Dodgy crew

As the time for the ARC draws near, many skippers will be looking for crew, and the hopefuls walking the dock will be plentiful. Some will have qualifications, other won’t, but one thing is sure. However good someone looks on paper, or sounds in the bar, nobody should ship out on a long trip, be it delivery or pleasure cruise, with a crew or skipper they don’t know well, unless there is no possible alternative. You might get tired short-handed, but it’s so very much better than living with tension and aggravation for weeks on end during a trip you’ve dreamed of for a lifetime. As the Irish say, ‘Better an empty house than a bad lodger.’