We appreciate your interest in our organization!
When joining In The Same Boat as a volunteer crewmember for beach cleaning in Norway, you should be familiar with the information and regulations in this document.
We have tried to answer the most frequently asked questions, but please don’t hesitate to ask for clarification or bring up new questions.
Are you using your real name?
If you are not using your real name on Workaway or different aliases on social media and email, you have to tell us!
The reason is that it’s almost impossible for us to keep track of the communication with you, among hundreds of other volunteers, if you use different names!
Sometimes we make appointments with volunteers on Workaway or Facebook and ask them to email us. When we receive the email, it’s from a different name, and we will not automatically understand that it’s the same person, and essential information may disappear.
We have had incidents where workawayers have arrived in Norway, not being able to find us or get in touch with us, because we have not recognized their name when they get in touch. For instance, we are searching for our expected guest “Toby”, but the emails come from “Tobias”… and sometimes the aliases are totally different names.
Do you need work permission or a VISA?
If you’re an EU citizen and you’re staying for up to three months, there are no limitations or requirements you need to prepare for.
If you’re from outside the EU, you can join in two ways:
a) To participate long-term with full-time work, you need to apply for a work visa in the category of exchange programs, culture, and organizational work.
b) For a traditional “workaway-experience,” you will get a document from us to present on the border when you enter Norway. This type of experience has some limitations in how much you can work and on which teams.
Length of volunteer participation
We usually agree for a certain period that we will be able to host you; this is based primarily on dates of arrival and departure of current and new crew. If, for any reason, you wish to shorten your stay, you may leave at any time- just let us know so we can make it as easy as possible for you. Most volunteers we pick, stay for 8 weeks or more, and those who can stay for that period or longer will be prioritized for practical and community reasons.
Our expectations of you and your expectations of us
As a volunteer crew member, you will be living on board and working hard! Anyone who expects a vacation or a holiday type of stay will be disappointed.
We will train and work patiently with you as you learn how to operate, live on a sailboat, and perform beach cleaning operations. You should expect us to help you grow into a safe, competent crew member. As you learn, we will start to rely on your understanding and awareness to live aboard and sail safely; you will have responsibilities according to the skills you develop.
Although our main task is beach cleaning, sometimes we are involved in other activities such as attending festivals as volunteers and help clean the area or run an ITSB info stand. We may also go to schools to give talks or have events with local communities or companies in order to engage with people and spread awareness of the work that we do.
Bringing attention to what we do is key to our success which is why creating content for social media is very important for us and we often involve the volunteers in this. You may opt out to be filmed but it is very valuable to us to have people on board who would like to actively participate and be part of the content creation process.
IMPORTANT – SAFETY FIRST – TEST AFTER 1 WEEK
After about 1 week’s stay, you will be given a practical test, where you have to prove that you are able to stay safely on board and that you fully understand our basic rules for living on board and working on the beaches.
If you do not score 80% on the test, there’s a great chance that you will be dismissed from the crew, to make place for someone else.
In the test, you will be asked to tie our 5 most used knots fast and efficiently, where the fire extinguishers are, our first aid kit, what equipment to bring when cleaning beaches, the man overboard routine, and a couple of more questions about the crew’s safety and well-being.
The full test content is here: TEST
Sometimes, issues arise that require addressing safety risks and interpersonal problems. Please know that we understand that everyone learns at a different pace and has strengths and weaknesses, so we don’t expect you to get everything right 100% of the time. We also acknowledge that we can all get tired of each other after living so close for so long; we accept that there may be occasional interpersonal issues, but we try to resolve such situations well.
Note that we, at any time, are entitled to end the stay of volunteers who present a safety risk to the crew or who do not get along well with the team. However, please expect us to do our best for you, and that we will expect you to do your best for us- and expect to have fun! We will help you grow as a sailor and engage you in helping the environment.
What to bring
There is not much space aboard, so you should bring as little as possible. Please bring it in a soft bag. Hard suitcases are not permitted onboard, as there is no space to store them.
It’s important to bring clothing for the right season. Norwegian summers are normally hot, with temperatures from 15 to 30 degrees Celsius. Winter may be from -15 below zero to 10 above.
