The decision to take on extra crew for a longer passage is tempting, particularly for a couple, since a third or fourth hand will make watch keeping much easier and less exhausting. Most of us will only take on crew from among our sailing friends and hopefully he or she will be also a capable sailor.
But there are times when that choice is not an option. Once, in Fiji, we decided to take on crew to help us make the sometimes arduous passage to New Zealand. We met and liked a young Italian traveler and asked him to come along. He was easy going and good company but not much of a sailor. And, he was very strong and kept breaking things. But, the trip went fine.
On another occasion, we lost crew in the Canary islands and needed to find a replacement. We contacted Crewfinders in the UK, were put in touch with two young Brits and after long phone chats and background checks, invited them to join us for the trip back to the US East Coast. This worked out just as we had hoped. They both were affable, competent and liked to cook. That was important because we were at sea for 24 days.
But it can go terribly wrong. A friend of ours got the job of delivering a Transpac boat from Hawaii back to California. He picked up a crew off the dock who had experience. But, what he didn’t tell our friend was that he was psychotic and prone to episodes. He had one mid-pacific and the crew had to duct tape his hands and feet and lock him in the forward cabin until his meds kicked in. Scary stuff.
So, the decision to take on crew should not be made lightly and doing a thorough background check is essential. Organizations like Offshore Passage Opportunities, Crewfinders and the Salty Dawg Sailing Association are good places to start.
