[Winderlust]

Say you single-hand your boat most of the time, cruising from country to country, but hire watch help for long passages.

Is it normal to search the new hire's personal gear to prevent contraband from coming aboard and all that that entails?

Or is it better to rely on resume references and leave it to providence?

Any thoughts on security as it relates to hiring strangers for crew?

Have I been watching too many movies?

 

[krozet]

I believe you are culpable in almost every country for what is found on you're boat regardless of who brought it on board.

Do you watch too many movies? Maybe but that doesn't change the fact that this is you're home and personally I wouldn't leave my home and possibly my freedom to 'providence'.

 

[Bene505]

Here's a thought: Drug tests are easy to administer. All you need is a hair or two. But then, that wold probably take weeks to get the results back.

Regards,
Brad

 

[Stillraining]

Does Anyone Search their Hired Crew?

Every chance I get...

 

[smackdaddy]

Still - I want to sail with you. Please. I'm beggin' ya.

Seriously, I'd search them. Do you guys remember a few years back that husband and wife that chartered their fishing boat out of Florida? Took a couple of dudes out and never came back. The two guys had smuggled guns in their duffels, killed the couple, and took the boat for a ride.

A lot easier to diffuse that kind of thing at the dock I'd think.

 

[krozet]

Here's a thought: Drug tests are easy to administer. All you need is a hair or two. But then, that wold probably take weeks to get the results back.

Regards,
Brad

No one is advocating drug testing but I for one do not want to show up in Thailand and have the officials find 4 oz of Heroin on you're crew... Instant 50 years in prison.

 

[Winderlust]

Kroz.

You are concerned about being a mule. That is what I brought up. You haven't said what you would do about it. Am I correct to assume you would search for contraband or what?

 

[imagine2frolic]

It's your boat, and your rules within reason. If they have nothing to hide then they should be willing to allow you to search. I ran into this very problem once, and it will never happen again.......i2f

 

[krozet]

Kroz.

You are concerned about being a mule. That is what I brought up. You haven't said what you would do about it. Am I correct to assume you would search for contraband or what?

4oz is not a mule. No I am not concerned about a mule, I am concerned about having someone bring something into my home that could cause me to loose my home or my freedom. I don't feel that it should be left to providence when all it would take is a little effort.

Would I search someone? Yes, I am not the police but it is my home and if someone was going to be traveling into another country with me then there is no reason why I shouldn't be able to ensure my safety.

 

[Zanshin]

If I were to hire crew and don't trust him/her enough not to bring illegal items aboard, then I certainly wouldn't trust him/her to do their duties aboard, either. I'd look for someone else whose judgement I could trust. To put it another way - anyone I'd feel I would need to be searched wouldn't get aboard, in any capacity, in the first place. So I would say "no search of person or baggage". Of course one could add that baggage might be searched for contraband when looking for a crew member, but I'd never do so.

 

[aerie]

I have crewed on many boats and have never had my luggage searched. I would think the interview process would uncover what kind of person the potential crew is, but the best information will come from people that person has crewed for in the past.

 

[Omatako]

It is also of course possible that your crew may have legitimate drugs that could cause you problems of a non-police nature.

I had a young lady crew for me and it was only three days into the voyage that I discovered that when she went off watch, she knocked herself out with sleeping tablets.

So what if we hit something and the boat rapidly fills with water? The last thing I want is a comatose crew member. The pills went straight over the side and when she whined that she couldn't sleep without them I ventured to suggest that after five days awake at sea, she would.

She survived only 48 hours without sleep and she slept like a baby and even today, she no longer needs pills to sleep.