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sailing trip - crew - Hitch a boat - personnal travel insurance?
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Tempted by a sailing trip?
You have two choices:
1. Buy your own boat and set sail
2. Board one that is already afloat and sailing
Vogavecmoi, a shared sailing portal, is of course primarily interested in the second of those options.
Why do sailors need crew members?
Sailing needs three elements:
1. Being available
2. A love of adventure
3. Liking sailing
To sail as a crew member, you need all three at one and the same time!
And that's where things start to get complicated because few are available, not many like adventure, and few of those that like sailing also meet the first two requirements.
That's why boatless sailors (also known by us as boat hitch-hickers) has every liklihood of finding a berth via vogavecmoi.
Here are what we see as the most common personal profiles of those seeking crew members:
THE YOUNG
There are few of them and they are not generally on the lookout for crew members, firstly because an Atlantic crossing is likely to be undertaken by an established group of friends that in all liklihood have also scraped together the necessary funds. (buying an inexpensive yacht between three is widely possible). Furthermore the yacht is probably small, further limiting the number of available berths.
Then there are the young engaged in humanitarian missions of various kinds. They are generally planned well ahead of time. Your chances of hitching a sail are poor, but they are wonderful people that you may meet at stop-overs.
You have a better chances of getting a sailing trip with a young saillor living on their boat. He deliberately refuses the offer of permanent employment offered by his first boss and bought a yacht instead. Every now and again he prolongs the stop-overs in order to replenish the on-board kitty with a spot of unofficial work. He is hungry for freedom, wants to discover the world, and is keen on meeting new sailing mate.
If you meet his basic criteria, you're in for a fantastic sailing trip.
SAILORS TRAVELLING WITH THEIR FAMILY
It's the dream of many sailors and some decide to take their love to the next level – up anchor and discover the world with their children.
Most young leaving in this way are on sabbatical leave of a year and with children below school age. If the journey is longer, the parents become the teachers via distance learning courses.
Finding a berth aboard in these circumstances is tough unless you are willing to act “au pair” looking after the children while the parents look after the boat.
THOSE BENEFITTING FROM EARLY RETIREMENT
This group comprises mainly sailors wanting out of the rat race early, and is very diverse otherwise, running from military pensioned off at 40, to business people that have sold their business, to the handyman that invested early in real estate and is now living on the income, and those who have “digitalised” their work thanks to the internet.
They are not numerous those boat owners, but they need crew members. These early retirees face the fact that their contemporaries are still at work, and are still bringing up their children, They are often on the look-out for new sailing friends with whom to share the pleasures of life afloat.
THE RETIRED
They are the largest group of boat owners. More than 75% of yacht owners are more than 55 years old.
The cruise is often the realisation of a dream of a lifetime.
Various factors mean that the retired are often looking for crew members to join them on their sailing adventure:
1. Wanting to pass on to the next generation their love of sailing and the sea
2. The health problems associated with greater age
3. The need not to be alone at sea for reasons of safety.
4. An “other half” that does not share the love of the sea and sailing.
Retirees are those most often offering crew berths, frequently advertising for crew members. Joining them is a good way of gaining experience, sailing on well-maintained boats, with friendly company.
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On this point, see also :
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