Day 14 – Meet the Crew
“Who Exactly Am I Sailing With?”
Every good sailing story starts with the boat…
But the real story? That’s always about the people on board.
And in just 14 days, I’ll be stepping onto a yacht in Croatia with a crew that can only be described as… eclectically brilliant.
Rosamund – Photographer-in-Chief (and Occasional Sailor)
A Town Planner by profession… and a sailing enthusiast in a very particular way.
She loves sailing boats.
Absolutely loves them.
Just preferably from the bank… with a camera… while they sail past.
To be fair, she has done:
- Powerboating
- RYA Level 1 sailing
But there are a few minor navigational challenges:
- The tiller has a habit of going the “wrong way”
- Left and right are… flexible concepts
- Port and starboard? Let’s call them aspirational
Still — she’s coming, she’s keen, and she takes excellent photos.
Every crew needs one of those.
👨👧 John & Emi – The Unknown Quantities
Then we have John and his daughter Emi.
What do I know about them?
👉 Almost nothing.
Except:
- They’re redoing the Day Skipper course
- Which probably means they know far more than I do
So that’s reassuring… or slightly intimidating… I haven’t decided yet.
🎥 Judy & Steve – Sailing Fair Isle
Now this is where things get very interesting.
Judy Aslett and Steve — the team behind Sailing Fair Isle.
- Former UK broadcast journalists
- Now full-time liveaboard sailors
- Sailing the world on a beautiful Hans Christian 48T cutter-rigged yacht
They’ve:
- Crossed challenging waters like the Bay of Biscay
- Documented real life at sea (not the glossy version!)
- Switched from diesel to solar-powered living onboard
And now…
👉hey’ll be filming this trip.
So no pressure there then.
Not only that — they’re also:
- Learning to transition from monohull to catamaran sailing
- Sailing alongside us on a second boat
Which means we might get:
- Two boats
- Two perspectives
- And hopefully… not two incidents
The Instructor – The Calm in the Storm
Somewhere in all this…
There will also be a professional instructor onboard.
Which is probably just as well.
Because between:
- My enthusiasm
- Rosamund’s navigation system (left-ish / right-ish)
- John and Emi quietly knowing what they’re doing
- And Judy & Steve filming everything
Someone needs to be in charge.
Why This Crew Actually Works
Here’s the surprising thing…
This isn’t a mismatch — it’s exactly what you want.
- Complete beginners
- Slightly confused intermediates
- Returning sailors
- Experienced cruisers
Everyone at a different level
Which makes it:
- A perfect learning environment
- A real-world crew dynamic
- And probably… highly entertaining
Because sailing isn’t about perfection.
It’s about:
- Learning together
- Getting things wrong (safely!)
- And improving with every tack, gybe… and mild panic
Final Thought
What could possibly go wrong?
Actually… don’t answer that.
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