Crew for someone

Many people, whether or not part of a club, welcome volunteer crew.

That can often cost very little money, though skippers may well welcome a contribution to costs.

But if you want to be welcomed regularly, probably the best approach is to volunteer also to help maintain the boat ... all boats, even "low maintenance"  glass-reinforced-plastic ones, need quite a bit of work to keep them in good condition, and a lot of that work is done during the winter or spring, when it can sometimes be a bit cold and miserable.  Helping to scrape off old "anti-fouling" paint, sanding and varnishing any woodwork or polishing the sides of the hull will likely gain you many "brownie points" and get you on the short-list.  If you can and will cook whilst sailing, that too will help ... supplying food is also good.

Although most skippers will try to guide newcomers, not all skippers are willing, or sometimes even particularly good at teaching sailing.  It's always welcome if you already know the terminology, how things are done and how boats sail.  Remember, though, that the skipper may have his or her own views on some things and they're the boss.  It's impor5tant, of course, to remember that there are lots of different people sailing and you may or may not find you get on well with any particular individual.

I do strongly commend sailing courses for all boats and navigation courses for anyone expecting to go out to sea. Search the web for "sailing schools" or "RYA courses".

If you don't understand what the skipper wants you to do in any circumstance, do please ask for an explanation ... often it's simply because the skipper hasn't seen a gap in your knowledge.  A question now saves stress later.

A last couple of thoughts for skippers wanting crew. Do explain your expectations, do remember to instruct crew before maneuvers and the like what you plan to do and what you want your crew to do. If your crew has a good understanding, things will likely go more smoothly, and it'll be easier for the skipper to stay cool.  This shouldn't need saying, but the buck stops with the skipper, not the crew. Even when stressed, avoid shouting for any reason other than to be heard ...  Everyone will feel better.