Crew Wanted: Florida-Caribbean-Azores-Europe. Feb-June 24

[branden.murdoch]

I'm interested in joining your May Atlantic crossing.
- Novice sailor
- Aerospace engineer
- Pilot
- Aviation/marine accident investigator (TSB Canada)
- University instructor
- Can fix pretty much anything.
- Safety oriented, but I like adventure.
- Married with 4 young children. Planning a 2 year voyage of our own. Looking to get some miles under me beforehand.
- I've spent a month straight on the high seas (North Atlantic) without any sea sickness.

Cheers, BM

[Flying Monkey]

Ahoj Ahoj!
Happy, Salty New Year!
Things are progressing well here. I am back in the US. The boat is back in the water and happy as a clam to be floating on her own, big fat bottom. We are on track for a timely departure now in the beginning of March 2024.
Here are some updates.
There are 2 crew spots open for April 2024, in and around the Caribbean, mostly island hopping, day sailing. 1 rookie/ novice spot. 1 'some experience' spot.

There is 1, maybe 2, spots open for the Atlantic crossing, end of April, beginning of May (this departure is very much weather dependent). Departing St Martin. Arriving Horta, Azores about 4 weeks later. Sailors need experience for this leg and time flexibility.

Azores to Brest, France: 1 rookie and 1 'some experience' spot open. This will be around the end of June. .... also seeking a local, oyster and champagne tour guide in Brest

As always, attitude and energy are the most imortant factors. Send a PM if interested.

[Flying Monkey]

Ahoj. Here comes an update.

I have delayed my departure. I am still in North Florida. Because of delays for new standing rigging hardware, I have adjusted the sail plan.
The plan now is to get crew on board, take a minimum 2 weeks to get new crew familiarized and ocean ready, then make a great circle route crossing to Azores.
Timing looks like this:
New rigging arrives first week of April.
New rigging installed by mid April.
Crew on board and ready to go.
With good weather, we head out for Bahamas and island hop there - in deeper waters, because we draw 7'.
Then when we get a good weather window, we start across sailing towards Bermuda. We can stop in Bermuda as needed for crew exchange or other reasons.
Then on across Atlantic, arriving in Horta, Azores 3-4 weeks later.
2 weeks in Horta, in and around, rest, refit, sightsee.
Mid June, departing for Brest, France.

[CaptainKarima]

Hello Captain Monkey,

I am interested in crewing St. Martin to Horta and Europe. I am an experienced sailor who crossed the Pacific Oahu to Port Angeles in 2015. I owned a boat from the '70s that I recently sold after 23 years. I completed American Sailing Association training 101, 103, 104, and 114 and Offshore Training with 59 North in Southern Portugal on a 62' Bruce Farr named Falken. I have lots of cruising and regattas from San Francisco Bay and the Sacramento River. I am strong, fit, 49 years old, organized, and love coffee, cooking, and boat maintenance. WhatsApp +4155045405 and my email is karima at oceanagent dot org]

[mewhenisail]

Hi there!

I am happy to join your crew if you are still looking for crew for the June stretch.

For a little bit of background, I am a moderately experienced high school sailor. I have participated in a handful of unorganized regattas and have experience in setting/using spinnakers and trapezes on C420 class boats, as well as cruising on Catalinas (17.4 and one 20-ish footer). Mainly experienced in the Bay Area of California, but I am happy to join you on the Azores leg. Looking to gain more experience on rougher conditions and larger boats.

As for personality, I am a pretty decent cook, good in high stress situations, and most definitely a "cheerleader" as you described. I personally believe I am mature for my age, so immaturity should not be a problem here.

Contact me on my email or my phone number (whatsapp) if you want to take me on: anshambatkar@gmail.com or +14086790580

I hope you consider me, and have a great day! You sound awesome.

[ChaseWatts]

Hello,

My name is Chase Watts, and I am 19 years old. Although I have limited sailing experience, the opportunities I've had to sail were with my brother on his sailboat, during which I assisted with the sails. I consider myself to be very intuitive and a quick learner, qualities that I am eager to apply towards learning how to sail. I am very enthusiastic about volunteering for this opportunity and look forward to contributing to the best of my abilities.

