast. Both want to sail more, meet fellow sailors, and enjoy time on the water. They do have family and friends, but none that really enjoys sailing as much as they do.

John needs two crew members on board to sail his 40 feet, especially now that he wants to reach a new destination about 100 miles away. He tried many different ways to find sailing partners—he used social media, notably Facebook. Two years ago, he joined a Facebook crew finder group and posted requests. It sometimes worked, and he was able to connect with two or three good sailors who were willing to join him. But he was also let down many times, connecting with unreliable people or scammers. The same issue repeats every year, and John wastes so much time having to screen so many replies, discuss plans with so many people, and repeat the same information several times while some of the only people who answered his request have little to no experience and do not match his needs at all.

Sailor without boat need to meet other boaters

Meanwhile, Stephanie has some experience because she followed American Sailing Association courses (ASA) and managed to get ASA certification. She also sailed when she was younger on small boats in the summer. Last year, she met a boat owner and they sailed together for a short delivery between Newport, RI and New York City. She had a great time, but the skipper is now in the Bahamas and Stephanie is back to square one. She is a good sailor without a boat who wants to find a boat locally, but she is also willing to travel and join a crew. It would be her ideal way to spend her time off.

She also tried Facebook and other social media , but it was unreliable, not always safe and extremely time consuming. She did not like talking to strangers or feel safe sharing her profile and her data with everyone out there. She had to repeat the same thing to every contact, explaining why she can be a good crew member, what she was expecting and what looking for. She just wishes she could post her sailing resume somewhere and have a way to reach out boat owners and other sailors.

Coboating is the answer! Boat sharing as a solution for both boat owners and crew

For a boat owner, coboating is the best way to welcome new crew members aboard to make all your sailing dreams come true. You get to sail more and use your boat more often while giving the opportunity for others to gain experience and to help you. You can share your boat and spend time with other people, and everyone benefits from the experience.

For a crew member, Coboating means that you share your time, knowledge, and sailing skills with others on board of a boat that you do not need to own to have a great time on the water.

Sharing is caring and sharing is sailing!

The idea of sharing may seem to have been forgotten nowadays, but this is untrue. Don’t we share our apartment or one bedroom when we use AirBnb? Don’t we share cars when we carpool to work every morning?

Coboating is a similar concept: it works for both skippers and crew because they need each other. Crew members need to find boats and boat owners need a crew. Boat sharing is the answer to turning difficulty connecting into great socializing and boating experiences. It’s as simple as that!

How can our two sailors go sailing together?

Stephanie does not want to sail with strangers, she needs to make sure it is safe, and she needs to meet the skipper first. John wants to make sure the crew will be able to sail independently while he does something else, and that crew members know a few things on board like hosting the main. He is willing to take on beginners if there is at least one other experienced crew on board.

What are the Crew and boat owners challenges ?

1- How and where can they even begin to connect?

2- How do they find out about each other’s needs, expectations, plans and availability?

3- How can they quickly and easily share their sailing resume, skills and experience?

4- What guarantee do they have that their communication is safe and their private data secure?

5- How can Stephanie learn more about John’s boat? How can John find out more about Stephanie’s experience and availability?

6- Lastly, what guarantee do they have that the other person is trustworthy and reliable?

A list of crew finder websites

Stephanie and John and unlikely to meet because they do not live close to each other, and do not have friends in common to introduce them. Like most people, they might go online and try to look for a solution.

As mentioned earlier, social media such as Facebook groups have failed to help them go sailing because of their lack of privacy, inefficiency and unreliability. Like many things, modern technology and the internet have made many things easier. But sometimes, the offer can just be overwhelming. Let’s see which websites sailors can turn to.

Both John and Stephanie found several options and websites that might work for them. John, who is a very meticulous and organized man, decided to list and compare them all.

Here is his list of crew connection websites:

– Coboaters.com

– Crewbay.com

– Gosailing (app only)

– Offshore Sailing Opportunity

– Railmeets

– Findacrew.net

How do all these websites compare? Where are they located, and where do they operate?

All of them seem to be pretty good at first, but as a boat owner, John wants to make sure he chooses the right website for him at the best value. Most of them require a subscription fee to access to the boat and crew listings.

His first concern was to find a North American site, or a site with US members and opportunities.

What are the most important criteria for Crew finder websites?

John continues his comparison and decides to list the most important criteria. He wants to make sure he will be able to find the right crew at the right time and for the best possible cost, so he can go sailing with other people in the best possible conditions.

He is taking the following features into account:

Does the website allow crew members and skippers to post a detailed profile, including boating experience?

Can boats be described in detail?

Is there a free and reliable ID check?

Is there a boating resume template to fill up for quick and efficient crew screening?

Can you post crew requests with enough details and requirements?

Can crew members post their own boat search, detailing dates when they’re available, port of departure and destination preferences?

Are there reviews and testimonials?

How is customer service and site moderation? Do they provide proper assistance?

Does the website offer membership gifts and benefits?

Are there promo codes and special offers?

Crew finder websites Comparison table

How much do Crew Finder websites cost?

John also drew up a cost comparison table, asking:

Can you create a profile for free?

Can you contact or be contacted by other members without becoming a paying member?

What plans are available? (Monthly, Weekly, Yearly)

Camparison table: which site is the most cost effective

Based on this analysis and thanks to his business background, John draws a graph to compare all websites.

Is there something else than crew finder websites?

Meanwhile, sailor and crew member Stephanie did her own research. She found the same websites as John but also realized that there are some local crew finder sites dedicated to certain areas or sailing niches. Some of them are hosted by boating and sailing magazines.

Here is her list and a few notes:

– Spinsheet Crew Finder page: Spinsheet is dedicated to Chesapeake Bay. There is almost no privacy as members email addresses are shared with all viewers. Bost requests are quite basic and there is no sailing resume.

– PointsEast is a sailing magazine for the US Northeast. There is one page for crew finder with a few opportunities listed. Contact data is not protected, privacy is limited.

– Windcheck is another sailing magazine with a lot of useful information and articles. It also has a page for crew finder but like the other magazines, services are basic.

– Lattitude 38 is based in California and offer similar crew finding pages for the West Coast.

Stephanie concluded that she could use those crew finder sites only if she sails in the areas they cover, which really disappointed her. She also doesn’t like the lack of privacy and the fact that her email will be visible to every website visitor. The good news is that all of them are free!

We don’t know if John and Stephanie have sailed together yet, but we do know that boat sharing is the solution for both their problems. Coboating the best way for them to get on the water for an amazing sailing experience.

Recommendations and reviews:

Probably the best of all-rounder with many features, including boat profiles, sailor profiles and posting detailed notices with availability for crew and for skippers. They provide opportunities all over the USA, Canada and the Caribbean and it also provides a useful crew management tool. Website design makes navigating from one page to the other quick and efficient. The members’ forum is also very exciting! Membership cost is also very reasonable compared to others and offers the best value by far.

Good app if you want to join a club or an ASA certified organization. You may also find non-sailor profiles but not as easily. The lack of relevant and detailed information will be very time-consuming trying to connect to the right skipper or crew. Most opportunities are posted by sailing clubs and organizations affiliated with American Sailing Association.

Good if you want to find offshore opportunities only, most of them on the East Coast between the US and the Caribbean . Price is also higher than others. Do not count on this website to vest opportunities and boats, and be prepared to spend time checking emails and forwarding you sailing resume to skippers. If you are a skipper, you will probably receive way more resumes and requests than you need.

Very good if you only want to race. Most of the members are located in the Great lakes region. It is free and pretty easy to use but some basic functionalities are missing.

Pleasant design and features allow to easily navigate from one page to another. Most opportunities are outside North America and it can get expensive if you want to keep your profile active for a long time. Professional access (not tested by our team) seems to be very popular. Recommended if you want to sail in Europe or if you are a pro.

Crewseekers

This site is also pretty good but does not focus on North America. Very few opportunities outside Europe. A lot of opportunities are paying trips posted by the website partners.

Dated web design, but probably the largest boating network worldwide. Browsing member profiles is not easy and boat descriptions aren’t very detailed. It is the most expensive site and you pay in Australian dollars so the amount varies with the exchange rate, which can lead to bad surprises if the rate is not in the favor of the US or Canadian dollar.

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What Each Crew Position Wants You to Know

August 2, 2017

This article is a guide to show how small improvements can make a big difference for your fellow crew. Read on to learn what your crew wants you to remember each race!

While it’s important to master your position on the boat, it’s equally as important to understand what’s going on in other domains and what you can do to make your teammates’ life easier and help the boat sail smoothly.

We reached out to a mix of successful sailors to find out what they want the other crew members to keep in mind to help them execute their job the best they can. Here’s what they had to say.

“The race is not over until the spinnaker comes down. It is easy to switch to recovery mode right after crossing the finish line, but this can be costly with a messy takedown, ripped or wet sail. To go along with this, after races finish send the jib bag up before the food bag! It’s frustrating for the bow when I’m are ready to flake the jib and everybody is eating.

I am happy to see the tactician’s general awareness of the bow team. We understand tacking mid jib-flake can’t always be avoided, but a quick cleanup with everyone cooperating makes life much easier. Lastly, my lifeline is the pit position, I like when this person is attentive and stays by their position until the bow team finishes cleaning up between races!” Anonymous bowman

“The mast is a lot easier when trimmers have patience on the set. They can pop the spinnaker open by sheeting too early and make the mast and foredeck look terrible! My key teammates are sewer and pit: a spinnaker set never works well if the trimmers, mast, sewer and pit are working independently, but when we hit on all cylinders, the set will be a thing of beauty. The other critical players to a happy mast are the tactician and helmsman. If the boat isn't in proper orientation to the wind when it is time to take the spinnaker down disaster can strike. A great bow/mast team will make it work, but a little waggle to help collapse the spinnaker goes a long way for a clean drop.” Andrew Spaulding*

“Be mindful of where things are thrown. For example: a jib change on the run, I may not be the one putting the old jib or bag down below, so I ask teammates to be mindful of the flaked kite halyard. I flake it once and then spend the rest of my run focusing on weight placement, pole position, finding the leeward marks and it becomes time consuming to have my head in the boat for longer than necessary.

