Part 1 - Interpersonal skills

If you're gearing up for an exciting voyage on the open seas, you know that every successful journey begins with selecting the right companion for the trip. There is a lot of variation in the leisure boat trip offering, which means that crew requirements vary as well.

Skippers who do day sailing, canal boat trips and sailing holidays are usually more open in taking novice crew who don’t have the much needed sailing skills and experience which longer passages and ocean crossings require. When you're sailing from point A to point B across variable sea conditions and weather patterns, having an experienced crew that can be trusted is non-negotiable. Skippers must feel comfortable around and confident about their crew.

Hence it is paramount to give a good first impression about yourself in your sailing profile because this is what a skipper sees first about their potential crew. Seilii gives you the opportunity to craft a comprehensive profile bio, essentially your crew CV, where you can showcase your personality, experiences, and sailing aspirations. Skippers rely on these bios to gauge whether you're the right fit for their voyage. They're looking for crew members with not just technical sailing skills, but also the interpersonal skills necessary for a harmonious journey. And all looking promising, you can start exchanging messages or arrange a (video) call.

There are usually three main things that skippers look for in their potential crew: interpersonal skills, sailing skills and experience, fitness and health. Similarly, these are the skills and abilities that crew should be looking for in a skipper when reviewing skipper profiles.

In this article we talk about interpersonal skills, and the importance of them, and how you can communicate them in your Seilii profile.

On a boat, personal space is a luxury, and conflicts can quickly arise if crew members don't get along. On sailing holidays where one can step on a solid ground every now and then, it’s easier to get away and have some personal space should one need it. However, on longer sea passages this is difficult. The sailors onboard need to get along with and respect each other. This is where your interpersonal skills come into play. After all, no one wants to spend days at sea with someone who brings negative vibes to the deck.

Interpersonal skills are difficult to assess without speaking to the person, and even this can’t guarantee compatibility onboard. Seilii asks both crew and skippers to provide a review of each other after every trip booked via Seilii. This helps one build their profile and demonstrate their interpersonal skills as well. If you don’t have any reviews yet, you can consider adding references and quotes to your profile to help make the first introduction.

Skippers usually don’t take somebody on their boat without knowing them a bit. They want to see if they can get along with the person on their boat, and talking to the person reveals so much more. Seilii encourages crew and skipper to organise a (video) call after crew has made a request to book because we recognise how imperative personal relations are onboard. It is encouraged to do this especially for longer passages. A good profile is a trigger for a call.

The likeliness for those stressful moments at sea is high – when the weather turns, or equipment fails, that's where your interpersonal skills truly shine. Being able to communicate effectively, resolve conflicts, and support your fellow sailors can make all the difference in turning a potential disaster into a mere bump in the waves. The sailors onboard must be able to trust each other to be able to handle the situation without letting it affect the rest of the trip.

Stressful situations impact us differently. We’re all human and even the most seasoned sailors among us are susceptible to the pressures of stress and the heat of the moment. But here's the thing – acknowledging this reality and impact on you helps to understand how to handle it and have an open chat about it with the skipper.

How to talk about these things in your bio? Consider sharing a story about a challenging situation you've faced onboard and how you navigated through it. This not only demonstrates your problem-solving skills but also gives skippers insight into how you handle adversity.

And what if you're the type who needs a bit of solitude to recharge after a stressful situation? Don't be afraid to mention this in your bio. It's okay to express your need for quiet private time, as it helps skippers understand your individual needs and preferences. Conversely, if you're someone who finds solace in talking things through with others, be sure to highlight that too. Remember, the goal is to find a crew that meshes well together, where everyone's needs are respected and accommodated.

So as you craft your crew bio on Seilii, let your true self shine through. We hope this gave you some ideas how to start.

In the next article we will talk about what kind of things skippers are looking for in sailing skills and experience.

Meanwhile, start creating your sailing bio on Seilii.

