Crew Staying aboard

If you hire a professional crew, they'll know what to do and what not to do aboard the boat. Add in your preferences on specific items on what you like to drink, be referred to as, expectations, (with / without guests) and so on, and you'll be well on your way.

Start with a Captain, and mutually fill the needed spots on your boat and set clearly defined expectations. Starting with someone who has worked on smaller boats in a crew / owner type scenario or charter role scenarios will save you a lot of brain damage down the road.

Pretty much what Propbet has said....... AND, if you want total privacy for a dinner or such...... tell you're crew that you're having dinner at 8pm and would like your privacy and for them to go out to dinner on the house...... Experienced crew will know how to negotiate the boat without interfering in your life as much as possible......also let them know your expectations of when you should be left alone (for breakfast for example).....etc.....

Hi,

I agree with the previous two posters comments.

If you do send all the team out for dinner so yiu can enjoy your boat in total privacy who is going to serve dinner and drinks and clean the table when your done?

There is always a certain amount of interaction between Master and Slaves ( Owner and Crew)

You could always learn to run it yourself with your friends if you are that way inclined.

Oh I almost forgot- If you are that paranoid about your privacy you should also sweep the boat daily for hidden listening and video recording devices

A 74 foot boat is just big enough to have good separation of church and state, if it is properly configured. A crew lounge would be very helpful, as they must have a place to sit other than a small stateroom.

The most important piece of the puzzle is to make sure both parties understand what is expected, and that you respect their privacy as much as possible. I had a 56 ft boat with 2 crew in which we travelled several thousand miles with a mixture of formal dinners they prepared and served as though we were on Britannia, and some where I did the cooking and we all ate together. In the end, I determined my next boat should be under 50 ft so I could run it myself or over 70 ft with a crew lounge. I decided to go smaller, but missed their company as well as the fact that my boat was always clean when I stepped on or off. I now have to build 1.5 hrs of hosing down ,chamois,etc, after I tie up.

You will have a wonderful experience if you hire the right people,treat them with respect, use the boat as intended and are clear in what you expect.

Out for dinner is one thing, but you're usually talking about a weekend or more. For a crewmember on a boat this size it's like living in someone else's house. Believe me, they crave privacy as well and seek it out (Go to the bow when you're in the cockpit, walk the docks, hang in the crew quarters, etc.). They'll treat your friends like their friends, but they really don't want to spend time with them. Entertaining your guests is work. The crew will try to migrate to areas of the boat where the guests are not. The one big problem is the crew quarters. As you look at crewquarters picture a downpour rainy day. How much time would you be able to spend in the quarters without going insane? (I once captained a 50 Sea Ray where the bridge was my stateroom and the engine room my changing room. Luckily the family liked me around, but I wouldn't have minded a bit more privacy.) Be very open and up front with the crew and don't be afraid of hurt feelings. Sometimes owners like the captain to be part of the family; sometimes they just like to show off that they have a captain and sometimes owners want the crew to be invisible. It's all cool. Just let them know your desires. Also, if you have a good crew, they should have developed a blind eye if you know what I mean. If you do send them ashore though remember that they can't walk the streets like a vagrant. It cost money and things are probably resort priced. Be sure to cover them.

Another thing to keep in mind for things to work well. You and the captain have to get along well personality wise. Every boat I was full time on, under 100' the owner treated me always like a family member. Typically, they would insist that I ate dinner with the family. On another the owners would take us out to dinner every third night. etc. etc. etc.

On a boat in the 70' range a husband and wife team is often preferable as you can get by with one (decent sized) stateroom and their skill sets often compliment each other. If you're dealing with an express style plan to get hotel rooms for any crew or hire crew (other than the captain) by the day as needed. You will however need a deckhand unless you are able and willing to handle that task. Before any Mr. captains pop up let me say that most decent captains can handle single-handed docking a 70'er 90% of the time, but nobody tells you in advance when that other 10% will be. Also, most captains don't cook and serve and most are better keeping up with the outside than the inside.

I'm great if you want meatballs, grilled cheese, hot dogs or pbj, but I'm still a pretty good captain. My Italian wife/captain is another story, but I'm better with the boats. PS- she's since gotten smart and quit boats so there is no offer here.

72 foot ain't very big for too many boundaries. How long is the owner going to be aboard at any one time?