The pit is in the middle of two groups. When it comes to maneuvers, the bow and brain trust may not always be on the same page, and I often have to decide which one to follow. If the back of the boat is calling for something that the bow is not ready to do; I can't force the issue. I can facilitate it, convey the sense of urgency, but I can't take the spinnaker down or jibe it by myself. This communication becomes easier if I receive clear and timely information from either end of the boat.” Scott Murin

Headsail Trimmer:

“Acknowledgment of communication. If I ask a teammate to do something, they should either act on it immediately or answer ‘copy’. If there is no acknowledgment, the person making the request often asks two or three times getting louder each time. I often see this situation and, my ultimate pet peeve is when the teammate finally answers and says ‘I HEARD YOU!’ When people say “copy” I can leave the task with them and move on. My other suggestion is to make habit of saying the person’s name before making a request so their attention is grabbed and time is not wasted by repeating what they didn’t hear before their name was called (this could be the difference between a collision and a race win).” Morgan Trubovich

“A briefing with the days goals. There should be a morning discussion describing the weather, potential courses, and anything else important. After the team is on the same page, people can break into groups depending on who they need to interact with throughout the day. I talk to my offside trimmer and grinders about what situations may come up and then I talk to the main trimmer about possible sails and boat settings.

It is also important to have quiet and calm maneuvers. I like to have ongoing discussions about what’s to come so when the boat is actually turning everyone has already anticipated their weight placement and I can focus on feeling the sheet run through my hands.” Dave Gerber

Main Trimmer:

“The most important thing is pressure calls and relatives. A main trimmer is ‘head in the boat’ which only gives them so much feel, so consistent and accurate information are crucial for boat speed. I am happy with simple dialogue with the tactician to know what modes are expected. If we develop standard steps, it becomes easy to be on same page.

The jib and main must also cooperate, they are constantly working together to make the boat do what the tactician wants. As a main trimmer, I let the jib do what they want and communicate when they are hitting the main or when they can be tighter. It’s good to develop concise key words and terminologies for any maneuver where the main has to be fine-tuned; some examples: high build, high kill, half tack, speed build, or racing.” Luke Lawrence

“I love it when new crew get onboard, listen to the race conversation and offer input where it might be lacking or where he/she can contribute value.  For example, if no one is calling breeze on the rail, it’s great to have a crew take the initiative to make very concise and valuable breeze calls (Puff on in 3, 2, 1….).   It’s also great when new crew take a few minutes to observe, listen and see what info or help might be needed instead of diving right in without first watching or thinking. It's valuable when a crew member offers input and "finishes the sentence."  How many times have you heard someone say "...the right has a lot of pressure...." AND what??? Inquiring minds want to know. Finish the sentence: "... and they look strong/are headed/etc."   Completing the sentence and picture for the tactician, driver and speed team is extremely helpful.   A positive attitude and imploring the “5 second rule” (does what I’m about to say make sense and is it valuable? Am I finishing the sentence with my comment? ) make any crew a welcome addition to my boat." Ms. Sailsalot

“Come with a game face on. There is always time for bar talk, but it shouldn’t be before racing. I appreciate team members who get to the boat and prepare their position for racing. When people scatter and aren’t responsible for their area it takes away from what I need to be doing as a tactician and the performance suffers.” Geoff Ewenson

“Clear and short communication. I am happy when the trimmers and I are in sync with what steps we will take as conditions change. It is helpful for me to understand which way the trimmer is likely to move the leads, etc. as the breeze changes. For me, tactical input and observations are certainly invited before situations happen, especially 10 minutes before a start.” George Szabo

Boat Captain:

“Ask questions at the right time. I love when people want to learn and be involved with how the boat comes together, but choose a time when not much else is going on, probably not when I’ve just sat down to service a winch. I love it when each crew member takes responsibility for their station and addresses problems early, and to take it one step further if they are part of the solution whether it be a short term regatta fix or the long term ultimate fix, it’s fun to bounce ideas off others.

My life becomes easier when teammates self-delegate. I think of tasks as skilled and unskilled; if you are unsure how to help with the skilled boat work, there are always unskilled items that can be taken care of. Examples: filling water bottles, organizing down below, grabbing food and clean up. And if you still don’t know what to do, ask yourself, ‘If I were running this boat, what would I want done right now?’” Kyle Kant

*Editor’s Note: Shortly after publishing this piece, our team received the very sad news of Andrew Spaulding’s untimely passing. He was much loved by the sailing community and our team’s deepest sympathies go out to his friends, family and everyone who’s lives were touched by his wonderful spirit.

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Home » Blog » Sail » 5 steps to being good crew on a sailboat

5 steps to being good crew on a sailboat

By Author Guest Post

Posted on Last updated: October 12, 2017

GenZ is on the water!  It’s hard enough being a teenager, but imagine spending 24/7 with your parents and brother in a 100 square foot space!  It would be easy to feel resistant, but as Abby Bridges explains, shifting her mindset from passenger to crew has made all the difference.  Whether you’re a teenager or a parent with kids aboard, or just find it hard to start pitching in around the boat, Abby provides 5 easy steps for getting more out of your adventure by being a good crew member.

How to be good crew

Aboard any boat, there is a functional hierarchy. A person is either the captain, part of the crew, or a passenger. The captain is responsible for the safety of the vessel and everyone onboard. The crew supports the captain in performing his/her duties, and assists in the operation and maintenance of the boat. A passenger doesn’t have any responsibilities; he or she is just along for the ride.

When I first started sailing, I was a member of the passenger category.  My dad is the captain, my mom is the first mate/chef and my 11-year-old brother is the cabin boy.  As a passenger, I expected cruising to be a series of beaches and infinity pools, without any kind of physical labor involved. Once reality set in, I realized that despite the work effort, cruising is infinitely more fun if you are a part of the team. The mental transition from passenger to crew takes real effort, but I’ve found that it makes the end results that much sweeter.

Step 1 – Be hungry to learn

The first step in shifting your mindset from passenger to crew is having a desire to learn, and acting on it. At the beginning of my sailing days, I was against my parent’s decision to cruise. I’ve come around now, but I remember being reluctant to do anything crew-related because I couldn’t care less about the actual sailing part.

I can recall the exact moment that I changed my attitude. My parents and brother had just dropped the hook in a beautiful anchorage in Mexico after a long and tiring passage. They wanted to go into town to get some ice cream to celebrate our arrival. I was just about to climb into our dinghy when my dad, the captain of our boat, stopped me and said he was buying ice cream for only the crew, and that I didn’t deserve it because I did nothing to help. As I protested, I watched my family go off to shore while I was stuck on the boat, deprived of any cold treats. I decided that from that moment on, I would strive to learn to be crew. Not just for ice cream, but because I wanted to truly be a part of our adventure.

Step 2 – Learn the lingo

One of the most important things in being an active crew member is speaking the same language.  Sailing has its own lingo; it’s almost a foreign language.  Learning how to sail will be much easier once you understand words like mainsheet halyard, boomvang, or starboard. When my dad tells me to trim the port jibsheet, I do so without even thinking about it. A crew member must be able to handle many aspects of the boat quickly and efficiently. I needed to show the captain that I was ready for that responsibility, and that he could trust me and that started with understanding what is required. Now I take any opportunity to help and as I prove myself to my dad, he challenges me further.

Step 3 – Set your ego aside

Sailing requires teamwork. It is something that takes a large amount of involvement from many different people. There are roles of captain, 1st mate, 2nd mate, quartermaster, able-bodied seaman, ordinary seaman, chef, cabin boy, and way too many others to list. Each person is crucial to keep the boat afloat and running efficiently and there isn’t room for egos.

A crew member must work well with others, and should obey any order given immediately, without question. The hardest part of being a crew member for me is to do just that. I am an extremely stubborn person who always wants the last word, so learning to shut up and take orders was very difficult, and it’s still something I’m working on. Even if you disagree with the captain, I must not contradict the captain because he has the experience and the authority to make the right decision. Even disregarding the smallest order can compromise the safety of the entire crew. I had to learn that if the captain tells you to do something in a firm tone, it is just because it’s a matter of urgency, not because they’re being mean. Mentally giving the captain control is something that takes great maturity, and once you can do that, you are officially part of the crew.

Processed with VSCO with c1 preset

Step 4 – Take responsibility

A great benefit to being a crew member is that you can give input towards many decisions, whereas a passenger has no right. Ultimately, the captain makes the choice, but often he regards the speculations of the crew. As a crew member, I am respected by adults in a way that a fifteen-year-old ordinarily wouldn’t be, and trusted to make larger scale decisions. Of course, my parents aren’t handing over the charts and compass completely. They still have the final say, but I feel like my opinions are valued, and my parents’ idea to sail around the world isn’t theirs alone; it’s become my adventure too.

Step 5 – Reap the rewards

Knowing that I took part in sailing our boat from California to Mexico and then to the South Pacific leaves me with a feeling of deep accomplishment. I know it’s because the things we are most proud of in life are the things we work hard for. My dad asks me every day if I want to be Passenger or Crew. I’ve made my choice and I don’t regret it for a second.  I don’t even care about the ice cream…as delicious as it is.

Abby Bridges is a fifteen-year-old sailor who is currently cruising in the South Pacific with her family of four aboard their Gulfstar 50, Beach Flea. She enjoys surfing, SCUBA diving, and doing backflips off the side of her boat. Follow her on Instagram @abbygbridges or check out her family’s sailing adventure at www. beachfleas.com

Patti, Mermaid on Yacht LOVE

Saturday 28th of April 2018

Well written article and excellent choice of pictures. Abby's articulate opinion says it all! I hope her article inspires other teens to "get over themselves" and get involved with sailing. Following directions is totally worth all the benefits of being safe and fun sailing to awesome places!

Saturday 28th of October 2017

This is a great article and I would love to share it with our Junior Sailors. Could I have permission to publish it in our club's newsletter?

Thanks, Tom

Friday 10th of November 2017

No problem. Please go ahead.

Sunday 22nd of October 2017

Great post, people often don't know what to do when crewing and it can get frustrating for everyone. Crewing should be fun!

Tara www.coastapus.com

Kristin Hanes

Friday 13th of October 2017

What a cute article!! I'm so glad you came around the helping crew the sailboat. I think its so rewarding!

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Search our   sailing crew opportunities   to connect with hundreds boat owners who want a sailing crew for all types of ocean sailing.

Search our   sailing crew list   to connect with thousands of potential crew – all interested in ocean sailing.

Just Ocean Crew and Ocean Voyages

Unlike other sites, Ocean Crew Link specializes in opportunities for ocean sailing crew, so if you are planning to cross the Atlantic or island-hop in the Pacific and need a sailing crew,   register   now and connect with sailors from around the world.

