{"id":150531,"date":"2024-02-19T06:00:35","date_gmt":"2024-02-19T06:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/?p=150531"},"modified":"2024-02-26T09:55:36","modified_gmt":"2024-02-26T09:55:36","slug":"what-are-the-best-ways-to-keep-a-yachts-crew-happy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/bluewater-sailing\/what-are-the-best-ways-to-keep-a-yachts-crew-happy-150531","title":{"rendered":"What are the best ways to keep a yacht&#8217;s crew happy?"},"content":"On longer voyages, and passages with larger crews, a good watch system is essential to the efficient running of the boat. But the same watch system can also hinder good communication and sharing of knowledge leading to poor performance, technical problems being overlooked and at times a discord \u2013 even tribalism \u2013 among the crew. These problems can all be avoided through efficient and well-planned watch handovers.\r\n\r\nWhether sailing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/tag\/shorthanded-sailing\">double-handed<\/a> or in a crew of 20, the time two watches spend together is critical to the smooth running of your boat and watch handovers should be briefed and executed in the same way throughout a trip.\r\n\r\nCrews should understand that allowing enough time for a handover is expected for both the incoming and outgoing watches, and arriving late for watches or scuttling off deck as soon as another crew person shows up is never acceptable.\r\n<h2>Watch handovers &amp; smooth transitions<\/h2>\r\nHere\u2019s how a well-executed watch handover works:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>The new watch arrives on deck 5-10 minutes before they take over, appropriately dressed with equipment, drinks and snacks for the watch. They acclimatise to the conditions, talk to the previous watch crew about how it has been on deck, get their night vision.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>A formal handover between the two watches takes place.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>The two watch leaders, if relevant, agree parameters for waking the skipper, even if these have not changed since the last watch changeover.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>If there is a sail change or manoeuvre that has been saved until the change of the watch, this can be performed with the old watch leader still in charge.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>The new watch takes over during a 5-10 minute handover. With larger watches this means leaving one or two crewmembers on the deck to support the old crew while the others go down and get ready for the off watch. Crew members who are early off watch can check that the new watch crew have everything they need, and an offer to pass up hot drinks or extra clothing if required is often appreciated.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Off-going crewmembers go below, being careful to use red or low lights at night while preparing to rest.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Information exchange<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nSometimes there will be little to report between watches, while at others there will be a lot to go over. It\u2019s useful to have a checklist to work through to make sure nothing falls through the gap and is forgotten. Work through the list each time and confirm that there is nothing to report against each heading. This list could be put up by the chart table.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_140001\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"630\"]<img class=\"size-large wp-image-140001\" src=\"https:\/\/keyassets.timeincuk.net\/inspirewp\/live\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/21\/2022\/08\/YAW276.masterclass.next_month_gotland_runt_21_07_07_nikki_steve_johan_home_stretch_copy_56943223-630x354.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"630\" height=\"354\" \/> Don\u2019t rush handover, take some time to acclimatise, particularly if taking the helm as oncoming watch crew. Photo: 59\u00b0 North Sailing[\/caption]\r\n\r\nAn example watch handover list could be:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Safety considerations \u2013 navigation, weather, traffic.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Condition of crew \u2013 sickness, fatigue, morale.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Condition of boat \u2013 any problems, damage, other concerns.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Wind report \u2013 past, general trend, expectations.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Sail plan and anticipated changes.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Steering characteristics, pilot settings, pilot performance.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Trim notes \u2013 agreed parameters for waking skipper or waking other watch.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>State of batteries \u2013 charging schedule.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Routine tasks to be completed during watch (eg weather download).