How can I crew on keelboat?

Montanita

Hi all,

I have completed Level 1 and 2 courses for the keelboat and would like to know how to go about crewing, as I do not have a boat of my own. I'm based in Dublin and am not part of a club but would like to get sailing during the summer.

Any ideas appreciated,

Cheers

Cheeble

Put your name down on the ISA crew bulletin board. Howth Yacht Club also works well. Other clubs may also have suitable forums, but I've not tried them. You don't need to be a club member (at least, not last time I checked).

Cheeble-eers

Montanita

Thanks Cheeble

kiwipeel

Go to your local club on which ever day they hold their mid-week league and just go up to a few boats and ask, most boats are short of crew on the week days and you should get a spin.

Just be honest about your level of ability from the start and you'll be fine

Tabnabs

Bit tricky if they are on swinging moorings

OP, have a look at the answers to the other similar questions. One common theme here though, you almost never get owners looking for crew.

Pigeon Reaper

put your details on HYC website in the crewing section. alot of boats are looking for crew on Tuesday evenings. Outline any experience and what type of boat you want.

Donie75

Dyflin,
I beg to differ. There are big shortages of crew all over the country. Most clubs that run regular club racing will always operate a crew noticeboard or web forum. In many cases owners don't advertise the fact that they need crew but they do pick people off the lists.
The best way to get on a boat is be keen to learn and listen. Also, if you make yourself available regularly, turn up on time and show good enthuasiasm you'll have no problems.
D

icedtea

Most Helms are stuck for crew, but my advice is to join a club, that way you'll get to "know people who know people" looking for crew.
But keep on checking notice boards and making yourself available to crew on them.

FoxT

I suggest you....
Visit the websites of sailing clubs near you. Most of these sites have contact details for club secretary or keelboat class captain. Email them & let them know how experienced/qualified you are. (Be positive, but honest!) Also let them know what you are interested in. ie keelboats/dinghy/sportsboat/cruisers.

If you are a beginner then look at midweek races - these tend to be friendly races, not too serious, and a good oppty to learn & hopefully set yourself up with a crewing slot for more serious competition later in the year or early next year.

You do not have to join a club at this stage. try out a couple clubs/boats till you find a slot you like, then off you go!

If you can't get a slot on a keelboat then look for a slot on a cruiser. Cruisers are always looking for crew, and even when they are not actively looking they will generally welcome a newbie, and because they carry larger crews you will have less stress/responsibility at first so you may find that route more enjoyable.

Generally speaking, enthusiasm & commitment counts for a great deal & are as valuable as experience - so dont be shy. Good luck, FoxT

delop

Have a look here....

http://www.sailingindublin.ie/

But have an open mind, A lot of clubs can seem a bit snobby and that might turn you off. But if you are prepared for it and have more interest in sailing/match racing you will be fine , the social aspect of sailing on the east coast can be very exclusive ....

Talent

Joining a club is the best way by far. YOu will meet boatowners far quicker. Some clubs do deals for people in your position. What side of town are you? I think Howth (a great club and not as snobbish as you might think) has a special membership for your first year or two as crew and Skerries Sailing Club does a half price membership for your first season.

Howth is relatively expensive, so is the Royal St George and the National YC but they are two very good clubs. The Royal Irish leaves me cold, I'm afraid. Also in Dun Laoire, the Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club has cheaper membership and does a terrific Frostbite Series.

Other good budget clubs are Greystones and Bray. Northside I'd recommend Skerries. Malahide, Rush and Clontarf aren't bad either but a bit limited by their physical position in terms of tides and access to the sea.

Rule Two: Don't be shy, always turn up on race day at the clubhouse/slipway/marine with your lifejacket over your arm. Other posters are right - there's always someone looking for crew. I know a guy with a 35 footer who needs a crew of 5 to sail it. He has a contacts book with 20 regular crew names in it and he's sometimes still short.

Rule Three: Don't be shy.

Rule 4: Don't be shy.

Rule 5: Don't be shy (get the picture?)

FoxT

Hi again,
I am not in the Dublin scene, so it may be different there.... but I can tell you that for about the first 4 years I crewed (out of Crosshaven, then Kinsale) I was not a member of any sailing club. My experience is that clubs welcome people who are interested in crewing & they will not demand a subscription before you sail - ie you don't have to be a member to crew on somebody else's boat. I'd hazard a guess that between RCYC & KYC about 50% of people who crew with any degree of regularity are not club members.

I would recommend that you do not join a club (cos some of them are very expensive) until you have found a boat/crew/race schedule etc that you are happy with.
And, as talent says, don't be shy!

-FoxT

mcgratheoin

I wouldn't bother joining a club - I've been sailing out of Dun Laoghaire and Howth for several years and never felt the need to join a club.