Ocean Crew Link   is World Cruising Club’s preferred sailing crew match service and has a special focus on voyaging rallies like the   ARC   and   World ARC . Boat owners and charter companies use Ocean Crew Link to find crew for rallies and independent cruising. Each month there are around 150 opportunities to sail as crew available on the site.

Our weekly email will update you on sailing crew opportunities added in the last 7 days.

There is a subscription fee of $5 per month recurring. The subscription may be cancelled at any point.

Register now – you must be aged 18 years or more, and will need to include information about sailing skills to make matching easier. Ocean sailing is about people and personalities, so start a conversation and see where it takes you!   Happy Sailing!

Meet crew...

Peter hoepker.

• Gender: male
• Ocean/Coastal Miles: 500/3000
• Years Sailing: 10+
• Nationality: Germany

Spyros Papantoniou

• Ocean/Coastal Miles: 5000/10000
• Nationality: Switzerland

Steve Miller

• Ocean/Coastal Miles: 3000/5000
• Nationality: United States

Find boats...

• When: December 01, 2024 - March 31, 2025
• Where: Chile to Pto. Williams of Chile
• With: Catalina 400, 12.192m, Sail, Monohull
• Voyage Cost: daily contribution from crew
• Posted by: Juan Francisco Rozas, June 28, 2024
• When: February 07, 2025 - June 12, 2025
• Where: Panama to Musket Cove of Fiji
• With: Hallberg-Rassy 57, 17.3736m, Sail, Monohull
• Voyage Cost: captain pays all expenses
• Posted by: Adam Spiegel, September 05, 2024
• When: January 09, 2025 - January 28, 2025
• Where: Canary Islands to Port Louis Marina of Grenada
• With: Volvo 60, 19.812m, Sail, Monohull
• Voyage Cost: voyage cost
• Posted by: Valdo DHOYER, November 08, 2021

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Offshore Passage Opportunities is the #1 Crew Networking Service in North America. OPO has helped thousands of sailors meet and make successful passages since 1993.

Our mission is to seek, gather and create quality offshore passage opportunities for our members..

Offshore Passage Opportunities offers three services all focused around matching experienced crew with qualified skippers -- and helping those who seek more sailing experience to safely acquire it.

Experienced Crew Seeking Quality Passage Opportunities

Your membership connects you with trusted owners and skippers looking for experienced crew. You sail for free since you're helping to move a boat. Some voyages require sea miles with solo, night watch capabilities while others simply need bodies to stand watch.

• To Panama Canal on a 40' Custom Steel Ketch
• To St Maarten on a Privilege 50' Cat
• To Bermuda to St. Thomas on a Nautitech 40 Cat
• To Virgin Gorda BVI on a Outbound 46
• To St. Maarten on a Amel 53

If you're interested or qualified for some of the posted opportunities, then that is a good indication you should join now.

Sailors Seeking Additional Offshore Experience

Our Swan Program was designed to help knowledgeable sailors gain the blue water, offshore miles required to crew on any boat.

You pay to crew for a very experienced skipper on a proven boat who will push your comfort zone. You'll learn:

• Offshore Sailing Strategy
• Route Planning
• Important Safety Tips
• How to Stand Watch
• How Systems Work
• What it Takes to Crew

After one or two Swan voyages, you'll be ready to crew on virtually any offshore passage.

Skippers Seeking Experienced Offshore Crew

We help boat owners and delivery skippers find qualified, experienced crew. Some skippers look for crew in advance while others need crew on short notice. Once you " Request Crew " you'll know within 24 to 48 hours if we can help. Some skippers accept friendly, less experienced crew who are able and willing.

This service is free to boat owners and delivery skippers. All you need to do is:

• Complete our " Request Crew "
• Answer any OPO questions
• Thoughtfully vet crew inquiries
• Select your crew
• Have a great trip

We welcome inquiries from owners and skippers we know--and those we have yet to meet.

Delivery skippers and private boat owners quickly realize their friends and family have jobs and cannot always sail with them. So they call us looking for crew. We collect their information and pass it on to our members to help them get aboard. Since you are helping to deliver a boat, you get to go sailing for free. Many are repeat skippers or members so we pre-qualify a majority of the opportunities for you.

Swan Program: A First Experience with Offshore Sailing

If you've ever considering deepwater sailing but were not sure how to jump start your sailing career, our Swan Program is for you .

Our Swan Program was specifically designed to introduce people to the world of offshore sailing by providing hands-on crew experience under the watchful eye of an professional skipper on a proven boat . During your tenure onboard, you’ll learn to keep watch, make log entries, navigate, use the radio, steer the boat  and perform tasks that are essential to safe offshore sailing. The Swan Program offers a fixed price for everything you’ll need aboard—you just pay for your travel to and from the boat. The Swan Program sails south from New England to Bermuda and the Caribbean in the fall, and north from Bermuda and the Caribbean to New England in the spring. Summer trips are also available.

After your first Swan Program experience, you’ll have the skills to sail on other boats . Please view the video below to learn more.

2024 Swan Program

Dear Sailors,

We like to speak with potential Swan Crew before they sign up for any of the following passages. Please let me know if you have any questions before placing a deposit online or by mailing a check.

A deposit is required for any option.

I am in or near the office most of December and January at 631-423-4988 . E-mail works very well at [email protected]

Once we have agreed you are ready to join us, you can make a deposit online at www.sailopo.com/store or pay by check made out to Offshore Passage Opportunities and mailed to OPO, PO Box 2600, Halesite NY 11743.

Best Regards, Hank Schmitt OPO

2024 Swan Offshore Program Schedule

We are happy to share our fall schedule with the public. OPO members received this schedule on July 1. The ARC Passage on a Swan 68 from Las Palmas to St. Lucia booked and filled up right away! We have three berths left to sail with Tanai Aebi from Barcelona to Las Palmas to have the boat in Las Palmas a week before crew arrive for the ARC start. Tania Aebi sailed around the world by herself starting at age 18 on a 26-foot boat in 1986. She wrote “Maiden Voyage” about that epic adventure which has become a classic. This is a rare opportunity to sail with a celebrity skipper who is also a very nice person.

In years past, we had as many as 10 Swans departing from Newport in the fall and sailing to St. Maarten in the Caribbean. We are no longer organizing our annual NARC Rally after 24 years, but have two Swans still sailing south this fall. If you are interested in taking the next step to become a seasoned offshore sailor, the classic passage from Newport to the Caribbean in the fall will help you achieve your goal. We have a Swan 48 and a Swan 65 grandfathered into our Swan Program. If you would like to know if you qualify and want to sign aboard, please e-mail me at [email protected] or call us at 631-423-4988 .

Swan 48, Piper Lance October 24 to November 13 (21 days) Newport RI to Bermuda to St. Maarten Caribbean Crew arrives Thursday, October 24, for a planned departure on Saturday, October 26. Depending on weather, there will be a delayed departure from Bermuda for the second leg departing on Wednesday, November 6, to watch the U.S. election results. Crew flies home on November 13 after one or two days in SXM. Price: $5,500 Swan 65, Aurora October 24 to November 13 (21 days) Newport RI to Bermuda to St. Maarten Caribbean Sail with Captain Johnthan Ishmael and repeat First Mate Courney from St. Lucia. Crew arrives Thursday, October 24, for planned departure on Saturday, October 26. Depending on weather, there will be a delayed departure from Bermuda for the second leg departing on Wednesday, November 6, to watch the U.S. election results. Crew flies home on November 13 after one or two days in SXM. Price: $5,500 Swan 68, Aphrodite First Leg : October 21 to November 10 (21 days) Barcelona to Las Palmas Canary Islands Spain Sail with Captain Tania Aebi and First Mate Maurizio Crew arrives in Barcelona, Spain on Monday, October 21. The plan is to depart on October 23 and make possible stops in Gibraltar and Madeira, Portugal on the way to Las Palmas arriving about November 8 or 9, having several days in las Palmas before flying home on November 10. This is a 3-week adventure. The skipper is Tania Aebi and the mate is Maurizio from Southern Italy. They have an excellent cook who will make dinner each night. Price: $4,500 with 3 only berths left Second Leg : November 17 to December 15 (29 days) ARC Rally, Las Palmas to St. Lucia Price: $$6,500 (Currently full, but ask to join the Wait List)

Paid Passage Opportunities

OPO is all about going sailing for free . However some people prefer or need to plan well in advance to take three or four weeks off from work or commitments. They find it more affordable to sail offshore with a pro skipper on a strong offshore boat (Swans) compared to buying their own boat.

One phenomenon rocking the sailing world is the transition to catamarans. While catamarans in the US have not caught on, if you have sailed in the Caribbean or been to the Mediterranean, you'll see catamarans everywhere. If you are thinking of including a catamaran as part of your future, why not spend some money and make sure by signing up for an offshore passage and give it a go ? Then you can see how they perform offshore before making a huge investment.

This past May we had a trial run with three OPO members sailing aboard a Bali 5.4, 56-foot catamaran named Two Oceans from St. Maarten to Europe with our four Swans. Both the Swan 68 Aphrodite and Bali 5.4 catamaran Two Oceans will be in Barcelona for the Americas Cup this summer and fall. After they are over, Tania Aebi will skipper Aphrodite to Las Palmas in the Canary Islands. The same skipper and mate will be skippering Two Oceans to Lanzarote, Canary Islands and then on to St. Maarten. While Tania is making a three-week first leg cruise to Las Palmas, the catamaran will welcome crew on November 9 and make a more direct one-week passage to get to Lanzarote. During a four-day layover more crew will join the boat in Lanzarote for the Trans-Atlantic second Leg to St. Maarten. The sail from Mediterranean to the Canary Islands and then across to the Caribbean is a mostly a downwind passage - perfect for catamaran sailing. Almost half of the boats in the ARC Rally are catamarans now. If you want to test sail a catamaran in true ocean conditions before committing to buying a catamaran for long-term cruising, why not sail across (take your spouse) to see if it is a good plan before buying a catamaran ? This is also a very affordable opportunity to do a bucket list crossing without having to purchase and outfit a boat.

