Crew, Captain and Owner Feedback - Page 4

L124C · #31 (**permalink**) 05-08-2011

I benefited from day sailing and racing crew lists before I had a boat and therefore support them as a skipper. Having said that, it seems that the number of really good crew list experiences I've had as a skipper are about equal to the really disappointing ones. Most recently, a lady responded to a mid Winter invitation with such enthusiasm that it pushed me out of bed with a cold to prepare the boat on the morning of the sail. I couldn't imagine disappointing her by canceling.
We had communicated several times via e and v mail, and each time, she expressed her excitement, including the night before the outing. I asked if she would like to bring a guest. She responded that she would be by herself.
She didn't show or call, and when I called her, her voice mail box was full. I sat there at the dock with a runny nose and sore throat, feeling like an idiot for getting out of bed! I was also concerned, as I thought, given her enthusiasm, surely something bad had happened to her on the way to the Marina. Two months later, she responds to a crew list racing invitation, apologizing for the no call/no show (yet offering no explanation), and showing the same enthusiasm for participating in the race! Fat chance, Fool me once....!
While this is probably the oddest breach of edicate, I've had several similar experiences to this, and I'm reconsidering offering rides. After all, I'm offering a day of sailing on the SF Bay, and all I ask is that you show up, or contact me in advance if you can't make it. This often seems too much to ask. I simply have to ask....why? Call me naive, but I had no idea that this many people are so self centered and inconsiderate!

BubbleheadMd · #32 (**permalink**) 05-08-2011

A lot of weirdness and negativity in this thread. I'll try to balance the scales-

Last year, I crewed on a boat for their Wednesday night races and the occasional extra regatta/long haul race. I was on time, and worked hard for every single race. I shut my mouth and opened my ears and learned as fast as I could.

When his season ended, I found that I wasn't quite ready to be done racing. My own river club was hosting a Frostbite series. I decided that I wanted to learn what it was like to run my own program, including but not limited to:

Recruiting
Working up the boat for racing
Strategy and tactics
Training

The people I found were absolutely first class. They gave me plenty of notice if they couldn't make a race, never complained, didn't bring any drama onboard, and we all had fun. Lapworth here on Sailnet was one of them.

L124C · #33 (**permalink**) 05-21-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by BubbleheadMd

The people I found were absolutely first class. They gave me plenty of notice if they couldn't make a race, never complained, didn't bring any drama onboard, and we all had fun. Lapworth here on Sailnet was one of them.

Glad you had a great experience. Where (how) did you find the crew? Maybe it's a regional thing. As a native San Franciscan, I can attest that many Californians can be very egocentric. Come to think of it, most of the really good crew list experiences I've had, have been crew from elsewhere. Hmmmm
Anyway - I don't want to be "negative or weired". UP WITH PEOPLE

Kaltenborn · #34 (**permalink**) 08-22-2011

Testing

svdagny · #35 (**permalink**) 02-16-2012

BEWARE of Guest Crew! We had excellent luck finding reasonable healthy persons on this and other similar sites, until recently. People lie about their level of experience, they say they´ve been sailing when they have not, they expect to be waited on, they think ships can sail directly into the wind, they don´t understand that when you´re out at sea, far from land, you can´t go shopping or buy your way out or dictate your desires, they get bored and sulk, fight and hide in their cabins brooding, and I´m now afraid to accept people on board unless I have extentive pre-boarding understandings. It is easier, safer, and definately cheaper to simply do our own thing! see full story at my blog www.lexiconboats.com

LookoutNW · #36 (**permalink**) 02-20-2012

WOW, talk about eye opening....
I have been listed on Findacrew.com for a while and look very closely at the responses to see if they even match.
I have experience but will be seeking some others with more for my trips hopefully starting this summer.
Keep it going folks, I am enjoying this thread. But did I miss the story of the 'Mutiny'?
C'mon, you know you can't throw something like that intot eh mix without finishing it! Change the names and dates and LETS HAVE IT!

share_the_joy · #37 (**permalink**) 02-27-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by svdagny

BEWARE of Guest Crew! We had excellent luck finding reasonable healthy persons on this and other similar sites, until recently. People lie about their level of experience, they say they´ve been sailing when they have not, they expect to be waited on, they think ships can sail directly into the wind, they don´t understand that when you´re out at sea, far from land, you can´t go shopping or buy your way out or dictate your desires, they get bored and sulk, fight and hide in their cabins brooding, and I´m now afraid to accept people on board unless I have extentive pre-boarding understandings. It is easier, safer, and definately cheaper to simply do our own thing! see full story at my blog www.lexiconboats.com

errrrhhhh... nope, you're actually NOT looking for pre-boarding understandings, you are just looking for money, and people to make you keep living on your wreck, and eventually pay your tax debts...

please, read those threads about them, it is quite amazing...

The Cruise from Hell - Cruisers & Sailing Forums

http://www.sailnet.com/forums/crew-w...tml#post832903

now you have another side of the story...

johnnyquest37 · #38 (**permalink**) 03-19-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by L124C

...all I ask is that you show up, or contact me in advance if you can't make it. This often seems too much to ask. I simply have to ask....why? Call me naive, but I had no idea that this many people are so self centered and inconsiderate!

Amen, brother. We maintain a crew list of 40 persons and more often than not take crew out with us. Most faux pas' are forgivable but being a no-show is unforgivable. One no-show and we scratch their name from the crew list. Not only does this show immense rudeness towards the boat owners, it keeps someone else off the boat who wanted to go (and would have shown up).