There are loads of people looking for crew - but it is true that they won't usually advertise. Boats who are short one or two people can still head out, so even though having another crew member available at times would be beneficial, they don't bother advertising. You'll see plenty of boats out that could easily use another 3 or 4 crew even, but as long as skippers have enough crew to race, they won't go actively looking beyond maybe checking their club website.

sliabh

Hi Montanita,

I think I might be able to help you. I have a 23' keelboat that is kept in Dun Laoghaire and is raced in the Cruiser 4 class in the DBSC most weeks.

There are two of us on the boat at the moment, but we reckon we need a third to have a fully capable crew, so we are looking for help.

If you might be interested let me know and we can see if we can work something out.

TarfHead

This thread has sparked my interest. It's something I would like to get into, but hadn't known how to go about it. Thanks !

A couple of questions
- what sort of kit would I be expected to have, e.g. bouyancy aid, waterproofs.
- the OP made reference to keelboat formal training. Would that be a basic requirement ? I've done some dinghy sailing so am not completely clueless, but would still be 'wet behind the ears'
- I'm 6'2" and about 105kg. Would that be an issue or an asset ?

miss no stars

you MUST have a lifejacket while on board a yacht under is it 10 meters? Either way, unless you're on something very big you legally have to have one. Some boat owners might loan you one temporarily, but realistically you should get your own. look for one of the horseshoe ones as they're the least bulky and don't make you overheat while active.

gloves, a hat of some sort, spray trousers (salopettes) and some sort of waterproof jacket would be the bare minimum you need in terms of clothing. For comfort, boots and kneepads are always nice.

If you've done any dinghy levels you should be fine. Doing up to level 3 will have you well sorted as far as crewing goes - you can do this in a dinghy anywhere around the country, or go to glenans and do it in a keelbot if you haven't already done similar.

As far as your size goes it'd be both a curse and a blessing, you just need to find the right position for yourself on the boat :cool: I'm short so I can be quite useless on the bow if it's a big boat, but because I'm light i'm very useful to have doing all the run around stuff as I don't interfere with the boat balance too much - as well as sail trimming. You'd probably make a decent sail trimmer once you learn it as you'd be strong enough in heavy weather. Just find someone that will let you try different positions! That said I was sailing last night with a guy who's 6'6 and he was fine in all positions.

sliabh

miss no stars wrote: »

you MUST have a lifejacket while on board a yacht under is it 10 meters?

7m is the Irish limit. But it's good practice to always wear one if on deck until you are on something big enough to be called a ship

Size matters a bit on on a small to medium size boat (up to about 10-12m) when you are talking about someone on the bow. You need someong big enough to have the strenght to haul if needed, but not so heavy that they will force the bow down and cost you speed.

I was shown once how my 85kg took half a knot off boat speed on a 32' yacht when I was working on the bow.

TarfHead

I made my 'debut' last night - a Class 3 race out of Howth.

I really enjoyed it, the other crew were very accomodating and my mistakes were classic rookie ones.

I've been asked back for next week, so I can't have been too useless .

Thanks for the advice

Talent

Well done Tarfhead - persistence pays off in this game.

For the benefit of people catching up on this thread and who haven't made up their mind between dinghies and cruisers, just like to point out that when you're buying a lifejacket, be careful if you decide on a inflatable or "cruiser" type. They really are not all that suitable for dinghy use. The automatic inflator can be set off by spray as you power down a windy reach and it's then really too bulky for leaping around a dinghy. It can also be set off (I've done it!) by catching the manual inflator on the rigging. They are really designed for survival of an unconsious person in the water (and they do a suberb job) but if you capsize they tend to float you face/chest-up and you are not going to be much use in getting the boat upright and sailing again. Also, with the bulky front bit, it's very difficult to climb back aboard. If you need a jacket that will do both dinghies and cruisers, go for a life-vest (or bouyancy aid). But obviously if you're sticking with cruisers the inflatable one is the job.

FoxT

Well done tarfhead....glad you enjoyed it.

Montanita - have you got going yet?

miss no stars

Tarfhead,

What a windy introduction you had!!!! If you enjoyed last night, you'll be fine

TarfHead

miss no stars wrote: »

If you enjoyed last night, you'll be fine

As for last night ? Sweet mother of Jaysus ! All was tickety boo as we headed out of the harbour. We could see a thunderstorm over Dublin Airport but though it would miss us.

Wrong ! I learned the hard way last night that showerproof clothing is not really good enough when you're out in weather like that.

Pigeon Reaper

nothing beats a good set of oilies in rain like that. very few people had them on last night leaving the harbour and so you weren't the only one soaked.

Dr Pepper

Hi,

I'm looking to get out crewing this evening. I was talking to a few lads at Clontarf Yacht & Boat Club at the weekend and they said my best bet is to show up at Howth for 6pm this evening with my raincoat and my life jacket.

Below is my notice from www.hyc.ie if anybody here is looking for crew!

How about a Crew Finder sticky thread here on the Sailing & Boating forum??

