Crew Selection

Crew selection is the single most important decision you will make. Why is crew selection so important you ask? Because you will be on a houseboat where there is a finite amount of space!

Even the big boats are not that big if you are not getting along with each other. If something happens and conflicts arise there is literally no place to hide. To have a successful vacation you need people who understand co-operation.

You need people who understand that we all deserve a little respect. And you need people who understand that we all need a little space to be ourselves. We are on vacation after all!

What do You Think?

Now most of us would think the best choice for a crew member would be our best friend. Maybe that’s true. Maybe it isn’t. I’ve heard it said that a friend is somebody you know everything about but you like them anyway.

You may not be aware of this but most of us tend to take advantage of our friends. Think about that for a second. The better the friend the more we take each other for granted. We tend not to expect nearly as much from our casual acquaintances.

When I first started this houseboat thing and was looking at who I should take I went to my co-workers. People that I knew but didn’t know well. And that has worked out for all of us. The respect and cooperation was there from day one. Twenty years later we’re still doing it and the respect and cooperation is still there. And since I know you’re asking, yes they have become my best friends.

The Key To Success!

What’s important here is to take a hard look at the people you are thinking of inviting.

Are they demanding?
Do they think the world should be taking care of them?
Do they wake up in the morning mad at the world?

Are they the kind of people who will pull their own weight and pitch in when required?
Are they fun to be with?
Do they know how to build a campfire?

Maybe your best friend is the best solution.

Just keep in mind there are other considerations too.

Remember!!

This is your vacation. Take the people who are going to help you make it special.

Crew Size

If you’re on a party boat or you’re houseboating on a budget then take as many people as the boat will hold and good luck to you.

If you want a more relaxing houseboat experience there is a better way.

This may sound simple and obvious but make sure everyone has their own bedroom. We all need a place to escape to and we all need our sleep.

And on that note the kitchen table is not a bed and never should be. Keep that part of the boat as the common area.

We have a crew member who likes to get up around six in the morning. The rest of us prefer rising a little later. So she gets up, make herself a pot of tea and fires up the video games (with the sound off bless her heart). That works for everybody. She gets her quiet time and we get our sleep. And we can do that because we have not messed with the common area.

Our Rule Of Thumb

Our rule of thumb on crew size is to take as many people as we can sit around the kitchen table comfortably. So if the table holds 10 people that’s how many we take. This seems to give us the right mix of sleeping and living space.

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Crew Selection