By Yacht Week
Posted on 14th July 2023
Sometimes you just can’t get a group together to book a full yacht for Yacht Week. People drop out, life gets in the way, and this year's been tougher than most, right? If you’re determined to enjoy the adventure then Yacht Week’s got you covered. You can book a cabin here and even join a luxury catamaran. However, there is another great way to find a crew and, along the way, make some friends that could last you a lifetime.
Crewfinder is the Facebook group set up for solo travellers, pairs and smaller groups to find each other and put their own crews together for a seven day adventure on any of Yacht Week’s routes. Solo travellers can place an ‘advert’ in the group telling people they are looking to join a crew, or can apply to an existing crew who still have a space to fill. They can add a few pictures, give some details about the type of person they are and access over 20,000 members. Before long everything clicks into place and the perfect crew awaits.
Using Crewfinder is a great way to get to know your potential crewmates ahead of your trip and to make sure that you’re all looking for the same things out of Yacht Week. If you like late nights and parties then Crewfinder lets you link up with a like-minded crew of party people!
Sam Maxted is a solo traveller who has attended Yacht Week before. The Australian ballet dancer was due to attend Yacht Week of 2020 back in August with his best friend but she pulled out. He decided to go anyway and just 3 weeks ahead of the event posted on Crewfinder to find fellow solo travellers who could come together for a week of amazing activities, parties and fun while they explore the stunning oceans and islands of Croatia aboard their very own yacht.
Sam’s post attracted a lot of attention and even at such short notice he soon had his crew confirmed; five girls from USA, Venezuela, Germany, France and Russia, and three guys from Australia, Zimbabwe, and USA (living in Hungary). Together with a Croatian skipper and a hostess from France, this global gathering of adventurous young travellers met for the first time in Croatia as they prepared to set sail.
A very special week followed. The new crewmates came with no preconceptions of each other and lived in the moment, making their yacht the liveliest and most fun to be around. They even won the annual regatta and performed a Tiger King themed dance to all the other yachts in the flotilla. Sam led popular group yoga sessions and the crew partied like old friends. It may seem like a leap of faith to join Crewfinder but as Sam’s experience shows, a group of strangers can come together to form bonds which stretch around the world. Sam explains:
"Every year I join a crew as a solo traveller, which for me, opens me up to completely freeing myself from the person I am back home. And for just one week I can truly, unapologetically and freely be myself, laughing, smiling and dancing my cares away, with new found, likeminded friendships, all set against a stunning coastal backdrop. It’s in these moments I realise what is of true worth in this life and who I want to be in the world.”
Like many of us, Sam’s wanted to escape reality by setting sail on Yacht Week. He said,
"The friendships I formed on Yacht Week are some of the closest people in my life today, and for me being a well-traveled guy, having lived my adult life overseas, that’s quite a big statement. Being reunited with my Yacht Week family is when I feel most myself, and that’s credit to the authenticity and special nature of Yacht Week experience. It truly is a life adventure like no other.”
So, if you want to make next summer count there is literally nothing to stop you! Visit Crewfinder and take the first steps towards a trip you will never forget.