Cheers,
Brian

Hi. I have very little experience but am eager to learn. I did the 'Introduction to Sailing' 5-evening course in Clontarf 3 years ago (cruisers). I also did the Level 1 'Start Sailing' in Malahide in April this year (dinghy). I'm available most evenings and some weekends.
Brian O' Carroll Tel - (M): 086 3916 732 brianocar [{at}] gmail [{dot}] com

Pigeon Reaper

17's, SB3 and Etchells are out tonight from howth. If you can't get anything there come down to Clontarf this evening around 5:30/6:00 and start talking to anyone heading out from the slip, lots of e-boats are short handed.

Dr Pepper

Thanks Pigeon Reaper,

17's, SB3 and Etchells - Are these all Keelboats? Will I be ok with just a raincoat and normal runners (incl waterproof trousers, hat & gloves)? Or are wetsuits and booties required for these boats? I have a life jacket with me (one of the red horseshoe-shaped ones that inflates when it hits the water).

I'll drop into Clontarf at 5:30 on my way out to Howth and see what's happening. I was on an e-boat for a race when I did the Introduction course in Clontarf a few years ago. Good fun - nice crowd out there!

Pigeon Reaper

you should be fine with the raingear and lifejacket. No wetsuit is normally required on the boats that go out on Tuesday.

TarfHead

Dr Pepper wrote: »

Will I be ok with just a raincoat and normal runners (incl waterproof trousers, hat & gloves)? Or are wetsuits and booties required for these boats?

I've been out 4 times in the past 3 weeks and have, except for last Wednesday (see below), survived without proper kit. I bought a pair of sailing gloves (€30), and have survived the rest with water-resistant (definitely NOT '-proof') overtrousers and windcheater. I've worn old rubber-soled street shoes.

You would, of course, be better off with kit that is fit for purpose, but don't let the lack of it hold you back.

Sailing forecast for Dublin Bay for tonight ..

http://www.accuweather.com/ukie/sailing-forecast.asp?partner=accuweather&traveler=0&site=EIDW;Dublin%20Bay

TarfHead

Pigeon Reaper wrote: »

17's, SB3 and Etchells are out tonight from howth ..

Puppeteers too AFAIK ?

sliabh

TarfHead wrote: »

I bought a pair of sailing gloves (€30), and have survived the rest with water-resistant (definitely NOT '-proof') overtrousers and windcheater. I've worn old rubber-soled street shoes.

Gloves are the best initial investment you can make.

Just watch out for shoes. A lot of black soles will mark white boat decks which makes for a very unhappy boat owner!

Dr Pepper

Got a call from a guy in Howth and have a place on a boat this evening.. About 2 hours after I put the ad on the Crew Finder section of their website. It's that easy!! :pac:

I'll post tomorrow to say how I got on.

Pigeon Reaper

enjoy!

Dr Pepper

Had a great night out sailing last night. I was in the Puppeteer class race on a boat called Cloud 9. The owners were a very friendly couple who seem to be genuinely interested in encouraging wannabe sailors like me! We came in 9th out of about 30 boats which was not bad for my first time out.

In a way, it was a lot tougher than I thought it would be. Windy was fairly strong and there was a lot of spray and it can be challenging to climb/crawl across the deck during each tack/gybe.

For anybody thinking of taking the plunge and trying crewing for the first time, I would strongly recommend getting out there and doing it! You will learn very quickly by crewing in races like this. Even if you don't do anything on your first 1 or 2 outings, keep your eyes and ears open and ask plenty of questions and you'll soon pick up the basics. Make sure to wear a life jacket, a good raincoat, waterproof trousers, wellies (or proper sailing boots if you have them), a warm hat & gloves. Even in the middle of Summer on a warm evening, you should have your waterproofs and boots on from the beginning because there is lots of spray and your feet will be dangling over the edge of the boat and occasionally dunking into the water.

I'll back out all day Saturday on the same boat for the Lambay Island race (one of the big events of the year). Looking forward to it!

Cheers,
Brian

TarfHead

Dr Pepper wrote: »

Had a great night out sailing last night. I was in the Puppeteer class race on a boat called Cloud 9. The owners were a very friendly couple who seem to be genuinely interested in encouraging wannabe sailors like me!

+1. I was out on Cloud 9 a couple of weeks back and really enjoyed it.

Dr Pepper wrote: »

.. it can be challenging to climb/crawl across the deck during each tack/gybe.

++1 I was black and blue after a couple of hours of hurling myself out of the way of the boom.

Dr Pepper wrote: »

I'll back out all day Saturday on the same boat for the Lambay Island race (one of the big events of the year). Looking forward to it!

Enjoy ! I had hoped to be out that day too, but my son's birthday party was already in the diary.

mcgratheoin

TarfHead wrote: »

I made my 'debut' last night - a Class 3 race out of Howth.

I really enjoyed it, the other crew were very accomodating and my mistakes were classic rookie ones.

I've been asked back for next week, so I can't have been too useless .

Thanks for the advice

Good news - which boat are you sailing on?