Crewing on Fellow Traveler provides one a unique opportunity to explore the world onboard a solid, seaworthy sailing yacht. It is a way of exploring new places that is unlike any other. The boat is our home, providing comfortable bunks, an ample galley to feed us, and all the systems we need to live in reasonable comfort wherever we sail to. 

So, what is required to come crew on Fellow Traveler ? Concerning crew,  noted sailor and mountaineer Bill Tillman's opinion is above, and  I heartily concur. Realistically, though, there are some minimal characteristics all crew need: 

Attitude: This is the most important item. If you are going to sail long distances with strangers on a small boat, you need the right attitude. I look for crew who are open-minded, easy-going, and fun, with a willingness to “pitch in” with the regular chores. You do not need to be the life of the party, but you should be able to get along with most people, even when they are different from you. Any experiences such as extended wilderness backpacking or mountaineering, or other situations where you lived in close quarters with minimal comforts and dealt with the challenges nature chucks your way are good preparation and solid credentials for crewing. You will need to stand your watches, even if you are seasick, tired, or cold. If you just got off watch, but something comes up requiring all hands, you should be able to rise to the occasion. And should the shit ever hit the fan, you need to be able to be a positive, helpful member of the crew, not an additional burden or problem. You should be able to be content, even when you are wet, hot or cold, and uncomfortable. You need to be able to live with rather limited privacy and space, and with fellow crew whose personal hygiene, like yours, may be slipping a little while on passage.       


     
     I have heard sea passages described as 95% boredom interspersed with 5% sheer terror. I would not describe my experiences in such extremes, but the ratio and basic idea are not far off base. However, when an island 2000 miles from where you started looms up on the horizon, suddenly it all seems to be worthwhile. There is a satisfaction and sense of accomplishment upon arrival that is totally missing when flying in to a distant place. You are not just vacationing. You are not a tourist. You are a sailor who has earned the right to be there the hard way.


Experience: Basically, none is required. It is wise to know you are not overly prone to motion sickness. If you have done any boating where there was some chop or swell, or can ride in the back of a bus on mountain roads, or hit turbulence on planes and not get queasy, you will probably do fine. This does not mean you will not get seasick, just that it will probably pass in a day or two.


Money: Sorry, I am poor. I am in no position to offer anyone free travel. And, in my experience, such opportunities are rather rare. Personally, I’d love to do a raft trip down the Grand Canyon. I am a former professional raft guide and world class whitewater paddler. Can I get a free trip? I don’t think so. I could probably get on a private trip with friends, but I would still have to pay for my share of food, gear rental, transportation, etc., even if I was rowing the support raft. It is the same when sailing with me. To simplify things, and to better allow you to budget, I have set a fixed base price of $25 a day. This includes your food, your bunk, plus your share of the fuel, water, routine and long-term maintenance, customs and harbor fees, etc. What it does not include is: 


junk food: Yeah, sometimes we might cook brownies or something, but if you are a chocoholic, you may want to bring your own stash aboard. It is nice to have something to munch on during the late-night watches.


Booze: See FOOD below.


Visa/Immigration fees: Any fees charged for you to enter or leave a country, or procure a visa, are your responsibility.

Park fees: Occasionally, a really nice anchorage or region of a country is a park or other area that charges special fees. Since these fees are above and beyond the usual operating expenses, and the benefit of visiting the park or area is shared by those onboard, the cost is shared as well.  After all, if you visit parks via land, you expect to pay any entry fees charged, right?


So, reality check: yeah, it cost some money to go sailing to exotic places on a sailboat. If you love to hike, snorkel, beach-comb, et cetera, you are looking at not much more than the $25 a day. If you want to rent a scooter, go diving, carouse all night, maybe a little more, but still cheap. After all, these activities cost the same no matter how you got to the island or where you are staying. How about right now? How much do you spend now on food? Rent? Transportation? Recreation? Probably a lot more than what you will while aboard. How much did you spend on your last vacation? Remember, this $25 a day is paying for your accommodations, most of your food, your transportation between islands, your recreation. What a bargain!!! The reality is this is a very cheap way to live, and a very cheap way to travel. Best of all, it is a unique experience unlike anything else you will ever do. One other money issue: You have to have the resources to get yourself home from wherever we are. Sometimes this will be an airline ticket from where you plan to leave the boat, and sometimes it will be cash. This is required by many countries that want to insure you have the means to leave when you depart the boat.


