ARC Race skippers can find crew on Onboard Space!

If you are planning the Atlantic Race Cruise to St Lucia this year, as an ARC Race skipper you could find crew on our P2P crewing agency Onboard Space! With crew around the world looking for a boat to sail aboard, we may just get you the necessary crew to get across the Atlantic safely. 

The Atlantic and its moods

Even in tropical latitudes the Atlantic is no mean obstacle to cross. You’re on your own for 2000 miles and more, most of the trip well outside of range of shore-based rescue organisations. This requires a terrific amount of skill and experience as you have to deal with everything from crews’ injuries to equipment failure. 

Navigating a Great Circle route isn’t easy – you’re heading on a polygonal route with route changes every few days to follow the shortest possible route across the ocean. 

With Climate Change there is every reason to prepare for weather that could come in and cause damage to your boat. You can’t just scuttle into the nearest harbour for shelter when you’re 1000 miles offshore. As a skipper you need to be confident to deal with anything and everything that comes your way.

The ARC Race 

For people looking to get an Atlantic crossing under their belt, the ARC Race is a safe and effective way to get across the ocean. Sailing in flotilla, this allows for skippers and crew of mixed experience to get their vessels from European waters to the Caribbean.

The theory goes that where an ARC Race skipper has to deal with a problem that might be beyond their skillset, so they can rely on others for advice who are within VHF range at the least and who can come to your aid at worst. 

There are two routes for the race, with a fleet heading direct from Gran Canaria to St Lucia on the 24th November and spending 18-21 days at sea. Two other groups leave on the 21st November and dive south to the Cape Verde Islands for a week’s stop-over and then go onto St Lucia over a total journey of around a month. 

All vessels need to be properly crewed, fitted out and victualled for the crossing that could take 30 days. Not everyone can take a month off! That’s why ARC Race skippers may need to search more widely for crew to help them get across the Atlantic. 

Can Onboard Space help ARC Race skippers?

Traditional means of finding crew can be quite tough for ARC Race skippers given that taking a month off work to ‘bugger off on holiday’ (as some bosses may see it) isn’t the easiest thing to get out of your employers! This is why you might come to Onboard Space.

Onboard Space is a platform on which skippers and crew can meet one another. After signing up the skipper can look for crew or advertise on the site for their needs. You only pay for meeting the crew you need, which could be as little as €5 per introduction. 

You never know – that delivery to the Caribbean stalled by crew shortage may yet be possible thanks to Onboard Space!