I'm interested in the May-July
Please call at 479-966-2428

[Flying Monkey]

Ahoj ahoj,
New rigging is getting hung. Yay. It's a pirate party up at the top of the Main!
If I have not contacted you, please send a note. I did not plan to skip anyone, but it is super busy right now making ready.

[VikiS]

I dream of a trans Atlantic but realise I need more experience. One of the later legs, perhaps.

Viki

[VikiS]

A bit more about me. Trans woman, limited big boat experience but have day skipper. Calm under pressure, love cooking and a good beach. Eager to learn and be challenged. I'm looking to get my own boat so will be soaking up every bit of knowledge/experience like a sponge. Viki x

[VikiS]

Viki@rhlynn.co.uk

Or 0030 697 304 7242.

VikiS

[Flying Monkey]

Ahoy ahoy and salty greetings...
Departing Florida 20 May. Stopping in Bermuda a week after.
Able crew welcome to join.
Novice crew welcome, if you can make a decent cup of coffee.
3 weeks to Horta Azores.
High Performance Starlink on board for those who need the internets.

[aDemilich]

Originally Posted by Flying Monkey

Ahoy ahoy and salty greetings...
Departing Florida 20 May. Stopping in Bermuda a week after.
Able crew welcome to join.
Novice crew welcome, if you can make a decent cup of coffee.
3 weeks to Horta Azores.
High Performance Starlink on board for those who need the internets.

Hey there, I sent you a DM about this a week or so ago. Very interested in the possibility of joining!

[Mauro Brazil]

Originally Posted by Flying Monkey

Thanks for reading.
I am looking for 4-5 crew to join this adventure: There will be several different legs, and different folks signing on, and signing off of the crew as we go along. Get in where you fit in! You know how these things go. People can sign on individually or in pairs, depending on room available and other considerations. For your planning purposes…. Please consider 2 weeks as a minimum time window to join the crew on board. Shorter time periods are difficult. This is a pleasure cruising sailboat. We go slow and do not press in to foul weather when we do not have to.

If you are interested, please send a PM.
If you have questions, then please post a reply to the ad, so that everyone can benefit.

If interested, then let me know a bit about yourself and the timeframe you are available.
Other folks, US Military Veterans, family and friends of mine will be joining the boat along the way as well.

Here's the general sail plan: Subject to change, and all of that stuff going on.

February 2024:
Jacksonville, Florida: Boat in the water. Make ready work. First crew join. Shooting pool and karaoke in town.
March 2024:
Jacksonville, Florida to South Florida, Fort Lauderdale, and then across to the Bahamas. Island hopping in the Bahamas for a while.
*** Crew spots available: 1 complete rookie, 1 novice, 2 "some experience".
End of March 2024: Sailing to the Caribbean. This will be a "mini-passage" 10-14 days at sea sailing East above the trade winds, and then South to the Caribbean.
*** Crew spots available: 1 novice, 2 "some experience", 1 experienced.
April 2024: Island hopping and exploring the Caribbean / Rum tour of the Windward Islands.
*** Crew spots available: 1 complete rookie, 1 novice, 2 "some experience".
End of April 2024. St Martin, on anchor. Exploring the wonderful island, going to Carnivale, waiting for weather over the Atlantic to stabilize, so we can cross.
May 2024. Atlantic crossing, St Martin to Horta, Azores.
This is a big, blue passage. 21-28 days at sea.
The Azores are frickin' awesome. We might never want to leave. We will stay at least two weeks. Maybe 3.
*** Crew spots available: 1 "some experience", 3 experienced.
Middle of June 2024. Crossing from Azores to Europe. We'll make our way to the Keil canal, if it is deep enough at the time, and then make our way in to the Baltic.
*** Crew spots available: 2 novice, 2 "some experience".
July 2024: Vicinity St Anna Archipelago in Sweden. Island to island for the summer.
*** Crew spots: 3 -4 spots open, no real experience required. This is pretty easy, day sailing.
Particulars:
August 2024: You don’t have to go home, but ya can”t stay here. I will park the boat somewhere and go hang out in the woods with the hippies, hermits, pixies and elves. Urkult 2024 in Nasaker.

