Yachty Crewing...
Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: Keelboat classes
Forum Name: Keelboat news and development
Forum Discription: All the latest developments for yachts
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5399
Printed Date: 10 May 25 at 8:05pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.665y - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Yachty Crewing...
Posted By: 29er397
Subject: Yachty Crewing...
Date Posted: 03 Apr 09 at 10:08pm
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I'd quite like to get into a bit of 'big boat' crewing at some point, to add a bit of variety to my sailing, and I'm looking for some advice to go about doing that... I'd say I'm a competant dinghy sailor and racer (by no means great!), having done a fair bit of Laser sailing, then 29er stuff and have recently bought myself and race an MPS. I recently passed my Senior Instructor course too. I'm only 18 so fairly inexperianced but eager to learn as much as I can while I have the time. So... as someone who's never done any big boat sailing, what can I expect to be able to do? How do I go about getting some experiance? Is it a case of starting at the very start? Where is the start?... Everything I could possibly need to know in laymans terms would be appreciated. Apologies for my request for advice being pretty vague, but to me its all a bit vague as to where to begin! Thanks in advance Ferg ------------- http://www.kielderwatersc.org - Kielder Water Sailing Club |
Replies:
Posted By: radixon
Date Posted: 04 Apr 09 at 9:02pm
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Sorry been a "Southerner" I don't know your area of water that well. The first thing to do would be to find yourself a yacht club to go along to and see if you can get a sail. Then try and get a regular crew position. Or you could do your competent crew course onboard a yacht, don't dive in for the Day skipper, it will be out of your depth. The Comp Crew gives you an insight into the boat how to get one ready for sailing and the sailing itself. If you booked onto a comp crew, you are likely to have day skipper students on the boat, its a good way to see the next step without paying for the headache. ------------- |
Posted By: olly_love
Date Posted: 04 Apr 09 at 10:42pm
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just ask around find out what race series are on and then just post on the websites. say how experience ur, when we get muppets on board who say how amazing they are then are sh*te they dont get asked back ------------- TWO FRANK-Hunter Impala |
Posted By: ASok
Date Posted: 05 Apr 09 at 4:01pm
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I have no idea about your part of the world, but the best bet would be to drop down to your nearest yacht club and have a chat to a few people. From my experience people are always in need of bods and its pretty easy once you have been tapped in to the network. The best time will be to head down on the morning of racing and just start asking people on the pontoons. As said above - be honest about your experience
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Posted By: 29er397
Date Posted: 05 Apr 09 at 5:33pm
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I'm very honest about my experiance, there being non of it. As of september I'll be down in Southampton for Uni. It's the summer of 2010 that I hope to fill with some big boat sailing after I've finished Uni for the year. I'd like to go abroad if possible and do a bit of travelling, whats the likelihood of getting a position on a boat heading overseas with little experiance? Thanks again. Ferg ------------- http://www.kielderwatersc.org - Kielder Water Sailing Club |
Posted By: ASok
Date Posted: 05 Apr 09 at 7:10pm
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The Solent is perfect for you. Head for the Hamble first thing on a Sunday and you'll get snapped up. Not sure about very overseas, but once you build up some round the cans experience you may be able to hook up with crews doing one of the many cross channel or coastal races that leave the Solent over the summer months. Also, join the uni yacht club. They are bound to be tapped in with contacts racing around the solent and probabaly arrange cheap training courses. Thats one of my big regrets - not taking my yachtmaster at uni when it was cheaper!
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Posted By: 29er397
Date Posted: 08 Apr 09 at 2:58pm
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So basically its a case of building up experiance by doing as much 'round the cans' stuff as possible and taking it from there? Thanks for the advice. Ferg ------------- http://www.kielderwatersc.org - Kielder Water Sailing Club |
Posted By: ASok
Date Posted: 09 Apr 09 at 12:59pm
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Short answer - yes. But it will rely on a bit of luck and networking down at the club. Throw yourself in the mix, chat to people in the bar after racing and you'll soon find out who's who and what people have plamnned for the season. Then you can get involved in the round the cans, coastal racing, deliveries etc. In my experience enthusiastic students with a bit of free time on their hands are valuable resources!