<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nDepending on the makeup of your crew different items can be briefed between crewmembers. Explain how you have been using the instruments and what each one is displaying, particularly if you have changed the size or data set on any of the screens. Talk through any alarms that have been set.\r\n<h2>Watch timings<\/h2>\r\nBefore starting an offshore passage, it is important to agree with the crew watch timings and make sure all understand that the length of the watch is the length of time on deck and in command of the boat \u2013 not the length of time in your bunk asleep.\r\n\r\nRepeatedly arriving on deck late for a watch will quickly start to generate bad feeling among a crew and fatigue for the other watch. If your watch system is three hours, this will equate to between two and two-and-a-half hours of sleep, depending on how efficiently you are able to get from the deck to your bunk and back.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_140000\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"630\"]<img class=\"size-large wp-image-140000\" src=\"https:\/\/keyassets.timeincuk.net\/inspirewp\/live\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/21\/2022\/08\/YAW276.masterclass.19_06_20_francois_arrival_fog_3_402613661_717449172-630x354.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"630\" height=\"354\" \/> Watch handover can be a good time for planned manoeuvres or all-crew briefings. Photo: 59\u00b0 North Sailing[\/caption]\r\n\r\nMake sure you allow a realistic amount of time to get in and out of foulies, use the heads and prepare food and drink \u2013 remember for a larger watch this will mean sharing common areas so space may be an issue and some crew may need to get on deck early to free up room to change.\r\n\r\nItems such as head torches and phones should be charged up when you are off watch, so leave enough time to plug them in before going to your bunk. Agree a time with the outgoing watch at which they can wake you if you have not appeared for the changeover.\r\n\r\n<em>Article continues below...<\/em>\r\n\r\n[collection]\r\n\r\nPreparing hot drinks can slow things down so in smaller watches make sure you light the stove as soon as you are up. With larger crews a member of the outgoing watch could go down below down and light the stove 15 minutes before the handover.\r\n\r\nIf you wake up late, or need to take more time to get on deck, then let the other watch know straight away so that they can adjust their expectations for getting off the deck, especially if the weather is bad.\r\n<h2>All hands on deck<\/h2>\r\nRather than a handover period, think of this watch changeover as an opportunity to sail the boat fully crewed. When cruising you can plan to tack or gybe at the watch handover, or to change up to a bigger sail. When racing this will be a chance to recap on strategy and performance, to pass on information about how the boat is performing and where other competitors are.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_126469\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"630\"]<img class=\"size-large wp-image-126469\" src=\"https:\/\/keyassets.timeincuk.net\/inspirewp\/live\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/21\/2020\/06\/eagle-class-53-delivery-voyage-caribbean-to-florida-skipper-tommy-gonzalez-night-watch-credit-richard-langdon-630x394.jpg\" alt=\"eagle-class-53-delivery-voyage-caribbean-to-florida-skipper-tommy-gonzalez-night-watch-credit-richard-langdon\" width=\"630\" height=\"394\" \/> On night watch. Photo: Richard Langdon[\/caption]\r\n\r\nOn a racing crew each position will hand over to their counterpart individually while the watch captains will exchange an overview. Larger racing teams may have navigators who are not part of the watch system, but will aim to be present at the watch handovers and brief the incoming watch on what they want them to achieve over the length of the watch.\r\n\r\nThese handover times are a good opportunity for skippers to learn about the health and welfare of crewmembers, but also of the boat itself. If there is something wrong with the boat then the watch leaders can agree how to manage the situation and when and how it will be fixed, taking into account daylight and weather conditions. If a crewmember is unwell or if there is discord within a watch this can also be addressed and a timeline to swap or rest crews can be agreed.\r\n<h2>Morale-boosting<\/h2>\r\nWhether fully crewed or short-handed, you will often find that the appearance of a fresh face or new people on deck leads to a burst of energy from the outgoing watch. These times are not only valuable for an exchange of information but they can be crucial to keeping spirits up and enhancing a crew\u2019s enjoyment of a passage.\r\n\r\nDon\u2019t be too quick to rush off the deck \u2013 a quick bit of banter or some kind enquiries about how the others slept are as important as the more technical details. If you are a skipper involved in the watch system this could be an opportunity to check on the welfare of another watch, and for any nervous or novice crew members appearing on deck the reassurance of normal conversation will start their watch well.\r\n\r\nEnsure the space below is left clean and dry for the next watch, dishes are washed up, wet gear hung in the agreed place, and if hot bunking stow your personal kit away. Leave the deck well organised, with ropes coiled and tidied.