One similar sized boat I was on, the owners lived onboard for 6 months of the year. Being Belgian, they were quite formal but myself and the chef had the foredeck to ourselfs while they had the saloon, aft and flybridge. The aft cabin was theirs, we had the forecabins. The boss enjoyed helming the boat, doing lines and fenders, taking the tender off for the day. The wife enjoyed shopping and hairdressing salons.

The one thing that united all of us was food. The galley was used by all of us, so that every night was different. The boss like to BBQ, Madam to bake cakes and breads, the chef(Canadian) nice light modern food and me, classic European cuisine(I'm a trained chef too). Myself and the chef ate in the wheelhouse, the owners on the aft-deck, served. All a bit formal but it worked for them.

The next boat was totally different. One weekend the boss wanted to shoot out to the islands with some model or chippie for a dirty weekend. Lots of champagne and bikinis flying everywhere. The Mate and I used to batten down the hatches and ignore the bumps and screams from the saloon and aft cabin.

The next weekend he would bring his in-laws, wife and kids for a gentle cruise and be demanding for his mother-in-law and wife to be served at all times. We had to be on call at any time to any whim or fancy he may feel.

To get the right balance between the needs of the owner and also running a well organized boat is the right captain with right owner, a difficult gift. A good crew agent should help here.

I have used and hired many deckhands that could either do the normal things in the engine room, or run the vessel in open waters or most situations to allow the Captain to handle an emergency in the engine room. Some deckhands are just in it for the money (short termers), what you want to look for is someone who wants to move up the ladder. I would recommend hiring your Captain first, and then letting the Captain hire the deckhand.....maybe with your approval in addition to his....... Many Captains will have a deckhand or two they like to work with as well.......

Your Yacht Broker, would probably be the best person to recommend a Captain. Forum's can be a mixed bag, because someone is posting a resume that reads the best they can make it read. Dockmasters at a marina can be a good source as well.

Way more. What you describe is everyday fare for a yacht captain.

Driving a boat in a straight line or loosely standing station for a short while isn't rocket science. Your captain will easily train you or your other crew members to handle it for while he takes care of emergency mechanical repairs. All crewmembers will be trained by the captain to handle other emergencies such as fire, man overboard, etc.
Personally, I'd rather pick my own cook or server and then have he or she interviewed by the captain for the final say so. For an engineer or 1st mate I'd reverse that. If I knew a great engineer I'd like to use his recommendation for a captain although I doubt that will be your situation on this size boat.

J is making a good point here.

A Broker or Dockmaster will know most of the good guys, both skipper and mate. Listen to them.

Don't worry about going into the engineroom, the skipper will put you on the contols and tell you not to hit anything too expensive, that will really sharpen your skills he will have already taught you(a bit of a poke here to learn your own skills). One of the crew will not be far away to take over the controls if you even go close to a problem.

I guess the first lesson is to trust people. Most crew have been sailing their whole life, listen a bit to what they say; they may be spending more time with you than your own wife, but in a good way.

As usual, the replies run the gamut from people's personal experience and professional attitudes.

What exactly IS the privacy you're looking for? I ran a split charter for some YPO'ers a bunch of years back. The organization was created as to be a forum for members to share skills, experiences, etc.

One of the meetings focused on how to hide assets from wives. This advice coming from the older execs to the younger ones. All within earshot of the crew and all the while knowing the wives were joining up 3 days hence!

On a 57 sail boat I ran with my wife, the owner expected a formal sit down dinner served and cleaned while we sat there watching/sitting on the companionway steps eating our own food in our laps. Needless to say that relationship was short lived.

You'll only be able to get out of the crew relationship what you put in. If you're stingy, demanding, abrupt, arrogant, and un-compromising, you'll wind up disappointed.

On the 240' Delta "Laurel" the owner had the boat built with accommodations for the captain and wife's infant and nanny! That's a lot to expect on a 70' boat, but it highlights the kind of relationship the owner has with his captain. I'm sure THAT captain respects the owner's privacy...

I assume the husbands tipped you very well . All kidding aside, I heard of a captain last year who took pictures of the owner's antics and later used them shall we say. The few times I bring a camera on board I am meticulous and obvious that the owner's party is not in any shots, but owner's should be aware that cameras are everywhere today. A captain is more than just a license. An owner should choose a captain that he can form a trusting relationship with.

Shouldn't there be a written provision in the prenuptial docs that under no circumstances can the Captain be called upon to testify in any such divorce type litigation?

The best captains have a deaf ear and a blind eye.