Sail handling
Standing watch/Helms keeping
Maintenance
Cooking
Dishes
Cleaning

Sail handling
Sail handling includes, raising the main, mizzen, staysail, furling the genoa, and trimming the sails as needed. We work as a team underway, and if necessary, in bad weather we will double-up shifts. Everyone is expected to pitch in when needed on duty or not, we are a team and the safety of the yacht and crew is paramount. We will take time to orient you to the boat and its systems. We usually do a day sail or two before setting off. Underway we will do sail handling drills until everyone is familiar with handling the sails when tacking or reefing.

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Standing watch and Helms keeping
Everyone takes a turn at standing watch and helm duty. The number of crew will dictate the watch schedule. While underway, keeping watch includes being vigilant for other vessels and changing weather. Captain Rod will spend time with you to make sure you are comfortable in your duties, understand the equipment, and always available to answer questions and evaluate situations 24/7.

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Maintenance
Pumping the bilge: Includes checking the bilge and pumping it out. It is normal to have some water in the bilge but if it is higher than normal, notify Captain Rod immediately. Charging the batteries: Check the engine oil and water before charging the batteries. Look for any fluids under the engine or transmission or anything that looks unusual. Always make sure water is exhausting over the side after the engine has been started. Charge the refrigerator, and see Captain Rod for any small maintenance jobs that need to be done that day.

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Cooking - Lunch at 12:00 and dinner at 18:00
Try to be prompt as this will allow people to eat during a shift change and also everyone can plan their day. We have quite a selection of cookbooks but you may have to substitute recipe items. Be creative and fix things you like to eat. Everyone will get his/her turn so we should have a variety. Use the fresh vegetables and fruits first so we don’t throw food away! When underway, try to fix large one-dish type meals for dinners, such as casseroles, pasta and rice dishes. Avoid fixing meals with long cooking times. Sandwiches, soups and salads are always good for lunch. When baking, make double portions of bread, muffins, etc. If we are going to heat the boat up we might as well get good use out of the oven. Also lean towards baking items with shorter cooking times. If you are on cooking the first day offshore, you may want to fix a casserole dish in advance so you can just put it in the oven for dinner. Clean as you go so we do not have a large number of pots, pans, and bowls moving around. You will appreciate it when it’s your turn for dishes.

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Dishes
Always wash and dry the dishes immediately after the meal, and put them away. Underway everything must be put away, and in port, dirty dishes invite flies. Washing dishes include wiping the counters and table, and cleaning the fridge and stove. Be careful with leftovers, they can make for a really nasty job if they spill in the refrigerator.

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Cleaning
Cleaning includes washing out the cockpit and scrubbing the floor and seats each day. In port, you can hose off the decks and do light scrubbing on the walkways. Sweep the salon floor and wipe down the bathroom as needed.