From Southampton to Trieste with a Brand-New Crew!
My name is Tom, I am a professional skipper and, when I accepted a job delivering a Sigma 33 from Southampton to Trieste, I knew that I had a long and demanding voyage ahead of me.
This was not simply a matter of moving a yacht from one marina to another. We would have to cross the English Channel, face the Bay of Biscay, sail down the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula, pass through the Strait of Gibraltar, cross a large part of the Mediterranean and, finally, sail north through the Adriatic to Trieste.
The Sigma 33 is a solid, fast and well-proven yacht, but its 33 feet require particularly careful management of space, watches, rest periods and everyday life on board. For a voyage of this scale, I needed to find reliable and available crew members with the appropriate experience. Above all, however, I needed people with common sense, adaptability and a genuine team spirit.
I decided to look for my crew on Sailink.org.
I published a listing describing the yacht, the proposed route, the approximate dates, the possible stopovers and the level of experience I considered necessary. I also explained that this was a professional delivery involving several consecutive days at sea, night sailing and a watch system that would have to be strictly observed.
It was not long before I began receiving messages from interested sailors. Through the profiles available on Sailink.org, I was able to learn about each candidate’s experience, skills and expectations before making any decisions. This allowed me to make a much more informed choice and to assemble a well-balanced crew.
I wanted someone with offshore sailing experience, another crew member with sound technical knowledge and a third person who was familiar with the Mediterranean. Qualifications are important, of course, but a long passage also requires emotional balance, a sense of responsibility, respect for the skipper’s authority and the ability to remain effective when tiredness and bad weather begin to take their toll.
Sailink.org was extremely easy to use and made the entire process remarkably straightforward. I was able to answer questions, confirm availability and discuss all the essential details of the voyage in advance. We talked about the watch system, food, expenses, mandatory personal equipment, individual responsibilities and the possibility of changing the route or stopovers depending on the weather.
By the time we met in Southampton, none of us was starting entirely from scratch. We had already spoken, exchanged information and agreed on our expectations.
Everyone knew exactly what they were signing up for and what I expected from them on board.
Before departure, we carried out a thorough inspection of the engine, rigging, sails, electrical systems, pumps, communications equipment and safety gear. Once the provisions had been stowed and the equipment distributed, we slipped our moorings.
The passage through the English Channel was the crew’s first real test. Commercial traffic was heavy, the currents demanded constant attention, and the traffic separation schemes had to be crossed with great care. Fortunately, the watch system worked well from the outset, decisions were respected, and everyone adapted to life on board remarkably quickly.
After sailing down the French coast, we faced the Bay of Biscay. As expected, this proved to be one of the most demanding stages of the voyage. We encountered a heavy sea, several fairly uncomfortable hours and very little sleep. Nevertheless, the Sigma 33 performed exceptionally well, and the crew showed precisely the qualities I had been looking for: calmness, discipline and mutual support.
By managing the weather carefully, we reached the Spanish coast without any problems. We stopped to rest, refuel and replenish our provisions before continuing along the Portuguese coast, with further stops in Cascais and the Algarve.
Passing through the Strait of Gibraltar marked the end of the Atlantic section of our voyage and the beginning of an entirely new phase. The Mediterranean brought warmer temperatures, more variable winds and a succession of passages between harbours, anchorages and overnight crossings.
We continued along the Spanish coast before sailing past the Balearic Islands, Sardinia and Sicily. After passing through the Strait of Messina, we headed east, rounded the south of Italy and finally entered the Adriatic.
Our approach to Trieste required me to monitor the weather forecasts very carefully, particularly because of the possibility of strong winds in the region. We waited for the right weather window, and that decision proved to be the correct one.
By the time we entered Trieste, we were no longer four strangers brought together to deliver a yacht. We had become a proper crew. We had shared thousands of miles, night watches, improvised meals, sail changes, difficult moments and enough stories to keep us talking for years.
The Sigma 33 was delivered safely, within the expected timeframe and without any significant incidents.
For me, Sailink.org did far more than simply help me find people who were available. It allowed me to select a crew suited to the demands of the voyage, learn about each candidate beforehand, communicate with them easily and organise the entire boarding process clearly and efficiently.
On a delivery of this scale, finding the right people can make the difference between a difficult voyage and an extraordinary experience. In our case, it all began with a listing on Sailink.org and ended in Trieste, with the yacht safely delivered, the mission accomplished and new friendships forged at sea.
Tom Professional Skipper