There will be six or seven crew plus a captain and mate, depending if one or two couples join. There will be only three or four crew for the first leg. Then other crew will join in Lanzarote for the second leg of the passage. The second, longer Trans-Atlantic leg will depart two or three days before the ARC. Crew can join for the entire one-month crossing starting in Barcelona or you can fly into Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain and join the boat there for the 16 to 18-day passage to St. Maarten. Enjoy a couple of days in St. Maarten after you arrive and fly home. The plan is to have half the crew join in Barcelona. Crew, with less time, will fly in for the shorter three-week commitment.

For more information, visit: https://twooceanscatamaran.com/

New Bali 5.4* Catamaran Program, Trans-Atlantic

• Shared Cabin: $6,000 (2 Twin bunks)
• Private Cabin: $7,000 (Queen bunk)
• Couple Shared Cabin: $9,000 ($4,500 per person)
• Master Owners Cabin: $10,000 ($5,000 per person)
• Shared Cabin: $5,000
• Private Cabin: $6,000
• Couple Shared Cabin: $7,500 ($3,750 per person)
• Master Owners Cabin: $8,500 ($4,250 per person)

* Two Oceans is only the first of four Bali 5.4 (56 feet) charter boats that will be making a regular run from Spain to the Caribbean and then back each season. Last year Two Oceans and MIM Ocean were the first two MedCat Charter boats offering fully crewed luxury charters to primarily European and South American charter guests.

We met the American owners of Two Oceans and the Catalonian skipper and 1st mate this past winter. Two very nice young sailors in their 30s. We had three paid crew join them for the sail from St. Maarten to Barcelona. The same skipper and first mate will be sailing back this November. If we fill the Two Oceans with six crew we will then offer to help fill from one to three other Bali 5.4 catamarans starting with MIM Ocean. We include a picture of MIM Ocean for you to try and guess the boat's owner.

In the Industry we see a lot of people who like to retire and invest money in their favorite hobby. The owners of Two Oceans, is one example. The other is a 37-year-old Argentinian (GOAT) futball player who is at the top of his game and near retirement. He just happens to be 37 year old. Please let us know if you are interested in sailing one of # 10s boats.

Tips from the Pros: Watch Hank in Action

Hank Schmitt is profiled in the several episodes of a new series entitled " Tips from the Pros ." Regardless how long you have been sailing, you will learn something new by watching Hank share some of his techniques based upon decades of sailing.

Please contact Hank with any comments and feedback!

Hank Schmitt provides an overview of Offshore Passage Opportunities to the Blue Water Sailing Club , complete with Q & A.

The discussion shares how you can learn to sail offshore, how OPO has helped countless sailors gain blue water experience, and the benefits of crewing on a boat delivery. Importantly, Hank also discusses the Swan Program, the annual NARC Rally (North American Rally to Caribbean) and other rallies. Enjoy!

Swan Program

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Top 10 tips for Sailing Across the Atlantic as Crew

Table of contents, 9. provision carefully.

Travelling an Atlantic Crossing on someone else’s sailing boat is not a straightforward endeavour and an adventure to be taken lightly. Finding a boat is one thing, finding the right boat, crew and captain match is what makes all the difference. There are some things to be mindful of. I’ve met too many people that thought to ‘just’ hop on a boat do an Atlantic Crossing. Unsurprisingly many of them did not succeed in having a pleasant experience. On the Atlantic ocean, you live, work, eat, leisure together for weeks. Non-stop. It’s like camping in the wild with a bunch of strangers. Only you can’t walk away… Inform yourself, research and prepare. It’s part of the fun! 

Four times I have now sailed as crew across the Atlantic. Another time I left a boat before setting sail. So many lessons learned. Here are a few. My ten tips for crew looking to sail across the Atlantic Ocean.

Have your WHY clear about Atlantic Crossing

Do you want to gain sailing experience? Learn as much as you can? Go from A to B? Just be away from all of it? Or simply chillax on anchor in pretty bays? Search accordingly.

Be Confident or Start small

Be confident you're ready for an ocean passage.  You owe it to yourself, captain, and fellow crew. If you’re not sure about the full Atlantic Crossing, start with a trip near shore or a short passage to figure out if an ocean passage is for you.

Know the bearings

To be ready to expect the unexpected, careful investigation and preparation is essential. Learn about the passage, seasons, distance, destinations, weather, costs, and tasks involved . This will help you find a ride at the right time and place. NauticEd is a good place to start learning online. Click here to get two courses for free.

Be flexible with time, place and money

Sailboats deal with seasons, routes, weather, breakage, and all sorts of variables. By thinking about scenarios in advance makes it easy to peacefully change course and comply with Captains’ calls.

That said, upcoming winter 2022 / 2023 I organize an expedition with Ocean Nomads. The professionalism and nature of the collaborative vessel allows for a schedule, as well as a beautiful space to unite a selected crew of impact driven ocean adventurers. Learn more and Apply now to join!

Be 100% happy and confident on with whom you’re jumping on board

Research the boat, captain, and crew carefully. The people you share the adventure with either make or break the experience. Realise that anyone can buy a boat without experience or license. Exchange loads of messages, ask questions, and talk to each other on the phone, preferably with video. Meet-up, fix things together and go for a test sail. Don’t let your eagerness to make a trip override your instinct and judgment. Be 100% sure. Find a safety and happiness assessment checklist and questions list in Ocean Nomad . After 30.000 miles of sailing on many differents boats, I learned that at the end it's all about the people you share the experience with. That's one reason I started Ocean Nomads , to connect more of the adventurous and conscious minded ocean explorers to each other. We have had more and more boatowners particularly reach out to Ocean Nomads because of the amount of ‘noise' and unmatching crew requests via the many Facebook groups and crew websites. Ocean Nomads members are seen as serious and well-informed crew members

Always talk to the captain

When assessing the options and figuring out if a boat is a good match, talk to the captain. Not (only) the owner, another crewmember, relative, manager or passenger. The captain is the decision maker and the one that knows the boat best so you want to know about him/her and his/her plan.

Be clear on intentions, expectations, and agreements.

Know what the captain is expecting from you. What are you expecting from the captain and the Atlantic crossing? It makes it easier for you to prepare, anticipate, and avoid misunderstandings. Talk about budget and agree in advance about which costs are shared.

Pack light and thoughtful

You don't need much at sea. As a general rule, if you can live without it, leave it at home. Storage space is worth gold on board. If you have already committed to a boat (and are sure about it!) before leaving your home base, ask what's already on board, so you don't have to bring it. Less is more; less is more; less is more! Find an ocean packing checklist and considerations in Ocean Nomad .

Garmin Inreach Mini2

Captains usually have their hands full preparing the boat, so it's likely that as crew you will be part of the provisioning team. A well-fed crew is a happy crew, so properly organise, plan and execute provisions for the boat. Your health and happiness for the next few weeks depends on it. A big part of your contribution (or destruction!) to a healthy ocean starts with the packing and provisioning preparation. I dedicated a full chapter to this in Ocean Nomad .

Make it meaningful

As users of the ocean, it’s our responsibility to become part of the solution, not the problem. When we plan, prepare and make conscious decisions, we can minimise our negative footprint and maximise the benefits for the place we visit and for the planet as a whole. Find out what you can do as crew to contribute to a healthier ocean.

Bonus tip! Don’t book a return ticket ;)

An Atlantic Crossing goes hardly as planned. Avoid stressing the captain because you have a plane to catch. Above all, chances are you’ll be hooked and you want to keep going. 

At the end it’s common sense, follow your instinct and one big adventure! But being well informed and prepared is key for a happy, safe, and meaningful experience. That's why I wrote Ocean Nomad , to connect more of you to the ocean, happy, safe and meaningfully! Enjoy & Ahoy!

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This content has originally been published in YachtingWorld.

Download a copy or colour print version of Ocean Nomad here   The Complete Atlantic Crew Guide: Catch a Sailboat Ride & Contribute to a Healthier Ocean.

 All proceeds of Ocean Nomad go into ocean conservation projects.

Have you sailed across the Atlantic? I'd love to hear about your experience! Take part in the big Atlantic Ocean Crew & Captain Survey.

Have you read Ocean Nomad? I would LOVE to hear how the book has helped you to make the dream happen and if it has left you with any questions, let me know so I can incorporate answers for the next edition! Thanks for leaving a review on Amazon , Facebook , Goodreads , or Bol.com

Do you have specific questions for me? Or would you like me to help you decide if it's a good match or not? Have a Virtual Coconut with me,  come sailing with me , or become a VIPatreon and I'll support you to the best I can.

Hi! My name is Suzanne. I'm here to excite and guide you into slow travel adventures, in tune with nature. 🗺️+15yr Fulltime Adventurer by Sail & Van 🧜‍♀️⛵️🚐✨🏕️

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Want to Volunteer Crew on a Sailboat? What You Need to Know

This post contains affiliate links. The Salt Sirens earns from qualifying purchases.

So this is it. You’ve decided to take a Sabbatical year, you want to travel the world after graduating from university, or you’ve left your job to discover new continents before embracing a new career. So many women young and old dream of learning how to sail, discovering remote islands, frolicking on white beaches under coconut trees, exploring luscious jungles, foraging for lunch, and living a life of freedom and adventure at sea.

Some of these women are contemplating buying their own sailboat at some point, but first want to learn the ropes of the craft. Others women want to travel only by wind due to ecological considerations. All of these future novice (this is what beginner crew are called) female crew are enthusiastic, optimistic, trusting, and willing to work hard to live their dream.

Table of Contents

What is volunteer crewing?

Voluntary crewing on boats, where you participate in navigation tasks and chores in exchange for a berth and traveling experience, has grown exponentially since the mid 2000s as more people started to travel the world in this way. Websites where captains could find crew, like Crewbay.com, Findacrew.net, Crewseekers.net, and Facebook groups dedicated to crewing welcomed more and more members, for better or worse, since little vetting is done on these websites. (This combination of high membership numbers and little vetting has had consequences in terms of safety, especially for crew). Thousands of people have therefore started to experience the joys of a life at sea, either as a captain, finding fast help to hold watches, polish the cockpit, or clean the hull, or as crew enjoying discovering the pleasures and challenges of navigation.

The risks of crewing as a woman

This all sounds amazing and doable indeed, but , it is important to mention the risks, especially for women and girls (some start these adventures in their late teens). Hundreds of voluntary crew, unfortunately unaware of these dangers, went through very traumatic experiences as a result of these risks not being mentioned on these platforms. The lack of vetting and follow-through with platforms have put some women at risk. Some were sexually assaulted by predatory captains. Like Hans Klaar , who was convicted for rape in 2011 and was found recruiting female crew in 2021 on Crewbay, where he then assaulted three of them. More recently, one woman has disappeared after joining a boat that was later found gutted by fire. This month, three separate sexual assault charges against sailboat captains in French Polynesia have been issued. The list goes on.

