Sail for Free

One of the cheapest ways to gain experience on yachts and get some miles for those important exams is by taking part in yacht deliveries or assisting owners as crew. Over the coming weeks I will be giving advice on how to make sure your delivery is as safe and pleasant as possible. To set your appetite for adventure I am going to review some useful sites for getting  your next adventure.

 Cruiserlog

 

 

Cruiserlog has a great forum which is free to use after registration. It allows both owners of boats to look for crew and crew to upload their details and availability. The site is strictly moderated and is very intolerant of owners looking to charge crew or commercial operators. Traffic on the site is excellent, however the site is biased towards the southern hemisphere and Asia or if you are looking for European, or Caribbean trips this is probably not the place to start. The site also runs a great wiki with information on nearly every cruising ground in the world plus lively discussions on a broad range of boating topics.

Find a Crew

Find a Crew allows both crew and boat owners to post adverts and profiles. This site has more of a European and North American slant. With around 40 000 thousand members with several thousand checking in on a daily basis there are lots of opportunities to get on the water. However competition is stiff so make sure your profile looks appealing. Sadly this site is not totally free, you may post for free but in order to view contact information or send mails either the owner or crew must be a premium member. The cost is around £50 a month.

Crew Seekers

Crew Seeker International has been around for twenty years and offers opportunities for both cruising, deliveries, racing and professional paid positions. The site has a strong British and European basis but lots of trans-Atlantic trips and popular with the professional delivery companies. The site does not allow crew to post, instead owners post positions and if you think you are suitable you can post a private message. It is free to view the site however again you need to be a member to contact owners. Membership is £60 for six months and in my opinion good value as long as you secure the trip you are looking for.

Yacht Delivery Companies

Delivery companies general have a pool of highly trained freelance skippers that they use to move boats around the world. The crew (first mates, deckhands) are usually volunteers along to gain some valuable skills or just for the sense of adventure. Generally it is known as a "working passage" were the crew are fed and watered but earn no salary. You may or may not get a contribution towards transport if you have to fly to or from the boat. Professional deliveries are very different to trips with owners. Time is money and you will often depart no matter what the weather and stops will be brief, often with just enough time to re-provision. This can be heart wrenching when you stop in beautiful locations you would love to explore.

A google search will provide you with a list of companies in your country of choice. Delivery companies vary greatly in the way they treat their crew and I will discuss this further in upcoming posts.