By KARL BEGRICH

_Last_week 1 tried. to turn
"you on to a new way of life

via thumbing across oceans, -

hopping, from port to port,
getting to know a different
breed of people.

How can you find a crew
position on board a yacht?

- ach Yacht Club. has a
bulletin board, where either
the boater places his request
for crew or you let the sailors
know that you are available.
Read the advertising séc;
tions in yachting magazines
or place ai small ad.

. Knowledge of seamanship is

not a must in many cases,

—, but it lifts your confidence.

?

The basic education of a
Power Squadron course can
open many doors — or
hatches!

I find that the best ap-
proach is the direct one.
Step on board a cruising
yacht and ask the skipper if

-he plans a journey in the

near future. If he doesn’t, I
bet that he knows someone
who is almost on his way. It's
not like apartment life,
where one hardly gets to
know the neighbor. In a
marina everybody knows
everybody else.

June to September is a
good time to hitch a ride
from Vancouver down the
Oregon coast to California.
The weather is generally
good at this time, and many
boaters plan trips to Mexico,
South Pacific, Hawaii or the

Caribbean. Your: best
chances, of course, are in
the “Sunshine Belt” — San

Francisco, Los Angeles, San |

Diego or Honolulu.

Unfortunately, you need
money and lots of time to
locate a ‘good ride’. It’s
unwise and usually pretty
difficult to find the position

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Before the new year
Befo.~ the price
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you want without spending
two or three weeks looking

ineach port. .

<

.

Time is money! How high
is your standard of living?
$20/day? At least
$10/day is needed to live
meagerly and have some sort
of shelter over your head.
You'll have expenses once
you find a berth. You are
usually asked to share the
food costs, since only a few
skippers are willing to,take
on a crew member and pay
all of his/her expenses.
Dinners and drinks ashore
cost money, as well as
clothing and-souvenirs.

The difference between
‘having a fine adventure or
quitting cruising for life can
depend on the dollar. The
‘crew member's insurance

' fund’ is an absolute must. A

minimum of $500 has to be
put aside. I mean — far away
— out of sight — so that you
are not tempted to spend it.
This fund is your airfare
home from the farthest place
you are likely to reach.

That way you won't feel
forced to take any berth that
comes along just because
you are broke. Nothing ‘is
worse than ending up on a
boat full of problems when
you don’t have the financial
security to move on.

Problems usually arise,
when people can't get along
with each other. A warm,
welcoming personality is
more worth than money or
sailing knowledge. A good
honest character is needed
everywhere. But remember,
you live with people 24 hours
a day on a 30 to 50 foot
platform rocking across the
water. You work, eat and
sleep with them, put up with
bad weather and play close
together for weeks on end!

You put your life in the
hands of the skipper.
Therefore it pays to learn
enough beforehand to judge
not only the qualifications of
the skipper, but the
seaworthiness of his boat.

It’s worthwhile taking the

time to ask around for
recommendations.

If a crew member is-

leaving, find out why. It may
be a simple personality
conflict; time for him or her
to go home to job or school.
But there may be more

"serious reasons. Especially

ladies have to:make it clear
to the male crew, where they
stand. -

Don’t believe the line that
the Captain’s word is law.
Many beautiful relationships
have been formed on
romantic ocean passages —
but hate is right next in line
to love. ,

Don’t make the mistake of
hitching a ride on a delivery
job, unless you are in a hurry
to get from A to B. Skippers
deliver boats to clients —

and they get paid by time_

and mileage. It’s work — sail
— work — sail!

You have much more fun
on a yacht that cruises
leisurely along shores or
dayhops from island to
island. Tahiti and French
Polynesia, the Caribbean or
the Mediterranean are
terrific places for that. With
a bit of luck you can crew on
a charter boat, and get paid
wages. It’s work, though.
Apnilis a very good month to
hitch a ride in the
Mediterranean. Let's say
from Malta to Greece.
Sailing magazines have
whole columns on crew
positions.

If you are stuck in Europe
and look for a ride across the
Auantic, ' check Gibraltar

from October to December.
October and November are
good crew spotting months
in Antigua, Puerto Rico,
Barbados and St. Thomas.

Are the wanderlust juices
flowing in your veins by
now? If not, take a second
look at the picture.
Welcome to thé wonderful
world of sailing.

4

see '
Some of you might cruise
on your own boat one day
through Dutch and French

- canals. Bill Ward, broker of

Freeward Marine Ltd. of
West Vancouver, invites
“North Shore residents to
phone for advice regarding
these areas if they are
planning a similar criise. His
phone number is 926-4414.

In case you missed. the
first lecture of the Norvan
Power Squadron last
Tuesday, you'll have to wait
until September, when the
next course begins. There
was only room for 75
students; 105 showed up.
Thirty people were about to
be turned back. Albert
Harskamp, the training
officer, managed to find
room for everybody
otherwise he would have had
a riot on his hand!

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