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Part 2 - Sailing skills and experience

In our exploration of good sailing profile, we’ve discussed the significance of Interpersonal skills in fostering team work aboard a vessel. Now, we shift our focus on another critical aspect sought by skippers when looking for and assessing crew: Technical sailing skills and experience. Technical skills refer to the competencies required for proficient boat handling and safely navigating it from point A to point B.

The necessity for sailing skills and experience is assessed by the Skipper. While sailing holidays may not demand prior experience, embarking on an ocean crossing typically does. It's crucial to review the trip listing and communicate directly with the Skipper to ensure you know the specific requirements for each voyage.

Technical skills and experience become particularly crucial when the sailing trip extends over a longer duration, includes challenging passages, and spans multiple days where weather conditions can chance, bringing gusts, strong winds, and challenging sea states. It's essential to recognise that technical skills are not something you can develop from scratch during an ocean crossing. It's unwise to expose yourself and others to potential risks by embarking on your first voyage without prior experience.

In your sailing profile, be transparent and honest about your level of sailing skills. This may include proficiency in boat handling, navigation, experience with night watches, accumulated nautical miles, and any formal training you've undergone. By providing accurate information, you ensure that you participate in sailing opportunities that align with your abilities and contribute to a safe and enjoyable experience for all aboard.

For novice sailors, skill accumulation begins with training and even day sailing, which also serves as a touchpoint to learning sailing-specific terminology. As you gradually gain experience, you can start specifying your skills on a boat. This may include tasks such as tacking/gybing, utilising winches, operating the engine, helming and maintaining course, navigation, and passage planning, among others.

In your profile, it's essential to outline any formal training you've undertaken with recognised sailing training providers such as RYA, IYT, or other reputable organisations. Additionally, mention any supplementary training, such as a First Aid course, which can be crucial during a trip. However, it's important to note that these courses alone do not necessarily equate to being a proficient sailor.

To provide a better understanding of your sailing experience, include details about the nautical miles you've sailed and specific trips you've completed. This information offers insight into the skills required for a particular trip or area. For instance, sailing in the archipelago of Finland, with its hidden rocks and shallow areas, can test navigational abilities. Likewise, navigating the heavy tidal system of the Solent in the UK presents unique challenges compared to other regions. By detailing your sailing experiences, skippers can better assess your suitability as crew for their trip, understanding the sailing conditions you're accustomed to and the skills you bring to the table.

When including your skills in your profile, it's important to differentiate between experiences gained while working with others and those achieved independently. For instance, you might have participated in night watches, but only under supervision of a more experienced sailor. Skippers limit the number of individuals aboard their vessel, and in certain situations, the ability to stand a night watch alone may be required. Therefore, it's crucial to be transparent in your profile about whether you can perform these skills solo, without supervision.

It’s evident that battling against the elements often results in wear and tear aboard a boat. Winches may require fixing, engines can encounter issues, sails may tear, and the dreaded scenario for all boat owners, the toilet (also known as the heads), may become broken or blocked. This isn’t strictly speaking a technical sailing skill, but individuals with practical repair skills are always valued onboard. Especially on bigger boats skippers can take individuals with various skills and build their dream team for the trip. Highlight your practical abilities in your profile and specify how you can potentially assist in addressing various maintenance issues that may arise during the voyage.

If you don’t give details about your skills in your profile, the skipper may assume that you lack experience, potentially leading to the rejection of your request to join the trip. Seilii is not exclusively reserved for seasoned sailors. If there are areas of sailing you're unfamiliar with but eager to learn, it's beneficial to highlight this in your profile.

Many individuals use sailing opportunities to practice and gain experience towards formal certifications like Yachtmaster. Therefore, it's crucial to specify if this is your goal and tell what skills you aim to acquire. By communicating your willingness to learn and grow as a sailor, you increase your chances of finding opportunities that align with your goals and aspirations.

We hope this gave you ideas on how to demonstrate your sailing skills in your profile.

In the next part 3 of the good sailing profile series, we delve into the last crucial factor that skippers consider when reviewing your profile: fitness and health.

