Q- Does the Skipper have experience with ocean passages?
A- Yes, over 10000nm of offshore open ocean sailing.
Q- How long have you had this particular boat?
A- I’ve owned La Vie since 2002 and this is my third sail boat since 1996.
Q- What´s the living set-up like?
A- On passage one person will always be on watch and the others will be hanging out with the watch person, sleeping, cooking or eating. What this means is that with a crew of three the two off watch persons have several options on where to sleep.
A- The V-Berth is in the bow of the boat affords the most privacy with it’s own door and large opening hatch providing a view of the stars at night… however you may be sharing you space with spare sails and some say the v-berth can have an uncomfortable motion depending on the sailing conditions.
A- The main cabin has a settee on port and starboard which are the most comfortable in the widest range of sailing conditions. The down side of these berths is the lack of privacy and you are in the middle of the boat and any action going on in that area. This is where I would sleep in cruddy conditions and these berths can not be reserved if you are watch you can sleep there.A- The aft cabin in the rear of the boat has two separate cabins separated by lee cloths. The cabin on starboard also has an upper bunk type bed.
Q- Where do I keep my stuff?
A- All crew have a designated storage areas for their gear including a shared hanging locker.
Q- What is the cooking set up?
A- The boat has a refrigerator, two burner stove w/ oven, two bowl sink and all the pots, pans, dishes, utensils to cook anything.
Q- What about the bathroom?
A- The bathroom is know as a head on a boat and is complete with a fully functional toilet, sink, large mirror and medicine cabinet.
Q- How about showers?
A- Yes, we take showers. Since we are mostly in the tropics it is always very warm and thus we usually take showers on deck. This is normal and everyone does it. The person who is taking the shower just lets everyone know and we give them their privacy.
Q- Do you have a water maker?
A- No, Water makers are nice when they work and since they are notorious for breaking down I decided to buy a boat with sufficent water tanks for even the longest possible ocean passages.
Q- How much water can I use?
A- Personal water use is determined at the beginning of each passage based on the number of people and length of trip with a significant reserve. Usually, two gallons a day which is not a lot by landlubber standards but, totally sufficient at the end of the day when using a solar sun shower.
Q- Have you picked up crew this way before?
A- Yes, and it is a LOT of hard work to properly interview each potential canidate to ensure they will be a good fit. Thus far I’ve been very successful with my selection of crew and would have any of them again should the opportunity present it self.
Q- Have you had any significant crew problems in the past?
A- N, and I’ve had many crew members thus far:
John- Seattle to San Francisco total time aboard 4 weeks.
Daniell - Seattle to San Francisco total time aboard 2 weeks.
Patrick- Santa Cruz to Marina Del Ray time aboard 4 days. This guy lied about his qualifications in a huge way and was a big disappointment.
Allen- San Diego to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico time aboard 4 weeks.
Cheryl- San Diego to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico time aboard 2 weeks.
Bob- San Diego to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico time aboard 2 weeks.
Andy- San Diego to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico time aboard 2 weeks.
Casey- Cabo San Lucas, Mexico to various Mexican ports time aboard 6 weeks.
Karl- Puerto Vallarta Mexico to Tahiti time aboard 13 weeks.
Kitty- Nuka Hiva to Tahiti time aboard 6 weeks.
Julie- Puerto Vallarta Mexico to New Zealand 10 months.
I would be happy to provide the contact info for past crew.
This gives you the unique opportunity to get first person info on sailing on La Vie and the Skipper.
Q- When would I need to be on the boat?
A- I would need you on the boat a minimum of two weeks prior to the planned departure date. We need this time to be sure we feel you are a good fit and to give you the opportunity to learn the ropes and feel comfortable with the basic operation of the boat.
Q- Is it dangerous to cross oceans?
A- Sailing is a lot less dangerous than driving your car to work everyday. There are dangers, but we work very hard to eliminate these risks and are very cautious with the weather to be sure each voyage is safe and as comfortable as possible. Since we don’t have any rigid time tables we can always wait for our “weather window” to again ensure that the passages are not just safe but also comfortable.
Q- Can I contact you with additional quesitons?
A- Yes, please do.
Contact me at : dbkane AT gmail DOT com
See my web blog chronicling my adventures at: www.svlavie.blogspot.com