\r\n\r\nMore than anything, try to encourage an atmosphere of support and kindness between watches. If you make sure the team on deck are happy and have everything they need before you turn in then they will treat you in the same way.\r\n\r\n<hr \/>\r\n\r\n<h2><a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/2JMgfA4\"><img class=\"alignright wp-image-120951 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/keyassets.timeincuk.net\/inspirewp\/live\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/21\/2019\/05\/YW_JUNE19_-COVER-1-152x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"152\" height=\"200\" \/><\/a>If you enjoyed this\u2026.<\/h2>\r\n<blockquote>\r\n<div class=\"\"><em>Yachting World is the world's leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.<\/em><\/div>\r\n<div><\/div>\r\n<div class=\"\"><em>Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our <a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/2JMgfA4\">latest offers<\/a> and save at least 30% off the cover price.<\/em><\/div><\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n<hr \/>","excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you have a happy boat, you can have disasters happen to you, and it\u2019ll be fine. On an unhappy boat the smallest things can become an issue.\u201d \u201cA happy boat is my biggest ambition for this trip,\u201d said John Kirchhoff before setting out on his Atlantic crossing with the ARC last November, on his Southerly 42 Easter Snow. So, how can you set your boat up for crew happiness? Between social media and crew-match websites, it\u2019s easier than ever to connect skipper-seeking-crew with potential crew-seeking-yacht and, hopefully, find a good match. But there are no guarantees: whether strangers or close family, living in the confined space of a yacht, and potentially adding stress, restricted sleep or seasickness to the mix, can reveal people\u2019s true personalities like few other scenarios. We spoke to skippers and crews taking part in this year\u2019s ARC rally to find out what they saw as key rules for crew happiness. Get to know each other Just as internet dating has revolutionised how people meet one another ashore, so the majority of crew matches occur online \u2013 with sites such as Ocean Crew Link, Crewseekers etc offering a simple way to upload and view profiles. There were still a few \u2018Boat Wanted\u2019 flyers pinned up around Las Palmas before this year\u2019s ARC, but anybody wanting to do their due diligence on a potential crew member or yacht should have made contact a long way in advance of arriving in Gran Canaria. While it might be tempting to sail with close family or friends to the Canaries, it\u2019s the opportunity for a valuable shakedown \u2013 not just for the boat and systems, but potential crew too. John Kirchhoff was relieved he\u2019d agreed to meet two crew he matched with on Ocean Crew Link in Gibraltar for the sail south. \u201cThey lasted a day and a half on the boat before deciding it wasn\u2019t for them. We never even got to sea. We set some jobs to do and it all went very peculiar, very suddenly. Boats are strange environments and either I\u2019m a complete ogre or they really didn\u2019t want to come!\u201d David Poole and wife Joy went one step further, meeting their original intended crew in Thailand when they took delivery of their new Seawind 1600 Pure Joy before bringing it to Europe. \u201cWe just didn\u2019t get on \u2013 there was no chemistry,\u201d recalls David. Article continues below&#8230; Both Kirchhoff and the Pooles had originally planned to sail with couples. \u201cBe very, very conscious of the relationships that you bring on board,\u201d notes Joy. \u201cWhen you bring on a couple, you bring on whatever baggage they may have themselves. You also bring the potential that one person is much more interested in doing a big adventure like this than the other.\u201d The Pooles went back to the drawing board, shortlisting new crew from Ocean Crew Link for the ARC, based on a mix of experience \u2013 including multihull ocean passages and racing \u2013 and qualifications. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/practical-cruising\/expert-guide-to-watch-handovers-139997\">&hellip;Continue reading &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1571,"featured_media":149023,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[767],"tags":[208,1633],"review_manufacturer":[],"acf":[],"introduction":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150531"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1571"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=150531"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150531\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":150581,"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150531\/revisions\/150581"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/149023"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=150531"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=150531"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=150531"},{"taxonomy":"review_manufacturer","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review_manufacturer?post=150531"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}