We spent three weeks in Bequia including a couple of days in the Tobago Cays. The Grenadines are one of our favorite areas that never disappoint. The only thing is we usually come down late in the season when things start closing down. The Easter Regatta in Bequia marks the beginning of the slowdown. The lobster season also ends at the end of April. Nonetheless, we enjoyed our stay and the beautiful Princess Margaret Beach, one of the best in the Caribbean, and meeting up with cruisers who were passing through.
On our voyage from Bequia to Carriacou, we flew in two AB’s* to stand the 8-12 bow watch. The area we transited was notorious for whales, dolphins and flying fish. Just the other day, the whalers on Bequia rowed out and harvested a 50’ Humpback. With that in mind, we wanted another set of eyes watching out for these hazards to navigation. I recommend them to anyone who is seeking keen-eyed and responsible crew. Mork and Mindy were great, never complained although Mork was a little unsteady on his feet at times. We made the passage without incident as I think Mork may have scared off some flying fish. All’s well that ends well. (*AB’s, actual birds).
I bring this up as we caught up with our good cruiser friend, Bob (PANDORA) and his crew member Ken in Bequia when they were bringing Pandora up from Trinidad to St. Martin. We crossed paths, we going south, they going north. Bob will get more crew and sail to Bermuda, the Azores and then Spain. His wife, Brenda, will join him in various ports and in Europe. We may not see them again for a few years. It’s an ambitious plan and we wish them safe voyages. Hopefully we will see them back in the Caribbean on their return voyage.
Having crew to help with different legs on a voyage is not unusual. There are web sites and organizations almost like dating sites, to match up crew and boats. Many rely on word of mouth or “delivery skippers” to fill positions of what they need. Most of these positions are an unpaid volunteer/friend basis. There are legal issues if payments are made as then you stray into running a business and all that entails.
There is a certain stress with only two aboard (not to mention solo sailing). Although most cruising boats can be single handed, the problems come when there are problems. As our other good friend, Mark has said many times, everything on the boat is broken, you just don’t know it yet.
When you do know it, it is usually at the most inconvenient time. Besides dealing with a boat problem the boat must continue to sail. If that other crew member is out of commission for any reason, then things can get dicey. Therefore, many cruisers have a total of three or four aboard to cover any eventualities.
Maureen and I only made one voyage (New York to Bermuda) with one other crew member – our son-in-law Dave. It was our first true blue water voyage, and we appreciated the company. No problems arose and Dave flew home from Bermuda. It was only a 5-day passage and we handled it just fine. Our 12-14 day voyages to the Caribbean were done without crew. At times we could have used another crew but, all in all, we never had any severe problems. Maureen has said that the care and feeding of the crew may not be worth the effort! I wonder if mutinies were the result of such thinking? In any case, it is hard to start a mutiny revolt by yourself.
OTOH, we have heard strange stories of strange crews. Many crew members come aboard by recommendation or a verified CV. That may not be enough to ensure that an ad-hoc pick-up crew will be as dedicated as Mork and Mindy were. The strange tale of a couple who were sailing to the Caribbean comes to mind.
It was a few years ago and the captain and wife were eager to sail to the Caribbean and had a third crew member aboard, which they knew, to sail with them. A few days after leaving the coast, the boat had to divert to Bermuda as the rudder either fell off or was inoperable. They did manage to get to Bermuda and were able to repair the rudder to continue their voyage to the BVI’s. But the repair is not the story.
Their crew member was on a schedule and could not wait in Bermuda for the repairs to be completed (it took weeks). That member flew off leaving the couple to find another. If anyone remembers seeing the sailing documentary Captain Ron, you may recall, a similar situation. However, they did find a crew member. A highly recommended man who had the experience and knowledge they required. He was an ex-US Marine, and bare boated many boats in his career. Sailing a week south would be a piece of cake. He was just what they wanted.
The three of them set off from Bermuda and headed south. They split the watches evenly so they could enjoy the sail. The Marine seemed fine at first but on his first night watch he put the engine on to boost speed. The captain knew the winds were light, but they were sailing along fine. He let him motor along. The next day the Marine again started the engine. “What are you doing, this is a sailboat!” exclaimed the captain. “We need to make time, that storm over there will catch us”, replied the Marine, in an anxious tone.”
No storm was seen, no storm was forecast. “We can’t motor all the way, not enough fuel!” The Marine didn’t pay any attention, he refused even to throttle back to save fuel. The captain was becoming concerned as every time the Marine was on watch he revved up the engine to push on. The Marine declared that when he was on watch he would decide how to run the boat. No interference from the off watch! Threats were exchanged as the captain swore the Marine had dementia.
By the fourth, day tempers were high but the captain knew he could not out fight the Marine. He was thinking of weapons. The details remain a mystery but by the time they pulled into Jos Van Dyke, it was a miracle that the captain and Marine were still alive, the engine running on fumes, and the rudder hadn’t fallen off.
The captain immediately ran to the Customs office and demanded that the Marine be arrested. He told the officer the sorry details of his deranged crewmember and expected him to be led away in handcuffs. Sorry, the officer said, all we can do is get him off the boat. He will have to find his own way off the island. Well, said the captain, at least I didn’t kill him.
The captain and his wife had a pleasant time in the islands after the Bermuda and Marine debacle. However, not long after they arrived, a mosquito blessed them with dengue fever. But was it a mosquito or something the Marine brought aboard? Is there a storm brewing on the horizon or in the crew’s quarters? Sometimes, you just can’t tell.
So that’s one story of sailing with a crew. Maybe Maureen is right, it just isn’t worth it. Mork and Mindy flew home when we approached Carriacou and we bid them fond farewell for a job well done. We continued on to Grenada and will sail to Trinidad sans crew.
Kalunamoo 