Particulars:
Boat: 1978 CSY 44 Pilothouse Ketch. She is a well equipped, heavy old lady. A Fat Bottomed Girl who likes it a little rough. A graceful sailor. Big, roomy, safe and solid. She is a comfortable, sea-kindly boat with a deep draft and 14,000 lbs of lead. Some say she is one of the finest cruising vessels ever made. I say, she is my dream boat, and she sailed like a dream in 25 knot winds with. 8-10 foot seas. Over the past few years, I have upgraded / replaced all underwater hardware, through-hulls, grounding plane, as well as removed and closed up old sensor holes. The standing rigging will all be new, before we leave Florida. Down below, she shows her age here and there, but she is solid and functional and looks pretty good as well.

Ketch rigged.
Furling Head sail.
Hank on Stay Sail.
Main and Mizzen in Lazy Jacks.
Self Tailing winches.
Electric winch.
Electric Windlass.
Water Maker.
Solar.
Wind Gen.
Big Galley, plenty of fridge space.
VHF Radio.
SSB Radio.
Garmin Satellite InReach..
Satellite Phone.
AIS
EPIRB.
Chart Plotter
Autopilot.
Windvane
Dinghy and outboard
.... liferaft added Spring, 2022.

Cost/Expenses:
$$. Captain pays for boat expenses. Folks on board share the cost of their groceries.
FAQ: How much to budget for groceries?
Ans: take your existing food budget and add 20%.
Land and other transportation: By future arrangement. Crew joining the boat should expect to pay for their transport to and from the boat.

Customs, Duties, and Border fees: Expect to Pay your own way.

Safety and Security:

Rule #1. Stay on the boat. Everything is easier if we avoid falling off while underway.
We will focus on comfortable, low risk, low stress sailing. The weather and ocean will give us enough un-planned excitement to deal with and enjoy, so we will not press in to foul weather or any other risky business. This means crew should be very flexible with time schedules.

All safety gear is up to date and functional.

We practice continuous risk analysis / risk mitigation. This means, when we do 'something stupid" we talk about it and try not to do it again.

Smoking/open flame: No smoking on board. If you are French and have a very compelling story, then maybe you can drift off in the dinghy and practice your habit. Otherwise, no. Candles are ok in certain conditions. Incense can burn in certain conditions.

Alcohol. No consumption under way at all***. The Anchor light is the drinking light. But we will have a well equipped bar and beer stock.. Two rules of boating.. never run out of beer or cookies; although, the Captain drinks very little to no beer/alcohol. *** This is a high protocol operation, Pirate Protocol, so there are a few exceptions to the rule. We toast occasions with rum or champagne.

Clothing. Yes please. It’s better than sunscreen.
This is mostly for the Bahamas/Caribbean, and certainly most of you reading this are already aware, that many visitors to the Bahamas view clothing as an optional situation. This is not a "nudist" boat at all. For packing considerations, space is the biggest limiting factor. We have a packing list that we can send as a guide.
Otherwise, if you do not have foul weather gear, then you should expect to buy some for yourself.

About the Captain:
56 Year old man. Healthy, Energetic, non-snoring, non-smoking, non-drinking (mostly), guy who likes to sail. Benevolent pirate. Creative executive. Karaoke singer. Empathic. Participative leadership style. Pretty good cook. Likes spicy food and good coffee.

45 years sailing experience aboard 16-52 foot sailboats. Yep, started young, with Dear Old Dad and Mom. Great Lakes, Eastern Pacific (San Diego area), Western Atlantic, Bahamas, with the majority of experience in the Bahamas, with many courses at the fictional, but very real, Hard Knocks Sailing Academy.
Skilled and experienced in all boat auxiliary power systems (motors y'all); Gas and Diesel, HVACR systems, electrical, plumbing, rigging, - there's nothing on the boat I can't fix (or throw away and replace ).
I love to snorkel and spear fish. I love to explore the local scene, meet the people and get in to the cultures of visited places, so I tend to be wandering type explorer. All day on a random beach, to me, is a good use of a day.

