There are approximately 9,000 active motor and sailing yachts over 24 meters(78 feet). These yachts need crew. I've been in the business a while and it's been good to me. It seems the only industries it has parallels with is commercial ships and mining/oilfields/offshore work. Don't think cruise ships, cause that isn't like yachting unless you are top tier, i.e. Captain, Chief Engineer, first officer or an entertainer.
Don't think of this job as a way to travel, because most of the time you would sit in Fort Lauderdale for winter and New England or Mediterranean for summer. The yachts are hardly ever used in my experience unless you are on a busy charter boat. All you need to do to get into yachting is a basic course for one week that costs 1,000 dollars or so. STCW 95. Get yourself to Fort Lauderdale in winter or South France in summer and start networking and registering with the agents. For your first job the agents probably won't help you. This industry is swamped with newbies and it is a hard time to break into it. It can be done though same as anything else. I spent a few months breaking in, and my letters and references are the best you can get. This industry is racist for the most part, so if you aren't white, or close to it, good luck.
The jobs: Bigger boats will sometimes offer rotation, usually 10 weeks on and 10 weeks off.
Deck department. Captain, First Officer, Second Officer(over 200 feet or so), Bosun, Deckhand(s). Deckhand(s) washes and dries the boat. Polishes the boat. Basically does all the exterior care, it takes about a day to wash the boat or more, and it gets done once a week usually. There is always something to clean or polish. Also ties the boat up while mooring and sets the anchors when anchored out. Bosun, if the boat has one, only needed on boats with multiple deckhands. He runs the deckhands and directs them. Sometimes has safety duties too. First Officer is qualified to take over the vessel from captain if he dies or becomes unavailable while at sea. Officers usually take care of all safety equipment and some paperwork. Chart plotting, etc. Most time spent inside. Captain drives the boat and manages it. On big boats there can be 80 crew and you have to synchronize all the issues that go with that. Smaller yachts around 130 feet can have 4-8 crew and you don't have to deal with so much BS. Pay grade goes accordingly. Captain stays in contact with management and/or owners to keep vessel how they want it. Depending on size the Captain may or may not handle all finances.
Chef. Most boats under 160 feet have a permanent chef. I eat like a king on my boat. Bigger boats the owner may travel with his chef. Depending on how many guests there are there may be a owner's chef, sou chef, and crew cook.
Engineering department. Chief engineer, Second(over 150 feet), Third(over 200 or so), and ETO(IT/AV guy on boats over 200 or so). These chiefs make bank too just like the Captain, not as much though. Engineering keeps everything running. Water, engines, sewage treatment, cranes, water sport toys(tenders, jet skis, sailboats, etc.), wifi, TV, electricity. Etc.. Always busy if they are keeping the boat up to standards.
Interior department. Stewards and stewardesses keep the interior spotless and provide service to guests and crew. Dinner service, laundry, beds and heads. There is usually the same number as engineers plus one. Lots of laundry and polishing/cleaning.
Like I mentioned earlier you wouldn't get to see much travel from the yacht. Think of it as a job to make money and save it. The good thing is that you can resign and find a new job quickly after you are established. It took a long time to get my first job(3 months), but it was easy after that. I'm talking three offers a week or so when I am shopping for my new boat now. About 1 out of 5 I consider taking and interview accordingly. Keep in mind my letters are great. The first boat you work on you should stay one year, you will eat a lot of shit sandwiches unless you get lucky. It might suck, but it will pay off when you are looking for your next boat. I sucked it up hard for one year on a shitty boat. The reason you have to stay one year is that now the agents will actually pay attention to you. They will find you a job because you aren't just another newbie(they get paid one months salary at your rate from the boat you join if you last three months). The time on-board is stressful in the beginning and when guests are on-board, and you will share a cabin with crew unless you get lucky. Work your way up and you get your own cabin. I have worked as long as 5 months without a day off or a sleep in past 0730. It can/will be rough and you will hate it some days. That schedule is extremely rare, but there are boats out there that are complete shit to work for, go with your gut feeling on the interview.
With all that said, I eat like a king. I spend my time in an endless summer when I am working. I resign and take mini retirements when I want. I get paid to visit places people pay thousands to see. I have a 20 foot boat I can use whenever the owners aren't on-board. Also have a jet ski same deal. I get to play with some great technology and take fun courses like fire fighting. With that said it is hard to keep in touch with people on shore, but you get used to it. Wifi universally sucks on boats. Weekends and vacation, you can just delete those words from your brain as you are on call 24/7/365 while you are employed as a Captain/Chief/Officer. Having a relationship with a girl unless she works with you is almost impossible. If you plan on starting a family, yachting might not be for you because it won't work out until 10-15 years in. At that point you can change to shore side support. Yachting has been great to me though and is certainly a great option for our younger guys. Expenses while you work are near zero. I fully recommend this industry to younger guys and girls that like the sun and can work hard when needed. If anyone wonders what boat I work on, it's the big white one![[Image: wink.gif]](https://rooshvforum.network/images/smilies/wink.gif)
.