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Part 3 - Fitness and health

This is the final article in a series of three crew profile articles focusing on fitness and health. Communicating about one's health can be challenging, making this topic less straightforward. However, it is arguably the most important of the three to understand before selecting a crew or considering becoming part of a crew on a sailing trip.

What truly attracts people to sailing is often the opportunity to reach places that are otherwise inaccessible, or to cross oceans that cannot be traversed by any other means of transportation. This remoteness brings its own set of challenges, and one must be mindful of these. If something goes wrong, accessing healthcare services can be difficult. Therefore, it is essential to be both physically and mentally suited for the trip.

The type of sailing trip also dictates the fitness and health requirements. On a holiday sailing trip, where crew members have relatively quick access to shore services, the health and fitness requirements are less stringent. For longer and more demanding passages, it is crucial for the crew to be aware of each other's challenges and to be able to rely on one another even under the harshest conditions.

In this article, we will focus on how to showcase your abilities on your crew profile, including what information to include and what to omit.

First, let's discuss seasickness information on your profile. Seasickness affects many sailors to varying degrees. If you have sailed before without experiencing seasickness, it is beneficial to mention this on your crew profile. Unfortunately this does not guarantee that you won't experience it in the future but at least it gives the skipper a rough idea that you have done sailing without major seasickness symptoms. Why is seasickness so important? It can severely impact the experience for everyone if a crew member is incapacitated by seasickness for the entire trip or most of it. If your skipper is aware of the potential for you to become seasick, they may be able to suggest remedies to combat it, ensuring a more pleasant trip for everyone.

Some sailing trips require a good level of general fitness. On certain boats, the sails are extremely heavy to lift and manoeuvre, needing considerable muscle strength. Additionally, moving around onboard in challenging conditions requires steady legs. The confined spaces inside the boat also demand a degree of flexibility; for instance, one must be able to climb into a bunk bed or crawl to small spaces to reach tools. It's not unusual to have to crawl on deck as well. If you're a regular gym-goer, runner, yoga enthusiast, or otherwise physically active, your profile is the place to highlight these activities.

Many skippers also want to know about alcohol and drug habits and often have strict policies on these for obvious safety and legal reasons. Smoking is usually banned as well, both for fire safety reasons and because it can be unpleasant for others in the confined spaces of a boat. If you feel comfortable, you can mention your habits in your profile.

Another important consideration is food allergies. While some allergies are easier to accommodate, severe food allergies should be disclosed to everyone on board before the trip. If you feel comfortable sharing this information publicly, mention it in your profile. Otherwise, speak directly with the skipper. Depending on the trip, some allergens may be avoidable, while others may be impossible to completely avoid.

The points mentioned above are generally topics one may more or less feel comfortable discussing publicly on their crew profile. There are many other important factors that may not be suitable for public disclosure. It is crucial to be aware of their potential impact when embarking on a sailing trip. It is the individual’s responsibility to assess how solitude, lack of sleep, remote locations with limited access to healthcare, previous injuries, and spending extended periods with essentially strangers in confined spaces might affect their mental and physical health. They must determine if they are fit enough physically and mentally to handle these challenges.

If you have concerns, it is advisable to discuss them confidentially with the skipper prior to the trip. They are the best person to inform you about what to expect from the trip and to help you assess its suitability. It is important to keep in mind that it is also the nature of sailing that one can never be entirely sure what might happen, and plans can change. Only you can truly understand the potential impact on yourself and others.

In conclusion, preparing for a sailing trip involves more than just packing your bags and setting sail. It requires careful consideration of your physical and mental fitness, awareness of potential seasickness, and understanding the importance of communication regarding personal habits and health conditions. While some information can be shared publicly on your crew profile, other details should be discussed confidentially with your skipper to ensure a safe and enjoyable journey for everyone involved. Ultimately, being well-prepared and mindful of these factors will help you navigate the challenges and fully embrace the unique and rewarding experience that sailing offers. Safe travels and fair winds, and see you on Seilii!

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