We have an international family of dedicated and experienced sailors who cherish Grayhound. Each year we engage a five-person team from this family to form the Grayhound crew, comprising: the captain, the cook, two watch-leaders and the deck-hand.
These Grayhound crew members want your voyage to be the memory of a lifetime. They will make you feel welcome, safe and part of the team; and they will teach you to sail, handle and maintain this extraordinary ship. Alongside them, you will form the ‘voyage crew.’
This season’s crew
Wille
Owner and watch-leader
Wille has been sailing all his life and has been the driving force behind countless enormous projects. Wille is a circus artist, rigger, producer and writer. There is not much he cannot fix with his stubbornness and a bent screwdriver
Oskar
Owner, deck-hand and guide
Oskar is a puppeteer and a performer. He is also a playwright and a published writer. On his travels he gathers forgotten myths, magical artifacts and new stories about strange sea creatures.
Filémon
Captain
Filémon is one of our captains. He is a Grayhound veteran and has a lot of love for the ship. Born by the sea, and now highly qualified with all the necessary diplomas, he fills the ship with laughter and expertise.
Eliaz
Skipper
Elias is one of our captains. He is an experienced sailor with a Capitaine 500 Validé. He was on a three-year round-the-world sail when we saved him from Corona boredom and made him captain on Grayhound.
Noémi
Cook
Noémie is one of our cooks. She specialises in vegetarian cooking. She is the kind of cook that can serve up home-made burgers with newly-baked bread, followed by a fantastic tiramisu, after almost two weeks at sea.
Nick
Watch-leader
Nick is one of our watch-leaders. He has spent his entire life on the sea. As a descendant of the Isle of Wight, he is actually the only British citizen on this UK-flagged ship.
Isabel
Cook
Isabel is a wonderful cook and a brilliant musician, with lots of experience working in the galleys of tall ships. When she is not cooking up a delicious meal, you will find her on deck singing or playing music.
Constanze
Deck-hand
Constanze is one of our deck-hands, and is a skilled and enthusiastic rigger. So far, we haven’t found anything that could dampen her good mood, except for making her wear shoes…
Jonne
Deck-hand
Jonne is one of our deck-hands. She has sailed some of the most respected tall ships in the business. She has a background as an elite sprinter, a skill she uses occasionally when it’s time to get out of her bunk for night watches.
Voyage crew – including you!
The other important part of the crew is YOU!
Everyone on board is part of the voyage crew. Grayhound has berths for up to 10 guest crew. Full training will be given, and no sailing experience is required. If you are an experienced sailor who wants to learn more about lugger sailing, traditional seamanship, maintenance, and crossing oceans, you have come to the right place.
For a novice to tall ships, this is an ideal set-up, as the entire crew went out of their way to share their love and knowledge, by answering questions and actively involving guests in taking on responsibilities. There was singing, laughing (a lot), great food, sailing and great camaraderie combined with a high level of professionalism. Perfect and highly recommendable! Catch a trip if you can!
Sebastian Ritscher, June 2022