Ron Harben Lands a Crew Position
We recently received a note from Ron Harben, saying, “You may remember me from Svendsen’s event this past winter. I was lamenting that we older (in years but not physicality) sailors have a difficult time getting crew gigs due to ageism. The Universe must have been listening because I did finally get a crew job on a 44-ft catamaran out of Honolulu bound for La Paz.”
“It took some very fortuitous maneuvering by said Universe to land me the position. I had coordinated the refit of the very same cat during August of last year but another crew had been hired for the delivery to Zihuatanejo. That crew turned back due to equipment failure and another captain was hired with his own crew. One of the new captain’s crew had visa problems so I was ‘reluctantly’ (the captain’s word) called to fill in. I got the call on Friday, May 10th, flew out to Honolulu on Sunday, and the boat left the dock about 15 minutes after I came on board. We landed in La Paz 3123.1 miles later on June 4th.”
“I’m hoping for a ride in this year’s Baja Ha-Ha so, if there’s anyone out in the Ha-Ha Universe looking for an experienced, healthy, and energetic octogenarian (I’ll be 80 years old by the time the fleet leaves San Diego), I’m their man.”
We do remember talking with Ron. We couldn’t believe he was almost 80 and was looking to do lots more sailing. We’re happy to hear of his recent delivery and wish him luck with his search for further crew spots. If you’d like him to crew for your next voyage you can email him here.
Ron is a great reminder that anyone, regardless of age, background or experience, can add their name to the Latitude 38 Crew List. You never know how the universe is going to act but it helps when, like Ron Harben, you put it out there. There are well over 2,000 crew and boat owners on our crew list for racing, cruising and daysailing. If you’re a boat owner looking for crew or crew looking to sail, make sure to add your name under the category of your interest. It’s then up to you to make connections and discuss the boat, your honest experience and your interests, and to evaluate whether the situation works for both owner and crew.
If you’re looking to meet prospective owners and crew, make sure you plan to attend our Crew List Party at the Spaulding Marine Center in Sausalito on September 4!