These are the basic clothes you will need:
– Normal clothes for going into town (jeans, t-shirt, sweater)
– Plenty of socks and underwear, also for cold weather
– 2 pairs of warm long underwear
– Wool sweater
– Rain jacket
– Hiking shoes for rough conditions
– Sneakers for walking in town and for sailing
– Hat/beanie and a buff, wool if possible
The following clothes are further recommended for your comfort:
– Swimsuit
– Sandals or slippers for inside the boat
– Comfy pants for chilling in the sailboat
– Warm jacket/duvet jacket
– Mittens, for cold nights around the fire
– For summer: more t-shirts and a pair of shorts
Gear you need:
– Headlamp
– Reusable water bottle
– Medicine you need, toothbrush, towel, shampoo, and soap
– A container to pack your lunch
Gear we recommend:
– Sunglasses
– Powerbank
Focus on more practical clothes since almost everything will get wet or damp at some point. We sun-dry clothes all the time, have access to a washer and dryer, or dry them inside with a dehumidifier, so there is no need to bring “backup” clothing.
We try to avoid working in uncomfortable weather conditions, but at worst, you will be sailing in cold rain and wind or plastic-picking in on-off rain or even snow and hail.
Keep in mind that sailing, even on a warm day, means everything will be a bit chillier.
There will be facilities for washing your clothes at most harbors, but sometimes there will be weeks when you only have to wash clothes by hand.
We will provide bedding and some protective clothes for beach cleaning (our green rain gear).
Daily routines
Like the sea, our day-to-day and week-to-week itinerary is dynamic; everything we do depends on the weather conditions and our surroundings. In reality, it is impossible to predict our daily schedule perfectly. We are not afraid to be flexible, but we try to be consistent when possible. Here is a rough example of a typical day:
07:30 Wake up time! 🙂
08:00 Breakfast (proper food, often warm dishes)
08:30 Doing the dishes and boat preparation
09:00 Leaving base heading for cleaning location
09:15 Cleanup operation
13:00 Lunch (Often outside)
16:00 Finishing up cleanup, going back to base
19:00 Dinner (Crew chooses meal, cooks food together)
22:30 Quiet time (Varied, flexibly based on the day’s and next day’s activities)
Some volunteers are disappointed about the small amount of time we spend sailing the sailboats! Sometimes, we may stay at one harbor for several weeks, only going out with the workboats. If the weather is nice, we try to compensate by going out sailing just for fun. Sailing is an important motivation for our team leaders and skippers, and it’s kind of the reward for the hard work we do cleaning beaches.
What to eat
There is little space for cooking or storing food aboard, so we enjoy collaborating on what to eat. If there is a vegetarian in the crew, we usually all eat vegetarian. However, there are always non-vegetarian options available aboard. We combine vegetarian and regular meal opportunities, especially for breakfast and lunch.
PS: In some areas, getting good vegan alternatives is hard, especially when staying far away from the cities. That might result in periods with “simple” dishes for vegans.
You should expect to eat more than you usually do if you’re not living an extremely active life!
Sustainability is important to us, and we want to have the smallest footprint possible. Therefore, we dumpster-dive for food! Of course, this is voluntary, and you don’t have to eat dumpster food if you don’t feel like it. Normally, we do not get food from the dumpsters but directly from the grocery stores. They know us and keep away good food for us that, otherwise, would be going in the dumpster.
To be able to plan the meals on board, we like to know your food preferences ahead.
Accommodation
We accommodate most of our volunteers on sailboats, but you should expect to stay on other types of boats, in cabins, hotels, or occasionally even in tents!
Most volunteers will stay in different boats and occasionally in cabins. We do our best to ensure everyone gets their dose of sailing and boat life.
Our sailboats range from 38-66 feet (11-20 meters) and have 3-7 cabins, each with single or double berths. Volunteer crew sometimes get their own cabins but usually share the cabin with another volunteer of the same gender. We do not mix genders, but we may host couples that are already in a relationship with any gender combination.
We have bedding, but you may bring your sleeping bag if you like!
Security and safety routines
When not docked, at anchor, or sailing, all crew must wear a life jacket when outside- you may take it off inside as long as you know where you put it (for easy access).
