With often unpredictable schedules, when crew finally get time off, loved ones may be busy, plans fall through, and it can be difficult to meet like-minded yachties nearby who want to do things beyond visiting the bar. To solve this, Lost and Found Crew (LAFC) helps active yacht crew connect through shared hobbies and interests — from workouts and hikes to coffees, beach days and spontaneous travel plans. The LAFC app is now available on the App Store and Google Play, after six months of private testing to make sure it was ready.
Because LAFC is for crew only and application based, the community stays genuine and high quality. They manually verify each application to keep it strictly for yacht crew.
In the app, the interactive map shows who is nearby, hobby filters allow crew to connect over interests and hangouts let crew create real-world activities that others can join. With profiles built around lifestyle and hobbies, LAFC aims to improve the quality of life in yachting and make connecting easier for crew.
Co-founders Josh Oliver and Louis Forsyth met scrubbing teak on a weekend watch and bonded over how intense, brilliant and isolating yachting can be — plus, their mutual love for Sean Paul.
While time on board is social, loud and full on, time off can be the opposite. After COVID, the old dock culture never came back; they noticed crew were more cautious and disconnected. “We realized there was no proper way for crew to connect, but we did realize that the best connections were made through activity and shared interests,” Forsyth says. “So we built it.”
They want to normalize crew using their time off to grow and build friendships that outlast contracts. Eventually, they hope Lost and Found Crew evolves into global activity-based meetups, curated escapes, partnerships with wellness brands and a genuine support network.
“We're not trying to be the biggest network,” Forsyth says. “We're focused on building the right one for this community.”