I have a rock solid personality, not easily ruffled, calm under pressure, and am easy going and laid back. At the same time, I have a loud, command voice (thank you Army), and can be very intense. The crazier sh*t gets, the more calm I become. Gaslighting Mother Nature for decades

I am not a doctor. That is my sister's gig. I am skilled at first aid, trained in CPR, first aid, recovery, and know how to treat many conditions.
I am also an excellent trainer/teacher and coach, so if you have no experience, but otherwise fit, lets talk. Don't count yourself out.

Ideal Crew qualities:
Galley friendly, coffee loving; creative cook, bold, brave, level headed, positive energy and attitude, a bit of a hippie, excellent communication abilities, in great health, non-smoking, not grossed out by fish guts, stable at sea, some experience with sailing preferred, a light packer, excellent problem solving skills, a cheerleader (and I don't mean pom poms and a short skirt, I mean a person who is excited and energetic when facing challenging tasks and not, how do you say in this country, be b*tchy about it). If you have very good organizational and packing skills, you get bonus points. Whatever personal choices you have made over the past few years regarding shots and boosters is your business. I prefer those who chose to not get any. On shore leave, live music, hanging out under the stars, exploring nature and different cultures are fun ways to explore the local scene. If you are more introverted, no problem. Someone needs to stay and babysit the boat too.

Considerations for complete rookie and novice crew.
Expenses: if you do not have good foul weather gear, then you will need to buy it. Budget $1,200. I have life jackets, safety harnesses, and tethers on board for you to borrow and use, but you must have your own foul weather gear. If you want to do a passage or cross the Atlantic, then you must have very good foul weather gear, so please budget accordingly.
Testing and proving yourself: I welcome complete rookies and novices with little to no experience. We all have to start somewhere. I am an excellent trainer and coach, and I enjoy doing it. It does take a tremendous amount of time and energy to show someone the ropes and teach them new skills. I have to have a good feeling that crew will be able to function on board as well as be safe for themselves, other crew, and the boat. I do not expect newbies to become experts overnight. I do expect that newbies arrive with a good attitude, good energy, and an ability to be instructed, tested, coached and corrected. Everybody makes mistakes and messes up stuff, myself included. Even my Dad, "the Admiral" fouls things up. We all have to be thick skinned and able to make corrections and keep going. This means that you will not show up, pack up, and get under way immediately. There will be some time spent familiarizing and making sure it is a good fit. This is for the benefit of everyone.
Rookie/Novice duty expectations: if you come aboard as a rookie / novice, then you will have regular crew duties on a very simple level. For example you will not stand watch by yourself until after you are "watch certified" by the captain. You will be busy learning, observing, asking questions, practicing, and demonstrating new skills. You will get a lot of instruction, such as, "stand here" and "hold this" and "do not do that" You will stand "shadow" watch with an experienced crew member. It is important to be 'set up for success', and that will be the goal for the safety of the boat, crew, and yourself. The general goal for being "watch certified" is that you can keep the boat going in the correct, general direction, and you know when to wake up other people

Thanks for reading. Let me know if interested. We have a lot to discuss[/U]:

Hi, I am Mauro, from Brazil.
I sailed from Salvador-Bahia (Brazil) until Trinidad e Tobago in a catamaran. Me anda my wife, we want to live abord on a sailboat next year. And I want to get more and more experiences. If you accept me, just tell me where and when
My e-mail is maurofk25@gmail.com .
If you want mor information about me and my trip to Trinidad, you can ask to my captain Marc Gielisessen in Facebook or Instagram. Just to see that is real.
Thanks to read my message.

[Flying Monkey]

Underway now.
Next stop Azores

[Flying Monkey]

Ahoj ahoj and salty greetings from N39W49, enroute to Horta, arriving 22 July. Departing 30 July for Roscoff. France then Cuxhaven. Crew change at Cuxhaven.
2 spots open for novice to some experience.
Only checking messages every few days.