Call Often the Week Before

Early in the week before the ship is scheduled to depart, we start updating the Crew Call Line with the latest information on schedules, schedule changes, and sign-in times for your upcoming sail. This line also provides information to let family and friends know when vessels are due back.

Sailors should check our Crew Call Line often during the days leading up to a sail for the latest schedule information and sign-in times. It’s especially important to call the night before your sailing, to make sure you arrive on time for sign-in.

What to Pack

Crew members need to bring enough gear to do their job aboard the ship for a full voyage of about 24 days. Please note that there’s not much room in your cabin, so don’t bring any rolling or hard-shelled luggage aboard. Pack your gear in soft-sided bags like the traditional seabag to maximize your space. 

Here are the items we recommend:

Good quality rain gear, including pants, jacket, and rubber boots. The cheap stuff will do for the first few trips. We don’t recommend spending lots of money on the expensive stuff until you know for sure it’s what you want to do for an extended amount of trips.

A knife. This tool is generally useful for everything and good to have on hand.

Hard-toed boots or shoes. Most crew members opt for steel-toed insulated Xtra Tuff boots—the American-made kind, if possible. If your boots aren’t insulated, we recommend sizing up so there’s room to wear extra layers of socks. Our freezer holds are cold, and standing on metal chilled to freezing temperatures for hours on end leads to some pretty frozen toes.

Bedding: sheets, a pillow, a sleeping bag, blankets, etc. We provide the bed and mattress. What goes on top to keep you comfortable is up to your own personal preference.

Towel and shower essentials. You’ll need to bring a towel for showering as well as all the assorted personal toiletries you’ll need to keep yourself hygienic throughout the trip.

Warm clothing, enough for several changes in one day. Wool and fleece clothes are best, but most crew members live in sweatpants and layers. While there are laundry facilities onboard, keep in mind that you’re constantly working in damp and cold conditions, so you’ll go through a lot of clothes quickly. 

Watch cap. This is essential for working in the freezer hold or on the deck in rough weather. 

Phone and portable electronics. There is Wi-Fi aboard, but please note that you won't be able to stream as fast as you would at home. It’s best to load TV shows, music, and movies to your device ahead of time, so you have them available when you have a spare hour of downtime in your cabin. Just remember: Make sure you get enough sleep whenever you can because the work won’t go away just because you’re tired from staying up all night on devices.

Personal essentials. Don’t forget any medications you might need or tobacco you’ll require. The galley does have snacks, candy, and soda pop, but supplies might run low at the end of a voyage. If you can’t survive without your candy bars, bring some of your own, too.

There’s no store aboard, so bring everything with you that you’ll need for the duration of your voyage.