I’m sure the decision to take one or stranger(s) on board your boat for an ocean crossing isn’t one you haven’t taken lightly.
You know that you are going to live with this / these person(s) for weeks on end, in close proximity, and without any possible escape from one another’s company.
A crew is a team that may have to live through stressful, possibly even life-threatening situations together (for example if someone falls overboard, or in case of extreme weather), and you’re the team leader. Thank you for your willingness to take on this responsibility.
This article hopes to clarify some of the points you must consider before taking on strangers on board.
Trust
It is of the utmost importance that mutual trust and respect be established earlier on.
During the first exchanges, ensure that everyone’s wishes and expectations are compatible by making yours clear and asking about theirs. Are your potential crew skills, personalities and life experience compatible with what you expect from them? Don’t be fooled by the pretty flirty girl straight out of college who just want a lift and won’t even bother doing the washing up, let alone coming up on deck for her night watch, and will complain about the lack of hot water for her daily shower.
Remember that some of the people who will (metaphorically) knock at the door of your boat have absolutely no idea what life on board a sailing boat crossing an ocean is like. You need to be clear with them about the living arrangements (remembering that things that are obvious to you may not even have occurred to them), You must spell out what tasks you expect them to do on board, what roles they will be allocated, etc. and make sure that they are willing and able for these, rather than finding out the hard way that they are not.
In order to build mutual trust, it is useful to ask for copies of passport and even for character references from people who know them well, and to provide them with same. I always provide potential female crew members with the contact details of former female crew members who have sailed offshore with me. I often sail offshore two-handed with intelligent, adventurous women barely half my age (most of whom happily come back on board my boat when the opportunity arises) because I have gained their trust and never abuse it.
It may also be useful to do a bit of Internet research. The Facebook page or professional website of potential crew may contain information that will be key to your decision of taking them onboard, or not.
Finances
Be clear about the financial participation you expect from the outset. Personally, I have come to prefer asking for a daily contribution to the onboard expenses, which I find much easier than trying to work out who spent what and dividing it. Once agreed, the amount should no longer be changed. 20 to 25 euros / day seems fair and is common but this depends on the cruising ara and on whether or not you include harbour fees in it (I don’t). Remember that unless you are a licensed professional skipper, the only financial contribution that can be requested is sharing the onboard expenses (food, fuel, harbour fees and possibly crew insurance and satellite communication).
Getting to know one another
I almost always meet potential crew over a video call first, before I meet them in person. This allows me to decide if our personalities and expectations are compatible. Most crew don’t make it past that point.
If you are “recruiting” several crew members, this is the point where you should start thinking about crew dynamics. How this person going to fit into the team? Are they team player in the first place? What skills or attitude do they bring that will be useful?
Trust your instinct at this stage. If in doubt, opt out in good time, rather than find out too late that your intuition was right.
Finally, if at all possible, organise a short “test” navigation that will allow both parties, if things don’t work out as planned, to opt out honourably. If this proves impossible, at least start the journey with a few days coastal cruising that leaves a possible escape route.
Do not, under any circumstances, start a long offshore journey with complete strangers. At least not unless you have a degree in psychology, a professional skipper’s licence, and enough life and sailing experience to handle the possible consequences.