Don't think of this job as a way to travel, because most of the time you would sit in Fort Lauderdale for winter and New England or Mediterranean for summer. The yachts are hardly ever used in my experience unless you are on a busy charter boat. All you need to do to get into yachting is a basic course for one week that costs 1,000 dollars or so. STCW 95. Get yourself to Fort Lauderdale in winter or South France in summer and start networking and registering with the agents. For your first job the agents probably won't help you. This industry is swamped with newbies and it is a hard time to break into it. It can be done though same as anything else. I spent a few months breaking in, and my letters and references are the best you can get. This industry is racist for the most part, so if you aren't white, or close to it, good luck.
The jobs: Bigger boats will sometimes offer rotation, usually 10 weeks on and 10 weeks off.
Deck department. Captain, First Officer, Second Officer(over 200 feet or so), Bosun, Deckhand(s). Deckhand(s) washes and dries the boat. Polishes the boat. Basically does all the exterior care, it takes about a day to wash the boat or more, and it gets done once a week usually. There is always something to clean or polish. Also ties the boat up while mooring and sets the anchors when anchored out. Bosun, if the boat has one, only needed on boats with multiple deckhands. He runs the deckhands and directs them. Sometimes has safety duties too. First Officer is qualified to take over the vessel from captain if he dies or becomes unavailable while at sea. Officers usually take care of all safety equipment and some paperwork. Chart plotting, etc. Most time spent inside. Captain drives the boat and manages it. On big boats there can be 80 crew and you have to synchronize all the issues that go with that. Smaller yachts around 130 feet can have 4-8 crew and you don't have to deal with so much BS. Pay grade goes accordingly. Captain stays in contact with management and/or owners to keep vessel how they want it. Depending on size the Captain may or may not handle all finances.
Chef. Most boats under 160 feet have a permanent chef. I eat like a king on my boat. Bigger boats the owner may travel with his chef. Depending on how many guests there are there may be a owner's chef, sou chef, and crew cook.
Engineering department. Chief engineer, Second(over 150 feet), Third(over 200 or so), and ETO(IT/AV guy on boats over 200 or so). These chiefs make bank too just like the Captain, not as much though. Engineering keeps everything running. Water, engines, sewage treatment, cranes, water sport toys(tenders, jet skis, sailboats, etc.), wifi, TV, electricity. Etc.. Always busy if they are keeping the boat up to standards.
Interior department. Stewards and stewardesses keep the interior spotless and provide service to guests and crew. Dinner service, laundry, beds and heads. There is usually the same number as engineers plus one. Lots of laundry and polishing/cleaning.
Like I mentioned earlier you wouldn't get to see much travel from the yacht. Think of it as a job to make money and save it. The good thing is that you can resign and find a new job quickly after you are established. It took a long time to get my first job(3 months), but it was easy after that. I'm talking three offers a week or so when I am shopping for my new boat now. About 1 out of 5 I consider taking and interview accordingly. Keep in mind my letters are great. The first boat you work on you should stay one year, you will eat a lot of shit sandwiches unless you get lucky. It might suck, but it will pay off when you are looking for your next boat. I sucked it up hard for one year on a shitty boat. The reason you have to stay one year is that now the agents will actually pay attention to you. They will find you a job because you aren't just another newbie(they get paid one months salary at your rate from the boat you join if you last three months). The time on-board is stressful in the beginning and when guests are on-board, and you will share a cabin with crew unless you get lucky. Work your way up and you get your own cabin. I have worked as long as 5 months without a day off or a sleep in past 0730. It can/will be rough and you will hate it some days. That schedule is extremely rare, but there are boats out there that are complete shit to work for, go with your gut feeling on the interview.
With all that said, I eat like a king. I spend my time in an endless summer when I am working. I resign and take mini retirements when I want. I get paid to visit places people pay thousands to see. I have a 20 foot boat I can use whenever the owners aren't on-board. Also have a jet ski same deal. I get to play with some great technology and take fun courses like fire fighting. With that said it is hard to keep in touch with people on shore, but you get used to it. Wifi universally sucks on boats. Weekends and vacation, you can just delete those words from your brain as you are on call 24/7/365 while you are employed as a Captain/Chief/Officer. Having a relationship with a girl unless she works with you is almost impossible. If you plan on starting a family, yachting might not be for you because it won't work out until 10-15 years in. At that point you can change to shore side support. Yachting has been great to me though and is certainly a great option for our younger guys. Expenses while you work are near zero. I fully recommend this industry to younger guys and girls that like the sun and can work hard when needed. If anyone wonders what boat I work on, it's the big white one
.
