Motivated sailor seeking more hands on ocean experience
* Age: 28
* Availability: Free the entire month of July, 2026
* Types of trips: Ocean keelboat sailing (anything from coastal cruising to ocean crossing)
* Current location: Oregon, USA (willing to travel anywhere for a good opportunity)
Hello fellow sailors!
I am looking for an opportunity to join a boat as a novice crew member to gain more hands on ocean sailing experience.
I have a lifelong goal of purchasing my own blue water boat and I am hoping to gain more experience before I make that leap.
~ What types of crew opportunities am I seeking? ~
I am seeking ocean keelboat sailing opportunities. Anything from local coastal cruising to offshore passages to ocean crossings.
~ What work am I wiling to do? ~
I am looking to assist with all aspects of life onboard, including watchkeeping, sail handling, maintenance, cleaning, and cooking. My goal is to be a dependable member of the crew and build on my practical sailing knowledge and abilities.
~ What experience do I have? ~
I have built a solid foundation of skills through sailing courses, self-study, and hands-on experience over the years.
- I grew up in a boat building and sailing community in coastal Maine
- I attended sailing camps in Maine at a young age and sailed on the boats of family friends
- I moved to Oregon in 2023 and sailed many different types of dinghies as a member of the Willamete Sailing club
- In 2025 and early 2026 I owned, maintained, and captained a 1974 CAL25 on the Lower Columbia River
I am competent in and have experience with the following sailing maneuvers on dinghies and keelboats in winds up to 20 knots
- Raising and lowering headsails and mainsails
- Tacking
- Jybing
- Heaving to
- Reefing
- Navigating shallow tidal waters
- Maneuvering into slips in tight marinas
I am competent in basic boat maintenance. Here are some maintenance items I performed on my CAL25
- Outboard engine maintenance
- Changing engine oil
- Changing lower unit gear oil
- Replacing spark plug
- Cleaning carburetor
- Fabricated and installed a mast support for a deck stepped mast that was causing the deck to sag
- Painted bottom and topsides of boat
- Varinshed exterior wood
- Updated parts of old DC electrical system
~ More about me personally ~
- I am currently taking a break this summer from working as a software engineer in part to get more sailing experience.
- I am well travelled and speak intermediate spanish (I studied spanish in high school and college, studied abroad in Spain, and have spent time in Guatemala and Ecuador).
- I enjoy working in teams. In fact, one of the things I enjoy most about sailing is the opportunity to be a part of a tight knit crew that relies on each other.
- My friends describe me as positive, outgoing, and intellectually curious.
If you're looking for a motivated young sailor who is keen to learn and contribute, please reach out.
Fair winds,
Henry Becker
Oregon, USA
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