CREW SPECIFICATION
My primary reasons for
having crew at all are for
additional companionship and
for night watchkeeping on
overnight passages. It is
useful having an extra
person for docking, sail
handling, deploying the
paravanes, etc. And, while
I enjoy food, I do not enjoy
cooking, so someone who
enjoys cooking would be very
welcome. Though I was able
to cope OK on my
circumnavigation, I am not
all that skilled with things
mechanical, electrical and
other technical, so someone
more skilled than me who
could help with maintenance
would be a big bonus, but
technical skills are not an
essential prerequisite.
Crew must be non-smokers,
healthy, fully physically
fit, and not on drugs and
without any police record in
connection with drugs. I
need to be made aware in
advance of any health
conditions requiring
medication and of any
handicaps or phobias which
could affect allocation of
tasks on board or could
affect me or any others on
board. Another important
requirement is good
eyesight, including good
colour vision and night
vision. It is not a
problem if vision has to be
assisted with glasses.
Ideally, crew would have
some experience of being on
sailing yachts or on motor
yachts, preferably (but not
necessarily) including
standing night watches alone
on long(ish) passages.
However I am prepared to
take a beginner who is keen
to learn. If such a
beginner does not know
already that they do not
suffer from sea sickness,
they must be prepared to
take anti-seasickness stuff
as needed.
Ideally my crew companion
would have mother tongue
English but that is not
essential, though the
language of the boat is
English. I am prepared to
take someone with workable
English and I could be happy
to help them improve their
English. I am told I am a
good teacher. I have a
facility for languages.
It does help if, in addition
to seamanship awareness, one
also has some familiarity
with computers, GPS & radar
& navigation (or is prepared
to learn as we go so as to
fill in the gaps).
Obviously any greater
yachting experience and
skills above basic
seamanship and enjoying
cooking would be a valuable
bonus. Of particular
interest are: diesel &
mechanical, electrics,
electronics, a radio amateur
license, computer, scuba.
Any prospective "long-term"
crew must love living on
boats, enjoy cooking, be
able to swim & not be afraid
of the water & not have a
time schedule.
Other requirements are that
one should be: responsible,
fun, cheerful, tolerant, a
self-starter, observant &
alert, considerate, and not
overly self-interested nor
overly demanding. (On Mantra
the social group is more
important than one
individual crew!)
To enjoy life on Mantra one
needs to be interested in
socialising, entertaining &
joining in.
You'll enjoy it more if you
are attracted by the romance
of far away places and if
you are passionate about
yachting.
On a boat one needs either
to be tidy by nature or able
to be so. On Mantra
everything has its normal
place and should normally be
in its proper place so as to
be available readily when
needed.
Crew must be prepared to
abide by the "Boat Rules"
and these notes regarding
what is required for us all
to enjoy ourselves.
A requirement for people who
cruise on Mantra is that
they care for the boat and
devote time, labour & their
skills to the care &
maintenance & upkeep &
improvement of the boat & of
the household. Routine "boat
work" participation while
cruising averages 10 hours
each person a week, averaged
over the duration of a leg
(but one does not keep count
of hours as such!). One is
also required to help with
repair & preparation work as
needed on passage and in
port.
You will need to be up to
date with inoculations
recommended for the area.
It is wise to have dentist &
optician check-ups and to
be in no doubts about being
in good health.
One must be able to tolerate
heat and a lack of privacy.
Also able to tolerate voice
noise involved in the boat
maintaining any SSB net
schedules. All on board
must be able to sleep
without earplugs and without
cabin doors hermetically
closed.
There is full headroom
throughout except in the
engine room. However
extra-tall or extra-wide
people would have a problem.
Headroom varies from 6' 3"
to 5' 9". The narrowest part
of the companionways from
saloon gives 19½" hip-room.
The beds are 6'3" to 6'
long.
Crew must be prepared to
travel light. See “What to
Bring & What Not to Bring”.
I have an entry on
www.findacrew.net
and there you will find my
“Crew Specification”
expressed somewhat
differently in response to
that site’s particular way
of showing detail. You might
like to visit the site and,
on the left hand side where
it says “search by member
number”, enter my number
25779 in the search box,
click and then read what I
have said there.
Joining someone on a boat to
go cruising is quite an
adventure and I am
particularly keen that you
should have as much
information as possible
about Mantra and about me so
that we reach the right
decision regarding your
joining. Do feel free to
ask me whatever questions
you like about whatever
topics. You will get honest
replies.