So, back to the general requirements:


Time: Crew generally will need to commit to at least a month of time aboard, and in some places, longer since we might be in remote locations where one cannot fly in or out. I know some people are looking for crew opportunities for shorter periods, and are willing to just do a passage without the island-hopping upon arrival at the next island group: all the work with none of the fun, in my opinion. I will consider this for experienced crew but generally I am looking for people who want to share the whole experience: the passages, the harbors, the remote anchorages and unspoiled beaches. If you are inexperienced, my advice would be to allow some time in harbor to get used to the boat, perhaps some island-hopping, and then try a passage. You will be much less likely to be seasick and much more help aboard. Of course, this is not always possible, but is a good plan to try for. 


Work: Everyone takes turns being cook of the day, and does the dishes and galley cleanup as well. In preparation for this, everyone helps do the shopping when in port (paid for out of the ships account, of course). All crew are expected to help out in the routine maintenance and cleaning of the boat. These chores hopefully occur most often in port. When underway, everyone stands watches in turns. There is always some working the boat: changing sails, reefing, adjusting sail trim, et cetera. And something aboard will break/rip/get loose, etc., requiring me and whatever help I require to fix it. In port there are cleanup duties, routine maintenance, and repairs to be made. I also ask each crew to find a special project to undertake: perhaps some painting, deep cleaning, or organizing: just a way of gradually improving the boat for those that follow. Of course, there is also lots of free time to read, relax, lounge on deck if the weather permits, play cards or chess and tour the places we visit.


Physical Condition: You need to be generally fit and healthy. Sailing does not require a high degree of strength or conditioning, but moving around a sailboat underway, handling sail changes, et cetera, do require good balance and coordination and reasonable strength. If you have any debilitating illnesses or handicaps, please inform me when you inquire about crewing. Also, I should know when you originally contact me if you have any medical conditions that might arise and impact the trip. If the heaviest thing you have lifted in months was a carry-out pizza, maybe you need to think about how you will cope working aboard.


Language: If you are reading this, I presume you are reasonably proficient at English. As long as we can communicate in English, no problem. I would consider crew who speak Spanish or Portuguese as well as I speak a little and need the practice!


Who should not consider crewing on Fellow Traveler :

1) Smokers. Fellow Traveler is a no smoking boat. I may occasionally make an exception on this, but generally speaking I don’t want to be around it.

2) Druggies. The laws of the US and nearly everywhere else in the world mean that no one is allowed to bring drugs aboard EVER! If the Coast Guard finds drugs on the boat, I could lose it. And the Coast Guard has the right to search the boat whenever they want, no warrant required.

3) Strict Vegetarians. See FOOD below.

4) Bigots. No exceptions, no explanations required.


Some General info about Crewing on Fellow Traveler:



Privileges of ownership: Fellow Traveler is my home. I bought her, have spent years fixing her up so she is capable of crossing oceans... I have a lot invested in her. So yeah, I get the nice, big owners cabin in the back of the boat. Not fair, you say? No problem. Pay me $200,000 and the boat is yours. You can have whatever bunk you want and I'll pay you $20 a day until I move on.



Visas. You need to do your own research about what visas you need to enter the countries we are visiting. A good starting point is the website: www.noonsite.com This site is full of information for cruisers. If you are from the US, Canada, Western Europe, or Japan, you will find most countries do not require advance visas. You can contact me (very early!) to help sort out the visa requirements.


Inoculations: Check your local health clinic - they know far more than I do. Check long before the trip begins as some require several doses. 


Liability: Sailing across oceans, or even daysailing involves risk. Seamanship minimizes those risks. Unfortunately, they can not be completely eliminated. When you sign onboard Fellow Traveler, you assume those risks. All crew will be required to sign a liability waiver.


