Tips for The Crew

Preparing breakfast on board a 50′ Beneteau

Cruising Kitty

Some miscellaneous costs will be incurred during your sailing, such as daily mooring fees, ice for the icebox, trash disposal, etc. These will typically run about $30–$40 (US) per boat per day, assuming you are on a mooring each night. The easiest way to share these costs is for everyone on board to deposit cash in a shared cruising kitty (could be any small container with lid.) When expenses are incured, you simply take the needed money from the cruising kitty as needed. When funds run low, everyone should make another deposit to replenish the kitty. This is much easier than trying to track who paid for what when trying to share expenses. At the end of the trip, simply divide any remaining funds between the crew.

Playlists & courtesy

Most charter boats come equipped with a stereo system. Most crew members come equipped with differing tastes in music. Discuss music playlists with fellow crew members before you go, and come to an agreement on common tastes, or whether you want music at all. Some crews prefer to create a combined playlist, with each member contributing the same number of favorite songs to be played randomly. Remember these two courtesies: assume that not everyone was endowed with your uniquely superior taste in music, and play your music at a level that won’t be heard by neighboring boats in an anchorage (who are even less likely to have been endowed with your elite musical tastes.)

Cooking and Cleanup

Discuss as a crew who will be responsible for any cooking you do on board. The Provisioning section will explain the options in detail, but you will need to decide whether you want to cook all your meals onboard, eat at restaurants, or some combination of the two.

Decide as a group ahead of time who will be responsible for cooking each meal, and who will be responsible for cleanup. Due to limited galley space, it is usually difficult for more than 2 to be involved in the cooking/cleanup.

Next: Life Aboard