Being on a stranger’s boat, far away from home, sometimes in the middle of the ocean, depending on him for security, schedule, workload, or even food can be very dangerous if you are with an unstable or predatory person. Far from wanting to scare you adventurous ladies, it is important to be aware of these dangers. Unfortunately, stories of intimidation and assault by aggressive captains are not rare, and rarely are these stories posted in the media. I am trying to change this with a collection of victims’ testimonies and the Facebook group called “Sailing Safety for Women” I’ve created.

So, first of all, why don’t we hear about these stories? Well, as a start, because the victims are traumatized and ashamed. The abuse they went through is so harmful to their mental health, most of the time, that they do not want to recall the events by speaking about them with anyone. They want to forget. Also, they are ashamed of having been “tricked” by these toxic captains into joining a boat where they thought they would live a beautiful adventure with a man with high ethical standards and respect for women, as often we wrongly believe sailboats’ captains to be.

They quickly realized that this person who was charming on Crewbay, Findacrew, Facebook (there are many crewing groups on Facebook) and then WhatsApp, was in fact a manipulative person who succeeded in luring them to his boat in order to try and obtain sex from them, or be gravely abusive. Because they had no idea that this type of manipulation even existed, they feel guilty of having been victimized, which of course is not their fault at all. Sometimes, they were even threatened by the abuser with retaliation if they spoke out.

Lastly, isolated, far from home, vulnerable psychologically, sometimes not speaking the local language and/or having spent fortunes in order to reach the sailboat, they are in no position to try and press charges locally, which is required in most cases for a file to be opened. They therefore bury the trauma and try to live with it. As a result, no journalist has been truly made aware of the prevalence of this phenomenon. Now, more victims are speaking up, and the leisure sailing world cannot ignore them any longer.

Safety tips for crewing on a sailboat

So, how can you prevent this from happening to you? Well, we, as a collective of victims of such captains’ abuses and crimes, have developed a whole list of in-depth safety precautions and steps that volunteer female crew can find on the Facebook group, “ Sailing Safety for Women .” We also have a registry of recommendations with reported toxic captains registered, as well as safe and supportive ones. You can consult it via the group in exchange for a donation, as managing the group is a full-time job.

Read the full list of Sailing Safety Tips

Never embark on a sailboat alone

The golden rule is to never embark with a captain alone . The only exception would be if you know him extremely well, and have sailed with him on his boat before. In many cases, captains who are charming and well-loved on land may turn out to be tyrants after a few days at sea, sometimes putting crew’s lives at risk. If you haven’t, always ask to bring a crewmate with you (find one on crewing Facebook groups), or ask to be put in touch with the other crew foreseen prior to embarking. Do not embark alone, even if the other crew cancels: Some captains have indeed been lying about other crew coming in order to be alone with a female crew they’ve recruited. Unfortunately, assaults have happened on boats with couples or even families, so always be on your guard and self-aware. Avoid drinking alcohol on board, at least until you are sure that the atmosphere is healthy and the captain is safe. Once the energy is clear and boundaries for all are secure, you can feel more at ease.

Do not blindly trust crewing platforms and websites

Do not rely on platforms like Crewbay.com or Findacrew.net to weed out abusive captains.

In a testimony to Maritime Legal Aid , one woman (“C”) states, “I was assaulted by a captain and afterwards I reported him to Crewbay.com, the site where he found me. The reaction I received from Crewbay.com was very problematic, and they refused to do any prevention to curb those assaults despite me and other victims asking repeatedly for a year.” The woman then went to report the captain to Findacrew.net to alert them of the captain, where he was allowed continue posting crew recruitments.

Crewbay also refused to publish negative reviews written by former crew members, leading to more women being victimized by the captain.

Editor’s note : After more than a year of victims and advocates asking Crewbay to publish safety precautions alerting female crew of the risks of sexual assault and sexual harassment while crewing on sailboats (there were none on the website since its inception in 2004), Crewbay finally agreed to publish general safety tips. However, their safety tips do not cover the risk of sexual violence towards women and there have been no change to the platform. The specifics of this include users needing to tick a box stating they’ve read through these general safety tips. Victims must show a police report to have the captain removed, a major problem as most victims do not file police reports in fear of retaliation. The onus is once again on the victim to n ot get assaulted rather than the captain to not assault .

Watch for red flags

Reject captains who are looking for novice or lone female crew, request you be okay with nudity in advance, won’t provide references, asks for photos of you in a swimsuit, sends flirtatious messages, or won’t provide proof of their identity and credentials. When communicating, be clear in your expectations. What is the expected food cost? Will fuel and any customs costs be shared? What duties are expected of crew?

Do your due diligence with the safety precautions provided in the “ Sailing Safety for Women ” Facebook group, and don’t hesitate to offer advice everywhere you see female novice crew post, looking for their first sailing experience. They need to be informed as well. Lastly, we need to stand in solidarity with the victims, and demand crewing platforms and Facebook groups that they do everything they can to stop abusive captains stop from victimizing crew in total impunity, as is the case at the moment.

Leila Gold is the admin of the Facebook group “ Sailing Safety for Women “ and an advocate for more safety and well-being for voluntary and professional crew on leisure sailboats. She has been sexually assaulted by a captain found via Crewbay.com on the first evening of her first crewing experience and has since then helped dozens of victims, and warned thousands of female crew about these dangers thanks to her Facebook group. If you wish to support her work, contributions to Sailing Safety for Women Patreon are greatly appreciated.

The role of crew positions and duties on a sailboat

Discover the key crew positions and their duties on a sailboat to ensure a safe and enjoyable journey exploring the open sea with your family.

The Role of Crew Positions and Duties on a Sailboat

Sailing is an exciting and fulfilling way to explore the world with your family, but it’s also a complex endeavor that requires a solid understanding of various crew positions and duties. In this article, we’ll delve into the different roles on a sailboat, their responsibilities, and how they contribute to a successful sailing adventure.

Table of Contents

Introduction, watch leader, galley crew, communications officer.

Before we dive into the specific crew positions, it’s important to note that the size and complexity of your sailboat will determine the number of crew members needed. On a smaller boat, one person may take on multiple roles, while larger boats may require a full crew to operate efficiently. Regardless of your boat’s size, understanding the various roles and their duties will help ensure a safe and enjoyable sailing experience.

The skipper, also known as the captain, is the person in charge of the sailboat. They are responsible for the overall safety and well-being of the crew and the vessel. The skipper’s duties include:

• Planning and executing the sailing itinerary
• Ensuring the boat is properly maintained and equipped
• Making decisions regarding navigation, weather, and safety
• Managing the crew and assigning tasks
• Ensuring all crew members are trained and competent in their roles
• Handling emergencies and making critical decisions under pressure

The skipper should have extensive sailing experience, strong leadership skills, and a thorough understanding of the boat’s systems and capabilities.

The first mate, or mate, is the skipper’s right-hand person and is responsible for assisting with the management of the boat and crew. The first mate’s duties include:

• Assisting the skipper with navigation, weather, and safety decisions
• Supervising and directing the crew in their tasks
• Stepping in as skipper if the skipper is incapacitated or unavailable

The first mate should have strong sailing skills, good communication and leadership abilities, and a solid understanding of the boat’s systems and capabilities.

The navigator is responsible for planning and executing the boat’s course, taking into account factors such as weather, currents, and hazards. The navigator’s duties include:

• Creating and updating the boat’s passage plan
• Monitoring the boat’s position and progress using charts, GPS, and other navigational tools
• Identifying and avoiding potential hazards, such as reefs, shoals, and shipping traffic
• Communicating with the skipper and crew regarding the boat’s course and any necessary adjustments

The navigator should have strong navigational skills, a keen eye for detail, and the ability to think critically and make decisions under pressure.

On longer passages, the crew will typically be divided into watches, with each watch responsible for sailing the boat for a set period of time. The watch leader is responsible for overseeing their watch and ensuring the boat is sailed safely and efficiently. The watch leader’s duties include:

• Ensuring the crew on watch is performing their tasks correctly and efficiently
• Monitoring the boat’s course, speed, and sail trim
• Communicating with the skipper and other watch leaders regarding the boat’s progress and any issues that arise
• Ensuring the crew on watch is well-rested and alert

The watch leader should have strong sailing skills, good communication and leadership abilities, and the ability to make decisions under pressure.

The helm, or helmsperson, is responsible for steering the boat and maintaining its course. The helm’s duties include:

• Steering the boat according to the navigator’s instructions
• Monitoring the boat’s speed and adjusting the sails as needed to maintain optimal performance
• Communicating with the crew regarding sail trim and other adjustments
• Keeping a lookout for potential hazards and other vessels

The helm should have strong sailing skills, good communication abilities, and a keen sense of awareness.

Deckhands are responsible for handling the sails, lines, and other equipment on the boat. Deckhand duties include:

• Hoisting, lowering, and trimming sails
• Tying and adjusting lines, such as halyards, sheets, and dock lines
• Assisting with anchoring and mooring the boat
• Performing routine maintenance tasks, such as cleaning and inspecting the rigging

Deckhands should have a basic understanding of sailing and be able to follow instructions and work well as part of a team.

The galley crew is responsible for preparing meals and maintaining the cleanliness and organization of the boat’s galley (kitchen). Galley crew duties include:

• Planning and preparing meals for the crew
• Ensuring the galley is clean and well-stocked
• Managing food storage and waste disposal
• Assisting with other tasks as needed, such as cleaning and maintenance

Galley crew members should have good cooking skills, be well-organized, and able to work efficiently in a small space.

The engineer is responsible for maintaining and repairing the boat’s mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems. Engineer duties include:

• Performing routine maintenance on the engine, generator, and other systems
• Diagnosing and repairing mechanical, electrical, and plumbing issues
• Ensuring the boat’s systems are operating efficiently and safely
• Assisting with other tasks as needed, such as sail handling and deck work

The engineer should have a strong technical background, good problem-solving skills, and a thorough understanding of the boat’s systems.

