Connecting people who have a need
The Crew Exchange is a system of classified ads linking - via the Internet (front page in magazines) - yachtsmen, skippers and crews who need each other whether for a long embarkation or a shorter sea trip. Web platforms such as the Hisse & Ho forum or the Vogue Avec Moi website also offer this service, as this tradition is undergoing rapid digital change. However, this system requires registration on a dedicated platform and the creation of a nautical profile.
Unlike the BDA, in this case we don't necessarily know the person. We contact the person by message to start with and we exchange by email or phone to define the needs, desires, research..
It's a very crowded world and it's almost a tradition in the sailing world because the presence of a crew member is so important for the manoeuvring and life on board the yachts. Many owners find it difficult to find and train crews to sail.
Most of the time your good will, a little nautical knowledge and common sense will be enough for you to take part in a crew. For the most enthusiasts, a stable crew will build up over time to participate in regattas and training throughout the season.
In most cases, a common scholarship (board fund) will certainly be requested to participate in the costs. Its amount will be evaluated according to the boat and the objectives.
For what practice?
There are purses for crew members corresponding to the different sailing practices, whether regatta, coastal cruising or ocean cruising.
For the regattas, we can mention the training sessions in La Rochelle, Lorient or La Trinité-sur-Mer, where hundreds of crew members gather every weekend to rappel in the courses. The major regatta organizing clubs have their own team members' purses. From Paris, every weekend the TGV seats and car-sharing platforms fill up with sailors in need of sea spray.
So as long as you have a taste for competition, it is an economical way to take to the sea and perfect your nautical skills. For those who wish to sail for leisure, without performance objectives, you will find crew scholarships on the nautical web forums. Your chance is that sailboat owners often need crew members.
For those who dream of the open sea and travel, there are crew grants for the big transatlantic races organised each year, such as the ARC, which each time brings together 250 yachts on their way to the Caribbean sun. Other more modest transats such as the Transat du Rallye des îles du soleil offer the same service.
