Things You Need to Know

There are quite a few things that you must consider before embarking in a career in yachting.
Prior preparation of things which at first might not seem that important can help you aviod aggravation later. Listed below are some of the questions we get asked most often...

Q. How Will I Stay In Touch?

Make sure that you have a postal address where your regular mail can be delivered. You could use a family member or close friend until you have something more permanent yourself. This is very important if you want to apply for an American B1B2 visa as the forms require a real address in a real country.

Set up an email account. For obvious reasons this is VERY practical. Make sure your email address doesn't contain any strange punctuation or rude/suggestive words. Not only will this come across as unprofessional but it increases the chances of your mail getting blocked by SPAM filters.
It can be a good idea to pay for your email address. Many of the 'Free' providers restrict the size of your mailbox and will suspend your account if your mailbox gets too large or if it isn't accessed regularly.

Have a permanent contact telephone number. For practical reasons a mobile phone is ideal and you can buy pre-paid SIMs in most countries.

Q. What About Finances?

Organise your banking properly. Make sure you can access your account via the internet.
You may wish to obtain and VISA card. This can be useful for emergencies and for online-shopping, something you will find yourself doing more and more!.

You will need medical insurance/health cover, especially if you travel to the USA.

There are several organisations that specialise in helping crew manage their finances. Dovaston Crew work closely with Moore Stephens Crew Benefits, a company based in the Isle Of Man. Click Herefor details of some of their services.

Q. What Qualifications/Experience Do I Need?

The 'Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping' (STCW 95) is a MUST for a career in yachting and Captains simply WILL NOT hire you without it. STCW certification is mandated for all positions on board which have a safety role in the crew "muster list" for emergencies. This is literally every crew member on board!

If you plan to work your way up to Captain, engineer, or chef, then obtaining further training, licensing, or certification doesn't necessarily need to be done right away. The experience you gain on the job can be more useful, plus it will help you better identify the appropriate training and courses you may wish to take at a later time.

If you are considering working in the interior get as much restaurant and bar experience as possible. Silver Service experience is important but even a cleaning job can help.

Diversity is the watchword for engineering jobs as you may be called on to fix anything from the toilets to the air conditioning to the generators. Experience of refrigeration, electronics, hydraulics, and welding will be of benefit and, with more and more yachts been run by onboard computers, a good knowledge of computers and computer networks will always serve you well.

Q. Do I Need A Crew Agent?

As a crew agent we have to say 'yes'!
But it isn't necessarily so. Even the best crew agent can't just wave a magic wand and find you a job. Putting in the leg work and walking the docks can be the best way to get your foot on the ladder, especially if you have no yachting experience and/or qualifications.

If you do sign up with a crew agent make sure you are prepared to work with them as a team. It's no use signing up and then sitting around waiting for something to happen.

Make sure you have a concise, well written C.V. in an electronic format that is small (under 100Kb) and compatible with the modern word processors. Take this along to your interview.

Have electronic copies of your certificates, visas and licences and take these to your interview.
Chefs and cooks should have a portfoilo of their skills with photographs and menu plans

At your interview, remember that you never get a second chance to make a first impression so be smart, well dressed and polite. Have a plan. Know what you can give to yachting and what you want to get out of your yachting career.

After your interview CHECK-IN regularly and keep your agent up-to-date with any changes in your circumstances, particularly details of any work experience you have gained or courses you have taken.

Always keep an electronic copy of your C.V. with you on a memory stick or similar. You never know!

Q. Where Can I Go To Look For Work?

Palma, Mallorca (Spain)

Antibes, France

Fort Lauderdale, USA

St. Maarten, Caribbean

Antigua, Caribbean