The communications officer is responsible for managing the boat’s communication systems, including radios, satellite phones, and internet access. Communications officer duties include:

• Monitoring and operating the boat’s communication systems
• Ensuring the crew is aware of and follows proper communication protocols
• Communicating with other vessels, marinas, and authorities as needed
• Assisting with navigation and weather information

The communications officer should have a strong understanding of communication systems and protocols, good communication skills, and the ability to think critically and make decisions under pressure.

Understanding the various crew positions and their duties is essential for a successful sailing adventure. Whether you’re sailing with a full crew or taking on multiple roles yourself, being well-versed in these responsibilities will help ensure a safe and enjoyable journey for you and your family. As you gain experience and confidence in your sailing abilities, you’ll be better equipped to handle the challenges and rewards that come with living the sailing lifestyle.

Positions on a Racing Sailboat

‍ The success of a racing sailboat depends entirely on the ability of each person on the boat to know and execute their role in high-pressure situations.

While boat-dependent, all positions are some combination of the responsibilities of driver, bow, tactician, trimmer, and pit. The driver makes the final decisions and steers, while the other crew members play various roles providing information, trimming sails, and keeping the boat moving fast.

The fundamental responsibilities of sailboat racing do not change, regardless of the number of people aboard. Someone in a one-person dinghy has to be able to keep track of the course, make tactical decisions, trim sails, steer, watch for new breeze and other boats, and ensure that they are set up for the next leg. On a larger boat, with more sails, more controls, and more required coordination, these jobs still exist and are distributed amongst various crew members. We will go through the basic crew setups of various one-design racing boats from one through four crew members to develop how the increase in crew and complexity begins to distribute the responsibilities of making the boat go fast across the team. Then, we will make some general claims about bigger boats, but as everything gets more confusing in the larger crews, we will not specify too much.

Over years of racing boats of all sizes, I’ve seen these crew roles respond to personal skills, different boat setups, strange habits, and teamwork to the point where everyone can respond to different events seamlessly. Sometimes these roles are perfectly well-defined, but sometimes a quick-thinking crew will switch positions on a dime to make up for a mistake in an entirely unorthodox way that is somehow perfect. On smaller boats, people have different priorities and different ways to work through all their responsibilities, but on all the best boats it is the people who know how to excel in their role, and how to make life easier for all their teammates by knowing exactly what they need, who make a sailboat go. Let’s get into it!

Table of contents

‍ The One-Person Dinghy: It’s All on You

You could argue that sailing, at its most basic, boils down to one sailor, a handful of lines, and a tiller against the breeze and water. Perhaps it would be a ridiculous argument, as sailing has always relied on people working together, but there is something to seeing who can go out there and be the one to make it work the best. When all the responsibilities for every inch of the boat fall on one person, it is interesting to see who has everything in sync the best. There is no specific title for this position, but I suppose you could call them

The Single-Handed Sailor

There are fundamentally three aspects to sailboat racing: boat speed, boat handling, and tactics. The single-handed sailor has to excel in each dimension. The best case study for a single-handed boat is the ILCA Dingy, once known as the Laser, but other notable racers include the Opti, Finn, RS Aero, Moth, and Wazsp classes.  

Boat speed comes down to trimming the sails properly for the angle to the wind. This means adjusting not only how far in and out the sail is, but also tuning specific control lines to give the sail the ideal shape for wind strength and direction. Making micro-adjustments to sail trim while dealing with all the other aspects of the race may not seem like much, but they can make the difference between winning and falling behind. While on larger boats there are entire positions dedicated to this, the single-handed sailor has to deal with this the whole time.

Other factors in boat speed concern steering through the wind shifts and wave sequences properly and keeping the boat flat by hiking out. This often includes being able to shift weight in precise ways to keep the boat optimally balanced and cutting through the waves.

Boat Handling

While boat speed forms the basis of all sailing, it is also crucial to know how to maneuver the boat through course changes. Windows in sailing races are small, and being able to get a boat into a lane is often a fraught affair. Having the confidence to trim the sails properly and maneuver sharply while still maintaining speed is a huge boost to a racer. Turning points at marks or directional switches while tacking and gybing are where many of the gains in a race come, and a clean tack coming into the top mark on port can mean the difference between leading the fleet and having to duck behind a parade of 30 boats. Being able to put on the brakes and accelerate quickly is key in tight spaces along the start line, and is a weapon for the best sailors.

Singlehanded racers have total control over their boat handling. Changes in direction come down to perfect synchronization of sail trim, steering, and body weight, and the single-handed sailor has to account for how every single adjustment affects these maneuvers. Some of the best boat handlers grow up racing single-handed boats; the feel developed sailing solo is hard to beat but requires years of fine-tuning and muscle memory.

All the speed and maneuverability in the world does not do much if you don’t know where to put the boat. Like any sport, the fundamentals are simple, but becoming a master takes a lifetime. The single-handed sailor must hold the entire course, the regularity of the wind shifts, the tendencies of the current, the positions of the other sailors, and their own plans in the front of their minds while pushing the boat as hard as possible.

While this is no place to discuss the intricacies of upwind tactics or the fastest lines on a downwind in different boats, the singlehanded sailor has to be able to think and make decisions tactically then execute those decisions themselves. This is such a large task that bigger boats will often have someone whose entire job is just to call breeze and tactics.

The single-handed sailor is without a doubt a jack-of-all-trades. We will discuss various terms for different crew-members on bigger boats, and while you could use the terms ‘skipper’ or ‘driver’ for the single-handed sailor, this does not quite say it all, so we save these positions for the bigger boats. We will not explicitly break the other boats down by who is in charge of boat speed, boat handling, and tactics, but roles can generally sort into various levels of responsibility for these categories.  

The Two-Person Racer: The Best (or worst) Way to Get to Know Another Person

On a two-person boat, of which common examples include the various 420 classes, the Olympic Classes (470, 49er, Nacra 17) among many others, responsibilities are slightly split, but this distribution comes with the tradeoff of greatly increased complexity and coordination requirements. Double-handed boats tend to have at least two, and often three, sails, require more involved tuning, move much faster, and occasionally require single or double trapezing. The very best doublehanded pairings move as one, but this type of coordination requires both sailors to have an intimate knowledge of their role and the dynamic balance of the boat. Without further ado, the common positions:

The Skipper (Driver)

The skipper of the boat steers the boat. On different types of boats, they have different trimming and setting responsibilities, most often including the mainsheet--though the 49er is a notable exception. You can call them either a skipper or a driver, but you rarely say that ‘you skipper;’ instead, you would say that ‘you drive,’ so the latter term has begun to stick as the position as well.

As they are the person driving the boat, the driver tends to make the final tactical decision. They do this in collaboration with the crew, who is often going to be feeding information about the course and competitors to the driver, but the final decision comes down to the person holding the stick (forgive the vernacular, if you may).

Different double-handed teams often have different dynamics. In some, the driver will primarily be focused on tactics, while the crew has to keep their head in the boat making it go fast, while in others the skipper lets the crew make such calls while focusing on the breeze right in front of them, it all depends. Boat handling requires nigh on perfect coordination, and skippers must keep their crews alerted to any upcoming maneuvers.  

The unsung heroes of many a double-handed pairing, a good driver can sail well with an ok crew, but a crack crew can take a skipper with some potential to the top of the fleet.

Responsible for trimming the headsail and setting and managing the spinnaker on boats that carry them, the crew’s primary roles is to keep the boat going fast. They often can make the small sail trim and control adjustments that the driver cannot. Especially upwind, the crew scans the course for new breeze, other boats, lay lines, and any information that the skipper could need to make the best decisions possible.

A good way to consider some, but not all, skipper-crew relationships is that the crew can get all the micro-considerations out of the way so that the skipper can focus on the big picture. The small picture adjustments in terms of sail control and angle of heel keep the boat moving and the skipper zippered into the feel of the course. In turn, this allows the skipper to plan ahead and keep the crew involved in decision making, making sure that they don’t screw their crew with a crash tack or sudden gybe.

Still, on some teams, the crew makes all of the outside the boat decisions while the driver just drives the boat as fast as they can. This often works with spacier skippers, of which there are many, and highlights the value of a strong-willed crew. Crews are often on-the-water coaches for high-strung skippers and are key to the success of a team. On more athletic boats, a crew can crucially contribute to boat speed and handling through trimming, ooching, and body-weight adjustments.

All of this is to say that a crew, both as a single person on a double-handed boat and as an ensemble on larger boats, is never to be considered an accessory to the skipper, but are crucial parts of a competitive racing team.

The Three or Four Person Boat: I Thought That Was Your Job!

Having outlined the general dynamics of a skipper-crew pairing, it is not particularly helpful to discuss exact boat setups and interactions. From here, we will provide terms and positions with general roles. These are all subject to change, but once you reach boats of three or more people, roles become highly specialized, as boats of this size begin to get complex enough that you cannot do everything on your own. Let’s run through the general roles that must be filled on boats of up to four, with the knowledge that these can be switched around and combined depending on skill, boat setup, and breeze.

Things change yet they stay ever the same. The bigger the boat, the more boat the driver has to deal with, but the role does not fundamentally change. The driver still has their hand on the stick, and, despite the best attempts of various crewmembers, still is the final decision maker on the boat. Sometimes they will trim the mainsheet as well, but other times they will leave this to a member of the crew

The bigger the boat, the less running around the skipper does and the more focused they are on sailing the perfect line through the fleet. Even their ability to scan the course and make tactical evaluations wanes on the bigger boats, as they must put more trust in their crews to make the right reads. They are still ultimately responsible for putting the boat in the right spot, but they are ultimately unable to control everything that is happening on the boat.

Debatably the easiest analog to the crew on a double-handed boat, the bow is, if nothing else, the most likely person on the boat to get soaking wet. Sitting the farthest forward, they are occasionally responsible for trimming the jib--particularly on three-person boats--but primarily have to deal with setting the spinnaker and dealing with front-of-boat controls.

They can play a role calling tactics, breeze, and other boats, but because they are so often busy with the chaos of boat handling in crucial spots and are often far away from the skipper, they mostly need to focus on their role setting the chute and managing the complications near the front of the boat.

Trimmer/Tactician

Often sitting at the hip of the skipper, different boats have different assignments for their trimmers, which can range from main-trimming across the whole course to only touching the spinnaker off the breeze to controlling the jib instead of the bow. Regardless of the particulars, they need to make the adjustments that keep the boat moving fast, and need to be continually in sync with how the skipper wants to sail.