Gear: Each crew member should arrive with his own foul weather gear. I have safety harnesses and tethers aboard, but I would recommend you get your own to avoid sharing one, insure proper and comfortable fit, et cetera. If you are aboard only for the tropics, a lightweight foulie jacket or raincoat along with a sweatshirt, or sweater, should suffice, although I recommend bringing a fleece jacket as night watches can get chilly even in the tropics. . If you will be sailing in temperate climates, then a heavier-duty foul-weather jacket and pants are needed along with a fleece jacket or something else that keeps you warm when wet. I have no plans at the moment to sail beyond the temperate zone (there be dragons there! You fall off the edge of the earth! Well, maybe you just freeze your nuggies off! Not my idea of fun). So, you won’t need a survival suit.


So, if you are still interested in sailing on Fellow Traveler, contact me with the pertinent info. Be sure to include contact info, particularly email, basic bio stuff, experience if any, and why you want to do the trip. Be sure to let me know what particular segment(s) of the trip you are interested in and how long you could be aboard. If I offer you the crew position, you will need to send a deposit to hold the space. Sorry, but there are too many dreamers out there who make the commitment (and I to them) and then flake out. Then, I am suddenly scrambling for crew, sailing solo, overstretching my budget, etc. The deposit required is $300.00 US and is basically paying for half of your first month aboard. Your deposit can be made via Paypal online (Paypal is connected to Ebay and was developed as a safe, secure way to transfer money. I never know your credit card info, bank info, etc, only that you have paid the money. They can be a bit tedious setting up the account, but otherwise I have had no problem with them). If you prefer not to pay online let me know when you contact me so we can work out alternatives. If you have any doubts that I am legit, honest, etc, I’d first say that if I were doing internet scams, I sure as hell could come up with a better one than this! But, I can also provide references of people who have sailed with me in the past should you want.


I normally take on only one or two crew at a time, although occasionally will take three.  Potential crew members should realize that privacy is limited. Those used to and requiring the amount of personal space typical of modern American homes should question whether crewing on Fellow Traveler is a good idea. If, however, you are used to backpacking, hostels or other communal or minimal living situations, you should adapt easily to Fellow Traveler's accommodations. 


FOOD


I am an omnivore. I eat almost anything, particularly if it is fresh (I don’t like a lot of canned foods). I am also a bit of a gourmet, and appreciate good food. If you are a strict vegetarian you should look elsewhere for a crew position. Sorry, I respect your choice, but am not a vegetarian myself, and it is just too difficult to try to prepare meals that work both ways and impossible to cook multiple options for each meal.


If you do not eat red meat, do not worry as red meat is rarely served aboard. When it is, it is often in the form of a few pieces of ham in a black bean soup, proscuitto in a pasta dish, or a soup or stew, not a big steak bleeding all over your plate. If you, like me, try to avoid too much red meat but are not a particularly picky eater, you will eat fine.


When at sea or in remote anchorages, 3 meals a day are provided. When in port, 2 meals are provided. In harbor one can grab something cheap at a local market and take off hiking for the day; it frees up everyone to spend their time in port how they want without galley-duty, schedules, etc. in the middle of the day. Junk food is generally rather limited. You may want to bring a stash of chocolate bars, nuts, or other munchies for the late night watches.

Fellow Traveler has a modest fridge and freezer aboard which keeps us in good stead for the start of a passage or trip to a very remote part of the globe. Towards the end, we eat more pasta and rice with canned tomatoes, etc. In remote areas of the world, provisioning can be sketchy at best, and food selections are more limited. Nothing like visiting Africa or an isolated island to make you appreciate an American or European grocery! But who knows? Maybe we will get lucky and catch a fish!


Booze: When it is affordable, I stock up on beer, rum, and cheap wine, and a couple of drinks a day when at anchor is included in the base price. If you drink a bit more than this, then you should kick in a little extra into the kitty every now and then. If you drink a lot more than this, please find a diferent boat. The bar is for when not underway. Underway, I am agreeable to a SINGLE happy hour drink per day when weather is mild, but otherwise, expect to be alcohol-free when on passage.


 

"Yesterday is a cancelled check; tomorrow is a promissory note; today is all the cash you have. - so spend it wisely."                   Kay Lyons