There are times when it is appropriate to mutiny and
tell an ass he is a an ass.

A friend of mine crewed on a Baltic 42 and I'd been
asking to crew on it for nearly a year but the boat had a
dedicated crew. When she finally called me up, at
the last minute, I had not time to bring my own drinks,
or food. Usually I bring my own drinks.

The owner was angry I drank some of his Sprite and
starting giving me grief. I debated various options on
what to do, but ultimately put up with it. If I had to do
it over again, I'd demand to return to the dock, and if
I was not granted my wish, I'd probably start cutting up
his halyards until he complied.

I later found out this fellow had a terrible reputation on
the bay. If I'd done what I was thinking, I'd have been
a popular fellow.

"Frank Boettcher" wrote

"Bart Senior" .@. wrote:

Brother in law talked me into crewing in a meaningless club race for
one of his customers. Boat was a new Ericson 29. Race was a 12 mile
straight run from Biloxi to Gulfport, no turns or marks. about ten
boats in the race. 12 miles of beam reach on a port tack. Milk run
right? just watch your trim and your course and the fastest boat (or
the one with the most favorable rating) gets the cup.

About half way the wind died to nothing as often happens in the middle
of the summer down here. absolutely nothing. one by one the boats
threw in the towel and either motored up and went home or went into
the Broadwater Marina (we were passing it when the wind died) for a
drink at the bar. The skipper saw everyone quitting and figured all
he had to do to win was finish. And finish we did at 3AM (race
started at 1PM. No committee boat but his understanding is since
there was no time limit on the race he just had to cross on the right
side of the sea buoy that made up one half of the line.

Now I can see this for an important race, but a meaningless pick up
club race.

While bobbing around out there, this fool had us doing all kinds of
idiotic things to get the boat moving. For instance he had read in a
dead calm if you ease forward and then run briskly aft you will make
the boat move. He actually wanted us to do that.

Most race skippers will provision their boats for the crew. He did
not and told us when we found out before the race that we did not have
time to get some food and beer.

The only reason I didn't pitch him overboard was because of the
Brother in Law.

Who was your worst skipper? What made it
intolerable?

"Frank Boettcher" wrote

I've crewed for others as much as I've skippered. There are a few I
would never go back with.

There is nothing condescending about it, if done
in private. Most of the time it is the crew that are
talking about how they did. How can that be
condescending?

BTW, most of these are training situations with
students.


"Capt.Mooron" wrote

"Bart Senior" .@. wrote
I often take crew aside and ask them how they think
they did. In private they are quick to admit their faults
Some of them elaborate, and some just admit making a
mistake. I praise what they did well and stress the
concept of thinking ahead.

Good Grief Bart... that's awfully condescending. None of my crew to the
man
woman or child would tolerate that attitude from a skipper. Any poor
performance of crew aboard a vessel is due to the skipper's short
comings.... not the crew. It's not about how quick they did a task, nor is
it about how flawlessly they preformed... it's about having fun on the
water.

A crack race crew behaves much differently than a cruising crew. The
expectations of the skipper should match the conditions. There is no "I"
in
team.

CM

"Capt.Mooron" wrote

All my crew practise their knots.... then I have them all become
proficent
at a single hand bowline.

So they can hold a beer in the other?

"Capt.Mooron" wrote

"Bart Senior" .@. wrote
You and I have talked about keeping crew busy as a good
technique to maintain control and exercise leadership. Why
don't you relate some of your techniques.

Yes... I believe we were discussing a situation in which you were
reviewing
your response to a crew member questioning your actions. I believe I
mentioned that deployment was crucial.... in retrospect I would have
ordered all the crew to stand down and handled the vessel myself. I do
not
tolerate insubordination and make certain that the seeds of mutiny are
never
given opportunity to sprout. :-)

In that particular case I would have had to muzzle my girlfriend
as it took three verbal reprimands to get her to shut up. She was
very new to sailing, did not understand the situation, read it
completely wrong, and made a serious error in judgement. BTW,
we have not sailed together since.

In any event I agree with your suggestion to keep people
busy doing something else as it deflects the whole situation
and re-establishes control better than explainations or harsh
words--which I don't like to use.

You mentioned busy work. There are plenty of things
on a boat that could be classified as busy work like coiling
line that keep someone occupied

Why don't you give us some examples from your experience.

So you are nightmare crew. I'll have you coiling
line for hours! grin

"Capt.Mooron" wrote

"Bart Senior" .@. wrote in message
Who was your worst skipper? What made it
intolerable?

