The new sailor is a short but powerfully built male humanoid, a few inches over five feet tall. His gray skin (visible on the palms of his hands, soles of his feet, insides of his ears and tip of his nose) is covered with thick white fur, which grows out into a long beard, mustache and topknot. The fur is patterned with leopard-like spots that are dark blue-gray in color. His eyes are yellow and resemble a cat's eyes. He has catlike ears and long, catlike tail with a tuft on the end. During the introductions he is careful to keep a close-mouthed smile, but his teeth are clearly very numerous and sharp. His fingers and toes are tipped by sharp claws... and two small horns grow from his forehead...

Tom sighs as he is inspected by his new shipmates. The introductions, the awkward questions, the even more awkward explanations... that is always the hardest part. At least nobody this time is asking him if he eats people...
But a berth is a berth, and this certainly beats a welcoming committee of sharks, as had very nearly been his fate just a few days ago...
As Tom gets a better look at the crew... and some of its more unusual members... his spirits rise a bit.

I may not be quite so out of place here...