As the sailing coach at Point Loma High School, I spend a lot of time talking to the team about crewing. I also crew almost exclusively in my role as a professional sailor, so between those two experiences, plus sharing information about crewing with other pro sailors, I've been able to boil down the essence of a great crew into three manageable parts. Keep in mind that these are "big picture" characteristics.
Let's first start with mindset. In the morning, before you even get to the boat, you should be thinking: "I'm going to help out today in any way I can to help the boat and the team be as successful as possible. I'm going to work really hard; I'm going to have a great attitude; I'm going to show up early, stay late, and figure out how I can contribute all day long." To do so, research what your job is going to be before you go sailing. Find out who's in charge of the boat. Ask them what you're going to be doing, when you're going to be doing it, and the steps it takes, whether it's trimming the sails, doing the bow, calling the time or whatever. And ask what you can bring-food, water, etc.
Next, show up early to help rig the boat. Showing up early allows you to check out the boat and see how everything works. And when the rest of the team shows up, you will feel more confident and in the know. Then work hard-help rig the sheets (or at the least offer to help), pull out the sails, and do whatever is necessary to help get the boat ready to leave the dock. While rigging, you can earn bonus points by being safety-conscious, looking around to make sure there's no chafe on lines, missing ring dings, or anything that looks like it may break.
This story is from the Winter 2023 edition of Sailing World.
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This story is from the Winter 2023 edition of Sailing World.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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