If you ever need crew to help deliver your boat Offshore Passage Opportunities (OPO) can help you get experienced offshore crew that will sail with you or your captain for free.
OPO is a crew networking organization whose niche is offering offshore sailing opportunities to members. Over 3,400 people have joined and sailed offshore through OPO since 1993.
OPO members sail for free for a variety of reason. Some are getting sea time towards a captain's license. Many have sailed for years, but do not live near the water or have a spouse that shares their enthusiasm for sailing. Many cannot afford or justify the purchase of a seaworthy offshore boat. They do have the time, the experience and the means to travel to and help sail other people's boats. The owner pays for all boat expenses and on-boarad food. The crew sails for free and pays their transportation to and from the boat and have money for shore side meals and drinks.
OPO has over 450 active members at any one time. They pay an annual fee and wish to be looked upon favorably so strive to do a good job. Many are sailors who have sailed with us offshore before and that we would be happy to sail with again. Many have been offshore before or a veteran of our Offshore Swan Program. We ask OPO members to adhere to a "Code of Conduct".
No money changes hands which limits any problems.
If you or a captain is looking for delivery crew for an offshore passage, simply contact OPO at 1-800-4-PASSAGe (or 800-472-7724) or 631-423-4988 or e-mail us at offshorepassage@sprintmail.com . E-mail always works. Phones might not be answered if I am offshore. We will need the details on when and where you want crew to show up. How many? Where are you going? How long the trip will take and a few details about the boat and other crew. We also need to know how to contact you. Once we have the information we need, we will send out a "Crew Request" to our member's and they will contact you by e-mail only including their sailing resume and contact information. The more lead time the better to give crew a chance to respond and make travel arrangements.
The service is free to boats owners and captains.
If you meet one or more OPO members that you like and enjoy having aboard, by all means call them up directly for your next passage or regatta. One OPO moto is: "It is much easier to meet new friends that sail than it is to teach you friends how to sail". Matching good crew with boat owners and captains is what we do.
We are not a crew finder agency. However some owners like to hire a responsible person to help run the boat or "Boat Sit" while the boat is in port. What better way to interview someone than have them come and crew for you first for free.
If you are looking to move your boat to another location or to a regatta and do not have a skipper, we have a handful of skippers that have captained in our Offshore Swan Program and that we trust and recommend. Once you hire the skipper he can take care of organizing the OPO crew that will sail for free and pay their own way to and from the boat. This way you only pay for the skippers' wages and his transportation to and from the boat. You save not having to pay crew and pay for crew airfare.
We will be happy to help any owner who wishes to get more sea time the same opportunity to sail as our members. You can learn more and join at www.sailopo.com.
Hank Schmitt has been a lifelong waterman, starting sailing in childhood racing in JYRA on Long Island Sound NY. Team racing 420's in school, then graduated to other offshore work on offshore oil rigs for 6 years off Newfoundland, South America, Africa and off the US East Coast (1979) and for a short time the Gulf of Mexico.
A delivery skipper for over 30 years with stints commercial fishing out of Montauk NY during the winter months from 1989 to 1994 with the year 1992/93 solo sailing to Spain and double handed back in the Jimmy Cornell event "The America 500" sailing Christopher Columbus's route to the Americas.
From this introduction to the Rally concept Hank started the NARC Rally (North American Rally to the Caribbean) which started in 2000. 2021 will be the 21st Rally. While offshore coming back from Las Palmas Gran Canaria in 1992 Hank came up with the idea for his Free Crew Network service OPO. Now in business since 1993 we have helped thousands of crew gain more experience. Many go on to buy boats and then contact us for their crew needs when making long passages.
