Sailing on Other People’s Boats West and East

When former Bay Area sailor and Club Nautique manager Tony Gilbert moved back east he found another crew party through which to keep sailing on other people’s boats. He explains why it’s worked for him on both San Francisco and Chesapeake bays. 

I found more than a few good opportunities to sail on other people’s boats at the Latitude 38 crew parties in San Francisco and Sausalito. I met a variety of skippers looking for crew for daysailing, cruising, racing, and even exotic deliveries (“I’m going to Hawaii next week and need an extra hand.”). Since moving to the Northeast, I decided to check out what a local meetup looks like.

On Sunday, April 27, I dropped in on the public crew party at Eastport Yacht Club, overlooking Annapolis Harbor with views of the Spring Sailboat Show and the Naval Academy. Hosted by SpinSheet magazine, this was the last of three spring mixers held along the Chesapeake: in Solomons, MD, Hampton, VA, and Annapolis.

If you’ve never attended a crew list party, think of it as “speed dating” for skippers and sailors. You have to put yourself out there and not be shy. The crowd is casual and convivial, and the din of laughter and conversation picks up after a few Dark ’n’ Stormies. You slap on a name tag that says whether you’re looking for a boat or looking for crew, don your Docksides, and mingle. It doesn’t hurt to bring a card with your contact info — some attendees even had “sailing résumés,” while skippers handed out cards with boat details, a few complete with QR codes.

The attention-getter at the Annapolis party was the “message masts” — tall poles taped with index cards advertising boats and the kind of crew they’re seeking (racing, cruising, casual, experienced). The crowd shuffled past, snapping photos and stopping to mingle or check name tags.

Most conversations quickly turned to, “Do you race on Wednesdays (serious) or Fridays (beer can), or are you looking for something else?” Skippers ran the gamut — from Lee, who’s unfazed by lightning so long as “you don’t touch the metal,” to Dan, who races his Catalina 25 and insists, “There’s no yelling on my boat.” The “something else” crowd included David from Dallas, retired and living aboard in Annapolis and seeking crew for daysails; Steve, looking for help to circumnavigate the Delmarva Peninsula on his Beneteau 37; and Lynn and Craig, who need help delivering their boat from charter in the BVI back to the Chesapeake.

There were also volunteer and nonprofit opportunities recruiting sailors, including the Annapolis Naval Sailing Association, Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating (CRAB), and Singles on Sailboats (SOS).

Sailing other people’s boats may not have the same swagger or bragging rights as ownership, but it often means all the fun with none of the maintenance. (Remember the 10-percent rule.) Boating Industry magazine estimates that the average American boat owner spends fewer than 19 days a year on the water. Maybe they just haven’t been to a crew party. So buck up, boatless sailors — there’s plenty of sailing out there, and skippers are looking for you.

For crew connection on the East Coast go to the SpinSheet Crew Finder List here. On the West Coast add your name to the Latitude 38 crew list here. Using our crew lists you’ll find there’s no reason not to sail because you don’t have a boat or don’t have crew. Sign up, go sailing.