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Here are a few facts on Northern shipping of slaves. It is evident that your question on the crews is irrelevant at the least.

1805..... Between 1795 and 1805 more than 100,000 Africans were sent to America on 934 Rhode Island based vessels.

1831..... More than two decades before, the US Congress had banned the importation of slaves into the country. New England slave traders continued to carry on the slave trade into the Caribbean, Central, and South American markets. In this year, an English seaman, a Captain Isaacs made this statement about New England slave traders,

“Few have visited this port (Lamu) except the enterprising Americans whose star-spangled banner may be seen streaming in the wind where other nations would not deign to traffic.”

1856..... The United States Dept. Marshall for that New York district reported in 1856 that with regard to the construction and preparation of Northern slave ships:

"the business of fitting out slavers was never prosecuted with greater energy than at present."

12/1858..... In a report to the Secretary of State, the British admiralty reported that during the previous year, the British Navy on patrol in African waters, and searching for ships involved in the slave trade, had captured 33 American slave ships. The British also stated that another 23 American ships had escaped their patrols.

4/21/1859..... The US Navy sloop of war, Marion, was on station near the coast of Africa. It discovered and seized the American slave trade ship, Orion.

4/27/1859..... The Marion, just off the Congo, seized the American ship, Ardennes of New York, as it was engaged in the slave trade.

9/21/1859..... The US Naval vessel, Portsmouth, seized the sloop Emily, of New York, for being engaged in the slave trade.

12/2/1859..... In a report to President Buchanan, Secretary of the Navy Isaac Toucey stated that US Navy vessels were actively seeking to interdict slave trading vessels in Caribbean waters. The steamers Crusader, Mohawk, Wyandott, and Water Witch were cruising the waters of Cuba seeking American ships carrying on the slave trade.
Two weeks earlier, the Mohawk had discovered a brig at anchor near Cuba. Upon investigating it, the Naval Commander discovered that the brig was the Cygnet, of Baltimore, and had evidently recently landed a cargo of slaves. The ship was taken into custody and moved to Key West.

In a year and a half preceding the War Between the States eighty-five slave trading vessels were reported as fitting out in New York harbor and an author of the time wrote that,

"from 1850 to 1860 the fitting out of slavers became a flourishing business in the United States and centered in New York City."(Dubois)

8/8/1860..... Under command of Capt. Nathaniel Gordon, the ship Erie was discovered by the United States steamer Mohican, on the morning of the 8th day of August, 1860. She was then about fifty miles outside of the River Congo, on the West Coast of Africa, standing to the northward, with all sail set. She was flying the American flag. A gun from the Mohican brought her aside.

Lieutenant Todd of the USS Mohican went on board himself about noon, and took command of the prize. He found on board of the Erie eight hundred and ninety-seven (897) Negroes, men, women, and children.

Mr. Gordon was probably the most successful of the individuals engaged in the trade. A native of Maine, he had engaged in the business many years since, and had always eluded justice.