Oddly enough... I pay little attention to a Skipper while crewing. Yes
I'll
handle the direction and complete the tasks... but the speed at which I do
it is based on my perceived requirement of his call. I do not make good
crew
for the most part. I do not take orders well and unless I have great
respect for the abilities of the Captain.. I will question his every
action.
Caveat - If the Captain is more experienced than I am and holds my
respect.... I'm one of the best crew he/she could ever want.

CM

I do that. I've never had anything but favorable responses.
I've made mistakes and I'm open about discussing them
unlike those who don't, and don't learn from them.

How about you? I guess you are one of those who
never admit making a mistake? What areas do you
feel you need to work on with respect to your command
and leadership on board a vessel?

"Captain Joe Redcloud" wrote
"Bart Senior" .@. wrote:

I often take crew aside and ask them how they think
they did. In private they are quick to admit their faults

You might do better to take them aside and ask them how YOU did. In
private they
may tell you some things you really need to hear.

Captain Joe Redcloud
Motown Detriot

"Bart Senior" .@. wrote in message ...
There is nothing condescending about it, if done
in private. Most of the time it is the crew that are
talking about how they did. How can that be
condescending?

Look Bart... if it's a cruising crew my only question is did they have fun
and if new, did they learn anything of value. If it's a racing crew it's
either "Lads we sucked backwash out there and we'll have to speed things up
on the sail change" etc. I never isolate a crew member and never talk down
to my crew. Respect nutures respect.

BTW, most of these are training situations with
students.

Well if it's formal training... that's a different matter Bart. A review is
part of the curriculum.

CM

"Bart Senior" .@. wrote in message ...

"Capt.Mooron" wrote

All my crew practise their knots.... then I have them all become
proficent
at a single hand bowline.

So they can hold a beer in the other?

Yeah... now you're catching on! :-)

CM

"Bart Senior" .@. wrote in message

In that particular case I would have had to muzzle my girlfriend
as it took three verbal reprimands to get her to shut up. She was
very new to sailing, did not understand the situation, read it
completely wrong, and made a serious error in judgement. BTW,
we have not sailed together since.

I wasn't going to mention particulars.. but I believe in this case she
assumed she had the ear of the king. In other words she believed her
relationship with you provided her with rank. Her mistake.

In any event I agree with your suggestion to keep people
busy doing something else as it deflects the whole situation
and re-establishes control better than explainations or harsh
words--which I don't like to use.




You mentioned busy work. There are plenty of things
on a boat that could be classified as busy work like coiling
line that keep someone occupied

Why don't you give us some examples from your experience.

That is more difficult to do than I initially imagined since there are so
many scenarios possible and such variety in situations,vessel and crew etc.
One example was when we returning from a sail in a good breeze. It was 30+
kts but steady and the boat was properly reefed. 3 new people on board that
were friends of a sailing buddy.
These folks had all just passed their sailing course.
My friend is a very good sailor, his skills and abilities beyond reproach.
I would trust him to command at anytime.

Anyway... we decided to "impress" the newbies, who had wanted some heavy
weather time sailing, during our return to a well populated mooring field.
We approached the mooring field under full press [having done this on many
occasions]. This of course scared the hell out of the newbies. The woman
demanded we slow down. I directed her to quickly break out the fenders as
the vessel was out of control and requested the remaining crew to stand by
along the rails to fend off while my buddy and I handled the sails. They
didn't even see us laughing at them they were so busy. We tacked through
that mooring field at full speed going around, in, out and about all the
vessels for the next 15 minutes without a hitch... then before they realized
what was happening... the vessel was brought into the wind.... I requested
the newbie at the bow to hook up to the mooring and once secure we dropped
canvas.

We all had a good laugh over drinks in the cockpit.

I spoke to the woman 2 years later and she was still impressed at the ease
with which I not only ignored her objections with fake panic..... but the
surgical ease at which my buddy and I negotiated the mooring field and
vessels until the newbies began to realize we were having it on at their
expense. She has her own vessel now and uses the same tactic. :-)

CM

"Bart Senior" .@. wrote in message ...
So you are nightmare crew. I'll have you coiling
line for hours! grin

Line coiling is an ongoing task on my vessel. I do not tolerate spaghetti.
There are a thousand and one ways to really annoy a skipper while
undertaking your appointed tasks! :-)

CM