Hi folks
I am new to this forum. I hope this is the right place to post this.
Does anyone know any worthwhile locations i.e. marina's to crew on transatlantic crossings to east coast USA. If you do, please tell me anywhere in the Uk, does not only have to be in the south. Although it certainly seems like Plymouth Mayflower Marina is one of the main departure points. I guess maybe Liverpool also? Scotland? Ireland?
Just the main ones
Also, are there any online forums aside from this one, which deal with transatlantic crossings in particular.
I have sailed a few times around the pacific (Fiji - New Cal, New Cal - New Zealand, Australia - Indonesia)
Thanks
James
Where to crew in UK for transatlantic crossing
Re: Where to crew in UK for transatlantic crossing
You may have to fly to find a boat. Hanging about in marinas is less and less worthwhile (but not impossible) way to find a ride. With internet, people (like me!) can find crew wy in advace instead of just hoping they'll find someone along the way. And from your point of view - it'll likely be a less organised, less attractive and less pleasant boat that is looking to get crew off the quayside a few days or so before leaving. What esle will they have left to the very last minute? However, if you really want this option, I'd get to where there's most boats and in uk that means the solent - ask in the marina office etc about who's going across the Atlantic or at least to canaries. By the time they get to mayflowe, their crewing should already be sorted, i think, and you're assuming they'll stop right there when there's a host of stop-off points along the south coast - and of course the main option is "not stopping" - it's hardly as tho Mayflower (or anywhere along that coast, really) is a lot better than the solent, which admittedly is a dump too, but at least there's a Tesco near Hamble for example. Er, sorry, went off on one there...
Anyway, from uk, generally, most cruising boats go south towards canaries anytime in summer to autumn months, then west to caribbean in late November and December. Some go with the ARC, but lots go independently and either type could be fine. Lots of carib race weeks Jan-April, quite good fun. From caribbean, boats head north or south (away from July-Nov hurricane season) in April to June inc. and some move on to panama Jan-March. Cruising boats heading towards uk leave from April ish, May and June. You can see that boats generally follow a circular route aroundthe north Atlantic, south and west late in the year, north and east in late spring. Not many idiots go around and around of course, but some do...
Hotshot race strategy is to find hefty weather in December-Feb west to east altho might be a bit (very) lairy.
A halfway between racer-type and stop-go cruisers is the boat delivery option - always looking for crew. Try google for Reliance, for example, altho i don't know them, another (from Antigua, after race week end April) is Yachtmate who bring a good handful of boats back to Europe each year.
To hitch a ride on a cruising boat, have a look at:
7knots.com (american site, quite good to find longer passages)
Cruisersforum.com (likewise, large volumes on there too)
worldcruising.com (mostly for ARC east to west, but others as well)
Findacrew.com (can be free or paid subscription shows the boats are more serious i spose)
Crewseekers.com
Good luck.
Anyway, from uk, generally, most cruising boats go south towards canaries anytime in summer to autumn months, then west to caribbean in late November and December. Some go with the ARC, but lots go independently and either type could be fine. Lots of carib race weeks Jan-April, quite good fun. From caribbean, boats head north or south (away from July-Nov hurricane season) in April to June inc. and some move on to panama Jan-March. Cruising boats heading towards uk leave from April ish, May and June. You can see that boats generally follow a circular route aroundthe north Atlantic, south and west late in the year, north and east in late spring. Not many idiots go around and around of course, but some do...
Hotshot race strategy is to find hefty weather in December-Feb west to east altho might be a bit (very) lairy.
A halfway between racer-type and stop-go cruisers is the boat delivery option - always looking for crew. Try google for Reliance, for example, altho i don't know them, another (from Antigua, after race week end April) is Yachtmate who bring a good handful of boats back to Europe each year.
To hitch a ride on a cruising boat, have a look at:
7knots.com (american site, quite good to find longer passages)
Cruisersforum.com (likewise, large volumes on there too)
worldcruising.com (mostly for ARC east to west, but others as well)
Findacrew.com (can be free or paid subscription shows the boats are more serious i spose)
Crewseekers.com
Good luck.