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Posted By: tgruitt
Date Posted: 09 Apr 09 at 1:25pm
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When I first started sailing a was taken yacht racing on a J30, the skipper basically taught me everything I know, I was almost a complete novice. For the first few races he let me do small jobs until I learnt the ropes so to speak. Once I could prove I could work well in the team I was allowed to do more, we went on to win many regattas and offshore races. You just need to take it one step at a time, I presume by you being able to sail a Musto Skiff that you are a pretty competent sailor, my advice would be not to be too fussy, you can learn just as much (maybe even more) on a small yacht than you can on a flashy large one. I would start with round the cans racing, progressing onto offshore once you have some miles under your belt, loads of dinghy skills are transferable to yachts so you should find it no harder!  ------------- Needs to sail more... |
Posted By: bovlike
Date Posted: 13 Apr 09 at 10:51pm
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Hi Fergus. In the short term give Dicky or Boatman a ring at Sunderland (pm me if you need there numbers) and they should be able to get you out on some boats from down there. (there's nothing to big but it gets you started!) What Uni are you going to, Solent or Southampton? You can sail a musto so you will be fine on a yacht!
------------- Ian (Bov) Turnbull 18ft Skiff Ronstan UK http://www.ianturnbullmarine.co.uk - Chandlery, tapered ropes and specialist solutions for sailors who demand the best - BovBoats.co.uk |
Posted By: Jamesd
Date Posted: 14 Apr 09 at 11:09am
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Have a sound around on websites and get a ride cowes week this year. then when you are there chat to people at the beer tents and get a list of rides for nxt year. with big boat sailing, although the aftguard on the boats are crap and most dinghy sailors could do a better job, u would probably end up starting in a pretty cruddy job, usually as rail meat, or if you talk the talk, bow (if you are small) or mast (if you are big). but you can work your way up, if you just keep on giving good advice and prove your worth u will soon get shunted backwards. the other and better way to do it is to go and win some regattas in dinghies keelboats etc around the solent and then you fast track your way to the back of big boats. and theres the option of picking what boat you wanna sail which means you dont have to sail sh***ers btw, big boat sailing is horrendous compared to dinghy sailing and the only decent thing about it is the drinking in the evening. far better to bring ur mps down to stokes bay and bus there every weekend. weel thats my opinion anyway |
Posted By: ASok
Date Posted: 14 Apr 09 at 3:26pm
Have a go and make your own opinion. Personally a well drilled crew pulling off some great mark roundings under close boat to boat racing conditions is extremely satisfying! I'm not one for long off-shore races, but 2 handed racing across the channel or up the coast is my idea of a very good weekend. Each to their own though.......................
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Posted By: 29er397
Date Posted: 15 Apr 09 at 12:09pm
Thanks Bov, its Southampton Uni for Naval Architecture. I take it you mean Martin Boatman? I'll probably be going to a MPS training weekend at Derwent this weekend so will speak to him there. ------------- http://www.kielderwatersc.org - Kielder Water Sailing Club |
Posted By: bovlike
Date Posted: 16 Apr 09 at 9:12am
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yup Martin Boatman. hope the contact i gave you from soton uni helps. ------------- Ian (Bov) Turnbull 18ft Skiff Ronstan UK http://www.ianturnbullmarine.co.uk - Chandlery, tapered ropes and specialist solutions for sailors who demand the best - BovBoats.co.uk |
Posted By: 29er397
Date Posted: 16 Apr 09 at 3:33pm
Shame, I think thats the same week/weekend as the MPS nats this year. Would have been a very good idea and loads of fun. ------------- http://www.kielderwatersc.org - Kielder Water Sailing Club |