FAQs

All You Need To Know

What qualifications do you seek in a crew member?

Although experience is welcome, it is not absolutely necessary as we can teach you the basic of seamanship and fishing. A good attitude, a willingness to learn and a love of the open seas are key attributes in ensuring you have a enjoyable experience. You should be strong enough to lift 25 kgs, alert enough to stay awake on night watches, clean and tidy and financially able to be away from a ball and chain job for an extended period of time. You MUST be a non-smoker. You should be eligible for a driver's license (i.e. not legally blind, not experiencing lapses of consciousness, literate). Also, most importantly, please don't get seasick.

Will you accept teams ?

Yes, couples are welcome as long as there is no interpersonal drama at play. We prefer a relaxed and happy vibe. Please note, we don't have a private cabin for couples, you'll likely be sharing the cabin with another crew mate (who might or might not be into your love life).

How much input does the crew have?

The crew are always consulted in any decision making regarding passages, duty assignments, land and fishing exploration and the itinerary. It's our experience that a happy crew is a happy boat. However, the final decision will always rest upon the Captain of the ship, particularly for matters of safety.

Can I stay on longer than 3 months?

Yes, on a case by case basis. We may already have scheduled crew, waiting to board upon your departure. Nighty days seems to be long enough to hold most people's interest. We prefer you stay a minimum of two weeks, any less than that, well, we just become a cheap holiday for tourists.

What does the shared cost contribution cover?

Shared costs go to help offset food, sundries, fuel, maintenance, port fees and busted fishing gear. Meals are served family style and usually include a meat protein, starch and vegetables. We try to eat fresh vegetables whenever possible, and most meals are freshly prepared. Damage to fishing gear is included unless malicious intent is determined (in which case you'll be asked to leave anyway). Meals taken off the boat are out of pocket as is alcohol, visas and personal items.

How are visas handled?

The Captain will maintain copies of everyone's passport and will request entry into a country on your behalf, a few days before arrival in port. A crew manifest is submitted by email to the authorities, along with the crew's passport information. Upon arrival, you'll fill in your own visa application and pay any visa fees. As passengers are entering into a country by yacht, the authorities expect that you will be exiting the same way and thus, you won't require an outbound airline ticket. It is critical that you have a strong passport that allows you to enter countries on our route. This is typically a U.S., New Zealand, Australia or EU Country Passport, but others may qualify. Do your own research before committing. You may be denied entry if you have outstanding warrants or past convictions. If denied entry, it will be your responsibility to return home. Please review the countries immigration laws before committing to a trip. Your passport must have at least 6 months before expiration and a few empty page available for visa stamps.

What if I need to leave early, before my commitment has ended?

Just let us know as soon as possible, so we can make arraignments for your replacement. Garry and I can handle the boat ourselves, but it can be difficult being short crewed on long crossings. It's important that you check out with the country's authorities in the correct way, as your entered as yacht crew. The Captain will need to contact the Port Authority, providing them with a letter that announces your early disembarkation and provide them a copy of your outbound airline ticket. Failure to do so, and it will make it difficult for us to depart the country.

What happens with a medical emergency at sea?

Safety first is critical as we could be days away from clinic-level medical treatment. In the event of injury or illness, we do the best we can. Garry has first aid certificate and Lori was formerly an operating room nurse. We carry an extensive medical kit and can treat minor injuries and illness. Please consider your existing health carefully before committing. We have a freezer on board that is spacious enough to transport a corpse to next port of call, but we might have to ditch some food to use it! Not to mention, arriving with a body raises suspicion and we may be arrested and our boat seized! You might want to consider health travel insurance that will repatriate you to your own country, should the need arise.

What type of boat chores are expected?

Don't worry, we won't have you chained to the rain, polishing stainless all day. Chores are expected to be about 2-4 hours a day and are things you are probably already doing at home on a normal day. Things like washing dishes after a meal, carrying groceries from the market, keeping your bunk tidy, washing the deck after a fish, filleting fish, rubbish runs, crew laundry, general cleaning and pitching in with cooking. You'll be expected to stand watch if we are traveling at night, usually a 2-3 hour shift if we are fully crewed. You'll have heaps of free time to read, sleep, watch TV, play music, edit videos, snorkel, kayak, fish and explore land based actitivies. We operate like a family when aboard and every takes their turn with the boat's chores.

Will you be fishing in any tournaments?

Occasionally, when the opportunity arises, we may fish some tournaments. They may be large internationally recognised tournaments or at a small local fishing club. If you wish, you may participate as an angler, but you'll have to pay your own entry fees. We will pay the fees for the boat's entry. Should you personally win a large prize, whether cash or gear, it is expected that 30% of the winnings go to "the boat". This is to offset the added stress for the boat, fuel consumption and damage to gear, not to mention the expertise of the Captain in finding and landing a prize winning fish. It also helps offset the significant investment in fish-finding technology such as our OmniScan sonar. This is a typical requirement in most tournaments for any other boat.

What style of fishing will you do?

We are equipped to do several styles of fishing. Our primary target will depend on the location, the season and what species are available. We often troll lures for marlin on 24kg, 37kg and 60kg rods but we are also equipped for pitch baiting, live baiting, swim baits and skip baits. Towing Rapala style lures work well in some areas, especially in shallow reefs. We will bottom fish as well, using bait and we are also are equipped for popper fishing, and jigging. Pelagic species include Blue Marlin, Striped Marlin, Black Marlin, Spearfish, White Marlin, Sailfish, Swordfish, Tuna, Mahi-Mahi, Giant Trevely, Dog Tooth Tuna and Wahoo. If it swims, we want to catch it, excepting the "tax man" (sharks). Other species will be dependent on locality. If you are seriously chasing line class records, you'll want to bring your own gear, but be advised that we are often days away from an official IGFA weigh station. We participate in sustainable fishing practices and release all viable billfish. Occasionally, fish are harvested as food donations to local villages or as fresh fish for our table.

What Can I Bring?

First of all, please travel light. Soft-sided luggage or duffle bags that can be collapsed and stowed away are much better than hard shelled suitcases. If you brink too much gear, you might be having to share space with it in your bunk! We stock shampoo, toothpaste, body wash and 50+spf sunscreen aboard. Bring a hat, sunglasses (2 pair recommended), a refillable water bottle, and mask/fins/snorke set if you want (otherwise you can take your chances on the odd mix we have aboard). Feel free to bring drones but do the research to see if they are allowed in the country and what the restrictions are. DO NOT bring big game rods as we have limited space. If you want to bring fishing gear, jig rods/reels, spinning rods/reels and lure are welcomed. Your passport, along with 5-10 photocopies of the front page of your passport (which should be secured in separate locations). We recommend you attach AirTags (hidden if possible) on high value items as petty theft can be an issue in some places. Be aware that the salt environment is really harsh on musical instruments and wreaks havoc on leather. Finally, leave your expensive watches, jewellery, tuxedos, top hats and dress shoes at home.