Crewing Opportunities
What is the Crewing Service?
The club is keen to help people get out on the water, and one of the ways we do this is through our crewing co-ordination service. There is often a shortage of people available to sail, so this service is intended to put potential crew in touch with skippers and vice versa. You simply register your interest in crewing by sending an email to crewing@ebymbc.org.nz
Tell us what sort of sailing you would like to do using the information below, and we will do our best to find someone who can take you out.
Crewing opportunities are available for everyone from complete beginners to experienced sailors, and it doesn't matter if you are not a club member as the club rules allow you to crew in races on up to three occasions before we ask you to join. All you need is to be enthusiastic and willing to get stuck in! If you are a skipper in need of crew we can help you there too.
While most skippers are looking for racing crew, sometimes people also need extra hands for pleasure sailing. You'll still need to do some work, but its a good way to start off if the idea of racing doesn't appeal at first.
EBYMBC Crewing Co-ordinators
Our aim is simply to put people in touch. Once you know one or two people, opportunities are easy to find and with any luck you may find yourself a regular place on a yacht, or find that reliable crew member you have been looking for!
Information for experienced sailors
We cater for all sorts of boats in our racing programme. The most popular classes are:
- Centreboard (non-trapeze)
- 420 & 470
- Paper Tiger
- Farr 3.7
- Trailer Yacht Divisions 1-3
- Cruising / Keelboats
More information on these classes is in the Sailing section.
Information for Beginners
What sort of sailing? Broadly speaking, the boats we sail can be split into three categories; dinghies, trailer yachts and keelers.
- Dinghies are small boats where you will be in the thick of the action and get the most excitement, but are likely to get wet! Most dinghies are sailed by one or two people in races within Evans Bay. If you want to learn to sail dinghies it is probably best to begin with one of our courses.
- Trailer yachts are medium sized boats that are stored on trailers when not in use. They are typically crewed by three to five people and offer a great opportunity to learn about sailing from some very experienced skippers. They usually follow the same course as the dinghies but you won't get as wet, although the occasional splash cannot be ruled out!
- Keelers are usually larger than trailer yachts, and are permanently afloat. They follow much longer courses, usually venturing out into the wider harbour and sometimes out into the Cook Strait. Keelers can be crewed by anywhere between one and about six people, which gives you a great chance to see how everything works without necessarily having to do much until you feel ready to participate.
Information For Skippers
If you need crew for racing, pleasure sailing or any other reason please send an email to crewing@ebymbc.org.nz stating the type of boat for which you need crew, the number of people you need and when you need them, plus any other information you feel is relevant. Alternatively, have a chat with Murray or Martin, who are frequently to be found loitering about the club!
To register your interest go to the register page, or email the club at crewing@ebymbc.org.nz with your enquiry.