Join the Crew

If you don’t want to buy your own Journeyman, the best opportunity to experience sailing one is to join as a crew member. This means you are part of the team that sail the yacht, on an equal footing with the rest of the team on board.

Where are you going, and when?

You can find route destinations, schedule and seat availability on the Route and Timeline page.

Do you have free crewing slots?

Again, available crew slots are shown on the Route and Timeline page.

What does it mean to be a crew member?

As a crew member you will have responsibilities such as:

• Steering
• Cooking
• Setting, trimming and stowing sails
• Navigation
• Lookout
• Cleaning and dish-washing
• Assisting with maintenance/ repair
• Deploying, raising and stowing anchors
• Setting and retrieving mooring lines
• Managing the on board provisions

Responsibilities will vary depending on each individual team members skills, experience and desires. We sail around the clock during longer passages, and share the watches. The watch schedule will depend on the number of people in the crew and the weather conditions. Typically you will have 2-4 hour watches with 2-6 hours of sleep in between.

What is important is that all crew members participate together in creating the experience. My suggested motto for a good crew member is to care first for the team, and then for themselves. This way everyone is working towards a pleasurable adventure for all of us.

What experience do I need?

You do not need to be an experienced sailor. Given that we usually sail long distances, you will be doing watches around the clock. So you will be picking up the basic skills pretty quickly. After that it is up to you how much more you want to learn. I’ve had people coming on board with no sailing experience and walking off 5 weeks later with enough skills to pass a Yachtmaster exam…

However you are expected to have some experience in greater outdoor sports. If you’ve never experienced uncomfortable sleeping conditions before, or don’t enjoy working in rough weather, sailing on the Journeyman is probably not for you.

What equipment do I need?

To put it short: Clothes and sleeping stuff. ISAF Offshore Regulations equipment is provided. (Compliant life-jackets, lifelines, etc). You bring your own clothes suitable for the climate which is expected for the legs you will participate in. If you are not experienced in ocean sailing, bear in mind that even in tropical climates the nights can get pretty cold. And you should be prepared to stay outdoors at night for 4 hours. We provide additional advice if you feel uncertian about what to bring.

For sleeping we provide comfortable sea-berths, with blankets and pillows. Bring your own bedding set and/or sleeping bag.

Pack your things in a single large soft bag.  Hard travel cases are not permitted.

What does it cost?

We sail as a leisure vessel, with no professional crew. As a crew member you pay your share of the running costs of the trip. So you’ll get an incredible ocean experience at very affordable costs. The weekly cost starts at around SEK 5000 / USD 850 / EUR 550. This includes wear & tear,  fuels, yacht insurance, food, water and other daily supplies. Drinks other than water/tea/coffe are not included. Harbor fees are not included, we share those as they incur.

When you book your spot on the boat I ask that you pay 20% of the expected cost as a “reservation fee”, to make sure I don’t reserve seats for people who are not committed to coming. The rest should be payed before you come on board.

How do I get to the boat?

You manage your own travel arrangements to and from the boat. Since the sailing cost is quite low, travel costs are a comparatively large part of the trip budget, so don’t forget to check those. And remember that sailing is not a precise activity when it comes to schedules, so do get tickets that allow rescheduling.

What about accidents?

The cost includes a liability insurance for the yacht (should you for example steer the yacht on ground or into a collision). But there is no personal insurance included. You will need a suitable personal health and accident insurance. First check if the conditions from your home insurance provider covers your trip. There might be limitations in time or allowed activities. Sometimes you can extend the allowed timespan for a small fee. If you find you are not covered and need extra insurance, http://scandinavia.ihi.com/ and others supply wide coverage single trip travel insurances.