The person in this position is often responsible for communicating details about the course and from the rest of the crew to the driver. Their role gives them more time to look around and make fine adjustments, rather than having a continuous responsibility, so they are in the perfect position to survey the information at hand and collaborate with the skipper on decision making.

On three-person boats, this is generally one person playing both roles in active collaboration with a driver. On certain four-person boats, this can lead to two trimmers who alternate between calling tactics and trimming different sails depending on the leg. Other times, this role is fully bifurcated, with one person trimming and another entirely responsible for looking around and making calls, with only a menial role controlling the sails, but this looks different on every team.

While Nascar has its pit crews, beginning at four-person boats, sailing just has its pit person. As boats get bigger, sails and various lines are more prone to twists, knots, and the generalized snarls that give sailors across the world excuses to flex their famous propensity for swearing.

The pit is responsible for eliminating, or at least minimizing, these disasters via preventative prep. They do not have a conventional job trimming sails, per se, but they are the ones who make sure that everyone else can the sails set cleanly. They prefeed sheets, ‘run the tapes’ on off-the-breeze sails to make sure they aren’t twisted and are notorious neat freaks. They often are responsible for raising and lowering sails around mark roundings; these events are almost always chaotic and never go according to plan, so it is the pit who has to coordinate the chaos as much as possible and clean up the mess in time for the next explosion. Unheralded, often stuck below decks, the pit can be the difference between a boat running smoothly and a stream of curses over a huge gash in a thousand dollar spinnaker.

Now This Is Getting Ridiculous: The Road to Specialization

As of this point, we have covered the key roles on just about any sized boat. As you get to bigger and more specialized boats, the situations will call for more and more crew members doing increasingly focused work. While having talented sailors on a larger boat is no less important than having them on a smaller dinghy, there are simply not that many parts that have to be moving all the time to fully occupy more than a few people at a time.

Still, when they are needed, during gybes, mark roundings, sets, and douses, these extra crew members are crucial. On certain boats, there is an entire position dedicated to trimming the twings during gybes; the position is only slightly more serious than the sound of the ropes. Still, the other crew members are so busy during the gybes that they need the extra pair of hands. Furthermore, having a sharp sailor in a position like that ensures another pair of eyes and hands to spot problems and step in if needed. Knowledge and quick action are unlikely to go unappreciated on any boat, even if it is only in a very specific setting.

There is, however, one more term for extra crew members on boats of this size, and it is distinctly unspecialized: meet the ‘rail meat.’ On sufficiently big boats, where heeling is slow but a fact of life, every now and then you just need a big ole guy to sit on the edge and hang out to windward. A flat boat is a fast boat, and sometimes you just need someone hanging out over the rail, skilled and mobile or not.

Finally, on high-performance boats, like America’s Cup boats or the new-fangled SailGP league, rail meat is replaced by ‘grinders,’ who specialize in turning hydraulic cranks like they’re in a CrossFit gym. Sometimes drawn from other sports, famously including rugby players on New Zealand’s America’s Cup team, grinders may not have the tactical acumen to step into a single-handed boat and win the day, but they are key pieces to winning teams and are no less a sailor than anyone else.

Hopefully, next time you go down to the water and someone tells you they need someone to run their bow, this has done enough for you to know exactly what you’ve gotten yourself into! Happy sailing!

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Gabriel Hannon

I have been sailing since I was 7 years old. Since then I've been a US sailing certified instructor for over 8 years, raced at every level of one-design and college sailing in fleet, team, and match racing, and love sharing my knowledge of sailing with others!

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Crewing On A Sailboat: How Was It For You? Meet Jodie!

When Jodie and Thom planned a visit to Greece to stay on the sailboat we jumped at the chance, thinking it would be all beach BBQs and sunshine. Unfortunately the sea and wind had other ideas, and instead they got to experience an unfair proportion of sailing dramas and some rather stressed out skippers! Jodie kindly agreed to share her take on crewing on a sailboat with you all, just in case you’re ever tempted to try it yourself.

Tell us a bit about yourself

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Hi! I’m Jodie from London.  Libra.  Like long walks on the sandy beach. 

But really, I’m a graphic designer designing clothes and I’ve been working from home since Covid so when my husband and I had the opportunity to join Emily and Adam on board Hot Chocolate we jumped at the chance!  We’ve known Adam since university and he introduced us to Emily when they got together 3 years ago.  Since then we’ve got really close, going on holidays together and watching silly scary movies with all day hangovers!  Emily was my best woman at our wedding last year so we have a lot of special memories together already!

What were your main worries about crewing on a sailboat before you came?

I was worried about whether or not I’d packed the right things!  I thought I wouldn’t have enough clothes, or that I’d bring too many, or that they’d all get ruined!  I wasn’t actually worried at all about the sailing – maybe I trust Emily and Adam too much!

What were you most looking forward to?

I was so excited about turquoise seas and warm weather!  Emily and Adam had warned us not to get too excited about seeing certain places, as you have no idea what the weather will be doing and whether you’ll even get to leave safe harbour, but Emily could promise me turquoise seas and I wasn’t disappointed!  I’ve never seen the sea so blue and clear.

What was the biggest difference between sailboat life and your life back home?

My floor stays still and I don’t feel like I’m walking around drunk – unless I am drunk!

I don’t have to worry about having access to safe, clean water to drink and going to the toilet doesn’t involve any kind of exercise!  I won’t miss pumping the toilet 20 times to flush it!

What was the scariest moment of crewing on a sailboat?

There wasn’t really a scary moment, though Emily and Adam would probably say it was when the engine stopped working.  They stayed really calm and made a plan straight away so I didn’t actually feel at all worried.  The worst moment for me was seeing Emily so upset about the dinghy being lost.  It’s hard watching your friend worry and get upset about something like that.  Money is such a big worry for them and factoring in a lost dinghy wasn’t part of the plan!

Was there anything you wish you’d known before you came that could have prepared you better? ​

I think Emily and Adam were really upfront about the water situation (and not really having any!) so I felt pretty prepared for that.  Luckily we had been to visit them last year while they were still in the marina so although it was quite different we knew a little about the space on board and how a few different systems worked.  That helped me prepare better.

I would have spent more time learning knots with my husband so we could have helped out more there!

What essential item are you glad you packed/wish you had packed? 

Packing cubes were amazing to have.  I knew the cabin we would be staying in so I bought several little hooks to put over the shelf and hung packing cubes from them which was perfect for storing all our clothes in an organised way.  It meant I could keep our cabin really organised and grab stuff easily when we were in rough seas.

I also lived in baggy lightweight shirts which kept the sun off while we were sailing.  Although Hot Chocolate has a bimini for shade, when you’re sailing it doesn’t always create that much so it was vital to have something to cover up with that wasn’t too hot!

Did you learn anything from crewing on a sailboat?​

I learnt not to stay below deck when sailing, not to trust my husbands knot tying skills and that the stars in Greece are incredible!  You don’t always have to have a holiday where you’re running around seeing all the tourist hot spots and different sights.  Being on a sailboat forced me to slow down and spend more time relaxing, reading and just listening to music and taking in the views.  I feel a lot more rested than I usually would!

Do you think you could live on a sailboat full time? 

I could, but I wouldn’t.  It was really exciting and a great way to visit lots of different places, but I’m so bruised I don’t think my body could take it full time!

I’d also be more keen if it was easier to find water!

It’s definitely been a fun experience but not one I want full time.

Rock, stick and leaf….What rocked? What memory will stick with you? What will you happily ‘leaf’ behind?

The turquoise sea rocked.  Jumping into crystal clear blue water from the sailboat and seeing the anchor dig in from 10m is something you just wouldn’t get in the UK!  Watching the stars and the bio luminescence and the eeriness of the empty ocean was something that I’ll always remember.  It was a pretty special experience.  I’d leaf behind falling over in Lindos – make sure you wear grippy shoes if you ever visit!

Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions Jodie, and thanks even more to you and Thom for your enthusiasm, encouragement, patience and for keeping Tiny cat entertained! We loved having you and you’re welcome back any time – though we can’t promise things will go any smoother!

If you want to learn more about crewing on a sailboat check out Rachel’s experiences here !

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Your boat’s lifelines may be easily overlooked. But regular checks of this fundamental safety system are essential for helping protect you and your crew

Lifelines are a critical piece of safety equipment on board, so it’s just as critical to ensure they’re in good shape with regular inspections. Photo: Frank Lanier

One hand for the ship and one hand for yourself” was the sage advice given new crew members by old salts during the golden age of sail. It’s still good guidance today. While modern safety gear such as personal locator beacons and life jacket strobes make it easier to find crew members overboard, it’s still the old-school stuff like harnesses and jacklines that keep them on board in the first place. Of this fundamental safety gear, none plays a more vital role than a vessel’s lifelines.

Lifelines are pretty much the Rodney Dangerfield of onboard safety gear – they “don’t get no respect.” Although their condition and upkeep can literally be a matter of life and death, they’re often burdened with numerous tasks unrelated to their primary function: clothesline, all-purpose tie-down point, impromptu grab holds when boarding or fending off when coming alongside. Boaters aware of the role lifelines play in keeping them on board while underway often fail to realize their value at the dock (where vigilance is often relaxed) or while the vessel is hauled, where failure can result in a long fall and a hard landing. Let’s look at how to keep them ready, willing, and able.

The system as a whole

Mention lifelines and most boat owners think of the wire running along the perimeter of a vessel’s deck, but that’s only half the story. In addition to lifeline wire and its associated hardware (e.g., pins, shackles, swages), it’s imperative to view the role played by other components of the system, such as stanchions, bow pulpits, and stern rails.

Stanchions ensure lifeline wires remain at the correct height, provide rigidity to the system, and help absorb the initial impact of a potential crew-overboard situation. Bow pulpit and stern rails transmit the force of a hurling body to the opposite side of the boat, providing additional strength from the stanchions located there as well. Lifelines are commonly constructed of 300 series 7x7, 7x19, or 1x19 stainless-steel wire, although high-tech, low-stretch lines are also used with more frequency. (See “Rope Lifelines” on page 88 for more.)

While the components of the lifeline system work great together and provide a lot of strength, neither lifelines nor their components should be used as attachment points for harness tethers or jacklines. Jacklines should be securely attached to substantial deck hardware (such as bitts or cleats) or to attachment points specifically installed for them.

