I've worked on a couple of sailing ships and I found it really depends on the people. Sometimes it's great, chatting with people about sailing or teaching them the ropes. Occasionally you get someone that doesn't want to be there but it's rare. Sometimes you have to convince someone that is looking a little green in the gills they should be on the leeward side and not the windward, they tend to be thankful if you get to them in time. And then there are those times when it is just a job, like when the head backs up due to some foreign object and you have to clean shit off the walls. Being out on the water takes the edge off the rougher bits.