Bringing guests to the boat without specific permission from the captain is strictly prohibited. However, it is important to note that we enjoy socializing with the locals and sometimes invite them for dinner or waffles, especially if they might be interested in joining us on a cleanup operation 🙂
When the captain is absent, the crew is responsible for the boat and its belongings. It is essential to realize that the boat is where we live our personal lives for weeks or months; consider that a stranger visiting should never jeopardize the comfort and security of the crew aboard.
A complete security brief will be given at your arrival.
Tetanus Vaccine
If you do not have the tetanus vaccine, or if it’s older than 10 years, you must get it before your arrival. Even if we use gloves and other kinds of protection, you may get scratches while cleaning dirty trash at the beaches, so it’s better to be safe!
Party time
Boat life is often associated with a culture of socializing and partying; while we are not necessarily wild party people, we are a part of this ‘culture’. We do enjoy socializing, meeting other people, and making new friends- sometimes for life (we hope :). When we are in the harbor, you are welcome to find pubs and clubs and enjoy yourself. But of course, we ask that you remember that the crew is the face of the organization.
Onboard, we allow drinking beer and wine when an onboard event is organized by the whole crew. All drugs are strictly prohibited. The crew should expect to pay for their own drinks as the organization simply does not have a budget for alcohol.
Drinking is, of course, not allowed while sailing, and it’s not allowed when the skipper/host is away.
Camera Surveillance
Some of our boats are equipped with camera surveillance in public areas and the main cabin. The surveillance provides extra security for everyone, including the crew, and detects intruders or other problems that may be a risk.
Things to learn BEFORE you arrive
This is the knots we use the most, which you should know with a blindfold before you arrive!
The clove hitch: https://youtu.be/wkb3h_dtKbQ (fender not)
The bowline: https://youtu.be/Q9NqGd7464U
The cleat hitch: https://youtu.be/KaF9lFn0Inw
Coiling ropes: https://youtu.be/vX4Zr0vdGHE
We also use the clove hitch around the standing line when mooring.
If you really want to learn how to sail during your stay, you should read as much as you can about sailing and watch YouTube videos before you arrive. The minimum you should know is the names of the main ropes and equipment on the boat. This is a good guide: https://www.kavas.com/sailors-guide/chapter-a-the-basics/a3-beginner-nautical-terms.html
And here are some other interesting articles you should take a look at:
Article about the plastic problem
How to sail a boat
This article puts a realistic light on living aboard a sailboat
Insurance
We have basic insurance that covers accidents when sailing, but it cannot cover any damage or loss of your belongings, nor accidents that happen when not sailing or working. You should have your own travel insurance before you start your mission with us.
We will not cover your travel expenses if you are returned at the border due to corona regulations or other reasons. It’s your duty to make sure you have the documentation you need and that your stay in Norway is legal, even though we will help you with making the documentation you need.
Fundraising
Running an operation like In The Same Boat, with sailboats, workboats, and professional tools and safety equipment, is expensive. In our minds, volunteers are the most important asset that ADDS values for the cause and our important work, and we would never ask any volunteer to contribute financially!
Nevertheless, we do not get the funding we need to run the operation from the government nor from the industries that have made fortunes by selling or using the plastic products that we pick up at the beaches.
So, we depend on individuals’ support to keep the wheels turning, or rather, to keep the boats floating!
That’s why we hope everyone who applies to volunteer also will help us by making a fundraiser on social media or on GoFundMe. This is made fast and easy from this page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fund/inthesameboat.no/
To make the fundraiser efficient, you can make your personal text and describe why you want to join In The Same Boat and why cleaning beaches is an important purpose. Telling that you are willing to spend months of your life on volunteer beach cleaning might inspire other people to make this opportunity for you, by supporting financially.
Storing your data and information
We will be storing your data and information in our database to be able to get in touch with you with updates and information in the future. If you want us to delete your application from our database, please email us at delete@inthesameboat.eco with your full name and email address that you were registering with, and we will delete it immediately. After 3 years, your name and contact information will be deleted, but we will keep your other data for statistics.
Other
The crew member (you) are responsible for covering expenses due to damage you intentionally or by negligence cause to the organization boats, property, or equipment or any third party involved in our operations.
Belongings that you by accident leave behind after your stay with us will not be returned. We just don’t have the time and recourses to handle the mailing. (You will understand… !!)