The first decision is whether to use vinyl-coated or bare wire. Coated wire is popular because it looks nice and is easier on sails and hands than bare wire (the coating adds thickness, making it more comfortable when grabbed). The problem is that when worn or damaged, this vinyl coating can trap water, which wicks beneath it and along the wire, causing accelerated corrosion. (Photo 1) As this corrosion often occurs out of sight and unknown (until failure occurs), vinyl-coated wire is generally not recommended. In fact, it’s prohibited by many offshore racing organizations.

Bare wire makes visual inspection easier. The overall diameter of bare wire is also smaller than the same size of coated wire, allowing you to increase wire size for additional safety when changing from coated to bare wire.

For boaters who prefer vinyl-coated wire, the general recommendation is that lifelines be replaced every five years, regardless of how good they look.

Inspect the plastic coating regularly for damage due to chafe or cracking from UV exposure or old age. Pay particular attention to the ends (Photos 2 & 3) – often the first place corrosion occurs as the coating must be cut back to install terminal fittings – and never tape over damaged spots, which can trap water, making matters worse.

Inspect the lifelines

Lifelines epitomize the “only as strong as its weakest link” metaphor, as failure of just one component can lead to an unauthorized swim call. When inspecting lifelines:

• Ensure all clevis pins are pinned (secured) and that all turnbuckle barrels are properly secured with turnbuckle nuts and pins if possible.
• Clean and polish fittings, swages, and other hardware, then inspect each with a magnifying glass for stress cracks and corrosion.
• Inspect vinyl-coated wire closely for damaged coating and signs of rust. If chafe, cracking, or wear of the coating is noted, replace it.
• To check uncoated wire for broken strands, take a handful of tissue paper, encircle the wire, and lightly drag the tissue paper its entire length in both directions. Broken stands or “fishhooks” will be indicated as they snag the paper – just be sure not to hold the paper too tightly, or they may get a little meat as well.
• Remove all lifelines annually and inspect for kinks, wear, damage, or corrosion, paying particular attention to the wire at end fittings and where it transitions through stanchions.
• If you use end lashings (a multipurpose lanyard of small-diameter, low-stretch line) rather than turnbuckles to attach and tension the lifelines to bow pulpit or stern rail, replace them annually. Lashings should be no more than 4 inches long (with lifelines fully tensioned) and as strong as the wire they attach. Line strength is reduced at each bend of the line between lifeline terminal eyes and pulpit attachment points, so when calculating lashing strength throw in a couple of extra turns for an additional safety margin. If installed so you can quickly lower the lifelines by cutting the lashing (such as when picking up a crew member who has fallen overboard), be sure to let everyone know prior to cutting the lines, or you may have a few more folks to fish out.
• Check all lifeline hardware (such as gates and turnbuckles) to ensure each are in good condition and adequately sized. Tape pelican hooks and similar gate hardware closed to prevent ­accidental opening.
• Verify the height of both upper and lower lifelines. The American Boat and Yacht Council recommends a minimal stanchion and top lifeline height of 24 inches, although heights of 36 to 42 inches are preferred. The recommended maximum height for lower lifelines is 9 inches above deck, a height designed to keep an adult from rolling underneath the lifelines (consider installing netting , too, if there are children or pets onboard). Rigging temporary chest-high lifelines of low-stretch line when heading offshore is also a good idea.
• Lifelines should be tight, but not to the point of bending stanchions or deforming pulpit and stern rails. As a literal rough rule of thumb, if you can (using the muscles of your arm only) deflect a lifeline more than two inches by pressing down with your thumb at midspan between two stanchions, it’s probably too loose and needs adjustment.

At first glance, the condition of any single stanchion may not seem significant (Photo 4), but as each provides strength to the entire system, all must be maintained in top condition. Put off replacing that bent stanchion now and it may fail completely the next time it’s heavily loaded, such as when a crew member falls against the lifelines in heavy weather.

Stanchion bases must be strongly constructed and thru-bolted to the deck with properly sized hardware and backing plates  (Photo 5). In some cases, the stanchion and base is a one-piece unit, while in others the stainless-steel stanchion slides into a socket in the base and is held in place with a set or machine screw.

The best setup is where the stanchion is secured via a transverse bolt passing through both stanchion and base, with an additional set screw to tighten the stanchion in the socket itself. Thru-bolts (with lock nuts or lock washers) or machine screws are preferable to Allen screws. If Allen screws are used, there should be at least two, with both threaded through the base and set into dimples in the stanchion.

An easy safety upgrade is to replace the lower set screw with a machine screw. Drill a hole in the stanchion slightly larger than the screw (so that it threads through one side of the stanchion) and use a lock washer to secure it in place.

Inspect the stanchions

• Release the tension on lifeline wires and give each stanchion a good wiggle. If loose, determine if the cause is a sloppy stanchion-to-base fit (possibly due to a loose set screw) or flex in the deck itself. Slight play due to the former is acceptable; however, flexing due to a weak deck is a different story and must be addressed. Start by verifying the mounting hardware and backing plates for each stanchion base are of adequate size and strength. Backing plates should be two to three times larger than the stanchion base and constructed of 1/8-inch stainless or aluminum. Fiberglass backing plates should be at least 1/4-inch thick, while other composites, like StarBoard, should be a minimum of 1/2-inch.
• Gelcoat cracks around stanchion bases (often an indication of point loading or thin, poorly reinforced decks) should be inspected thoroughly, even if seemingly cosmetic in nature. Installation of larger backing plates or top plates can help reduce point loading by distributing stanchion base loads over a larger area.
• Inspect stanchions and their bases for bends, cracks, broken welds, looseness, and corrosion. Bent stanchions as well as fractures in the stanchion or its base are often the result of passengers or crew using stanchions to hoist themselves aboard, but they can also occur if water enters the base socket and freezes.
• Dissimilar metal components (a stainless-steel stanchion coupled with an aluminum base, for example) promotes corrosion and should be replaced.
• Tighten stanchion screws and all base mounting bolts/hardware regularly, replacing any that are stripped or damaged.

Rope lifelines

Using Spectra and other high-tech, low-stretch line in lieu of wire has become increasingly popular. The cost of rope verses stainless steel wire is similar, with the added attractions of less weight and no corrosion. Downsides to rope lifelines include greater susceptibility to chafe and UV damage (more difficult to detect than wire corrosion), issues that will typically result in more frequent replacement.

Bow pulpits and stern rails

Sailors have an uncanny knack for finding a gadget or doohickey to occupy most every bit of space on board. As a result, stern rails (whose primary job is anchoring the lifelines) are often burdened with solar panels, outboard engines, wind generators, davits, barbecues, man overboard poles and the like (Photo 6).

It’s almost impossible for designers to factor in the additional loads generated by these aftermarket add-ons, the strain of which can degrade the entire lifeline system. Maintaining arches, davits, equipment mounts, and other such constructions independent of the lifeline system is the best way to maintain structural integrity.

If stern pulpits are used as a mounting platform, additional supports may be needed. In some cases, the best solution may be to fabricate a new stern rail of larger-diameter tubing, with larger base supports or stiffening struts. If any part of your lifeline system seems inadequate or fails to meet generally recognized standards, don’t hesitate to upgrade – just make sure these retrofits are properly engineered and robust enough to get the job done.

Inspect the pulpit and stern rails

Many of the inspection points for stanchions apply to pulpits and stern rails as well:

• Check that each base is properly thru-bolted, verifying the presence and integrity of properly sized backing plates.
• Ensure all mounting hardware is in good condition, tight, and secured with marine-grade stainless-steel lock washers or Nyloc nuts.
• Unlike stanchions, bow pulpits and stern rails typically have welded bases rather than retaining hardware. This means you don’t have to worry about loose thru-bolts or set screws, however you’ll need to check all welds closely for hairline cracks and corrosion (Photo 7).
• Inspect all lifeline attachment points (e.g., welded eyes) for distortion, corrosion, cracked welds, and so on. As with lifeline hardware, don’t be afraid to clean and polish, then inspect the welds and hardware with a magnifying glass.

The lifeline system is one of your vessel’s most aptly named components. Life jackets, harnesses, and tethers provide an important first-line defense against falling overboard, but nothing matches the 24/7 security provided by a lifeline system – provided it’s well designed and properly maintained. The time to make sure your system is up to the task is before it’s needed.

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Frank Lanier

Contributing Editor, BoatUS Magazine

Capt. Frank Lanier is a SAMS-accredited marine surveyor with over 40 years of experience in the marine and diving industries. He’s an author, public speaker, and multiple award-winning journalist whose articles on boat maintenance, repair, and seamanship appear regularly in numerous marine publications worldwide. Contact him via his YouTube channel “Everything Boats with Capt. Frank Lanier” or at captfklanier.com.

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Crewman collapses after fire breaks out on fishing boat

Fire crews boarded the burning boat to search for its crew

• 09:27, 11 SEP 2024
• Updated 09:38, 11 SEP 2024

A crewman collapsed after a fire broke out on a fishing boat in Newlyn Harbour. Emergency services were called to the blaze at around 11.10pm last night (Tuesday, September 10).

The Penlee RNLI Lifeboat crew rushed to the scene as one crewman onboard the 25 metre-long boat managed to escape the fire. However, other members of the crew remained onboard and the lifeboat crew began extinguishing the flames with water hoses.

Firefighters from Penzance , St Just, Hayle and St Ives then arrived at the scene and used further hoses to tackle the fire. Two fireman got onboard the ship with breathing apparatus to search for the remaining crew.

The crewman that had escaped the boat then collapsed and required immediate medical attention. He was administered oxygen until paramedics arrived at the scene.

Thankfully, no one else was found onboard the boat and the fire was eventually extinguished. The lifeboat crews left the scene at around 12.40am this morning (September 11).

Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service said: "Five appliances from Penzance, St Just, Hayle and St Ives attended a boat fire in Newlyn . The boat measured 25 metres and was well alight on crews arrival.

"Firefighters used four breathing apparatus with a hose reel jet and thermal imaging camera to extinguish the fire. Once casualty suffering smoke inhalation was left in the care of Ambulance crew.

"Lifeboat, coastguard and police also attended the scene to assist with the incident."

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Shinnecock Canal Closed to All Boat Traffic After Lock Failure, Repair Could Take Weeks

Suffolk County has ordered all boat traffic through the Shinnecock Canal halted after the mechanical lock failed, requiring repair work that will likely take at least two weeks. MICHAEL WRIGHT

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