How much should crew contribute?

There is no single answer. What fits depends on the boat, the route and what the captain covers. The sections below show what one body says, then leave the numbers to the two of you.

• Reported Crewseekers recognises four arrangements: no contribution, a shared contribution, a working passage (the owner covers the costs and the crew work beyond watchkeeping) and a paid position.Source: Crewseekers (crew-matching service), seen 1 October 2026.

In plain words, the four are:

• No contribution: the crew member pays nothing towards the running of the boat.
• A shared contribution: the crew member pays a share of the running costs.
• A working passage: the owner covers the costs and the crew member works beyond keeping watch.
• A paid position: the crew member is paid.

A passage on Global Crew Finder states its costs in one of these ways:

• Free. Crew pay nothing towards the boat's running costs.
• Share food. Crew share the cost of food and provisions.
• Share food and fuel. Crew share food, fuel and marina or docking costs.
• Fixed contribution. Each crew member pays a set amount towards running costs.
• Paid crew. The captain pays crew for their work.
• Paid berth or sail training. Crew pay a fee for the berth, tuition or the experience. This is different from sharing costs.

• Reported Crewseekers says an amateur opportunity should ask for no more than a reasonable contribution to direct daily onboard expenses: no passage or charter fee, and no contribution to the boat's capital costs.Source: Crewseekers (crew-matching service), seen 1 October 2026.
• Reported Crewseekers says around GBP 20 per day is not unreasonable for a contribution to daily onboard expenses, and that no UK legislation sets a figure. It is a UK source quoting a UK figure.Source: Crewseekers (crew-matching service), seen 1 October 2026.
• Reported Crewseekers says a free advert on its site must ask for less than GBP 15 per day.Source: Crewseekers (crew-matching service), seen 1 October 2026.

These are a UK body's words about UK adverts, quoted with their source. We do not endorse them as the right amount for your passage.

We do not publish a typical figure for an Atlantic crossing. The ranges quoted on blogs and forums disagree with each other, so any one number would mislead you. Compare passages by the terms each captain states, and ask what is covered.

• Questions to ask a skipper
• Atlantic crossing passages

• Reported Crewseekers advises a written crew agreement that covers expectations, finances, that arrival cannot be guaranteed, crew repatriation, and insurance on each side.Source: Crewseekers (crew-matching service), seen 1 October 2026.
• Reported Crew should check passport, visa and return-ticket rules, keep an emergency flight budget, and arrange travel or medical cover that covers ocean sailing.Source: Crewseekers (crew-matching service), seen 1 October 2026.
• Reported Crewseekers says deck crew on a delivery often expect only their travel costs to be reimbursed, and that paid roles vary by company.Source: Crewseekers (crew-matching service), seen 1 October 2026.

Write down the amount, what it covers, when it is due and who pays for flights home if the passage ends early. How a voyage is treated under the rules of its flag and country is a legal question that this guide does not answer: read the pages below and ask the agency, your insurer or a lawyer.

• Costs and crew agreements: what to agree in writing