I have updated my itinerary. Having cruised the Bahamas once, I may not stay long in the Bahamas this time. Instead, I might do the I-65 ocean passage to Guadalupe, then push on to Panama and the Pacific. I am looking for a crewmate to join me on any or all of this adventure.

I’m not the typical sailor, so I’m seeking someone special as a crewmate. I hope your profile indicates what sets you apart.

For instance, I trust you can trim a sail, hand me a wrench or wield a chef’s knife, but can you carry on a conversation about something other than sailing? I'm looking for a companion to share adventures, not merely a shipmate.

I’m not an autocratic skipper. I prefer to make decisions collegially – learning from my crewmate and sharing what I’ve learned.

Before taking up sailing more than 20 years ago, I flew high-performance aircraft at 300 mph. Like sailing, it’s all about the wind. Before I flew, I was a photojournalist – my photo of Muhammad Ali made the front page of The New York Times – and Saturday Night Live – Twice. Then I was a newspaper design consultant – yes, newspapers once had designs. I had clients from New England to New Zealand. Eventually, I sold a news-based, educational app to the Smithsonian.

I'm not a know-it-all, but I do know more than most people. I hope you do, too.

Non-starters: Smokers, Trumpers, Phone addicts.

Let me know whether you’d like to cruise with me. Details in my itinerary.

A friend described me this way:

“I like your humor. I like your honesty. I like how forthright you are. I appreciate your vulnerability. I like your intelligence. I like how easy it is to talk to you. You make me laugh.”

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ITINERARY
I’m looking for someone to sail the Bahamas and Caribbean with me from October through May, then north to New England or south to Grenada for hurricane season.

You don’t need to be an expert sailor because I can single-hand the yacht and I am happy to share what I have learned from other sailors. But you must be passionate about life on the water and life in general.

ACCOMODATIONS
The yacht has two separate staterooms – one in the bow and one in the stern – with two separate doors that separate the staterooms from the saloon and galley. Each stateroom has a separate head equipped with a shower.

SAILS & CANVAS
In addition to a furler-mounted high-cut jib and furling mainsail, the yacht has an asymmetrical spinnaker on a furler for downwind sailing and a staysail mounted on a furler. The yacht has both outboard and inboard jib tracks for narrower sheeting angles upwind. It has a large bimini covering the cockpit, and two auxiliary biminis for the foredeck and afterdeck for use at anchor.

ELECTRICAL
The yacht has a 6kW generator, 1000 Watts of solar panels, a 3000 Watt inverter, six 100 amp lithium batteries, a high-output 100 amp Balmar alternator and Victron Bluetooth-enabled solar controllers and battery manager. It has a high-output, 37 gph Rainman watermaker and a Highfield dinghy with both an ePropusion electric outboard and Suzuki 6 HP gasoline outboard. It also has a bow thruster.

ELECTRONICS
The yacht has a 12-inch Raymine Axiom 3 multi-function display with digital radar and AIS, Raymarine SmartPilot, wind and Tridata instruments. I also have Starlink, for access to the internet anywhere.

GALLEY
The yacht has a 3-burner propane-powered Force 10 stove, a Frigoboat refrigerator and two 40 quart Engel freezers. I use space-saving stackable, non-stick Analon cookware. The yacht also has a 700 Watt microwave that can be powered by the inverter underway.

DINGHY
I have a Highfield RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat) dinghy with electric and gasoline outboard motors.

MAINTENANCE
I perform virtually all the maintenance and have installed most of the upgrades on the yacht myself and I don't mind making repairs underway. The yacht is equipped with an extensive “parts department’ of spare pumps, switches, cables, hoses, screws, nuts, bolts, etc.

The yacht went through a extensive refit before making the trip in 2019 and another after COVID in 2020, including the addition of a watermaker and solar arch. And it is undergoing yet another extensive refit this summer including lithium batteries, new anchor, new anchor chain, replacing all 15 thruhulls and ball valves with seacocks, 8 coats of barrier and bottom paint, adding a inner forestay for the staysail, adding a asymmetrical spinnaker, two new furlers, new bimini, reconfigured refrigerator and two new freezers, plus the entire battery bank was re-engineered for Lithium.

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I'm seeking someone to share the sailing experience and cruising lifestyle with me. Currently, I do everything myself, including some of the less “glamorous” tasks, such as cooking and cleaning. So I'm not seeking someone to take over the grunt work. Instead, I'm seeking someone to share in all the fun, beauty and adventure, as well as the housekeeping chores that support the experience.

The following recommendation is from Julie Hyde. She has been crewing in the South Pacific, the Med and the Caribbean for more than 20 years and she has more than 20,000 sea miles.

I crewed for Alan ( Jake ) for 4 months 2019–2020 from Stuart Florida, round to Marco island where we set up the boat for bluewater and then on to the Bahamas, where we got as far as south Eleuthera when my mother was taken ill and I had to return to the UK just as COVID hit.

Jake solo sailed his boat back to Virginia.

Jake is a calm, competent captain who knows his boat very well,. He has a pilot's license so is great with navigation and weather.

The boat is well set up, comfortable and easy to sail.

Jake and I have become good friends and I would happily sail with him again and recommend him and his boat to anyone looking to crew.

RECOMMENDATION FROM ANOTHER SAILOR

The following recommendation is from Robert Suhay. Like me, he once worked for The Virginian-Pilot newspaper in Norfolk, VA as a news designer. Now he pulls barges with a tugboat on the ICW between Norfolk and Charleston, SC when he isn't restoring his 60-foot schooner. He also holds a Guinness World Record for sailing. To see, Google “Robert Suhay Washington Post Norfolk-man-sails-into-the-record-books"

From Robert:

I helped Alan deliver his boat from Norfolk Va., to Daytona, Fla. in 2019. Our 8-day trip of almost 1,000 nm was a pure delight. Alan is a capable skipper and gracious host, who went out of his way to provide comforts for the journey.

As an experienced pilot, Alan, who also goes by Jake, had plenty of interesting insights into weather and navigation.

Alan's boat is well set up, comfortable and a joy to sail. Alan is funny, charming and a calm, thoughtful companion. I would happily sail with him again.

LIFE ON BOARD

I think of myself as tolerant, but I am a stickler for issues that impact safety – I believe in safety first. I have a low tolerance for mess – I believe everything should be tidy, within reason.

I’m an introvert, so I like the boat to be quiet rather than raucous – which isn’t to say that I don't play music sometimes (I have 300 CDs on board) but I don't play music every day.

I prefer anchoring out; I rarely go into marinas. I have two 10-foot kayaks that fold down to 42 inches for easy storing because I don't like large objects cluttering the deck because I believe the decks should remain clear. I like exploring on foot. I have snorkel gear, but I am not a big-time snokeler. I prefer the kayak.

I don't mind cooking and, as a graphic designer, I enjoy the presentation aspect of food preparation. I am happy to collaborate or alternate in the galley.

I know that alcohol is often a big part of sailing, but I am not a big drinker – 2 glasses of wine or beer and I am pretty tipsy. I don't hang out in bars because they are loud and expensive.

I like sailing – obviously – but I also like lazy days in an anchorage and using time in the anchorage for reading, watching Netflix, Amazon Prime or Hulu, housekeeping issues, minor repairs, etc.